It chanced that one day he rode with his courtiers to the chase.
اتفاقا شاه روزی شد سوار ** با خواص خویش از بهر شکار
On the king's highway the king espied a handmaiden: the king was enthralled by her.
یک کنیزک دید شه بر شاه راه ** شد غلام آن کنیزک جان شاه
Forasmuch as the bird, his soul, was fluttering in its cage, he gave money and bought the handmaiden.
مرغ جانش در قفس چون می‌‌طپید ** داد مال و آن کنیزک را خرید
After he had bought her and won to his desire, by Divine destiny she sickened.40
چون خرید او را و برخوردار شد ** آن کنیزک از قضا بیمار شد
A certain man had an ass but no pack-saddle: (as soon as) he got a saddle, the wolf carried away his ass.
آن یکی خر داشت، پالانش نبود ** یافت پالان گرگ خر را در ربود
He had a pitcher, but no water could be obtained: when he found water, the pitcher broke.
کوزه بودش آب می‌‌نامد به دست ** آب را چون یافت خود کوزه شکست
The king gathered the physicians together from left and right and said to them, “The life of us both is in your hands.
شه طبیبان جمع کرد از چپ و راست ** گفت جان هر دو در دست شماست
My life is of no account, (but) she is the life of my life. I am in pain and wounded: she is my remedy.
جان من سهل است جان جانم اوست ** دردمند و خسته‌‌ام درمانم اوست
Whoever heals her that is my life will bear away with him my treasure and pearls, large and small.”45
هر که درمان کرد مر جان مرا ** برد گنج و در و مرجان مرا
They all answered him, saying, “We will hazard our lives and summon all our intelligence and put it into the common stock.
جمله گفتندش که جان‌‌بازی کنیم ** فهم گرد آریم و انبازی کنیم
Each of us is a Messiah of a world (of people): in our hands is a medicine for every pain."
هر یکی از ما مسیح عالمی است ** هر الم را در کف ما مرهمی است
In their arrogance they did not say, “If God will”; therefore God showed unto them the weakness of Man.
گر خدا خواهد نگفتند از بطر ** پس خدا بنمودشان عجز بشر
I mean (a case in which) omission of the saving clause is (due to) a hardness of heart; not the mere saying of these words, for that is a superficial circumstance.
ترک استثنا مرادم قسوتی است ** نی همین گفتن که عارض حالتی است
How many a one has not pronounced the saving clause, and yet his soul is in harmony with the soul of it!50
ای بسا ناورده استثنا به گفت ** جان او با جان استثناست جفت
The more cures and remedies they applied, the more did the illness increase, and the need was not fulfilled.
هر چه کردند از علاج و از دوا ** گشت رنج افزون و حاجت ناروا
The sick girl became (thin) as a hair, (while) the eyes of the king flowed with tears of blood, like a river.
آن کنیزک از مرض چون موی شد ** چشم شه از اشک خون چون جوی شد
By Divine destiny, oxymel increased the bile, and oil of almonds was producing dryness.
از قضا سرکنگبین صفرا فزود ** روغن بادام خشکی می‌‌نمود
From (giving) myrobalan constipation resulted, relaxation ceased; and water fed the flames, like naphtha.
از هلیله قبض شد اطلاق رفت ** آب آتش را مدد شد همچو نفت
How it became manifest that the physicians were unable to cure the handmaiden, and how the king turned his face towards God and dreamed of a holy man.
ظاهر شدن عجز حکیمان از معالجه‌‌ی کنیزک و روی آوردن پادشاه به درگاه خدا و در خواب دیدن او ولی را
When the king saw the powerlessness of those physicians, he ran bare-footed to the mosque.55
شه چو عجز آن حکیمان را بدید ** پا برهنه جانب مسجد دوید
He entered the mosque and advanced to the mihráb (to pray): the prayer-carpet was bathed in the king's tears.
رفت در مسجد سوی محراب شد ** سجده گاه از اشک شه پر آب شد
On coming to himself out of the flood of ecstasy (faná) he opened his lips in goodly praise and prayer,
چون به خویش آمد ز غرقاب فنا ** خوش زبان بگشاد در مدح و ثنا
Saying, “O Thou whose least gift is the empire of the world, what shall I say, in as much as Thou knowest the hidden thing?
کای کمینه بخششت ملک جهان ** من چه گویم چون تو می‌‌دانی نهان
O Thou with whom we always take refuge in our need, once again we have missed the way.
ای همیشه حاجت ما را پناه ** بار دیگر ما غلط کردیم راه
But Thou hast said, ‘Albeit I know thy secret, nevertheless declare it forthwith in thine outward act.’”60
لیک گفتی گر چه می‌‌دانم سرت ** زود هم پیدا کنش بر ظاهرت
When from the depths of his soul he raised a cry (of supplication), the sea of Bounty began to surge.
چون بر آورد از میان جان خروش ** اندر آمد بحر بخشایش به جوش
Slumber overtook him in the midst of weeping: he dreamed that an old man appeared
در میان گریه خوابش در ربود ** دید در خواب او که پیری رو نمود
And said, “Good tidings, O king! Thy prayers are granted. If to-morrow a stranger come for thee, he is from me.
When he comes, he is a skilled physician: deem him veracious, for he is trusty and true.
چون که آید او حکیمی حاذق است ** صادقش دان که امین و صادق است
In his remedy behold absolute magic, in his temperament behold the might of God!”65
در علاجش سحر مطلق را ببین ** در مزاجش قدرت حق را ببین
When the promised hour arrived and day broke and the sun, (rising) from the east, began to burn the stars,
چون رسید آن وعده‌‌گاه و روز شد ** آفتاب از شرق، اختر سوز شد
The king was in the belvedere, expecting to see that which had been shown mysteriously.
بود اندر منظره شه منتظر ** تا ببیند آن چه بنمودند سر
He saw a person excellent and worshipful, a sun amidst a shadow,
دید شخصی فاضلی پر مایه‌‌ای ** آفتابی در میان سایه‌‌ای
Coming from afar, like the new moon (in slenderness and radiance): he was nonexistent, though existent in the form of phantasy.
می‌‌رسید از دور مانند هلال ** نیست بود و هست بر شکل خیال
In the spirit phantasy is as naught, (yet) behold a world (turning) on a phantasy!70
نیست وش باشد خیال اندر روان ** تو جهانی بر خیالی بین روان
Their peace and their war (turn) on a phantasy, and their pride and their shame spring from a phantasy;
بر خیالی صلح‌‌شان و جنگشان ** وز خیالی فخرشان و ننگشان
(But) those phantasies which ensnare the saints are the reflexion of the fair ones of the garden of God.
آن خیالاتی که دام اولیاست ** عکس مه رویان بستان خداست
In the countenance of the stranger-guest was appearing that phantasy which the king beheld in his dream.
آن خیالی که شه اندر خواب دید ** در رخ مهمان همی‌‌آمد پدید
The king himself, instead of the chamberlains, went forward to meet his guest from the Invisible.
شه به جای حاجبان واپیش رفت ** پیش آن مهمان غیب خویش رفت
Both were seamen who had learned to swim, the souls of both were knit together without sewing.75
هر دو بحری آشنا آموخته ** هر دو جان بی‌‌دوختن بر دوخته
The king said, “Thou wert my Beloved (in reality), not she; but in this world deed issues from deed.
گفت معشوقم تو بوده ستی نه آن ** لیک کار از کار خیزد در جهان
O thou who art to me (as) Mustafá (Mohammed), while I am like unto ‘Umar—I will gird my loins to do thee service.”
ای مرا تو مصطفی من چون عمر ** از برای خدمتت بندم کمر
Beseeching the Lord, who is our Helper, to help us to observe self-control in all circumstances, and explaining the harmful and pernicious consequences of indiscipline.
از خداوند ولی التوفیق در خواستن توفیق رعایت ادب در همه حالها و بیان کردن وخامت ضررهای بی‌‌ادبی
Let us implore God to help us to self-control: one who lacks self-control is deprived of the grace of the Lord.
از خدا جوییم توفیق ادب ** بی‌‌ادب محروم گشت از لطف رب
The undisciplined man does not maltreat himself alone, but he sets the whole world on fire.
بی‌‌ادب تنها نه خود را داشت بد ** بلکه آتش در همه آفاق زد
A table (of food) was coming down from heaven without buying and selling and without speaking and hearing,80
مایده از آسمان در می‌‌رسید ** بی‌‌شری و بیع و بی‌‌گفت و شنید
(When) some of the people of Moses cried disrespectfully, “Where is garlic and lentils?”
در میان قوم موسی چند کس ** بی‌‌ادب گفتند کو سیر و عدس
(Straightway) the dishes (of food) and the bread from heaven were cut off: there remained for us the toil of sowing and (labouring with) mattock and scythe.
منقطع شد خوان و نان از آسمان ** ماند رنج زرع و بیل و داسمان
Again, when Jesus made intercession, God sent food and bounty (from heaven) on trays,
باز عیسی چون شفاعت کرد، حق ** خوان فرستاد و غنیمت بر طبق
But once more the insolent fellows omitted to show respect and, like beggars, snatched away the viands.
باز گستاخان ادب بگذاشتند ** چون گدایان زله‌‌ها برداشتند
(Although) Jesus entreated them, saying, “This is lasting and will not fail from off the earth.”85
لابه کرده عیسی ایشان را که این ** دایم است و کم نگردد از زمین
To show suspicion and greed at the table of Majesty is ingratitude.
بد گمانی کردن و حرص آوری ** کفر باشد پیش خوان مهتری