He said: “Feed me, for I am hungry, and make haste, for Time is a cutting sword.
قال أطعمنی فإنی جائع ** و اعتجل فالوقت سیف قاطع
The Súfí is the son of the (present) time, O comrade: it is not the rule of the Way to say ‘To-morrow.’
صوفی ابن الوقت باشد ای رفیق ** نیست فردا گفتن از شرط طریق
Art not thou indeed a Súfí, then? That which is (in hand) is reduced to naught by postponing the payment.”
تو مگر خود مرد صوفی نیستی ** هست را از نسیه خیزد نیستی
I said to him: “It is better that the secret of the Friend should be disguised: do thou hearken (to it as implied) in the contents of the tale.135
گفتمش پوشیده خوشتر سر یار ** خود تو در ضمن حکایت گوش دار
It is better that the lovers' secret should be told in the talk of others.”
خوشتر آن باشد که سر دلبران ** گفته آید در حدیث دیگران
He said: “Tell this openly and nakedly: talk of religion is better overt than covert.
گفت مکشوف و برهنه گوی این ** آشکارا به که پنهان ذکر دین
Lift the veil and speak nakedly, for I do not wear a shirt when I sleep with the Adored One.”
پرده بردار و برهنه گو که من ** می‌‌نخسبم با صنم با پیرهن
I said: “If He should become naked in (thy) vision, neither wilt thou remain nor thy bosom nor thy waist.
گفتم ار عریان شود او در عیان ** نی تو مانی نی کنارت نی میان
Ask thy wish, but ask with measure: a blade of straw will not support the mountain.140
آرزو می‌‌خواه لیک اندازه خواه ** بر نتابد کوه را یک برگ کاه
If the Sun, by whom this world is illumined, should approach a little (nearer), all will be burned.
آفتابی کز وی این عالم فروخت ** اندکی گر پیش آید جمله سوخت
Do not seek trouble and turmoil and bloodshed: say no more concerning the Sun of Tabriz!”
فتنه و آشوب و خون‌‌ریزی مجوی ** بیش از این از شمس تبریزی مگوی
This (mystery) hath no end: tell of the beginning. Go, relate the conclusion of this tale.
این ندارد آخر از آغاز گوی ** رو تمام این حکایت باز گوی
How that saint demanded of the king to be alone for the purpose of discovering her malady.
خلوت طلبیدن آن ولی از پادشاه جهت دریافتن رنج کنیزک
He said: “O king, make the house empty; send away both kinsfolk and strangers.
گفت ای شه خلوتی کن خانه را ** دور کن هم خویش و هم بیگانه را
Let no one listen in the entrance-halls, that I may ask certain things of this handmaiden.”145
کس ندارد گوش در دهلیزها ** تا بپرسم زین کنیزک چیزها
The house was left empty, and not one inhabitant (remained): nobody save the physician and that sick girl.
خانه خالی ماند و یک دیار نی ** جز طبیب و جز همان بیمار نی
Very gently he said (to her), “Where is thy native town? for the treatment suitable to the people of each town is separate.
نرم نرمک گفت شهر تو کجاست ** که علاج اهل هر شهری جداست
And in that town who is related to thee? With what hast thou kinship and affinity?”
و اندر آن شهر از قرابت کیستت ** خویشی و پیوستگی با چیستت
He laid his hand on her pulse and put questions, one by one, about the injustice of Heaven.
دست بر نبضش نهاد و یک به یک ** باز می‌‌پرسید از جور فلک
When a thorn darts into any one's foot, he sets his foot upon his knee,150
چون کسی را خار در پایش جهد ** پای خود را بر سر زانو نهد
And keeps searching for its head with the point of a needle, and if he does not find it, he keeps moistening it (the place) with his lip.
وز سر سوزن همی‌‌جوید سرش ** ور نیابد می‌‌کند با لب ترش
A thorn in the foot is so hard to find: how (then) is it with a thorn in the heart? Answer (that)!
خار در پا شد چنین دشوار یاب ** خار در دل چون بود واده جواب
If every base fellow had seen the thorn in the heart, when would sorrows gain the upper hand over any one?
خار در دل گر بدیدی هر خسی ** دست کی بودی غمان را بر کسی
Somebody sticks a thorn under a donkey's tail: the donkey does not know how to get rid of it: he starts jumping.
کس به زیر دم خر خاری نهد ** خر نداند دفع آن بر می‌‌جهد
He jumps, and the thorn strikes more firmly (pierces deeper): it needs an intelligent person to extract a thorn.155
بر جهد و ان خار محکمتر زند ** عاقلی باید که خاری بر کند
In order to get rid of the thorn, the donkey from irritation and pain went on kicking and dealing blows in a hundred places,
خر ز بهر دفع خار از سوز و درد ** جفته می‌‌انداخت صد جا زخم کرد
(But) that thorn-removing physician was an expert: putting his hand on one spot after another, he tested (it).
آن حکیم خارچین استاد بود ** دست می‌‌زد جا به جا می‌‌آزمود
He inquired of the girl concerning her friends, by way of narrative,
ز ان کنیزک بر طریق داستان ** باز می‌‌پرسید حال دوستان
And she disclosed to the physician (many) circumstances touching her home and (former) masters and town and dwelling.
با حکیم او قصه‌‌ها می‌‌گفت فاش ** از مقام و خاجگان و شهر تاش
He listened to her story (while) he continued to observe her pulse and its beating,160
سوی قصه گفتنش می‌‌داشت گوش ** سوی نبض و جستنش می‌‌داشت هوش
So that at whosoever's name her pulse should begin to throb, (he might know that) that person is the object of her soul's desire in the world.
تا که نبض از نام کی گردد جهان ** او بود مقصود جانش در جهان‌‌ا ن
He reckoned up the friends and town; then he mentioned another town by name.
دوستان شهر او را بر شمرد ** بعد از آن شهری دگر را نام برد
He said: “When you went forth from your own town, in which town did you live mostly?”
گفت چون بیرون شدی از شهر خویش ** در کدامین شهر بوده ستی تو بیش
She mentioned the name of a certain town and from that too she passed on (to speak of another, and meanwhile) there was no change in the colour of her face or in her pulse.
نام شهری گفت وز آن هم در گذشت ** رنگ روی و نبض او دیگر نگشت
Masters and towns, one by one, she told of, and about dwelling-place and bread and salt.165
خواجگان و شهرها را یک به یک ** باز گفت از جای و از نان و نمک
She told stories of many a town and many a house, (and still) no vein of her quivered nor did her cheek grow pale.
شهر شهر و خانه خانه قصه کرد ** نی رگش جنبید و نی رخ گشت زرد
Her pulse remained in its normal state, unimpaired, till he asked about Samarcand, the (city) sweet as candy.
نبض او بر حال خود بد بی‌‌گزند ** تا بپرسید از سمرقند چو قند
(Thereat) her pulse jumped and her face went red and pale (by turns), for she had been parted from a man of Samarcand, a goldsmith.
نبض جست و روی سرخ و زرد شد ** کز سمرقندی زرگر فرد شد
When the physician found out this secret from the sick (girl), he discerned the source of that grief and woe.
چون ز رنجور آن حکیم این راز یافت ** اصل آن درد و بلا را باز یافت
He said: “Which is his quarter in passing (through the town)?” “Sar-i Pul (Bridgehead),” she replied, “and Ghátafar street.”170
گفت کوی او کدام است در گذر ** او سر پل گفت و کوی غاتفر
Said he: “I know what your illness is and I will at once display the arts of magic in delivering you.
گفت دانستم که رنجت چیست زود ** در خلاصت سحرها خواهم نمود
Be glad and care-free and have no fear, for I will do to you that which rain does to the meadow.
شاد باش و فارغ و ایمن که من ** آن کنم با تو که باران با چمن
I will be anxious for you, be not you anxious: I am kinder to you than a hundred fathers.
من غم تو می‌‌خورم تو غم مخور ** بر تو من مشفق‌‌ترم از صد پدر
Beware! tell not this secret to any one, not though the king should make much inquiry from you.
هان و هان این راز را با کس مگو ** گر چه از تو شه کند بس جستجو
When your heart becomes the grave of your secret, that desire of yours will be gained more quickly.”175
چون که اسرارت نهان در دل شود ** آن مرادت زودتر حاصل شود
The Prophet said that any one who hides his inmost thought will soon attain to the object of his desire.
گفت پیغمبر که هر که سر نهفت ** زود گردد با مراد خویش جفت
When the seed is hidden in the earth, its inward secret becomes the verdure of the garden.
دانه چون اندر زمین پنهان شود ** سر آن سر سبزی بستان شود
If gold and silver were not hidden, how would they get nourishment (grow and ripen) in the mine?
زر و نقره گر نبودندی نهان ** پرورش کی یافتندی زیر کان
The promises and soothing words of the physician made the sick (girl) safe (free) from fear.
وعده‌‌ها و لطفهای آن حکیم ** کرد آن رنجور را ایمن ز بیم
There are true promises, grateful to the heart; there are false promises, fraught with disquietude.180
وعده‌‌ها باشد حقیقی دل پذیر ** وعده‌‌ها باشد مجازی تاسه‌‌گیر
The promise of the noble is a flowing (bountiful) treasure; the promise of the unworthy becomes anguish of soul.
وعده‌‌ی اهل کرم گنج روان ** وعده‌‌ی نااهل شد رنج روان
How the saint, having discovered the (cause of) the illness, laid it before the king.
دریافتن آن ولی رنج را و عرض کردن رنج او را پیش پادشاه