Although an old man's feet are deprived of rapid movement, his intelligence has gotten two wings and has sped to the zenith.
پای پیر از سرعت ار چه باز ماند ** یافت عقل او دو پر بر اوج راند
If you wish for an example (of this), look at Ja‘far: God gave him wings instead of hands and feet.
گر مثل خواهی به جعفر در نگر ** داد حق بر جای دست و پاش پر
Cease from (speaking of) gold (pallor), for this topic is recondite: this heart of mine has become agitated like quicksilver.2060
بگذر از زر کین سخت شد محتجب ** هم‌چو سیماب این دلم شد مضطرب
From within me a hundred sweet-breathing silent ones put their hands on their lips, signifying, “It is enough.”
ز اندرونم صدخموش خوش‌نفس ** دست بر لب می‌زند یعنی که بس
Silence is the sea, and speech is like the river. The sea is seeking thee: do not seek the river.
خامشی بحرست و گفتن هم‌چو جو ** بحر می‌جوید ترا جو را مجو
Do not turn thy head away from the indications given by the sea: conclude (the subject)—and God best knoweth the right course.
از اشارتهای دریا سر متاب ** ختم کن والله اعلم بالصواب
That irreverent (objector) made no pause in the words (which he poured forth) in this fashion from those cold (insipid) lips (of his) in the presence of the Prophet.
همچنین پیوسته کرد آن بی‌ادب ** پیش پیغامبر سخن زان سرد لب
Words were assisting (did not fail) him, (but) he was ignorant that hearsay (traditional knowledge) is mere babble in the presence of sight (immediate vision).2065
دست می‌دادش سخن او بی‌خبر ** که خبر هرزه بود پیش نظر
Indeed, these matters of hearsay are (only) a substitute for sight: they are not for him who is present, (but) for him who is absent.
این خبرها از نظر خود نایبست ** بهر حاضر نیست بهر غایبست
Whoever has been caused to attain unto sight, before him these matters of hearsay are idle.
هر که او اندر نظر موصول شد ** این خبرها پیش او معزول شد
When you have sat down beside your beloved, after this banish the dallálas (the old women who act as go-betweens).
چونک با معشوق گشتی همنشین ** دفع کن دلالگان را بعد ازین
When any one has passed beyond childhood and has become a man, the letter and the dallála become irksome to him.
هر که از طفلی گذشت و مرد شد ** نامه و دلاله بر وی سرد شد
He reads letters, (but only) for the purpose of teaching (others); he utters words, (but only) for the purpose of making (others) understand.2070
نامه خواند از پی تعلیم را ** حرف گوید از پی تفهیم را
’Tis wrong to speak by hearsay in the presence of those who see (who are endowed with vision), for it is a proof of our heedlessness and deficiency.
پیش بینایان خبر گفتن خطاست ** کان دلیل غفلت و نقصان ماست
In the presence of the seer silence is to your advantage: on this account came (from God) the allocution, Be ye silent.
پیش بینا شد خموشی نفع تو ** بهر این آمد خطاب انصتوا
If he (the seer) bid you speak, speak gladly, but say little and do not draw out (your words) to length;
And if he bid you draw them out to length, speak with the same modesty (as before) and comply with his command,
ور بفرماید که اندر کش دراز ** هم‌چنان شرمین بگو با امر ساز
Even as I (am complying) now, in this goodly enchantment (this enchanting poem), with (the command of) Ziyá’u ’l-Haqq (the Radiance of God) Husámu’ddín.2075
همچنین که من درین زیبا فسون ** با ضیاء الحق حسام‌الدین کنون
When I am cutting short (my discourse) concerning (the Way of) righteousness, he draws me on to speak by a hundred kinds (of contrivance).
چونک کوته می‌کنم من از رشد ** او به صد نوعم بگفتن می‌کشد
O Husámu’ddín, Radiance of the Almighty, inasmuch as thou art seeing, why dost thou seek speech (from me)?
ای حسام‌الدین ضیاء ذوالجلال ** چونک می‌بینی چه می‌جویی مقال
Perchance this demand (on thy part) may arise from (thy) love for the Desired One, (as the poet said), “Give me wine to drink and tell me that it is (wine).”
این مگر باشد ز حب مشتهی ** اسقنی خمرا و قل لی انها
At this moment His cup is at thy mouth, (but thy) ear says, “Where is the ear's portion?”
بر دهان تست این دم جام او ** گوش می‌گوید که قسم گوش کو
(O ear), thy portion is the heat (of love): lo, thou art heated and intoxicated. It replied, “My greed is greater than this.”2080
قسم تو گرمیست نک گرمی و مست ** گفت حرص من ازین افزون‌ترست
How Mustafá, on whom be peace, answered the objector.
جواب گفتن مصطفی علیه‌السلام اعتراض کننده را
When that Arab carried disputation beyond bounds in the presence of sweettempered Mustafá,
در حضور مصطفای قندخو ** چون ز حد برد آن عرب از گفت و گو
That king of Wa ’l-Najm and that sultan of ‘Abas bit his lip (in anger) and said to the silly prater, “Enough!”
آن شه والنجم و سلطان عبس ** لب گزید آن سرد دم را گفت بس