- When he sees the people intoxicated with (desire for) him, because of arrogance he loses self-control.
- او چو بیند خلق را سر مست خویش ** از تکبر میرود از دست خویش
- He does not know that the Devil has cast thousands like him into the water of the river (of destruction).
- او نداند که هزاران را چو او ** دیو افکنده ست اندر آب جو
- The world's flattery and hypocrisy is a sweet morsel: eat less of it (eat it not), for it is a morsel full of fire. 1855
- لطف و سالوس جهان خوش لقمهای است ** کمترش خور کان پر آتش لقمهای است
- Its fire is hidden and its taste is manifest: its smoke becomes visible in the end.
- آتشش پنهان و ذوقش آشکار ** دود او ظاهر شود پایان کار
- Do not say, “How should I swallow that praise? He is speaking from desire (for reward): I am on his track (and see quite well what he is after).”
- تو مگو آن مدح را من کی خورم ** از طمع میگوید او پی میبرم
- If your belauder should satirise you in public, your heart would burn for (many) days on account of those scorches (of vituperation).
- مادحت گر هجو گوید بر ملا ** روزها سوزد دلت ز آن سوزها
- Although you know that he (only) said it in disappointment because the hopes he had of you brought him no gain,
- گر چه دانی کاو ز حرمان گفت آن ** کان طمع که داشت از تو شد زیان
- (Yet) the effect thereof is remaining within you. The same experience happens to you in the case of praise. 1860
- آن اثر میماندت در اندرون ** در مدیح این حالتت هست آزمون
- The effect of that too lasts for many days and becomes a source of arrogance and deception of the soul,
- آن اثر هم روزها باقی بود ** مایهی کبر و خداع جان شود
- But it does not show itself, because praise is sweet; (in the case of blame) the evil shows itself, because blame is bitter.
- لیک ننماید چو شیرین است مدح ** بد نماید ز آن که تلخ افتاد قدح
- It (blame) is like (bitter) decoctions and pills which you swallow and for a long time you are in disturbance and pain,
- همچو مطبوخ است و حب کان را خوری ** تا به دیری شورش و رنج اندری
- Whereas, if you eat halwá (sweetmeat), its taste is momentary: this effect, like the other, is not enduring for ever.
- ور خوری حلوا بود ذوقش دمی ** این اثر چون آن نمیپاید همی
- Since it does not endure (perceptibly), it endures imperceptibly: recognise every opposite by means of its opposite. 1865
- چون نمیپاید همیپاید نهان ** هر ضدی را تو به ضد او بدان
- When the effect of sugar endures (remains latent), after a while it produces boils that call for the lancet.
- چون شکر پاید نهان تاثیر او ** بعد حینی دمل آرد نیش جو
- The fleshly soul was made a Pharaoh by (receiving) many praises: be lowly of spirit through meekness, do not domineer.
- نفس از بس مدحها فرعون شد ** کن ذلیل النفس هونا لا تسد
- So far as you can, become a slave, do not be a monarch. Suffer blows: become like the ball, do not be the bat.
- تا توانی بنده شو سلطان مباش ** زخم کش چون گوی شو چوگان مباش
- Otherwise, when this elegance and beauty remains with you no more, you will be loathed by those companions.
- ور نه چون لطفت نماند وین جمال ** از تو آید آن حریفان را ملال
- The set of people who used to flatter you deceitfully, when they behold you will call you a devil. 1870
- آن جماعت کت همیدادند ریو ** چون ببینندت بگویندت که دیو
- When they see you at their doors, they all will cry, “Truly a dead man has risen from the grave.”
- جمله گویندت چو بینندت به در ** مردهای از گور خود بر کرد سر
- (You will be) like the beardless youth whom they address as “Lord” that by this hypocrisy they may make entrap him.
- همچو امرد که خدا نامش کنند ** تا بدین سالوس در دامش کنند
- As soon as he has grown a beard in infamy, the Devil is ashamed to search after him.
- چون که در بد نامی آمد ریش او ** دیو را ننگ آید از تفتیش او
- The Devil approaches Man for the sake of wickedness: he does not approach you because you are worse than the Devil.
- دیو سوی آدمی شد بهر شر ** سوی تو ناید که از دیوی بتر
- So long as you were a man the Devil was running at your heels and bidding you taste (his) wine. 1875
- تا تو بودی آدمی دیو از پیات ** میدوید و میچشانید او میات
- Since you have become confirmed in devilry, the good-for-nothing Devil is fleeing from you!
- چون شدی در خوی دیوی استوار ** میگریزد از تو دیو نابکار
- He who (formerly) clung to your skirt fled from you when you became like this.
- آن که اندر دامنت آویخت او ** چون چنین گشتی ز تو بگریخت او
- Explanation of (the Tradition) “Whatsoever God wills cometh to pass.”
- تفسیر ما شاء الله کان
- We have spoken all these words, but in preparing ourselves (for the journey before us) we are naught, naught without the favours of God.
- این همه گفتیم لیک اندر بسیچ ** بیعنایات خدا هیچیم هیچ
- Without the favours of God and God's elect ones, angel though he be, his page is black.
- بیعنایات حق و خاصان حق ** گر ملک باشد سیاه استش ورق
- O God, O Thou whose bounty fulfils (every) need, it is not allowable to mention any one beside Thee. 1880
- ای خدا ای فضل تو حاجت روا ** با تو یاد هیچ کس نبود روا
- This amount of guidance Thou hast bestowed (upon us); till this (present time) Thou hast covered up many a fault of ours.
- این قدر ارشاد تو بخشیدهای ** تا بدین بس عیب ما پوشیدهای
- Cause the drop of knowledge which Thou gavest (us) heretofore to become united with Thy seas.
- قطرهای دانش که بخشیدی ز پیش ** متصل گردان به دریاهای خویش
- In my soul there is a drop of knowledge: deliver it from sensuality and from the body's clay,
- قطرهای علم است اندر جان من ** وارهانش از هوا وز خاک تن
- Before these clays drink it up, before these winds absorb it,
- پیش از آن کاین خاکها خسفش کنند ** پیش از آن کاین بادها نشفش کنند
- Although, when they absorb it, Thou art able to take it back from them and redeem it. 1885
- گر چه چون نشفش کند تو قادری ** کش از ایشان واستانی واخری
- The drop that vanished in the air or was spilled (on the earth)—when did it flee (escape) from the storehouse of Thy omnipotence?
- قطرهای کاو در هوا شد یا که ریخت ** از خزینهی قدرت تو کی گریخت
- If it enter into non-existence or a hundred non-existences, it will make a foot of its head (will return in headlong haste) when Thou callest it.
- گر در آید در عدم یا صد عدم ** چون بخوانیش او کند از سر قدم
- Hundreds of thousands of opposites are killing their opposites: Thy decree is drawing them forth again (from non-existence).
- صد هزاران ضد ضد را میکشد ** بازشان حکم تو بیرون میکشد
- There is caravan on caravan, O Lord, (speeding) continually from non-existence towards existence.
- از عدمها سوی هستی هر زمان ** هست یا رب کاروان در کاروان
- In particular, every night all thoughts and understandings become naught, plunged in the deep Sea; 1890
- خاصه هر شب جمله افکار و عقول ** نیست گردد غرق در بحر نغول
- Again at the time of dawn those Divine ones lift up their heads from the Sea, like fishes.
- باز وقت صبح آن اللهیان ** بر زنند از بحر سر چون ماهیان
- In autumn the myriads of boughs and leaves go in rout into the sea of Death,
- در خزان آن صد هزاران شاخ و برگ ** از هزیمت رفته در دریای مرگ
- (While) in the garden the crow clothed in black like a mourner makes lament over the (withered) greenery.
- زاغ پوشیده سیه چون نوحهگر ** در گلستان نوحه کرده بر خضر
- Again from the Lord of the land comes the edict (saying) to Non-existence, “Give back what thou hast devoured!
- باز فرمان آید از سالار ده ** مر عدم را کانچه خوردی باز ده
- Give up, O black Death, what thou hast devoured of plants and healing herbs and leaves and grass!” 1895
- آن چه خوردی واده ای مرگ سیاه ** از نبات و دارو و برگ و گیاه
- O brother, collect thy wits for an instant (and think): from moment to moment (incessantly) there is autumn and spring within thee.
- ای برادر عقل یک دم با خود آر ** دم به دم در تو خزان است و بهار
- Behold the garden of the heart, green and moist and fresh, full f buds and roses and ctpresses and jasmines;
- باغ دل را سبز و تر و تازه بین ** پر ز غنچهی ورد و سرو و یاسمین
- Boughs hidden by the multitude of leaves, vast plain and high palace hidden by the multitude of flowers.
- ز انبهی برگ پنهان گشته شاخ ** ز انبهی گل نهان صحرا و کاخ
- These words, which are from Universal Reason, are the scent of those flowers and cypresses and hyacinths.
- این سخنهایی که از عقل کل است ** بوی آن گلزار و سرو و سنبل است
- Didst thou (ever) smell the scent of a rose where no rose was? Didst thou (ever) see the foaming of wine where no wine was? 1900
- بوی گل دیدی که آن جا گل نبود ** جوش مل دیدی که آن جا مل نبود
- The scent is thy guide and conducts thee on thy way: it will bring thee to Eden and Kawthar.
- بو قلاووز است و رهبر مر ترا ** میبرد تا خلد و کوثر مر ترا
- The scent is a remedy for the (sightless) eye; (it is) light-making: the eye of Jacob was opened by a scent.
- بو دوای چشم باشد نور ساز ** شد ز بویی دیدهی یعقوب باز