What nightingale is this? (Nay), ’tis a fiery monster: because of (his) love all unsweet things are sweetness to him.
این چه بلبل این نهنگ آتشی است ** جمله ناخوشها ز عشق او را خوشی است
He is a lover of the Universal, and he himself is the Universal: he is in love with himself and seeking his own love.”’”
عاشق کل است و خود کل است او ** عاشق خویش است و عشق خویش جو
Description of the wings of the birds that are Divine Intelligences.
صفت اجنحهی طیور عقول الهی
Such-like is the tale of the parrot which is the soul: where is that one who is the confidant of (the spiritual) birds?1575
قصهی طوطی جان زین سان بود ** کو کسی کو محرم مرغان بود
Where is a bird, weak and innocent, and within him Solomon with (all) his host?
کو یکی مرغی ضعیفی بیگناه ** و اندرون او سلیمان با سپاه
When he moans bitterly, without thanksgiving or complaint, a noise of tumult falls on (arises in) the Seven Spheres (of Heaven).
چون بنالد زار بیشکر و گله ** افتد اندر هفت گردون غلغله
At every moment (there come) to him from God a hundred missives, a hundred couriers: from him one (cry of) “O my Lord!” and from God a hundred (cries of) “Labbayka” (“Here am I”).
هر دمش صد نامه صد پیک از خدا ** یا ربی زو شصت لبیک از خدا
In the sight of God his backsliding is better than obedience; beside his infidelity all faiths are tattered (worthless).
زلت او به ز طاعت نزد حق ** پیش کفرش جمله ایمانها خلق
Every moment he hath an ascension (to God) peculiar to himself: He (God) lays upon his crown a hundred peculiar crowns.1580
هر دمی او را یکی معراج خاص ** بر سر تاجش نهد صد تاج خاص
His form is on earth and his spirit in “no-place,” a “no-place” beyond the imagination of travellers (on the mystic Way):
صورتش بر خاک و جان بر لامکان ** لامکانی فوق وهم سالکان
Not such a “no-place” that it should come into thy understanding (or that) a fancy about it should be born in thee every moment;
لامکانی نه که در فهم آیدت ** هر دمی در وی خیالی زایدت
Nay, place and “no-place” are in his control, just as the four (Paradisal) rivers are in the control of one who dwells in Paradise.
بل مکان و لامکان در حکم او ** همچو در حکم بهشتی چارجو
Cut short the explanation of this and avert thy face from it: do not breathe a word (more)—and God knows best what is right.
شرح این کوته کن و رخ زین بتاب ** دم مزن و الله اعلم بالصواب
We return, O friends, to the bird and the merchant and India.1585
باز میگردیم ما ای دوستان ** سوی مرغ و تاجر و هندوستان
The merchant accepted this message (and promised) that he would convey the greeting from her (the parrot) to her congeners.
مرد بازرگان پذیرفت این پیام ** کاو رساند سوی جنس از وی سلام
How the merchant saw the parrots of India in the plain and delivered the parrot's message.
دیدن خواجه طوطیان هندوستان را در دشت و پیغام رسانیدن از آن طوطی
When he reached the farthest bounds of India, he saw a number of parrots in the plain.
چون که تا اقصای هندوستان رسید ** در بیابان طوطی چندی بدید
He halted his beast; then he gave voice, delivered the greeting and (discharged) the trust.
مرکب استانید پس آواز داد ** آن سلام و آن امانت باز داد
One of those parrots trembled exceedingly, fell, and died, and its breath stopped.
طوطیی ز آن طوطیان لرزید بس ** اوفتاد و مرد و بگسستش نفس
The merchant repented of having told the news, and said, “I have gone about to destroy the creature.1590
شد پشیمان خواجه از گفت خبر ** گفت رفتم در هلاک جانور
This one, surely, is kin to that little parrot (of mine): they must have been two bodies and one spirit.
این مگر خویش است با آن طوطیک ** این مگر دو جسم بود و روح یک
Why did I do this? Why did I give the message? I have consumed the poor creature by this raw (foolish) speech.”
این چرا کردم چرا دادم پیام ** سوختم بیچاره را زین گفت خام
This tongue is like stone and is also like iron, and that which springs from the tongue is like fire.
این زبان چون سنگ و هم آهنوش است ** و آن چه بجهد از زبان چون آتش است
Do not vainly strike stone and iron against each other, now for the sake of relating (a story), now for the sake of boasting,
سنگ و آهن را مزن بر هم گزاف ** گه ز روی نقل و گاه از روی لاف
Because it is dark, and on every side are fields of cotton: how should sparks be amongst cotton?1595
ز آن که تاریک است و هر سو پنبه زار ** در میان پنبه چون باشد شرار
Iniquitous are those persons who shut their eyes and by such (vain) words set a whole world ablaze.
ظالم آن قومی که چشمان دوختند ** ز آن سخنها عالمی را سوختند
A single word lays waste a (whole) world, turns dead foxes into lions.
عالمی را یک سخن ویران کند ** روبهان مرده را شیران کند