“Oh, where hast thou been, brother?” “Nowhere.” “Oh, what hast thou cooked to eat?” “No (good) soup.”
هی کجا بودی برادر هیچ جا ** هی چه پختی بهر خوردن هیچ با
Become a buyer, that my hand may move (to sell to thee), and that my pregnant mine may bring forth the ruby.
مشتری شو تا بجنبد دست من ** لعل زاید معدن آبست من
Though the buyer is slack and lukewarm, (yet) call (him) to the (true) religion, for the (command to) call hath come down (from God).
مشتری گرچه که سست و باردست ** دعوت دین کن که دعوت واردست
Let the falcon fly and catch the spiritual dove: in calling (to God) take the way of Noah.
باز پران کن حمام روح گیر ** در ره دعوت طریق نوح گیر
Perform an act of service for the Creator's sake: what hast thou to do with being accepted or rejected by the people?845
خدمتی می‌کن برای کردگار ** با قبول و رد خلقانت چه کار
Story of the person who was giving the drum-call for the sahúr at the gate of a certain palace at midnight. A neighbour said to him, “Why, it is midnight, it is not (yet) dawn; and besides, there is no one in this palace: for whose sake are you drumming?”—and the minstrel's reply to him.
داستان آن شخص کی بر در سرایی نیم‌شب سحوری می‌زد همسایه او را گفت کی آخر نیم‌شبست سحر نیست و دیگر آنک درین سرا کسی نیست بهر کی می‌زنی و جواب گفتن مطرب او را
A certain man was drumming at a certain gate to announce the sahúr: ’twas a court-house and the pavilion of a grandee.
آن یکی می‌زد سحوری بر دری ** درگهی بود و رواق مهتری
(Whilst) he was beating his drum vigorously at midnight, some one said to him, “O thou who art seeking (the means of) support,
نیم‌شب می‌زد سحوری را به جد ** گفت او را قایلی کای مستمد
Firstly, give this call to the sahúr at daybreak: midnight is not the time for (making) this disturbance;
اولا وقت سحر زن این سحور ** نیم‌شب نبود گه این شر و شور
And secondly, observe, O man of vain desire, whether in fact there is any one inside this house at midnight.
دیگر آنک فهم کن ای بوالهوس ** که درین خانه درون خود هست کس
There is nobody here except demons and spirits: why art thou trifling thy time away?850
کس درینجا نیست جز دیو و پری ** روزگار خود چه یاوه می‌بری
Thou art beating thy tambourine for the sake of an ear: where is the ear? Intelligence is needed in order to know (thy purpose): where is the intelligence?”
بهر گوشی می‌زنی دف گوش کو ** هوش باید تا بداند هوش کو
He replied, “You have said (your say): (now) hear the answer from your (humble) servant, that you may not remain in bewilderment and confusion.
گفت گفتی بشنو از چاکر جواب ** تا نمانی در تحیر و اضطراب
Although in your opinion this moment is midnight, in my view the dawn of delight is near at hand.
گرچه هست این دم بر تو نیم‌شب ** نزد من نزدیک شد صبح طرب
In my sight every defeat has been turned to victory, in my eyes all nights have been turned to day.
هر شکستی پیش من پیروز شد ** جمله شبها پیش چشمم روز شد
To you the water of the river Nile seems blood; to me it is not blood, ’tis water, O noble one.855
پیش تو خونست آب رود نیل ** نزد من خون نیست آبست ای نبیل
In regard to you, that (object) is iron or marble, (but) to the prophet David it is (soft as) wax and tractable.
در حق تو آهنست آن و رخام ** پیش داود نبی مومست و رام
To you the mountain is exceedingly heavy (solid) and inanimate, (but) to David it is a master-musician.
پیش تو که بس گرانست و جماد ** مطربست او پیش داود اوستاد
To you the gravel is silent; to Ahmad (Mohammed) it is eloquent and making supplication (to God).
پیش تو آن سنگ‌ریزه ساکتست ** پیش احمد او فصیح و قانتست
To you the pillar of the mosque is a dead thing; to Ahmad it is (like) a lover who has lost his heart.
پیش تو استون مسجد مرده‌ایست ** پیش احمد عاشقی دل برده‌ایست
To the vulgar all the particles of the world seem dead, but before God they are possessed of knowledge and submissive (to His commands).860
جمله اجزای جهان پیش عوام ** مرده و پیش خدا دانا و رام
As for your saying, ‘There is nobody in this house and palace: why art thou beating this drum?’—
آنچ گفتی کاندرین خانه و سرا ** نیست کس چون می‌زنی این طبل را
(I reply that) this (Moslem) people are giving (large) sums of gold for God's sake, founding hundreds of pious institutions and mosques,
بهر حق این خلق زرها می‌دهند ** صد اساس خیر و مسجد می‌نهند
And, like intoxicated lovers, gladly risking their property and lives on their way to (perform) the distant Pilgrimage:
مال و تن در راه حج دوردست ** خوش همی‌بازند چون عشاق مست
Do they ever say, ‘The House (Ka‘ba) is empty’? Nay, (they know that) the Lord of the House is the Spirit invisible.
هیچ می‌گویند کان خانه تهیست ** بلک صاحب‌خانه جان مختبیست
He that is illumined by the Light of God deems the House of the Beloved to be full (of Him).865