If a royal falcon come from the road and bring to these owls a hundred reports of the King,1155
گر بیاید باز سلطانی ز راه ** صد خبر آرد بدین چغدان ز شاه
(With) a full account of the imperial city and the orchards and the rivers—then a hundred enemies will jeer at him,
شرح دارالملک و باغستان و جو ** پس برو افسوس دارد صد عدو
Saying, ‘What has the falcon brought? An old story. He is weaving words of vanity and idle brag.’
که چه باز آورد افسانه‌ی کهن ** کز گزاف و لاف می‌بافد سخن
(’Tis) they (that) are old and rotten unto everlasting; otherwise (they would know that) that breath (of prophetic inspiration) makes the old new.
کهنه ایشانند و پوسیده‌ی ابد ** ورنه آن دم کهنه را نو می‌کند
It gives life to the old dead (spirits): it gives the crown of reason and the light of faith.
مردگان کهنه را جان می‌دهد ** تاج عقل و نور ایمان می‌دهد
Do not steal thy heart away from the spirit-bestowing heart-ravisher, for he will mount thee on the back of Rakhsh.1160
دل مدزد از دلربای روح‌بخش ** که سوارت می‌کند بر پشت رخش
Do not steal thy head away from the crown-giving one whose head is exalted, for he will untie a hundred knots from the foot of thy heart.
سر مدزد از سر فراز تاج‌ده ** کو ز پای دل گشاید صد گره
Whom shall I tell? Where in the village is any (spiritually) living one? Where is any one that runs towards the Water of Life?
با کی گویم در همه ده زنده کو ** سوی آب زندگی پوینده کو
Thou art fleeing from Love because of a single humiliation: what dost thou know of Love except the name?
تو به یک خواری گریزانی ز عشق ** تو به جز نامی چه می‌دانی ز عشق
Love hath a hundred disdains and prides: Love is gained by means of a hundred blandishments.
عشق را صد ناز و استکبار هست ** عشق با صد ناز می‌آید به دست
Since Love is loyal, it purchases (desires) him that is loyal: it does not look at a disloyal comrade.1165
عشق چون وافیست وافی می‌خرد ** در حریف بی‌وفا می‌ننگرد
Man resembles a tree, and the root is the covenant (with God): the root must be cherished with all one's might.
چون درختست آدمی و بیخ عهد ** بیخ را تیمار می‌باید به جهد
A corrupt (infirm) covenant is a rotten root and is cut off (deprived) of fruit and grace.
عهد فاسد بیخ پوسیده بود ** وز ثمار و لطف ببریده بود
Although the boughs and leaves of the date-palm are green, greenness is no benefit (when conjoined) with corruption of the root;
شاخ و برگ نخل گر چه سبز بود ** با فساد بیخ سبزی نیست سود
And if it (the bough) have no green leaves, while it hath a (good) root, at the last a hundred leaves will put forth their hands.
ور ندارد برگ سبز و بیخ هست ** عاقبت بیرون کند صد برگ دست
Be not duped by his (the learned man's) knowledge; seek (to know whether he keeps) the covenant: knowledge is like a husk, and his covenant is its kernel.1170
تو مشو غره به علمش عهد جو ** علم چون قشرست و عهدش مغز او
Explaining that when the evil-doer becomes settled in evil-doing and sees the effect of the (spiritual) fortune of the doers of righteousness, he from envy becomes a devil and preventer of good, like Satan; for he whose stack is burnt desires that all (others) should have their stacks burnt: ‘hast thou seen him who forbids a servant (of God) when he performs the (ritual) prayer?’
در بیان آنک مرد بدکار چون متمکن شود در بدکاری و اثر دولت نیکوکاران ببیند شیطان شود و مانع خیر گردد از حسد هم‌چون شیطان کی خرمن سوخته همه را خرمن سوخته خواهد ارایت الذی ینهی عبدا اذا صلی
When you see that the loyal have profited, thereat you become envious, like a devil.
وافیان را چون ببینی کرده سود ** تو چو شیطانی شوی آنجا حسود
Whenever a man's temperament and constitution is feeble, he does not wish any one to be sound in body.
هرکرا باشد مزاج و طبع سست ** او نخواهد هیچ کس را تن‌درست
If you dislike (to have) the jealousy of Iblís, come (away) from the door of pretension (and advance) to the portal of loyalty.
گر نخواهی رشک ابلیسی بیا ** از در دعوی به درگاه وفا
When thou hast not loyalty, at least do not talk (presumptuously), for words are for the most part self-assertion—‘we’ and ‘I.’
چون وفاات نیست باری دم مزن ** که سخن دعویست اغلب ما و من
These words, (whilst they stay) in the breast, are an income consisting of (spiritual) kernels: in silence the spiritual kernel grows a hundredfold.1175
این سخن در سینه دخل مغزهاست ** در خموشی مغز جان را صد نماست
When it (the word) comes on to the tongue, the kernel is expended: refrain from expending, in order that the goodly kernel may remain (with you).
چون بیامد در زبان شد خرج مغز ** خرج کم کن تا بماند مغز نغز
The man who speaks little hath strong thoughts: when the husk, namely speech, becomes excessive, the kernel goes.
مرد کم گوینده را فکرست زفت ** قشر گفتن چون فزون شد مغز رفت
(When) the rind is excessive, the kernel is thin: the rind becomes thin when it (the kernel) becomes perfect and goodly.
پوست افزون بود لاغر بود مغز ** پوست لاغر شد چو کامل گشت و نغز
Look at these three (fruits) when they have passed beyond immaturity: the walnut and the almond and the pistachio.
بنگر این هر سه ز خامی رسته را ** جوز را و لوز را و پسته را