He sports with the beauteous ones in every path; sometimes, too, he throws the blind into frenzy.
لاغ با خوبان کند بر هر رهی ** نیز کوران را بشوراند گهی
For a moment He gives Himself to the blind, so that a great uproar arises from the street of the blind.1110
خویش را یک‌دم برین کوران دهد ** تا غریو از کوی کوران بر جهد
Story of Hilal, who was a devoted servant to God. (He was) possessed of spiritual insight and (in his religion) was not a mere imitator (of others). He had concealed himself in (the disguise of) being a slave to (God's) creatures, not from helplessness but for good reason, as Luqmán and Joseph and others (did, who were slaves) in appearance. He was a groom in the service of a certain Amír, and that Amír was a Moslem, but (spiritually) blind. “The blind man knows that he has a mother, but he cannot conceive what she is like.” If, having this knowledge, he show reverence towards his mother, it is possible that he may gain deliverance from blindness, for (the Prophet has said that) when God wills good unto a servant (of His) He opens the eyes of his heart, that He may let him see the Invisible (World) with them.
قصه‌ی هلال کی بنده‌ی مخلص بود خدای را صاحب بصیرت بی‌تقلید پنهان شده در بندگی مخلوقان جهت مصلحت نه از عجز چنانک لقمان و یوسف از روی ظاهر و غیر ایشان بنده‌ی سایس بود امیری را و آن امیر مسلمان بود اما چشم بسته داند اعمی که مادری دارد لیک چونی بوهم در نارد اگر با این دانش تعظیم این مادر کند ممکن بود کی از عمی خلاص یابد کی اذا اراد الله به عبد خیرا فتح عینی قلبه لیبصره بهما الغیب این راه ز زندگی دل حاصل کن کین زندگی تن صفت حیوانست
Since you have heard some of the (excellent) qualities of Bilál, now hear the story of the emaciation of Hilál.
چون شنیدی بعضی اوصاف بلال ** بشنو اکنون قصه‌ی ضعف هلال
He was more advanced than Bilál in the Way (to God): he had mortified his evil nature more.
از بلال او بیش بود اندر روش ** خوی بد را بیش کرده بد کشش
(He was) not a backslider like you, for at every moment you are farther back: you are moving away from the state of the (precious) pearl towards the state of the (worthless) stone.
نه چو تو پس‌رو که هر دم پس‌تری ** سوی سنگی می‌روی از گوهری
’Tis like the case of the guest who came to a certain Khwája: the Khwája inquired concerning his days and years.
آن‌چنان کان خواجه را مهمان رسید ** خواجه از ایام و سالش بر رسید
He asked, “How many years hast thou lived, my lad? Say (it) out and don't hide (it) away but count up (correctly).”1115
گفت عمرت چند سالست ای پسر ** بازگو و در مدزد و بر شمر
He replied, “Eighteen, seventeen, or sixteen, or fifteen, O adoptive brother.”
گفت هجده هفده یا خود شانزده ** یا که پانزده ای برادرخوانده
“(Go) backward, backward,” said he, “O giddy-headed one”; “keep going back usque ad cunnum matris tuae!” [“(Go) backward, backward,” said he, “O giddy-headed one”; “keep going back until (you return to) your mother’s vagina!”]
گفت واپس واپس ای خیره سرت ** باز می‌رو تا بکس مادرت
Story in exposition of the same topic.
حکایت در تقریر همین سخن
A certain man begged an Amír to give him a horse: he said, “Go and take that grey horse.”
آن یکی اسپی طلب کرد از امیر ** گفت رو آن اسپ اشهب را بگیر
He replied, “I don't want that one.” “Why not?” he asked. “It goes backward and is very restive,” said he;
گفت آن را من نخواهم گفت چون ** گفت او واپس‌روست و بس حرون
“It goes back, back very hard in the direction of its rump.” He replied, “Turn its tail towards home!”1120
سخت پس پس می‌رود او سوی بن ** گفت دمش را به سوی خانه کن
The tail of this beast you are riding, (namely), your carnal soul, is lust; hence that self-worshipper goes back, back.
دم این استور نفست شهوتست ** زین سبب پس پس رود آن خودپرست
O changer, make its (carnal) lust, which is the tail, to be entirely lust for the world hereafter.
شهوت او را که دم آمد ز بن ** ای مبدل شهوت عقبیش کن
When you bind its lust (and debar it) from the loaf, that lust puts forth its head from (is transformed into) noble reason.
چون ببندی شهوتش را از رغیف ** سر کند آن شهوت از عقل شریف
As, when you lop off a (superfluous) branch from a tree, vigour is imparted to the well-conditioned branches.
هم‌چو شاخی که ببری از درخت ** سر کند قوت ز شاخ نیک‌بخت
When you have turned its (the carnal steed's) tail in that direction, if it goes backward, it goes to the place of shelter.1125
چونک کردی دم او را آن طرف ** گر رود پس پس رود تا مکتنف
How excellent are the docile horses which go forward, not backward, and are not given over to restiveness,
حبذا اسپان رام پیش‌رو ** نه سپس‌رو نه حرونی را گرو
Going hot-foot, like the body of Moses the Kalím, to which (the distance) to the two seas (was) as the breadth of a blanket!
گرم‌رو چون جسم موسی کلیم ** تا به بحرینش چو پهنای گلیم
Seven hundred years is the duration of the journey on which he set out in the path of Love, (the journey that lasted) for an age.
هست هفصدساله راه آن حقب ** که بکرد او عزم در سیران حب
Since the aspiration (that carried him) on his journey in the body is (as immense as) this, his journey in the spirit must be (even) unto the highestParadise.
همت سیر تنش چون این بود ** سیر جانش تا به علیین بود
The kingly cavaliers sped forward in advance (of all); the boobies unloaded (their beasts of burden) in the stable-yard.1130
شهسواران در سباقت تاختند ** خربطان در پایگه انداختند
Parable.
مثل
’Tis like (the tale of) the caravaneers (who) arrived and entered a village and found a certain door open.
آن‌چنان که کاروانی می‌رسید ** در دهی آمد دری را باز دید
One (of them) said, “During this spell of cold weather let us unload (alight) here for a few days.”
آن یکی گفت اندرین برد العجوز ** تا بیندازیم اینجا چند روز
A voice cried, “Nay, unload outside, and then come indoors!”
بانگ آمد نه بینداز از برون ** وانگهانی اندر آ تو اندرون