O brother, the child (boy) is the child (pupil) of your eye: know surely that (the gaining of) your desire is dependent on (tears of) distress.
ای برادر طفل طفل چشم تست ** کام خود موقوف زاری دان درست
If you wish that that robe of honour (which you desire) should come (to you), then make the child (pupil) of your eye weep over your body.
گر همیخواهی که آن خلعت رسد ** پس بگریان طفل دیده بر جسد
How a certain person frightened an ascetic, saying, “Weep little, lest thou become blind.”
ترسانیدن شخصی زاهد را که کم گری تا کور نشوی
A comrade in the work (of religion) said to an ascetic, “Weep little, lest thine eye come to harm.”445
زاهدی را گفت یاری در عمل ** کم گری تا چشم را ناید خلل
The ascetic said, “The case is not outside of (admits only) two (alternatives): the eye will see, or it will not see, that (Divine) Beauty.
گفت زاهد از دو بیرون نیست حال ** چشم بیند یا نبیند آن جمال
If it see the Light of God, what is there to grieve about? How little are two eyes (to him that is) in union with God!
گر ببیند نور حق خود چه غم است ** در وصال حق دو دیده چه کم است
And if it shall not see God, let it go! Let such a miserable eye become blind!”
ور نخواهد دید حق را گو برو ** این چنین چشم شقی گو کور شو
Do not grieve for your eye when that Jesus is yours; do not go to the left (but to the right), that he may give you two right (sound) eyes.
غم مخور از دیده کان عیسی تراست ** چپ مرو تا بخشدت دو چشم راست
The Jesus of your spirit is present with you: beg aid from him, for he is a goodly aider;450
عیسی روح تو با تو حاضر است ** نصرت از وی خواه کاو خوش ناصر است
But do not every moment lay on the heart of (that) Jesus the unprofitable work of (providing for) a body full of bones,
لیک بیگار تن پر استخوان ** بر دل عیسی منه تو هر زمان
Like the fool whom we mentioned in the story for the sake of the righteous.
همچو آن ابله که اندر داستان ** ذکر او کردیم بهر راستان
Seek not you from your Jesus the life of the body, ask not from your Moses the wish of a Pharaoh.
زندگی تن مجو از عیسیات ** کام فرعونی مخواه از موسیات
Burden not your heart with thoughts of livelihood; livelihood will not fail: be (constant in attendance) at the (Divine) Court.
بر دل خود کم نه اندیشهی معاش ** عیش کم ناید تو بر درگاه باش
This body is a tent for the spirit, or like an ark for Noah.455
این بدن خرگاه آمد روح را ** یا مثال کشتیی مر نوح را
When the Turcoman is there, he will find a tent, especially when he is one held in honour at the Court (of God).
ترک چون باشد بیابد خرگهی ** خاصه چون باشد عزیز درگهی
Conclusion of the story of the coming to life of the bones at the prayer of Jesus, on whom be peace!
تمامی قصهی زنده شدن استخوانها به دعای عیسی علیه السلام
Jesus pronounced the Name of God over the bones on account of the young man’s entreaty.
خواند عیسی نام حق بر استخوان ** از برای التماس آن جوان
For the sake of that foolish man the decree of God gave life to the form which those bones had possessed.
حکم یزدان از پی آن خام مرد ** صورت آن استخوان را زنده کرد
A black lion sprang forth, smote once with its paw, and destroyed his (bodily) image.
از میان بر جست یک شیر سیاه ** پنجهای زد کرد نقشش را تباه
It tore up his skull: his brain was scattered on the spot-the brain (kernel) of a nut, for in him was no brain.460
کلهاش بر کند مغزش ریخت زود ** مغز جوزی کاندر او مغزی نبود
If he had had a brain, his being broken to pieces would have been no injury at all except to his body.
گر و را مغزی بدی اشکستنش ** خود نبودی نقص الا بر تنش
Jesus said (to the lion), “How did you maul him so quickly?” The lion said, “Because thou wert troubled by him.”
گفت عیسی چون شتابش کوفتی ** گفت ز آن رو که تو زو آشوفتی
Jesus asked, “How did not you drink the man’s blood?” “In the (Divine) dispensation ‘twas not granted to me to drink (it),” replied the lion.
گفت عیسی چون نخوردی خون مرد ** گفت در قسمت نبودم رزق خورد
Oh, many a one that like that raging lion has departed from the world without having eaten his prey!
ای بسا کس همچو آن شیر ژیان ** صید خود ناخورده رفته از جهان
His (ordained portion is not (even) a straw, while his greed is as (great as) a mountain; he hat no means (of satisfying his desires), though he has gotten the (material) means.465
قسمتش کاهی نه و حرصش چو کوه ** وجه نه و کرده تحصیل وجوه
O Thou who hast made it easy for us to do unrewarded and fruitless labour in the world, deliver us!
ای میسر کرده بر ما در جهان ** سخره و بیگار ما را وارهان
To us it seems a (tempting) bait and ‘tis (really) a hook: show it to us even as it is.
طعمه بنموده به ما و آن بوده شست ** آن چنان بنما به ما آن را که هست
The lion said, “O Messiah, (my killing) this prey was merely for the purpose that warning might be taken (by others).
گفت آن شیر ای مسیحا این شکار ** بود خالص از برای اعتبار
Had there (still) been for me in the world an allotted portion (of food), what business indeed should I have had with the dead?”
گر مرا روزی بدی اندر جهان ** خود چه کاراستی مرا با مردگان
This is the punishment deserved by him that finds pure water, and like an ass stales impertinently in the stream.470
این سزای آن که یابد آب صاف ** همچو خر در جو بمیزد از گزاف
If the ass know the value of the stream, instead of his foot he will pull his head in it.
گر بداند قیمت آن جوی خر ** او بجای پا نهد در جوی سر
He (the fool) finds a prophet like that, a lord of the (life-giving) Water, a cherisher of life:
او بیابد آن چنان پیغمبری ** میر آبی زندگانی پروری
How does not he die before him, saying, “O lord of the Water, make me living by the command ‘Be’?
چون نمیرد پیش او کز امر کن ** ای امیر آب ما را زنده کن
Take heed! Do not wish your currish (fleshy) soul alive, for it is the enemy of your spirit since long ago.
هین سگ نفس ترا زنده مخواه ** کاو عدوی جان تست از دیرگاه
Dust be on the head of the bones that hinder this cur from hunting the spirit!475
خاک بر سر استخوانی را که آن ** مانع این سگ بود از صید جان
(If) you are not a cur, how are you in love with bones? Why are you in love with blood, like a leech?
سگ نهای بر استخوان چون عاشقی ** دیوچهوار از چه بر خون عاشقی
What (sort of) eye is that that hath no sight, and gets nothing but disgrace from the tests (to which it is put)?
آن چه چشم است آن که بیناییش نیست ** ز امتحانها جز که رسواییش نیست
Opinions are sometimes erroneous, (but) what (sort of) opinion is this that is blind to the (right) road?
سهو باشد ظنها را گاه گاه ** این چه ظن است این که کور آمد ز راه
O eye, thou makest lament for others: sit down awhile and weep for thyself!
دیده آ بر دیگران نوحهگری ** مدتی بنشین و بر خود میگری
The bough is made green and fresh by the weeping cloud, for the (same) reason that the candle is made brighter by (its) weeping.480
ز ابر گریان شاخ سبز و تر شود ** ز آنکه شمع از گریه روشنتر شود
Wheresoever people are lamenting, sit you there (and lament), because you have a better right to moan (than they have),
هر کجا نوحه کنند آن جا نشین ** ز آنکه تو اولیتری اندر حنین
Inasmuch as they are (concerned) with parting from that which passes away, and are forgetful of the ruby of everlasting-ness that belongs to the mine (of Reality);
ز آن که ایشان در فراق فانیاند ** غافل از لعل بقای کانیاند
Inasmuch as the stamp of blind imitation is (as) a lock upon the heart;-go, scrape off (dissolve) its lock with tears-;
ز آن که بر دل نقش تقلید است بند ** رو به آب چشم بندش را برند
Inasmuch as imitation is the bane of every good quality; imitation is (but) a straw, (even) if it is a mighty mountain.
ز آن که تقلید آفت هر نیکویی است ** که بود تقلید اگر کوه قوی است
If a blind man is big and choleric, deem him (only) a piece of flesh, since he has no eye (eye-sight).485
گر ضریری لمترست و تیز خشم ** گوشت پارهش دان چو او را نیست چشم
Though he (the blind imitator) speak words finer than a hair, his heart has no knowledge of these words.
گر سخن گوید ز مو باریکتر ** آن سرش را ز آن سخن نبود خبر
He has a certain intoxication from his own words, but there is a good way (distance) between him and the Wine.
مستیی دارد ز گفت خود و لیک ** از بر وی تا به می راهی است نیک
He is like a river-bed: it does not drink any water; the water passes through it to the water-drinkers.
همچو جوی است او نه او آبی خورد ** آب از او بر آب خواران بگذرد
The water does not settle in the river-bed because the river-bed is not thirsty and water-drinking.
آب در جو ز آن نمیگیرد قرار ** ز آن که آن جو نیست تشنه و آب خوار
Like a reed-flute, he makes a piteous lament, but he (only) seeks a purchaser (admirer).490
همچو نایی نالهی زاری کند ** لیک بیگار خریداری کند
The imitator in his discourse is (like) a professional mourner: that wicked man has no motive except cupidity.
نوحهگر باشد مقلد در حدیث ** جز طمع نبود مراد آن خبیث
The professional mourner utters burning words (of grief), but where is the glow of heart (heartfelt sorrow) and the rent skirt?
نوحهگر گوید حدیث سوزناک ** لیک کو سوز دل و دامان چاک