One (Divine) favour is better than a hundred kinds of (personal) effort: (such) exertion is in danger from a hundred kinds of mischief.
یک عنایت به ز صد گون اجتهاد ** جهد را خوفست از صد گون فساد
And the (Divine) favour depends on dying: the trustworthy (authorities) have put this way (doctrine) to the test.3840
وآن عنایت هست موقوف ممات ** تجربه کردند این ره را ثقات
Nay, not even his (the mystic's) death is (possible) without the (Divine) favour: hark, hark, do not tarry anywhere without the (Divine) favour!
بلک مرگش بی‌عنایت نیز نیست ** بی‌عنایت هان و هان جایی مه‌ایست
That (favour) is (like) an emerald, and this (carnal self) is (like) an old viper: without the emerald how should the viper be made blind?
آن زمرد باشد این افعی پیر ** بی زمرد کی شود افعی ضریر
Story of two brothers, one of whom had a few hairs on his chin while the other was a beardless boy. They went to sleep in a house for celibates. One night, as it happened, the boy lateribus congestis nates obtexit. Denique paedicator adrepsit, lateres ab ejus tergo callide et molliter summovit. [One night, as it happened, the boy piled bricks on his buttocks (as protection). At length, a crawler (sodomizer) crept (near) and craftily and softly took off the bricks from behind him.] The boy awoke and began to quarrel, saying, “Where are these bricks? Where have you taken them to? Why did you take them?” He replied, “Why did you put these bricks there?” etc.
حکایت آن دو برادر یکی کوسه و یکی امرد در عزب خانه‌ای خفتند شبی اتفاقا امرد خشتها بر مقعد خود انبار کرد عاقبت دباب دب آورد و آن خشتها را به حیله و نرمی از پس او برداشت کودک بیدار شد به جنگ کی این خشتها کو کجا بردی و چرا بردی او گفت تو این خشتها را چرا نهادی الی آخره
A beardless boy and a youth with a few hairs on his chin came to a festive gathering, for there was an assembly-place in the town.
امردی و کوسه‌ای در انجمن ** آمدند و مجمعی بد در وطن
The select party remained busy (enjoying themselves) till the day was gone and a third of the night had passed.
مشتغل ماندند قوم منتجب ** روز رفت و شد زمانه ثلث شب
The two (brothers) did not leave that house for celibates: they lay down to sleep there for fear of (meeting) the night-patrol.3845
زان عزب‌خانه نرفتند آن دو کس ** هم بخفتند آن سو از بیم عسس
The youth had four hairs on his chin, but his face was like the full-moon (in beauty).
کوسه را بد بر زنخدان چار مو ** لیک هم‌چون ماه بدرش بود رو
The beardless boy was ugly in appearance: post culum tamen viginti lateres posuit. [The beardless boy was ugly in appearance: yet he placed twenty bricks behind (his) buttocks.]
کودک امرد به صورت بود زشت ** هم نهاد اندر پس کون بیست خشت
Paedicator quidam noctu in frequentia hominum adrepsit: lateres amovit vir libidinosus. [A pederast crept through a crowd (of sleepers) at night; the lustful man moved the bricks.]
لوطیی دب برد شب در انبهی ** خشتها را نقل کرد آن مشتهی
Cum manum ei injiceret exsiluit puer: “eho,” inquit, “tu quis homo es, O canis cultor?” [When his hand touched him, he jumped up from his place: “hey,” he asked, “who are you, O worshipper of dogs?”]
دست چون بر وی زد او از جا بجست ** گفت هی تو کیستی ای سگ‌پرست
Respondit: “Cur hos triginta lateres congessisti?” “Tu,” inquit, “cur triginta lateris sustulisti? [He replied, “Why did you heap up these thirty bricks?” “Why,” he asked, “did you take off the thirty bricks?]3850
گفت این سی خشت چون انباشتی ** گفت تو سی خشت چون بر داشتی
I am a sick boy and because of my weakness I took precautions and made here a place to lie down.”
کودک بیمارم و از ضعف خود ** کردم اینجا احتیاط و مرتقد
He replied, “If you are ill with a fever, why didn't you go to the hospital
گفت اگر داری ز رنجوری تفی ** چون نرفتی جانب دار الشفا
Or to the house of a kindly physician, in order that he might relieve you of your malady?”
یا به خانه‌ی یک طبیبی مشفقی ** که گشادی از سقامت مغلقی
“Why,” said he, “where can I go? for wherever I go, persecuted (as I am),
گفت آخر من کجا دانم شدن ** که بهرجا می‌روم من ممتحن
Some foul ungodly miscreant like you springs up before me like a wild beast.3855
چون تو زندیقی پلیدی ملحدی ** می بر آرد سر به پیشم چون ددی
The dervish-convent, which is the best place—not (even) there do I find safety for one moment.
خانقاهی که بود بهتر مکان ** من ندیدم یک دمی در وی امان
A handful of (greedy) pottage-eaters direct their looks at me: oculi semine impleti dum pressant manibus testiculos; [A handful of (greedy) pottage-eaters direct their looks at me: (their) eyes full of sperm (while their) hands (are) squeezing their testicles;]
رو به من آرند مشتی حمزه‌خوار ** چشم‌ها پر نطفه کف خایه‌فشار
And even he that has regard for decorum steals covert glances et penem fricat. [And even he that has regard for decorum steals covert glances (while) rubbing (his) penis.]
وانک ناموسیست خود از زیر زیر ** غمزه دزدد می‌دهد مالش به کیر
Since the convent is (like) this, what must the public market be like? A herd of asses and boorish devils!
خانقه چون این بود بازار عام ** چون بود خر گله و دیوان خام
What has an ass to do with decorum and piety? How should an ass know (anything about) reverence and fear and hope?3860
خر کجا ناموس و تقوی از کجا ** خر چه داند خشیت و خوف و رجا
(Real) intelligence consists in being safe (from temptation) and in the desire to act justly towards (every) woman and towards (every) man; but where is (such) intelligence (to be found)?
عقل باشد آمنی و عدل‌جو ** بر زن و بر مرد اما عقل کو
And if I run away and go to the women, I should fall into tribulation like Joseph.
ور گریزم من روم سوی زنان ** هم‌چو یوسف افتم اندر افتتان
Joseph suffered imprisonment and torment at the hands of a woman: I should be divided amongst fifty gibbets.
یوسف از زن یافت زندان و فشار ** من شوم توزیع بر پنجاه دار