Hear this parable—how a wicked thief was cutting a hole at the bottom of a wall.
این مثل بشنو که شب دزدی عنید ** در بن دیوار حفره می‌برید
Some one half-awake, who was ill, heard the soft tapping of his (pick),2800
نیم‌بیداری که او رنجور بود ** طقطق آهسته‌اش را می‌شنود
And went on the roof and hung his head down and said to him, “What are you about, O father?
رفت بر بام و فرو آویخت سر ** گفت او را در چه کاری ای پدر
All is well, I hope. What are you doing (here) at midnight? Who are you?” He said, “A drummer, O honourable sir.”
خیر باشد نیمشب چه می‌کنی ** تو کیی گفتا دهل‌زن ای سنی
“What are you about?” He said, “I am beating the drum.” He (the sick man) said, “Where is the noise of the drum, O artful one?”
در چه کاری گفت می‌کوبم دهل ** گفت کو بانگ دهل ای بوسبل
He said, “You will hear this noise to-morrow, (namely) cries of ‘Oh, alas!’ and ‘Oh, woe is me!’”
گفت فردا بشنوی این بانگ را ** نعره یا حسرتا وا ویلتا
That (story of the hare and the elephant) is a lie and false and made up; moreover, thou hast not perceived the secret (the esoteric meaning) of that falsehood.2805
آن دروغست و کژ و بر ساخته ** سر آن کژ را تو هم نشناخته
The answer to the parable which the unbelievers related concerning the hare's being sent as ambassador with a message to the elephant from the Moon in heaven.
جواب آن مثل کی منکران گفتند از رسالت خرگوش پیغام به پیل از ماه آسمان
Know that the hidden nature of that hare is the insolent Devil who came as an ambassador to thy soul,
سر آن خرگوش دان دیو فضول ** که به پیش نفس تو آمد رسول
In order that he might deprive thy foolish soul of the Water of Life whence Khizr drank.
تا که نفس گول را محروم کرد ** ز آب حیوانی که از وی خضر خورد
Thou hast perverted its (the parable's) meaning, thou hast uttered blasphemy: prepare thyself for the sting (of Divine chastisement).
بازگونه کرده‌ای معنیش را ** کفر گفتی مستعد شو نیش را
Thou hast spoken of the moon's being disturbed in the limpid water, whereby the jackal (hare) frightened the elephants;
اضطراب ماه گفتی در زلال ** که بترسانید پیلان را شغال
Thou relatest the story of the hare and the elephant and the water, and the elephant's fear of the moon when it was disturbed:2810
قصه‌ی خرگوش و پیل آری و آب ** خشیت پیلان ز مه در اضطراب
O ye half-baked blind men, pray, how does this bear any resemblance to the Moon to whom (both) lords and commons are subject?
این چه ماند آخر ای کوران خام ** با مهی که شد زبونش خاص و عام
What is the moon and what is the sun and what is the sky? What are intelligences and souls and angels?
چه مه و چه آفتاب و چه فلک ** چه عقول و چه نفوس و چه ملک
“The Sun of the sun of the sun”: what is this I am saying (of God)? Surely I am asleep.
آفتاب آفتاب آفتاب ** این چه می‌گویم مگر هستم بخواب
The wrath of the (spiritual) kings has overthrown hundreds of thousands of cities, O ye wicked who have lost the way.
صد هزاران شهر را خشم شهان ** سرنگون کردست ای بد گم‌رهان
At their beck the mountain splits on itself into a hundred fissures; a sun is (enveloped) in a veil (of darkness) through the eclipse (occultation) of him (the perfect saint).2815
کوه بر خود می‌شکافد صد شکاف ** آفتابی از کسوفش در شغاف
The wrath of (holy) men makes the clouds dry; the wrath of (saintly) hearts has laid worlds waste.