Until you recite “(There is) not (any god)” and “except Allah,” you will not find the plain track of this Way.
تا نخوانی لا و الا الله را ** در نیابی منهج این راه را
Story of the lover who was recounting to his beloved his acts of service and loyalty and the long nights (during which) their sides heave up from their beds and the long days of want and parching thirst; and he was saying, “I know not any service besides these: if there is any other service (to be done), direct me, for I submit to whatever thou mayst command, whether to enter the fire, like Khalíl (Abraham), on whom be peace, or fall into the mouth of the leviathan of the sea, like Jonah, on whom be peace, or be killed seventy times, like Jirjís (St George), on whom be peace, or be made blind by weeping, like Shu‘ayb, on whom be peace; and the loyalty and self-sacrifice of the prophets cannot be reckoned”; and how the beloved answered him.
داستان آن عاشق کی با معشوق خود برمیشمرد خدمتها و وفاهای خود را و شبهای دراز تتجافی جنوبهم عن المضاجع را و بینوایی و جگر تشنگی روزهای دراز را و میگفت کی من جزین خدمت نمیدانم اگر خدمت دیگر هست مرا ارشاد کن کی هر چه فرمایی منقادم اگر در آتش رفتن است چون خلیل علیهالسلام و اگر در دهان نهنگ دریا فتادنست چون یونس علیهالسلام و اگر هفتاد بار کشته شدن است چون جرجیس علیهالسلام و اگر از گریه نابینا شدن است چون شعیب علیهالسلام و وفا و جانبازی انبیا را علیهمالسلام شمار نیست و جواب گفتن معشوق او را
A certain lover in the presence of his beloved was recounting his services and works,
آن یکی عاشق به پیش یار خود ** میشمرد از خدمت و از کار خود
Saying, “For thy sake I did such and such, in this war I suffered (wounds from) arrows and spears.
کز برای تو چنین کردم چنان ** تیرها خوردم درین رزم و سنان
Wealth is gone and strength is gone and fame is gone: on account of my love for thee many a misfortune has befallen me.
مال رفت و زور رفت و نام رفت ** بر من از عشقت بسی ناکام رفت
No dawn found me asleep or laughing; no eve found me with capital and means.”1245
هیچ صبحم خفته یا خندان نیافت ** هیچ شامم با سر و سامان نیافت
What he had tasted of bitters and dregs he was recounting to her in detail, point by point,
آنچ او نوشیده بود از تلخ و درد ** او به تفصیلش یکایک میشمرد
Not for the sake of reproach; nay, he was displaying a hundred testimonies of the trueness of his love.
نه از برای منتی بل مینمود ** بر درستی محبت صد شهود
For men of reason a single indication is enough, (but) how should the thirst (longing) of lovers be removed thereby?
عاقلان را یک اشارت بس بود ** عاشقان را تشنگی زان کی رود
He (the lover) repeats his tale unweariedly: how should a fish be satisfied with (mere) indication (so as to refrain) from the limpid water?
میکند تکرار گفتن بیملال ** کی ز اشارت بس کند حوت از زلال
He (the lover), from that ancient grief, was speaking a hundred words in complaint, saying, “I have not spoken a word.”1250
صد سخن میگفت زان درد کهن ** در شکایت که نگفتم یک سخن