If the ear had heard, how should the ear have remained (in action) or how should it have apprehended words any more?3430
گر شنیدی اذن کی ماندی اذن ** یا کجا کردی دگر ضبط سخن
If the snow and ice were to behold the sun, they would despair of (retaining their) iciness;
گر بدیدی برف و یخ خورشید را ** از یخی برداشتی اومید را
They would become water (formless and) devoid of roots and knobs: the air, David-like, would make of the water a mail-coat (of ripples),
آب گشتی بی‌عروق و بی‌گره ** ز آب داود هوا کردی زره
And then it (the water) would become a life-giving medicine for every tree: every tree (would be made) fortunate by its advent.
پس شدی درمان جان هر درخت ** هر درختی از قدومش نیک‌بخت
(But) the frozen ice that remains (locked) within itself cries to the trees,Touch me not!
آن یخی بفسرده در خود مانده ** لا مساسی با درختان خوانده
Its body makes none its friend nor is it made a friend by any: its portion is naught but miserly selfishness.3435
لیس یالف لیس یلف جسمه ** لیس الا شح نفس قسمه
It is not wasted (entirely), the heart is refreshed by it; but it is not the herald and lord of (the vernal) greenery.
نیست ضایع زو شود تازه جگر ** لیک نبود پیک و سلطان خضر
“O Ayáz, thou art a very exalted star: not every sign of the zodiac is worthy of its transit.
ای ایاز استاره‌ی تو بس بلند ** نیست هر برجی عبورش را پسند
How should thy lofty spirit be satisfied with every loyalty? How should thy pureness choose (to accept) every sincerity?”
هر وفا را کی پسندد همتت ** هر صفا را کی گزیند صفوتت
Story of the Amír who bade his slave fetch some wine: the slave went off and was bringing a jug of wine, (when) an ascetic (who) was on the road admonished him that he should act righteously and threw a stone and smashed the jug; the Amír heard (of this) and resolved to punish the ascetic. That happened in the epoch of the religion of Jesus, on whom be peace, when wine had not yet been declared unlawful; but the ascetic was showing an abhorrence (for worldly pleasure) and preventing (others) from indulging themselves.
حکایت آن امیر کی غلام را گفت کی می بیار غلام رفت و سبوی می آورد در راه زاهدی بود امر معروف کرد زد سنگی و سبو را بشکست امیر بشنید و قصد گوشمال زاهد کرد و این قصد در عهد دین عیسی بود علیه‌السلام کی هنوز می حرام نشده بود ولیکن زاهد تقزیزی می‌کرد و از تنعم منع می‌کرد
There was an Amír of merry heart, exceedingly fond of wine: (he was) the refuge of every drunkard and every resourceless person.
بود امیری خوش دلی می‌باره‌ای ** کهف هر مخمور و هر بیچاره‌ای
(He was) a compassionate man, kind to the poor and just; a jewel (of bounty), gold-lavishing, ocean-hearted;3440
مشفقی مسکین‌نوازی عادلی ** جوهری زربخششی دریادلی
A king of men and commander of the Faithful; a keeper of the Way and a knower of secrets and a discerner of friends.
شاه مردان و امیرالمومنین ** راه‌بان و رازدان و دوست‌بین
’Twas the epoch of Jesus and the days of the Messiah: he (the Amír) was beloved of the people and unoppressive and agreeable.
دور عیسی بود و ایام مسیح ** خلق دلدار و کم‌آزار و ملیح
Suddenly one night, another Amír, a person of good principles (who was) congenial to him, came seeking his hospitality.
آمدش مهمان بناگاهان شبی ** هم امیری جنس او خوش‌مذهبی
They wanted wine in order to enjoy themselves: at that period wine was permissible and lawful;
باده می‌بایستشان در نظم حال ** باده بود آن وقت ماذون و حلال
(But) they had no wine, so he (the Amír) said to his slave, “Go, fill the jug and fetch us wine3445
باده‌شان کم بود و گفتا ای غلام ** رو سبو پر کن به ما آور مدام
From such-and-such a Christian ascetic who has choice wine, that the soul (in us) may win release from high and low.”
از فلان راهب که دارد خمر خاص ** تا ز خاص و عام یابد جان خلاص
One draught from the Christian ascetic's cup has the same effect as thousands of wine-jars and wine-cellars.
جرعه‌ای زان جام راهب آن کند ** که هزاران جره و خمدان کند
In that (Christian's) wine there is a hidden (spiritual) substance, even as (spiritual) sovereignty is (hidden) in the dervish-cloak.
اندر آن می مایه‌ی پنهانی است ** آنچنان که اندر عبا سلطانی است
Do not regard (merely) the tattered cloak, for they have put black on the outside of the gold.
تو بدلق پاره‌پاره کم نگر ** که سیه کردند از بیرون زر
On account of the evil eye he (the dervish) becomes (apparently) reprobate, and that (spiritual) ruby is tarnished with smoke on the outside.3450
از برای چشم بد مردود شد ** وز برون آن لعل دودآلود شد
When are treasures and jewels (exposed to view) in the rooms of a house? Treasures are always (hidden) in ruins.
گنج و گوهر کی میان خانه‌هاست ** گنجها پیوسته در ویرانه‌هاست
Since Adam's treasure was buried in a ruin, his clay became a bandage over the eye of the accursed (Iblís).
گنج آدم چون بویران بد دفین ** گشت طینش چشم‌بند آن لعین
He (Iblís) was regarding the clay with the utmost contempt, (but) the spirit (of Adam) was saying, “My clay is a barrier to thee.”
او نظر می‌کرد در طین سست سست ** جان همی‌گفتش که طینم سد تست
The slave took two jugs and ran with goodwill: (almost) immediately he arrived at the monastery of the Christian monks.
دو سبو بستد غلام و خوش دوید ** در زمان در دیر رهبانان رسید