Hark, though the stars of heaven are far away and thy senses are (too) dull and slack (to apprehend their motions),
اختران چشم و گوش و هوش ما ** شب کجااند و به بیداری کجا
(Yet ask thyself) where are our stars—eye, ear, and mind—at night, and where (are they) when we are awake?
گاه در سعد و وصال و دلخوشی ** گاه در نحس فراق و بیهشی
Now (they are) in good luck and union and happiness; now in ill-luck and separation and insensibility.
ماه گردون چون درین گردیدنست ** گاه تاریک و زمانی روشنست
Since the moon of heaven is (engaged) in making this circuit, she is sometimes dark and sometimes bright.
گه بهار و صیف هم‌چون شهد و شیر ** گه سیاستگاه برف و زمهریر 925
Sometimes ’tis spring and summer, (delicious) as honey and milk; sometimes (the world is) a place of punishment by snow and piercing cold.
چونک کلیات پیش او چو گوست ** سخره و سجده کن چوگان اوست
Seeing that before Him (God) universals are like a ball, subject (to Him) and prostrating themselves before His bat,
تو که یک جزوی دلا زین صدهزار ** چون نباشی پیش حکمش بی‌قرار
How shouldst thou, O heart, which art (but) one of these hundred thousand particulars, not be in restless movement at His decree?
چون ستوری باش در حکم امیر ** گه در آخر حبس گاهی در مسیر
Be at the disposal of the Prince, like a horse (or mule), now confined in the stable, now going (on the road).
چونک بر میخت ببندد بسته باش ** چونک بگشاید برو بر جسته باش
When He fastens thee to a peg, be fastened (quiet and submissive); when He looses thee, go, be exultant (prance and bound).
آفتاب اندر فلک کژ می‌جهد ** در سیه‌روزی خسوفش می‌دهد 930
(But keep on the right road, for when) the sun in heaven jumps crookedly, He causes it to be eclipsed in black disgrace,
کز ذنب پرهیز کن هین هوش‌دار ** تا نگردی تو سیه‌رو دیگ‌وار
Saying, “Avoid the (Dragon's) Tail: hark, take heed, lest thou become black of face like a cooking-pot.”
ابر را هم تازیانه‌ی آتشین ** می‌زنندش کانچنان رو نه چنین
The cloud, too, is lashed with a whip of fire, (as through to say), “Go that way, do not go this way!
بر فلان وادی ببار این سو مبار ** گوشمالش می‌دهد که گوش دار
Rain upon such and such a valley, do not rain in this quarter”: He reprimands it, saying, “Give ear!
عقل تو از آفتابی بیش نیست ** اندر آن فکری که نهی آمد مه‌ایست
Thy reason is not superior to a sun: do not stay in (dally with) a thought that has been forbidden.
کژ منه ای عقل تو هم گام خویش ** تا نیاید آن خسوف رو به پیش 935
O Reason, do not thou too step crookedly, lest that eclipse of (the bright) face befall (thee).
چون گنه کمتر بود نیم آفتاب ** منکسف بینی و نیمی نورتاب
When (thy) sin is less, thou wilt see half the sun eclipsed and half radiant,
که به قدر جرم می‌گیرم ترا ** این بود تقریر در داد و جزا
For I punish thee in proportion to thy sin: this is the principle laid down for justice and retribution.
خواه نیک و خواه بد فاش و ستیر ** بر همه اشیا سمیعیم و بصیر
Whether (thou art) good or bad or open or secret, I am He that overheareth and overseeth all things.”
زین گذر کن ای پدر نوروز شد ** خلق از خلاق خوش پدفوز شد
Leave this topic, O father: New Year's Day is come: the creatures have had their mouths made sweet by the Creator.
باز آمد آب جان در جوی ما ** باز آمد شاه ما در کوی ما 940
The spiritual Water (of Life) has returned into our river-bed, our King has returned into our street.
می‌خرامد بخت و دامن می‌کشد ** نوبت توبه شکستن می‌زند
Fortune is strutting and (proudly) trailing her skirt and beating the drums (as a signal) to break vows of repentance.
توبه را بار دگر سیلاب برد ** فرصت آمد پاسبان را خواب برد
Once more the flood-water has swept repentance away: the opportunity has arrived, the watchman is overcome by sleep.
هر خماری مست گشت و باده خورد ** رخت را امشب گرو خواهیم کرد
Every toper has drunk the wine and is intoxicated: to-night we will pawn all our belongings.
زان شراب لعل جان جان‌فزا ** لعل اندر لعل اندر لعل ما
From (drinking) the ruby wine of the life-increasing Spirit we are ruby within ruby within ruby.
باز خرم گشت مجلس دلفروز ** خیز دفع چشم بد اسپند سوز 945
Once more the assembly-place has become flourishing and heart-illuminating: arise and burn rue-seed to keep off the evil eye.
نعره‌ی مستان خوش می‌آیدم ** تا ابد جانا چنین می‌بایدم
The cries of the joyous drunken (lovers) are coming to me: O Beloved, I want it (to continue) like this unto everlasting.
نک هلالی با بلالی یار شد ** زخم خار او را گل و گلزار شد
Lo, a new moon (hilálí) has been united with a Bilál: the blows of the (scourge of) thorns have become (delightful) to him (as) roses and pomegranate-flowers.
گر ز زخم خار تن غربال شد ** جان و جسمم گلشن اقبال شد
(Bilál said), “If my body is (full of holes, like) a sieve from the blows of the (scourge of) thorns, (yet) my soul and body are a rose-garden of felicity.
تن به پیش زخم خار آن جهود ** جان من مست و خراب آن و دود
My body is exposed to the blows of the Jew's (scourge of) thorns, (but) my spirit is intoxicated and enravished by that Loving One.
The scent of a (beloved) Soul is coming towards my soul: the scent of my loving Friend is coming to me.”
از سوی معراج آمد مصطفی ** بر بلالش حبذا لی حبذا
(When) Mustafá (Mohammed) came (to earth) from the Ascension, (he pronounced) on his Bilál (the blessing), “How dear to me (art thou), how dear!”
چونک صدیق از بلال دم‌درست ** این شنید از توبه‌ی او دست شست
On hearing this (ecstatic utterance) from Bilál, in whose speech there was no guile, the Siddíq (Abú Bakr) washed his hands of urging him to repent.
باز گردانیدن صدیق رضی الله عنه واقعه‌ی بلال را رضی الله عنه و ظلم جهودان را بر وی و احد احد گفتن او و افزون شدن کینه‌ی جهودان و قصه کردن آن قضیه پیش مصطفی علیه‌السلام و مشورت در خریدن او
How the Siddíq (Abú Bakr), may God be pleased with him, recalled (to his mind) what had happened to Bilál, may God be pleased with him, and his maltreatment by the Jews and his crying “One! One!” and the Jews becoming more incensed (against him); and how he told the story of the affair to Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, and consulted him as to buying him (Bilál) from the Jews.
بعد از آن صدیق پیش مصطفی ** گفت حال آن بلال با وفا
Afterwards the Siddíq related to Mustafá the plight of the faithful Bilál,
کان فلک‌پیمای میمون‌بال چست ** این زمان در عشق و اندر دام تست
Saying, “That heaven-surveying nimble (spirit) of blessed wing is at this time in love (with thee) and in thy net.
باز سلطانست زان جغدان برنج ** در حدث مدفون شدست آن زفت‌گنج 955
The Sultan's falcon is tormented by those owls; that grand treasure is buried in filth.
جغدها بر باز استم می‌کنند ** پر و بالش بی‌گناهی می‌کنند
The owls are doing violence to the falcon: they are tearing out his plumes and feathers though he is innocent.
جرم او اینست کو بازست و بس ** غیر خوبی جرم یوسف چیست پس
His only crime is this, that he is a falcon: after all, what is Joseph's crime except (that he had) beauty?
جغد را ویرانه باشد زاد و بود ** هستشان بر باز زان زخم جهود
The owl's origin and existence is (in) the wilderness; that is the cause of their Jewish (fanatical) anger against the falcon.
که چرا می یاد آری زان دیار ** یا ز قصر و ساعد آن شهریار
(They say), ‘Why art thou (always) making mention of yonder land, or of the palace and wrist of the Emperor?
در ده جغدان فضولی می‌کنی ** فتنه و تشویش در می‌افکنی 960
Thou art behaving impudently in the owls’ village, thou art introducing dissension and disturbance (amongst us).
مسکن ما را که شد رشک اثیر ** تو خرابه خوانی و نام حقیر
Our dwelling-place, which is the envy of the empyrean, thou callest a wilderness and givest it the name of “vile.”
شید آوردی که تا جغدان ما ** مر ترا سازند شاه و پیشوا
Thou hast employed hypocrisy in order that our owls may make thee (their) king and leader.
وهم و سودایی دریشان می‌تنی ** نام این فردوس ویران می‌کنی
Thou art instilling into them a vain imagination and a mad fancy: thou art giving the name “ruin” to this Paradise.
بر سرت چندان زنیم ای بد صفات ** که بگویی ترک شید و ترهات
We will beat thy head so long, O (bird) of evil qualities, that thou wilt renounce this hypocrisy and nonsense.’
پیش مشرق چارمیخش می‌کنند ** تن برهنه شاخ خارش می‌زنند 965
They (the Jews) are crucifying him (Bilál), his face to the East, and flogging his naked body with a thorny branch.
از تنش صد جای خون بر می‌جهد ** او احد می‌گوید و سر می‌نهد
The blood is spurting from his body in a hundred places, (whilst) he is crying ‘One!’ and bowing his head (in resignation).
پندها دادم که پنهان دار دین ** سر بپوشان از جهودان لعین
I admonished him often, saying, ‘Keep thy religion hidden, conceal thy secret from the accursed Jews.’