Inasmuch as burdens are the foundation of ease, and bitter things, too, are the forerunners of enjoyment. چون گرانیها اساس راحت است ** تلخها هم پیشوای نعمت است
Paradise is compassed about with the things we dislike (to do); the fires (of Hell) are compassed about with our lusts. حفت الجنة بمکروهاتنا ** حفت النیران من شهواتنا
The seed (source) of the substance of your fire (of torment) is the fresh bough (of lust); (but) he that is burned by the fire (of renunciation) is the comrade of Kawthar. تخم مایهی آتشت شاخ تر است ** سوختهی آتش قرین کوثر است
Whosoever is the comrade of affliction in prison—that is the retribution for a mouthful (of unlawful food) and a lust. هر که در زندان قرین محنتی است ** آن جزای لقمهای و شهوتی است
Whosoever is the comrade of a high fortune in a palace— that is the reward for some battle-field and sore trial. 1840 هر که در قصری قرین دولتی است ** آن جزای کارزار و محنتی است
Whomsoever you have seen unrivalled in (his store of) gold and silver—know that he has been patient in earning. هر که را دیدی به زر و سیم فرد ** دان که اندر کسب کردن صبر کرد
When the (spiritual) eye has become piercing, he (the owner) sees without causes. You who are in (the bondage of) sense-perception, pay you heed to causes! بیسبب بیند چو دیده شد گذار ** تو که در حسی سبب را گوش دار
He whose spirit is beyond (the world of) natural properties— to him belongs the position of power to rive (the chain of) causes. آن که بیرون از طبایع جان اوست ** منصب خرق سببها آن اوست
The (spiritual) eye regards the fountain of the miracles of the prophets as (being) without cause, not as (arising) from water and herbage. بیسبب بیند نه از آب و گیا ** چشم چشمهی معجزات انبیا
These causes are (linked together) like the physician and the sick: these causes are like the lamp and the wick. 1845 این سبب همچون طبیب است و علیل ** این سبب همچون چراغ است و فتیل
Twist a new wick for your night-lamp, (but) know that the lamp of the sun transcends these things. شب چراغت را فتیل نو بتاب ** پاک دان زینها چراغ آفتاب
Go you and make plaster for the roof of your house, (but) know that the roof of the sky is undefiled by plaster. رو تو کهگل ساز بهر سقف خان ** سقف گردون را ز کهگل پاک دان
Alas that, after our Sweetheart had burned (utterly destroyed) our pain, the night-time of being alone (with Him) passed away and became day! اه که چون دل دار ما غم سوز شد ** خلوت شب در گذشت و روز شد
Except at night there is no unveiling of the moon: except through heartache do not seek your heart's desire. جز به شب جلوه نباشد ماه را ** جز به درد دل مجو دل خواه را
Forsaking Jesus, you have fostered the ass: of necessity, like the ass, you are outside of the curtain. 1850 ترک عیسی کرده خر پروردهای ** لاجرم چون خر برون پردهای
Knowledge and gnosis are the fortune of Jesus; they are not the fortune of the ass, O you asinine one! طالع عیسی است علم و معرفت ** طالع خر نیست ای تو خر صفت
You listen to the moaning of the ass, and pity comes over you; then you know not (that) the ass commands you to be asinine. نالهی خر بشنوی رحم آیدت ** پس ندانی خر خری فرمایدت
Have pity on Jesus and have no pity on the ass: do not make the (carnal) nature lord over your intellect. رحم بر عیسی کن و بر خر مکن ** طبع را بر عقل خود سرور مکن
Let the (carnal) nature weep sore and bitterly: do you take from it and pay the debt of the (rational) soul. طبع را هل تا بگرید زار زار ** تو از او بستان و وام جان گزار
For years you have been the ass's slave. It is enough, for the ass's slave is behind (even) the ass. 1855 سالها خربنده بودی بس بود ** ز انکه خربنده ز خر واپس بود
The thing meant by (the Prophet's words) “put them (the women) behind” is your fleshly soul; for it must be last, and your intellect (must be) first. ز اخروهن مرادش نفس تست ** کاو به آخر باید و عقلت نخست
This base intellect has become of the same temperament as the ass: its (only) thought is how it shall get hold of fodder. هم مزاج خر شده ست این عقل پست ** فکرش این که چون علف آرم بدست
The ass of Jesus took (to itself) the temperament of the (rational) spirit: it took its abode in the place of the intelligent, آن خر عیسی مزاج دل گرفت ** در مقام عاقلان منزل گرفت
Because (in Jesus) intellect was ruling, and the ass (was) weak —the ass is made lean by a strong rider— ز انکه غالب عقل بود و خر ضعیف ** از سوار زفت گردد خر نحیف
While from the weakness of your intellect, O you who have (no more than) the value of an ass, this worn-out ass has become a dragon. 1860 و ز ضعیفی عقل تو ای خر بها ** این خر پژمرده گشته ست اژدها
If through Jesus (the spiritual guide) you have become heart-sick, (yet) health too comes from him: do not leave him. گر ز عیسی گشتهای رنجور دل ** هم از او صحت رسد او را مهل
How art thou as to affliction, O thou Jesus who hast the (healing) breath of Jesus? For there never was in the world a treasure without a snake. چونی ای عیسای عیسی دم ز رنج ** که نبود اندر جهان بیمار گنج
How art thou, O Jesus, at the sight of the Jews? How art thou, O Joseph, in respect of the envious plotter? چونی ای عیسی ز دیدار جهود ** چونی ای یوسف ز مکار حسود
Night and day for the sake of this foolish people thou, like night and day, art a replenisher of life. تو شب و روز از پی این قوم غمر ** چون شب و روزی مدد بخشای عمر
How art thou in regard to those bilious ones who are without excellence? What excellence is born from bile? Headache. 1865 چونی از صفراییان بیهنر ** چه هنر زاید ز صفرا درد سر
Do thou the same thing as the sun of the east does: we are hypocrisy and craft and thieving and dissimulation. تو همان کن که کند خورشید شرق ** ما نفاق و حیله و دزدی و زرق
Thou art honey, we are vinegar in (the affairs of) this world and in religion; the (means of) removing this bile is oxymel. تو عسل ما سرکه در دنیا و دین ** دفع این صفرا بود سرکنگبین
We folk who suffer from colic have added more and more vinegar; do thou add more and more honey, withhold not thy bounty. سرکه افزودیم ما قوم زحیر ** تو عسل بفزا کرم را وامگیر
This was meet in us; such (acts naturally) issued from us: what is increased by sand in the eye? Blindness. این سزید از ما چنان آمد ز ما ** ریگ اندر چشم چه فزاید عما
(But) ’tis meet in thee, O precious collyrium, that every nothing should gain from thee something. 1870 آن سزد از تو أیا کحل عزیز ** که بیابد از تو هر ناچیز چیز
Thy heart is roasted by the fire of these unrighteous men, (yet) all thy appeal (to God) has been, “Guide my people!” ز آتش این ظالمانت دل کباب ** از تو جمله اهد قومی بد خطاب
Thou art a mine of aloes-wood: if they set thee afire, they will fill this world with otto of roses and sweet basil. کان عودی در تو گر آتش زنند ** این جهان از عطر و ریحان آگنند
Thou art not that aloes-wood that is minished by the fire: thou art not that spirit that is made captive by grief. تو نه آن عودی کز آتش کم شود ** تو نه آن روحی که اسیر غم شود
Aloes-wood burns, (but) the mine of aloes-wood is far from burning: how should the wind (of evil words) assail the source of (spiritual) light? عود سوزد کان عود از سوز دور ** باد کی حمله برد بر اصل نور
Oh, ’tis from thee the heavens have (their) purity; oh, thy unkindness is better than kindness, 1875 ای ز تو مر آسمانها را صفا ** ای جفای تو نکوتر از وفا
Because if an unkindness come from the wise it is better than the kindness of the ignorant. ز انکه از عاقل جفایی گر رود ** از وفای جاهلان آن به بود
The Prophet said, “Enmity (proceeding) from wisdom is better than the love that comes from a fool.” گفت پیغمبر عداوت از خرد ** بهتر از مهری که از جاهل رسد
How an Amír harassed a sleeping man into whose mouth a snake had gone. رنجانیدن امیری خفتهای را که مار در دهانش رفته بود
A wise man was riding along (at the moment when) a snake was going into the mouth of a man asleep. عاقلی بر اسب میآمد سوار ** در دهان خفتهای میرفت مار
The rider saw that, and was hurrying to scare away the snake, (but) he got no chance (of doing so). آن سوار آن را بدید و میشتافت ** تا رماند مار را فرصت نیافت
Since he had an abundant supply of intelligence, he struck the sleeper several powerful blows with a mace. 1880 چون که از عقلش فراوان بد مدد ** چند دبوسی قوی بر خفته زد
The strokes of the hard mace drove him in flight from him (the rider) to beneath a tree. برد او را زخم آن دبوس سخت ** زو گریزان تا به زیر یک درخت
There were many rotten apples which had dropped (from the tree): he said, “Eat of these, O you in the grip of pain!” سیب پوسیده بسی بد ریخته ** گفت از این خور ای به درد آویخته
He gave him so many apples to eat that they were falling out of his mouth again. سیب چندان مر و را در خورد داد ** کز دهانش باز بیرون میفتاد
He was crying, “O Amír, pray, why have you set on me when you have not suffered injury? بانگ میزد کای امیر آخر چرا ** قصد من کردی تو نادیده جفا
If you have an inveterate and mortal feud with me, strike with your sword and shed my blood at once. 1885 گر ترا ز اصل است با جانم ستیز ** تیغ زن یک بارگی خونم بریز