There is no prison more frightful than the womb—noisome and dark and full of blood and unhealthy;
نیست زندانی وحشتر از رحم ** ناخوش و تاریک و پرخون و وخم
(Yet), when God has opened for you a window in His direction, your body (hidden) in the womb grows more (and more) every moment,
چون گشادت حق دریچه سوی خویش ** در رحم هر دم فزاید تنت بیش
And in that prison, from the immeasurable delight (which you feel therein), the senses blossom happily from the plant, your body.
اندر آن زندان ز ذوق بیقیاس ** خوش شکفت از غرس جسم تو حواس
’Tis grievous to you to go forth from the womb: you are fleeing from her (your mother's) pubes towards her back.
زان رحم بیرون شدن بر تو درشت ** میگریزی از زهارش سوی پشت
Know that the way of (spiritual) pleasure is from within, not from without: know that it is folly to seek palaces and castles.3420
راه لذت از درون دان نه از برون ** ابلهی دان جستن قصر و حصون
One man is enraptured and delighted in the nook of a mosque, while another is morose and disappointed in a garden.
آن یکی در کنج مسجد مست و شاد ** وآن دگر در باغ ترش و بیمراد
The palace (body) is nothing: ruin your body! The treasure lies in the ruin, O my prince.
قصر چیزی نیست ویران کن بدن ** گنج در ویرانیست ای میر من
Don't you see that at the wine-feast the drunkard becomes happy (only) when he becomes ruined (senseless)?
این نمیبینی که در بزم شراب ** مست آنگه خوش شود کو شد خراب
Although the (bodily) house is full of pictures, demolish it: seek the treasure, and with the treasure put it (the house) into good repair.
گرچه پر نقش است خانه بر کنش ** گنج جو و از گنج آبادان کنش
’Tis a house filled with pictures of imagination and fancy, and these forms (ideas) are as a veil over the treasure of union (with God).3425
خانهی پر نقش تصویر و خیال ** وین صور چون پرده بر گنج وصال
’Tis the radiance of the Treasure and the splendours of the (spiritual) gold that cause the forms (ideas) to surge up in this breast.
پرتو گنجست و تابشهای زر ** که درین سینه همیجوشد صور
’Tis from the purity and translucence of the noble Water that the particles of foam have veiled the face of the Water.
هم ز لطف و عکس آب با شرف ** پرده شد بر روی آب اجزای کف
’Tis from the purity and (ceaseless) agitation of the precious Spirit that the bodily figure has veiled the face of the Spirit.
هم ز لطف و جوش جان با ثمن ** پردهای بر روی جان شد شخص تن
Hearken, then, to the adage that issued from the mouths (of men)—“this which is (cast) upon us, O brother, is (derived) from us.”
پس مثل بشنو که در افواه خاست ** که اینچ بر ماست ای برادر هم ز ماست
Because of this veil, these thirsty ones who are (so) fond of the foam have got out of reach of the pure Water.3430
زین حجاب این تشنگان کفپرست ** ز آب صافی اوفتاده دوردست
“O (Divine) Sun, notwithstanding (that we have) a qibla (object of adoration) and Imám like Thee, we worship the night and behave in the manner of bats.
آفتابا با چو تو قبله و امام ** شبپرستی و خفاشی میکنیم
Make these bats to fly towards Thee and redeem them from this bat-like disposition, O Thou whose protection is implored!
سوی خود کن این خفاشان را مطار ** زین خفاشیشان بخر ای مستجار
This youth (the Amír), by (committing) this sin, has gone astray and trespassed (against Thee), for he came to me (for help); but do not chastise him.”
این جوان زین جرم ضالست و مغیر ** که بمن آمد ولی او را مگیر
In the ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk these thoughts were raging like a lion (rushing) through the jungles.
در عماد الملک این اندیشهها ** گشته جوشان چون اسد در بیشهها
His exterior (person) stood before the Sultan, (but) his soaring spirit was in the meadows of the Unseen.3435
ایستاده پیش سلطان ظاهرش ** در ریاض غیب جان طایرش
Like the angels, he was momently being intoxicated with fresh draughts (of spiritual wine) in the realm of Alast;
چون ملایک او به اقلیم الست ** هر دمی میشد به شرب تازه مست
Inwardly (merry as) a wedding-feast, but outwardly like a man filled with sorrow; a delectable world (concealed) in a tomb-like body.
اندرون سور و برون چون پر غمی ** در تن همچون لحد خوش عالمی
He was in this (state of) bewilderment and waiting to see what would appear from the (world of) things occult and mysterious,
او درین حیرت بد و در انتظار ** تا چه پیدا آید از غیب و سرار
(When) at that time the officers brought the horse along into the presence of the Khwárizmsháh.
اسپ را اندر کشیدند آن زمان ** پیش خوارمشاه سرهنگان کشان
Verily beneath this azure sky there was no (other) colt like that in (tallness and comeliness of) figure and in fleetness.3440
الحق اندر زیر این چرخ کبود ** آنچنان کره به قد و تگ نبود