Since thy understanding is a shackle for mankind, it is not understanding: it is a snake and scorpion.
چون که عقل تو عقیله‌‌ی مردم است ** آن نه عقل است آن که مار و کژدم است
May God be the enemy of thy iniquity and deceit! May thy (superior) talent and understanding fall short of (fail to injure) us!2330
خصم ظلم و مکر تو الله باد ** فضل و عقل تو ز ما کوتاه باد
Thou art both the snake and the charmer—oh, this is wonderful! Thou art (both) the snake-catcher and the snake, O thou disgrace to the Arabs!
هم تو ماری هم فسون‌‌گر ای عجب ** مارگیر و ماری ای ننگ عرب
If the crow knew its ugliness, from grief and sorrow it would melt like snow.
زاغ اگر زشتی خود بشناختی ** همچو برف از درد و غم بگداختی
The charmer chants (a spell) as an enemy (does); he is (casting) a spell upon the snake and the snake is (casting) a spell upon him.
مرد افسونگر بخواند چون عدو ** او فسون بر مار و مار افسون بر او
If his trap were not (devised by him as) a spell for the snake (a means of catching it), how would he become a prey to the snake's spell?
گر نبودی دام او افسون مار ** کی فسون مار را گشتی شکار
The charmer, from greed of getting and making (money), is not conscious of the snake's spell at the time.2335
مرد افسونگر ز حرص کسب و کار ** در نیابد آن زمان افسون مار
The snake says, ‘O charmer, beware, beware! Thou hast beheld thine own spell (and its effect upon me): now behold mine!
مار گوید ای فسون‌‌گر هین و هین ** آن خود دیدی فسون من ببین
Thou beguilest me with the Name of God in order that thou mayst expose me to shame and confusion.
تو به نام حق فریبی مر مرا ** تا کنی رسوای شور و شر مرا
The Name of God enthralled me, not thy contrivance: thou madest the Name of God a trap: woe to thee!
نام حقم بست نه آن رای تو ** نام حق را دام کردی وای تو
The Name of God will take vengeance from thee on my behalf: I commit my soul and body to the Name of God.
نام حق بستاند از تو داد من ** من به نام حق سپردم جان و تن
Either it will sever the vein of thy life by my stroke, or it will bring thee into a prison as (it has brought) me.’”2340
یا به زخم من رگ جانت برد ** یا که همچون من به زندانت برد
Rough speeches of this sort, (whole) volumes, the woman recited to her youthful husband.
زن از این گونه خشن گفتارها ** خواند بر شوی جوان طومارها
How the man counselled his wife, saying, “Do not look with contempt on the poor, but regard the work of God as perfect, and do not let thy vain thought and opinion of thine own penury cause thee to sneer at poverty and revile the poor.”
نصیحت کردن مرد مر زن را که در فقیران به خواری منگر و در کار حق به گمان کمال نگر و طعنه مزن بر فقر و فقیران به خیال و گمان بی‌‌نوایی خویشتن
“O woman,” said he, “art thou a woman or the father of sorrow? Poverty is (my) pride, and do not thou beat me on the head (lash me with thy reproaches).
گفت ای زن تو زنی یا بو الحزن ** فقر فخر آمد مرا بر سر مزن
Wealth and gold are as a cap to the head: ’tis the bald man that makes a shelter of his cap,
مال و زر سر را بود همچون کلاه ** کل بود او کز کله سازد پناه
(But) he that has curly and beautiful locks is happier when his cap is gone.
آن که زلف جعد و رعنا باشدش ** چون کلاهش رفت خوشتر آیدش
The man of God (the saint) resembles the eye: therefore (his) sight is better bare (unveiled) than covered.2345
مرد حق باشد به مانند بصر ** پس برهنه‌‌ش به که پوشیده نظر
When a slave-dealer offers (slaves) for sale, he removes from the (sound) slave the garment that hides defects.
وقت عرضه کردن آن برده فروش ** بر کند از بنده جامه‌‌ی عیب پوش
But if there be any defect, how should he strip him? Nay, he tricks him (the purchaser) by means of the garment.
ور بود عیبی برهنه کی کند ** بل به جامه خدعه‌‌ای با وی کند
‘This one,’ says he, ‘is ashamed of good and evil: stripping him would cause him to run away from thee.’
گوید این شرمنده است از نیک و بد ** از برهنه کردن او از تو رمد
The (rich) merchant is plunged in vice up to the ears, (but) the merchant has money, and his money covers his vice,
خواجه در عیب است غرقه تا به گوش ** خواجه را مال است و مالش عیب پوش
For because of cupidity none that is covetous sees his vice: feelings of cupidity are a bond uniting (men's) hearts;2350
And if a beggar speak a word like the (pure) gold of the mine, his wares will not find the way to the shop.
ور گدا گوید سخن چون زر کان ** ره نیابد کاله‌‌ی او در دکان
The affair of (spiritual) poverty is beyond thy apprehension: do not look on poverty with contempt,
کار درویشی ورای فهم تست ** سوی درویشی بمنگر سست سست
Because dervishes are beyond property and wealth: they possess an abundant portion from the Almighty.
ز آن که درویشان ورای ملک و مال ** روزیی دارند ژرف از ذو الجلال
The High God is just, and how should the just behave tyrannously to the dispirited (poor and weak)?
حق تعالی عادل است و عادلان ** کی کنند استمگری بر بی‌‌دلان
(How should they) give fortune and goods to that one, while they put this one on the fire?2355
آن یکی را نعمت و کالا دهند ** وین دگر را بر سر آتش نهند
May the fire consume him, because he hath this (evil) thought about the Lord who created both worlds.
آتشش سوزا که دارد این گمان ** بر خدای خالق هر دو جهان
Is (the saying) ‘Poverty is my pride’ vain and false? No; ’tis thousands of hidden glories and disdains.
فقر فخری از گزاف است و مجاز ** نی هزاران عز پنهان است و ناز
Thou in anger hast poured nicknames on me: thou hast called me a catcher (deceiver) of friends and a catcher of snakes.
از غضب بر من لقبها راندی ** یارگیر و مار گیرم خواندی
If I catch the snake, I extract its fangs in order that it may not suffer harm by having its head crushed.
گر بگیرم بر کنم دندان مار ** تاش از سر کوفتن نبود ضرار
Because those fangs are an enemy to its life, I am making the enemy a friend by means of this skill.2360
ز آن که آن دندان عدوی جان اوست ** من عدو را می‌‌کنم زین علم دوست
Never do I chant my spell from (motives of) cupidity: I have turned this cupidity upside down (I have entirely vanquished it).
از طمع هرگز نخوانم من فسون ** این طمع را کرده‌‌ام من سر نگون
God forbid! I desire nothing from created beings: through contentment there is a (whole) world within my heart.
حاش لله طمع من از خلق نیست ** از قناعت در دل من عالمی است
Thou, (sitting) on the top of the pear-tree, seest (things) like that: come down from it, that the (evil) thought may not continue.
بر سر امرودبن بینی چنان ** ز آن فرود آ تا نماند آن گمان
When thou turnest round and round and becomest giddy, thou seest the house turning round, and ’tis thou (thyself) art that (revolving object).
چون که بر گردی و سر گشته شوی ** خانه را گردنده بینی و آن توی
Explaining how every one's movement (action) proceeds from the place where he is, (so that) he sees every one (else) from the circle of his own self-existence: a blue glass shows the sun as blue, a red glass as red, (but) when the glass escapes from (the sphere of) colour, it becomes white, (and then) it is more truthful than all other glasses and is the Imám (exemplar to them all).
در بیان آن که جنبیدن هر کسی از آن جا که وی است هر کس را از چنبره‌‌ی وجود خود بیند، تابه‌‌ی کبود آفتاب را کبود نماید و سرخ سرخ نماید چون تابه از رنگها بیرون آید سپید شود از همه تابه‌‌های دیگر او راست‌‌گوتر باشد و امام باشد
Abú Jahl saw Ahmad (Mohammed) and said, ‘’Tis an ugly figure that has sprung from the sons of Háshim!’2365
دید احمد را ابو جهل و بگفت ** زشت نقشی کز بنی هاشم شگفت
Ahmad said to him, ‘Thou art right, thou hast spoken truth, although thou art impertinent.’
گفت احمد مر و را که راستی ** راست گفتی گر چه کار افزاستی
The Siddíq (Abú Bakr) saw him and said, ‘O Sun, thou art neither of East nor of West: shine beauteously!’
دید صدیقش بگفت ای آفتاب ** نی ز شرقی نی ز غربی خوش بتاب
Ahmad said, ‘Thou hast spoken the truth, O dear friend, O thou that hast escaped from this world of nothingness.’
گفت احمد راست گفتی ای عزیز ** ای رهیده تو ز دنیای نه چیز
They that were present said, ‘O Prince of mankind, why didst thou call both of them truth-tellers when they contradicted each other?’
حاضران گفتند ای صدر الوری ** راست گو گفتی دو ضد گو را چرا
He replied, ‘I am a mirror polished by the (Divine) hand: Turcoman and Indian behold in me that which exists (in themselves).’2370
گفت من آیینه‌‌ام مصقول دست ** ترک و هندو در من آن بیند که هست
O wife, if thou deemest me very covetous, rise above this womanish care (for worldly things).
ای زن ار طماع می‌‌بینی مرا ** زین تحری زنانه برتر آ
This (state of mine) resembles cupidity and (in reality) it is a (Divine) mercy: where that (spiritual) blessing is, where is cupidity?
این طمع را ماند و رحمت بود ** کو طمع آن جا که آن نعمت بود
Make trial of poverty for a day or two, that thou mayst see (find) in poverty double riches.
امتحان کن فقر را روزی دو تو ** تا به فقر اندر غنا بینی دو تو
Have patience with poverty and abandon this disgust, because in poverty there is the majesty of the Lord of glory.
صبر کن با فقر و بگذار این ملال ** ز آن که در فقر است عز ذو الجلال
Do not look sour, and (thou wilt) see thousands of souls plunged, through contentment, in an ocean of honey.2375
سرکه مفروش و هزاران جان ببین ** از قناعت غرق بحر انگبین
Behold hundreds of thousands of bitterly suffering souls steeped in rose-syrup, like the rose.
صد هزاران جان تلخی کش نگر ** همچو گل آغشته اندر گل شکر
Oh, alas, would that thou hadst comprehension, so that the unfolded tale of my heart might be shown forth to thee from my soul.
ای دریغا مر ترا گنجا بدی ** تا ز جانم شرح دل پیدا شدی
This discourse is milk in the teat of the soul: it will not flow well without some one to suck (the teat).
این سخن شیر است در پستان جان ** بی‌‌کشنده خوش نمی‌‌گردد روان