God said to us, ‘Say, Come ye,’ in order to signify to us the (means of) vanquishing our feeling of shame.
قل تعالوا گفت حق ما را بدان ** تا بود شرم اشکنی ما را نشان
If bats had sight and means (ability to bear the sunshine), they would fly about and enjoy themselves by day.”2695
شب پران را گر نظر و آلت بدی ** روزشان جولان و خوش حالت بدی
The wife said, “When the gracious King goes into the field (maydán), the essence of every lack of means (inability) becomes a means (ability),
گفت چون شاه کرم میدان رود ** عین هر بیآلتی آلت شود
Because the means (ability) is (involves) pretension and self-existence: the (pith of the) matter lies in lack of means (inability) and non-existence.”
ز آن که آلت دعوی است و هستی است ** کار در بیآلتی و پستی است
“How,” said he, “should I do business without means, unless I make it manifest that I (really) have no means?
گفت کی بیآلتی سودا کنم ** تا نه من بیآلتی پیدا کنم
Therefore I must needs have attestation of my want of means, that the King who wants naught may take pity on me.
پس گواهی بایدم بر مفلسی ** تا شهم رحمی کند یا مونسی
Do thou produce some attestation besides talk and show, so that the beauteous King may take pity,2700
تو گواهی غیر گفتوگو و رنگ ** وانما تا رحم آرد شاه شنگ
For the testimony that consisted of talk and show was (ever) invalidated before that Supreme Judge.
کاین گواهی که ز گفت و رنگ بد ** نزد آن قاضی القضاة آن جرح شد
He requires truth (veracity) as witness to his (the indigent man's) state, so that his (inner) light shall shine forth (and proclaim his indigence) without any words of his.”
صدق میخواهد گواه حال او ** تا بتابد نور او بیقال او
How the Arab carried a jug of rain-water from the midst of the desert as a gift to the Commander of the Faithful at Baghdád, in the belief that in that town also there was a scarcity of water.
هدیه بردن عرب سبوی آب باران از میان بادیه سوی بغداد به نزد خلیفه بر پنداشت آن که آن جا هم قحط آب است
The wife said, “When with all thy might thou dost (endeavour to) rise up entirely purged of self-existence—that is veracity.
گفت زن صدق آن بود کز بود خویش ** پاک برخیزی تو از مجهود خویش