A certain man had an ass but no pack-saddle: (as soon as) he got a saddle, the wolf carried away his ass.
آن یکی خر داشت، پالانش نبود ** یافت پالان گرگ خر را در ربود
He had a pitcher, but no water could be obtained: when he found water, the pitcher broke.
کوزه بودش آب می‌‌نامد به دست ** آب را چون یافت خود کوزه شکست
The king gathered the physicians together from left and right and said to them, “The life of us both is in your hands.
شه طبیبان جمع کرد از چپ و راست ** گفت جان هر دو در دست شماست
My life is of no account, (but) she is the life of my life. I am in pain and wounded: she is my remedy.
جان من سهل است جان جانم اوست ** دردمند و خسته‌‌ام درمانم اوست
Whoever heals her that is my life will bear away with him my treasure and pearls, large and small.”45
هر که درمان کرد مر جان مرا ** برد گنج و در و مرجان مرا
They all answered him, saying, “We will hazard our lives and summon all our intelligence and put it into the common stock.
جمله گفتندش که جان‌‌بازی کنیم ** فهم گرد آریم و انبازی کنیم
Each of us is a Messiah of a world (of people): in our hands is a medicine for every pain."
هر یکی از ما مسیح عالمی است ** هر الم را در کف ما مرهمی است
In their arrogance they did not say, “If God will”; therefore God showed unto them the weakness of Man.
گر خدا خواهد نگفتند از بطر ** پس خدا بنمودشان عجز بشر
I mean (a case in which) omission of the saving clause is (due to) a hardness of heart; not the mere saying of these words, for that is a superficial circumstance.
ترک استثنا مرادم قسوتی است ** نی همین گفتن که عارض حالتی است
How many a one has not pronounced the saving clause, and yet his soul is in harmony with the soul of it!50
ای بسا ناورده استثنا به گفت ** جان او با جان استثناست جفت
The more cures and remedies they applied, the more did the illness increase, and the need was not fulfilled.
هر چه کردند از علاج و از دوا ** گشت رنج افزون و حاجت ناروا
The sick girl became (thin) as a hair, (while) the eyes of the king flowed with tears of blood, like a river.
آن کنیزک از مرض چون موی شد ** چشم شه از اشک خون چون جوی شد
By Divine destiny, oxymel increased the bile, and oil of almonds was producing dryness.
از قضا سرکنگبین صفرا فزود ** روغن بادام خشکی می‌‌نمود
From (giving) myrobalan constipation resulted, relaxation ceased; and water fed the flames, like naphtha.
از هلیله قبض شد اطلاق رفت ** آب آتش را مدد شد همچو نفت
How it became manifest that the physicians were unable to cure the handmaiden, and how the king turned his face towards God and dreamed of a holy man.
ظاهر شدن عجز حکیمان از معالجه‌‌ی کنیزک و روی آوردن پادشاه به درگاه خدا و در خواب دیدن او ولی را
When the king saw the powerlessness of those physicians, he ran bare-footed to the mosque.55
شه چو عجز آن حکیمان را بدید ** پا برهنه جانب مسجد دوید
He entered the mosque and advanced to the mihráb (to pray): the prayer-carpet was bathed in the king's tears.
رفت در مسجد سوی محراب شد ** سجده گاه از اشک شه پر آب شد
On coming to himself out of the flood of ecstasy (faná) he opened his lips in goodly praise and prayer,
چون به خویش آمد ز غرقاب فنا ** خوش زبان بگشاد در مدح و ثنا
Saying, “O Thou whose least gift is the empire of the world, what shall I say, in as much as Thou knowest the hidden thing?
کای کمینه بخششت ملک جهان ** من چه گویم چون تو می‌‌دانی نهان
O Thou with whom we always take refuge in our need, once again we have missed the way.
ای همیشه حاجت ما را پناه ** بار دیگر ما غلط کردیم راه
But Thou hast said, ‘Albeit I know thy secret, nevertheless declare it forthwith in thine outward act.’”60
لیک گفتی گر چه می‌‌دانم سرت ** زود هم پیدا کنش بر ظاهرت
When from the depths of his soul he raised a cry (of supplication), the sea of Bounty began to surge.
چون بر آورد از میان جان خروش ** اندر آمد بحر بخشایش به جوش
Slumber overtook him in the midst of weeping: he dreamed that an old man appeared
در میان گریه خوابش در ربود ** دید در خواب او که پیری رو نمود
And said, “Good tidings, O king! Thy prayers are granted. If to-morrow a stranger come for thee, he is from me.