No lamp at night and no bread by day; neither smell nor sign of food is there.
نی چراغی در شب و نه روز نان ** نی در او بوی طعام و نه نشان
No door in good repair, no way to the roof; not one neighbour to be (your) refuge.3120
نی درش معمور و نی در بام راه ** نی یکی همسایه کاو باشد پناه
Your eye, which was a place for the people's kisses—how should it go into a blind and murky house?—
چشم تو که بوسه گاه خلق بود ** چون رود در خانهی کور و کبود
A pitiless house and narrow room, where neither (your) face will be lasting nor (your) colour.”
خانهی بیزینهار و جای تنگ ** که در او نه روی میماند نه رنگ
In this manner was he enumerating the qualities of the house, whilst he wrung tears of blood from his two eyes.
زین نسق اوصاف خانه میشمرد ** وز دو دیده اشک خونین میفشرد
Júhí said to his father, “O worthy (sir), by God they are taking this (corpse) to our house.”
گفت جوحی را پدر ای ارجمند ** و الله این را خانهی ما میبرند
The father said to Júhí, “Don't be a fool!” “O papa,” said he, “hear the marks (of identity).3125
گفت جوحی را پدر ابله مشو ** گفت ای بابا نشانیها شنو
These marks which he mentioned one by one—our house has them (all), without uncertainty or doubt.
این نشانیها که گفت او یک به یک ** خانهی ما راست بیتردید و شک
(It has) neither mat nor lamp nor food; neither its door is in good repair, nor its court nor its roof.”
نی حصیر و نه چراغ و نه طعام ** نه درش معمور و نه صحن و نه بام
In this wise the disobedient have a hundred marks upon themselves, but how should they see them?
زین نمط دارند بر خود صد نشان ** لیک کی بینند آن را طاغیان
The house, namely, the heart that remains unlighted by the beams of the sun of (Divine) Majesty,
خانهی آن دل که ماند بیضیا ** از شعاع آفتاب کبریا
Is narrow and dark as the souls of Jews, (being) destitute of (spiritual) savour of the loving King.3130
تنگ و تاریک است چون جان جهود ** بینوا از ذوق سلطان ودود
Neither has the light of the Sun shone into that heart, nor is there (in it any) spaciousness or opening of the door.
نی در آن دل تافت نور آفتاب ** نی گشاد عرصه و نه فتح باب
The tomb is better for thee than a heart like this. Come now, arise from the tomb which is thy heart!
گور خوشتر از چنین دل مر ترا ** آخر از گور دل خود برتر آ
Thou art living and born of the living. O gay and winsome one, art not thou choked by this narrow tomb?
زندهای و زنده زاد ای شوخ و شنگ ** دم نمیگیرد ترا زین گور تنگ
Thou art the Joseph of the time and the sun of heaven: arise from this pit and prison, and show thy face!
یوسف وقتی و خورشید سما ** زین چه و زندان بر آ و رو نما
Thy Jonah has been cooked in the fish's belly: for his deliverance there is no means but glorification of God.3135
یونست در بطن ماهی پخته شد ** مخلصش را نیست از تسبیح بد
If he had not glorified (God), the fish's belly would have been his gaol and prison until they shall be raised (from the dead).
گر نبودی او مسیح بطن نون ** حبس و زندانش بدی تا یبعثون
Through glorification he escaped from the body of the fish. What is glorification? The sign (and token) of the Day of Alast.
او به تسبیح از تن ماهی بجست ** چیست تسبیح آیت روز أ لست
If thou hast forgotten that glorification (rendered to God) by thy spirit, hearken to the glorifications of (uttered by) those Fishes (the prophets and saints).
گر فراموشت شد آن تسبیح جان ** بشنو این تسبیحهای ماهیان
Whosoever hath seen God is of God: whosoever hath seen that Sea is that Fish.
هر که دید الله را اللهی است ** هر که دید آن بحر را آن ماهی است
This world is a sea, and the body a fish, and the spirit is the Jonah debarred from the light of the dawn.3140
این جهان دریاست و تن ماهی و روح ** یونس محجوب از نور صبوح
If it be a glorifier (of God), it is delivered from the fish; otherwise, it becomes digested therein and vanishes.
گر مسبح باشد از ماهی رهید ** ور نه در وی هضم گشت و ناپدید
The spiritual Fishes abound in this sea (the world), (but) thou seest them not, for thou art blind, O miserable wretch.
ماهیان جان در این دریا پرند ** تو نمیبینی که کوری ای نژند
Those Fishes are darting at thee: open thine eye, that thou mayst see them clearly.
بر تو خود را میزنند آن ماهیان ** چشم بگشا تا ببینیشان عیان
If thou art not seeing the Fishes plain—after all, thine ear hath heard their glorification (of God).
ماهیان را گر نمیبینی پدید ** گوش تو تسبیحشان آخر شنید
To practise patience is the soul of thy glorifications: have patience, for that is the true glorification.3145
صبر کردن جان تسبیحات تست ** صبر کن کان است تسبیح درست
No glorification hath such a (high) degree (as patience hath); have patience: patience is the key to relief (from pain).
هیچ تسبیحی ندارد آن درج ** صبر کن الصبر مفتاح الفرج
Patience is like the bridge Sirát, (with) Paradise on the other side: with every fair (boy) there is an ugly pedagogue.
صبر چون پول صراط آن سو بهشت ** هست با هر خوب یک لالای زشت
So long as you flee from the pedagogue, there is no meeting (with the boy), because there is no parting of the handsome boy from the pedagogue.
تا ز لالا میگریزی وصل نیست ** ز انکه لالا را ز شاهد فصل نیست
What should you know of the (sweet) savour of patience, O you of brittle heart—especially, of patience for the sake of that Beauty of Chigil?
تو چه دانی ذوق صبر ای شیشه دل ** خاصه صبر از بهر آن نقش چگل
A man’s delight is in campaigns (for Islam) and in the glory and pomp (of war); pathico voluptas e pene est. [A man’s delight is in campaigns (for Islam) and in the glory and pomp (of war); a (passive) catamite’s delight is from the penis.]3150
مرد را ذوق غزا و کر و فر ** مر مخنث را بود ذوقاز ذکر
Nihil est religio et precatio ejus nisi penis: his thought has borne him down to the lowest depth. [His religion and his prayer (is) nothing but the penis: his thought has borne him down to the lowest depth. ]
جز ذکر نه دین او و ذکر او ** سوی اسفل برد او را فکر او
Though he rise to the sky, be not afraid of him, for (it is only) in love of lowness (degradation) he has studied (and gained eminence).
گر بر آید بر فلک از وی مترس ** کاو بعشق سفل آموزید درس
He gallops his horse towards lowness, albeit he rings the bell (proclaims that he is going) aloft.
او بسوی سفل میراند فرس ** گر چه سوی علو جنباند جرس
What is there to fear from the flags of beggars?—for those flags are (but) a means for (getting) a mouthful of bread.
از علمهای گدایان ترس چیست ** کان علمها لقمهی نان را رهی است
Timet puer quidam hominem corpulentum. “Ne timueris,” inquit, “O puer; ego enim vir non sum.” [About a boy’s fear of the corpulent man and how that person said, “Don’t be afraid, O boy, since I am not manly.”]
ترسیدن کودک از آن شخص صاحب جثه و گفتن آن شخص که ای کودک مترس که من نامردم
Juvenis robustus puerum deprehendit solum. Palluit timore puer ne forte homo impetum faceret. [A stout youth found a boy alone. The boy turned pale from fear of the man’s intention (to attack).]3155
کنگ زفتی کودکی را یافت فرد ** زرد شد کودک ز بیم قصد مرد
“Securus esto,” inquit, “mi pulcher; tu enim super me eris.” [He (the man) said, “Be secure, O my lovely one, since you will be on top of me. ]
گفت ایمن باش ای زیبای من ** که تو خواهی بود بر بالای من
Etiamsi terribilis (aspectu) sum, scito me impotentem esse ad coitum: me sicut camelum conscende, propelle.” [“Although I am dreadful (in appearance), know me (to be an impotent) catamite. Mount me like a camel (and) thrust.”]
من اگر هولم مخنث دان مرا ** همچو اشتر بر نشین میران مرا
(With) the appearance of men and the reality like this— Adam without, the accursed Devil within—
صورت مردان و معنی این چنین ** از برون آدم درون دیو لعین
O you that are big as the people of ‘Ád, you resemble the drum against which a branch was beaten by the wind.
آن دهل را مانی ای زفت چو عاد ** که بر او آن شاخ را میکوفت باد
A fox abandoned his prey for the sake of a drum like a wind-filled leathern bag,3160
روبهی اشکار خود را باد داد ** بهر طبلی همچو خیک پر ز باد
(But) when he found no (real) fatness in the drum, he said, “A hog is better than this empty bag.”
چون ندید اندر دهل او فربهی ** گفت خوکی به ازین خیک تهی
Foxes are afraid of the noise of the drum; (but) the wise man beats it ever so much, saying, “Speak not!”
روبهان ترسند ز آواز دهل ** عاقلش چندان زند که لا تقل
The story of an archer and his fear of a horseman who was riding in a forest.
قصهی تیر اندازی و ترسیدن او از سواری که در بیشه میرفت
A horseman, armed and very terrible (in appearance), was riding in the forest on a high-bred horse.
یک سواری با سلاح و بس مهیب ** میشد اندر بیشه بر اسبی نجیب
An expert archer espied him, and then from fear of him drew his bow,
تیر اندازی به حکم او را بدید ** پس ز خوف او کمان را در کشید
To shoot an arrow. The horseman shouted to him, “I am a weakling, though my body is big.3165
تا زند تیری سوارش بانگ زد ** من ضعیفم گر چه زفت استم جسد
Take heed! Take heed! Do not regard my bigness, for in the hour of battle I am less than an old woman.”
هان و هان منگر تو در زفتی من ** که کمم در وقت جنگ از پیر زن
“Pass on,” said he; “thou hast spoken well, else by reason of my fear I should have shot a barb at thee.”
گفت رو که نیک گفتی ور نه نیش ** بر تو میانداختم از ترس خویش
Many are they whom implements of war have slain, (since they held) such a sword in their hands, without the manhood (to use it).
بس کسان را کالت پیکار کشت ** بیرجولیت چنان تیغی به مشت