- How delightful is that Kitchen full of honey and sugar, of which these (worldly) monarchs are (only) the lick-platters!
- حبذا آن مطبخ پر نوش و قند ** کین سلاطین کاسهلیسان ویند
- How delightful is that Stack in the spiritual field, of which every (other) stack is (only) the gleaner!
- حبذا آن خرمن صحرای دین ** که بود هر خرمن آن را دانهچین
- How delightful is the Sea of painless Life, of which the Seven Seas are (only) a dewdrop!
- حبذا دریای عمر بیغمی ** که بود زو هفت دریا شبنمی
- When the Cup-bearer of Alast poured a draught upon this nitrous abject earth, 390
- جرعهای چون ریخت ساقی الست ** بر سر این شوره خاک زیردست
- The earth seethed, and we are (the result) of that seething. (O God, pour) another draught, for we are very effortless (unaspiring).
- جوش کرد آن خاک و ما زان جوششیم ** جرعهی دیگر که بس بیکوششیم
- If ’twas permitted, I sang of non-existence; and if ’twas not to be told, lo, I was silent.
- گر روا بد ناله کردم از عدم ** ور نبود این گفتنی نک تن زدم
- This is the account of the bent (grovelling) duck, which is greed: learn of Khalíl (Abraham) that the duck ought to be killed.
- این بیان بط حرص منثنیست ** از خلیل آموز که آن بط کشتنیست
- In the duck there is much good and evil besides this, (but) I am afraid of missing other (more important) topics of discourse.
- هست در بط غیر این بس خیر و شر ** ترسم از فوت سخنهای دگر
- Description of the Peacock and its nature, and the cause of its being killed by Abraham, on whom be peace.
- صفت طاوس و طبع او و سبب کشتن ابراهیم علیهالسلام او را
- Now we come to the two-coloured (double-faced) peacock, who displays himself for the sake of name and fame. 395
- آمدیم اکنون به طاوس دورنگ ** کو کند جلوه برای نام و ننگ
- His desire is to catch people: he is ignorant of good and evil and of the result and use of that (catching).
- همت او صید خلق از خیر و شر ** وز نتیجه و فایدهی آن بیخبر
- He catches his prey ignorantly, like a trap: what knowledge has the trap concerning the purpose of its action?
- بیخبر چون دام میگیرد شکار ** دام را چه علم از مقصود کار
- What harm (comes) to the trap, or what benefit, from catching (its prey)? I wonder at its idle catching.
- دام را چه ضر و چه نفع از گرفت ** زین گرفت بیهدهش دارم شگفت
- O brother, thou hast uplifted thy friends with two hundred marks of affection, and (then) abandoned (them).
- ای برادر دوستان افراشتی ** با دو صد دلداری و بگذاشتی
- This has been thy business from the hour of (thy) birth: to catch people with the trap of love. 400
- کارت این بودست از وقت ولاد ** صید مردم کردن از دام وداد
- From that pursuit (of people) and throng (of friends) and vainglory and self existence wilt thou get any warp or woof? Try and see!
- زان شکار و انبهی و باد و بود ** دست در کن هیچ یابی تار و پود
- Most (of thy life) is gone and the day is late; (yet) thou art still busy in pursuit of people.
- بیشتر رفتست و بیگاهست روز ** تو به جد در صید خلقانی هنوز
- Go on catching one and releasing another from the trap and pursuing another, like mean folk;
- آن یکی میگیر و آن میهل ز دام ** وین دگر را صید میکن چون لام
- Then again release this one and seek the other! Here's a game of heedless children!
- باز این را میهل و میجو دگر ** اینت لعب کودکان بیخبر
- Night comes, and nothing is caught in thy trap: the trap is naught but a headache (affliction) and shackle to thee. 405
- شب شود در دام تو یک صید نی ** دام بر تو جز صداع و قید نی
- Therefore (in reality) thou wert catching thyself with the trap, for thou art imprisoned and disappointed of thy desire.
- پس تو خود را صید میکردی به دام ** که شدی محبوس و محرومی ز کام
- Is any owner of a trap in the world such a dolt that, like us, he tries to catch himself?
- در زمانه صاحب دامی بود ** همچو ما احمق که صید خود کند
- Pursuit of the vulgar is like hunting pig: the fatigue is infinite, and ’tis unlawful to eat a morsel thereof.
- چون شکار خوک آمد صید عام ** رنج بیحد لقمه خوردن زو حرام
- That which is worth pursuing is Love alone; but how should He be contained in any one's trap?
- آنک ارزد صید را عشقست و بس ** لیک او کی گنجد اندر دام کس
- (Yet) perchance thou mayst come and be made His prey, thou mayst discard the trap, and go into His trap. 410
- تو مگر آیی و صید او شوی ** دام بگذاری به دام او روی
- Love is saying very softly into my ear, “To be a prey is better than to be a hunter.
- عشق میگوید به گوشم پست پست ** صید بودن خوشتر از صیادیست