For He bestows spiritual light both on cloud and mist, and God best knoweth how to impart (it).
کو ببخشد هم به میغ و هم به ماغ ** نور جان والله اعلم بالبلاغ
How Solomon, on whom be peace, bade the envoys of Bilqís return to her with the gifts which they had brought; and how he called Bilqís to (accept) the Faith and to abandon sun-worship.
بازگردانیدن سلیمان علیه‌السلام رسولان بلقیس را به آن هدیه‌ها کی آورده بودند سوی بلقیس و دعوت کردن بلقیس را به ایمان و ترک آفتاب‌پرستی
“O shamefaced envoys, turn back! The gold is yours: bring unto me the heart, the (pure) heart!
باز گردید ای رسولان خجل ** زر شما را دل به من آرید دل
Lay this gold of mine on the top of that gold (of yours): date corporis caecitatem pudendo mulae.” [Lay this gold of mine on the top of that gold (of yours): give the body’s blindness (its blind desire for gold) to a (female) mule’s private part.”]615
این زر من بر سر آن زر نهید ** کوری تن فرج استر را دهید
Annulo aureo pudendum mulae idoneum est; the lover’s gold is the pallid yellow countenance; [A mule’s private part is suitable (as a hiding place) for a ring of gold; the lover’s gold is the pallid yellow countenance;]
For that (countenance) is the object of the Lord’s regard, while the mine (of gold) results from the sun’s casting looks (of favour).
که نظرگاه خداوندست آن ** کز نظرانداز خورشیدست کان
How can (that which is) the sunbeams’ object of regard be compared with (that which is) an object of regard to the Lord of the quintessence’?
کو نظرگاه شعاع آفتاب ** کو نظرگاه خداوند لباب
“Make of your souls a shield against my taking (you) captive, though (in truth) ye are my captives even now.”
از گرفت من ز جان اسپر کنید ** گرچه اکنون هم گرفتار منید
The bird tempted by the bait is (still) on the roof: with wings outspread, it is (nevertheless) imprisoned in the trap.620
مرغ فتنه دانه بر بامست او ** پر گشاده بسته‌ی دامست او
Inasmuch as with (all) its soul it has given its heart to (has become enamoured of) the bait, deem it caught, (though apparently it is still) uncaught.
چون به دانه داد او دل را به جان ** ناگرفته مر ورا بگرفته دان
Deem the looks which it is directing to the bait to be the knot that it is tying on its legs.
آن نظرها که به دانه می‌کند ** آن گره دان کو به پا برمی‌زند
The bait says, “If thou art stealing thy looks (away from me) I am stealing from thee patience and constancy.
دانه گوید گر تو می‌دزدی نظر ** من همی دزدم ز تو صبر و مقر
When those looks have drawn thee after me, then thou wilt know that I am not inattentive to thee.”
چون کشیدت آن نظر اندر پیم ** پس بدانی کز تو من غافل نیم
Story of the druggist whose balance-weight was clay for washing the head; and how a customer, who was a clay-eater, stole some of that clay covertly and secretly, whilst sugar was being weighed.
قصه‌ی عطاری کی سنگ ترازوی او گل سرشوی بود و دزدیدن مشتری گل خوار از آن گل هنگام سنجیدن شکر دزدیده و پنهان
A certain clay-eater went to a druggist to buy (a quantity of) fine hard sugar-loaf.625
پیش عطاری یکی گل‌خوار رفت ** تا خرد ابلوج قند خاص زفت
Now, at the druggist's, (who was) a crafty vigilant man, in place of the balance-weight there was clay.
پس بر عطار طرار دودل ** موضع سنگ ترازو بود گل
He said, “If you want to buy sugar, my balance-weight is clay.”
گفت گل سنگ ترازوی منست ** گر ترا میل شکر بخریدنست
He (the customer) said, “I am requiring sugar for an urgent affair: let the balance-weight be whatever you wish.”
گفت هستم در مهمی قندجو ** سنگ میزان هر چه خواهی باش گو
To himself he said, “What does the weight matter to one that eats clay? Clay is better than gold.”
گفت با خود پیش آنک گل‌خورست ** سنگ چه بود گل نکوتر از زرست
As the dallála (go-between) who said, “O son, I have found a very beautiful new bride (for you).630
هم‌چو آن دلاله که گفت ای پسر ** نو عروسی یافتم بس خوب‌فر
(She is) exceedingly pretty, but there is just one thing, that the lady is a confectioner's daughter.”
سخت زیبا لیک هم یک چیز هست ** که آن ستیره دختر حلواگرست
“(All the) better,” said he; “if it is indeed so, his daughter will be fatter and sweeter.”
گفت بهتر این چنین خود گر بود ** دختر او چرب و شیرین‌تر بود
“If you have no (proper) weight and your weight is of clay, this is better and better: clay is the fruit (desired) of my heart.”
گر نداری سنگ و سنگت از گلست ** این به و به گل مرا میوه‌ی دلست
He (the druggist) placed the clay, because of its being ready (to his hand), in one scale of the balance instead of the (proper) weight;
اندر آن کفه‌ی ترازو ز اعتداد ** او به جای سنگ آن گل را نهاد
Then, for the other scale, he was breaking with his hand the equivalent amount of sugar.635
پس برای کفه‌ی دیگر به دست ** هم به قدر آن شکر را می‌شکست
Since he had no pick-axe, he took a long time and made the customer sit waiting.
چون نبودش تیشه‌ای او دیر ماند ** مشتری را منتظر آنجا نشاند
(Whilst) his face was (turned) towards that (sugar), the clay-eater, unable to restrain himself, began covertly to steal the clay from him,
رویش آن سو بود گل‌خور ناشکفت ** گل ازو پوشیده دزدیدن گرفت