A beggar passed by and asked, “What is this sobbing? For whom is thy mourning and lamentation?”
سایلی بگذشت و گفت این گریه چیست ** نوحه و زاری تو از بهر کیست
He replied, “There was in my possession a dog of excellent disposition. Look, he is dying on the road.
گفت در ملکم سگی بد نیکخو ** نک همیمیرد میان راه او
He hunted for me by day and kept watch by night; (he was) keen-eyed and (good at) catching the prey and driving off thieves.”480
روز صیادم بد و شب پاسبان ** تیزچشم و صیدگیر و دزدران
He (the beggar) asked, “What ails him? Has he been wounded?” The Arab replied, “Ravenous hunger has made him (so) lamentable.”
گفت رنجش چیست زخمی خورده است ** گفت جوع الکلب زارش کرده است
“Show some patience,” said he, “in (bearing) this pain and anguish: the grace of God bestows a recompense on those who are patient.”
گفت صبری کن برین رنج و حرض ** صابران را فضل حق بخشد عوض
Afterwards he said to him, “O noble chief, what is this full wallet in your hand?”
بعد از آن گفتش کای سالار حر ** چیست اندر دستت این انبان پر
He replied, “My bread and provender and food left over from last night, (which) I am taking along (with me) to nourish my body.”
گفت نان و زاد و لوت دوش من ** میکشانم بهر تقویت بدن
“Why don't you give (some) bread and provender to the dog?” he asked. He replied, “I have not love and liberality to this extent.485
گفت چون ندهی بدان سگ نان و زاد ** گفت تا این حد ندارم مهر و داد
Bread cannot be obtained (by a traveller) on the road without money, but water from the eyes costs nothing.”
دست ناید بیدرم در راه نان ** لیک هست آب دو دیده رایگان
He (the beggar) said, “Earth be on your head, O water-skin full of wind! for in your opinion a crust of bread is better than tears.”
گفت خاکت بر سر ای پر باد مشک ** که لب نان پیش تو بهتر ز اشک
Tears are (originally) blood and have been turned by grief into water: idle tears have not the value of earth.
اشک خونست و به غم آبی شده ** مینیرزد خاک خون بیهده
He (the Arab) made the whole of himself despicable, like Iblís: a piece of this whole is naught but vile.
کل خود را خوار کرد او چون بلیس ** پارهی این کل نباشد جز خسیس
I am the (devoted) slave of him who will not sell his existence save to that bounteous and munificent Sovereign,490
من غلام آنک نفروشد وجود ** جز بدان سلطان با افضال و جود
(So that) when he weeps, heaven begins to weep, and when he moans (in supplication), the celestial sphere begins to cry, “O Lord!”
چون بگرید آسمان گریان شود ** چون بنالد چرخ یا رب خوان شود
I am the (devoted) slave of that high-aspiring copper which humbles itself to naught but the Elixir.
من غلام آن مس همتپرست ** کو به غیر کیمیا نارد شکست
Lift up in prayer a broken hand: the loving kindness of God flies towards the broken.
دست اشکسته برآور در دعا ** سوی اشکسته پرد فضل خدا
If thou hast need of deliverance from this narrow dungeon (the world), O brother, go without delay (and cast thyself) on the fire.
گر رهایی بایدت زین چاه تنگ ** ای برادر رو بر آذر بیدرنگ
Regard God's contrivance and abandon thine own contrivance: oh, by His contrivance (all) the contrivance of contrivers is put to shame.495
مکر حق را بین و مکر خود بهل ** ای ز مکرش مکر مکاران خجل
When thy contrivance is naughted in the contrivance of the Lord, thou wilt open a most marvellous hiding-place,
چونک مکرت شد فنای مکر رب ** برگشایی یک کمینی بوالعجب
Of which hiding-place the least (treasure) is everlasting life (occupied) in ascending and mounting higher.
که کمینهی آن کمین باشد بقا ** تا ابد اندر عروج و ارتقا
Explaining that no evil eye is so deadly to a man as the eye of self-approval, unless his eye shall have been transformed by the Light of God, so that “he hears through Me and sees through Me,” and (unless) his self shall have become selfless.
در بیان آنک هیچ چشم بدی آدمی را چنان مهلک نیست کی چشم پسند خویشتن مگر کی چشم او مبدل شده باشد به نور حق که بی یسمع و بی یبصر و خویشتن او بیخویشتن شده
Do not regard thy peacock-feathers but regard thy feet, in order that the mischief of the (evil) eye may not waylay thee;
پر طاوست مبین و پای بین ** تا که س العین نگشاید کمین
For (even) a mountain slips (from its foundations) at the eye of the wicked: read and mark in the Qur’án (the words) they cause thee to stumble.
که بلغزد کوه از چشم بدان ** یزلقونک از نبی بر خوان بدان
From (their) looking (at him), Ahmad (Mohammed), (who was) like a mountain, slipped in the middle of the road, without mud and without rain.500
احمد چون کوه لغزید از نظر ** در میان راه بیگل بیمطر
He remained in astonishment, saying, “Wherefore is this slipping? I do not think that this occurrence is empty (of meaning),”
در عجب درماند کین لغزش ز چیست ** من نپندارم که این حالت تهیست
Until the Verse (of the Qur’án) came and made him aware that this had happened to him in consequence of the evil eye and enmity (of the unbelievers).
تا بیامد آیت و آگاه کرد ** کان ز چشم بد رسیدت وز نبرد