Upon the camel sat that sore famine (the insolvent), while the owner of the camel was running at its heels.660
بر شتر بنشست آن قحط گران ** صاحب اشتر پی اشتر دوان
They sped from quarter to quarter and from street to street, till the whole town knew him by sight.
سو به سو و کو به کو میتاختند ** تا همه شهرش عیان بشناختند
Before every bath and market-place all the people gazed on his (features and) figure.
پیش هر حمام و هر بازارگاه ** کرده مردم جمله در شکلش نگاه
(There were) ten loud-voiced criers, Turks and Kurds and Anatolians and Arabs, (proclaiming),
ده منادی گر بلند آوازیان ** کرد و ترک و رومیان و تازیان
“This man is insolvent and has nothing: let no one lend him a single brass farthing;
مفلس است این و ندارد هیچ چیز ** قرض تا ندهد کس او را یک پشیز
He does not possess a single mite, patent or latent: he is a bankrupt, a piece of falsehood, a cunning knave, an oil-bag.665
ظاهر و باطن ندارد حبهای ** مفلسی قلبی دغایی دبهای
Beware and beware! Have no dealings with him; when he brings the ox (to sell), make fast the knot.
هان و هان با او حریفی کم کنید ** چون که کاو آرد گره محکم کنید
And if ye bring this decayed fellow to judgement, I will not put a corpse in prison.
ور به حکم آرید این پژمرده را ** من نخواهم کرد زندان مرده را
He is fair-spoken and his throat is very wide; (he is clad) with a new inner garment (of plausibility) and a tattered outer garment.
خوش دم است او و گلویش بس فراخ ** با شعار نو دثار شاخ شاخ
If he puts on that (inner) garment for the purpose of deceiving, it is borrowed in order that he may beguile the common folk.”
گر بپوشد بهر مکر آن جامه را ** عاریه است او و فریبد عامه را
Know, O simple man, that words of wisdom on the tongue of the unwise are (as) borrowed robes.670
حرف حکمت بر زبان ناحکیم ** حلههای عاریت دان ای سلیم
Although a thief has put on a (fine) robe, how should he whose hand is cut off take your hand (lend you a helping hand)?
گر چه دزدی حلهای پوشیده است ** دست تو چون گیرد آن ببریده دست
When at nightfall he (the insolvent) came down from the camel, the Kurd said to him, “My abode is far (from here) and a long way off.
چون شبانه از شتر آمد به زیر ** کرد گفتش منزلم دور است و دیر
You have ridden on my camel since early morning: I (will) let the barley go, (but I will not take) less than the cost of (some) straw.”
بر نشستی اشترم را از پگاه ** جو رها کردم کم از اخراج کاه
"What, then," he rejoined, "have we been doing until now? Where are your wits? Is nobody at home?
گفت تا اکنون چه میکردیم پس ** هوش تو کو، نیست اندر خانه کس
The (sound of the) drum (giving notice) of my insolvency reached the Seventh Heaven, and you have not heard the bad news!675
طبل افلاسم به چرخ سابعه ** رفت و تو نشنیدهای بد واقعه
Your ear has been filled with foolish hope; (such) hope, then, makes (one) deaf (and) blind, my lad.”
گوش تو پر بوده است از طمع خام ** پس طمع کر میکند کور ای غلام
Even clods and stones heard this advertisement—“he is insolvent, he is insolvent, this scoundrel.”
تا کلوخ و سنگ بشنید این بیان ** مفلس است و مفلس است این قلتبان
They (the criers) said it till nightfall, and it made no impression on the owner of the camel, because he was full of (idle) hope, full.
تا به شب گفتند و در صاحب شتر ** بر نزد کاو از طمع پر بود پر
God's seal lies upon the hearing and sight: within the veils is many a form and many a sound.
هست بر سمع و بصر مهر خدا ** در حجب بس صورت است و بس صدا
He communicates to the eye that which He wills of beauty and of perfection and of amorous looks;680
آن چه او خواهد رساند آن به چشم ** از جمال و از کمال و از کرشم
And He communicates to the ear that which He wills of music and glad tidings and cries (of rapture).
و انچه او خواهد رساند آن به گوش ** از سماع و از بشارت وز خروش
The world is full of remedies, but you have no remedy till God opens a window for you.
کون پر چاره ست و هیچت چاره نی ** تا که نگشاید خدایت روزنی
Though you are unaware of that (remedy) just now, God will make it plain in the hour of need.
گر چه تو هستی کنون غافل از آن ** وقت حاجت حق کند آن را عیان
The Prophet said that the glorious God has created a remedy for every pain;
گفت پیغمبر که یزدان مجید ** از پی هر درد درمان آفرید
But of that remedy for your pain you will not see (even) the colour or scent without His command.685
لیک ز آن درمان نبینی رنگ و بو ** بهر درد خویش بیفرمان او
Come, O you that seek the remedy, set your eye on non-spatiality, as the eye of one (about to be) killed (turns) towards the spirit.
چشم را ای چاره جو در لامکان ** هین بنه چون چشم کشته سوی جان
This (spatial) world has been produced from that which is without spatial relations, for the world has received (the relation of) place from placelessness.
این جهان از بیجهت پیدا شده ست ** که ز بیجایی جهان را جا شده ست
Turn back from existence towards non-existence, (if) you seek the Lord and belong to the Lord.
باز گرد از هست سوی نیستی ** طالب ربی و ربانیستی
This non-existence is the place of income: do not flee from it; this existence of more and less is the place of expenditure.
جای دخل است این عدم از وی مرم ** جای خرج است این وجود بیش و کم
Since God's workshop is non-existence, in the world of (phenomenal) existence who is (to be found) except the idle?690
کارگاه صنع حق چون نیستی است ** پس برون کارگه بیقیمتی است
Put into our heart subtle words which may move Thee to mercy, O Gracious One!
یاد ده ما را سخنهای دقیق ** که ترا رحم آورد آن ای رفیق
From Thee (come) both the prayer and the answer; from Thee safety, from Thee also dread.
هم دعا از تو اجابت هم ز تو ** ایمنی از تو مهابت هم ز تو
If we have spoken faultily, do Thou correct it: Thou art the Corrector, O Thou (who art the) Sultan of speech.
گر خطا گفتیم اصلاحش تو کن ** مصلحی تو ای تو سلطان سخن
Thou hast the alchemy whereby Thou mayst transmute it, and though it be a river of blood, mayst make it a Nile.
کیمیا داری که تبدیلش کنی ** گر چه جوی خون بود نیلش کنی
Such alchemical operations are Thy work, such elixirs are Thy secrets.695
این چنین میناگریها کار تست ** این چنین اکسیرها اسرار تست
Thou didst beat water and earth together: from water and clay Thou didst mould the body of Adam.
آب را و خاک را بر هم زدی ** ز آب و گل نقش تن آدم زدی
Thou gavest him (Man) lineage and wife and uncles, maternal and paternal, with a thousand thoughts and joys and griefs.
نسبتش دادی و جفت و خال و عم ** با هزار اندیشه و شادی و غم
Again, to some Thou hast given deliverance: Thou hast parted them from this grief and joy;
باز بعضی را رهایی دادهای ** زین غم و شادی جدایی دادهای
Thou hast borne them away from kindred and relatives and (their own) nature, Thou hast made every fair thing foul in his (such a one's) eyes.
بردهای از خویش و پیوند و سرشت ** کردهای در چشم او هر خوب زشت
He spurns all that is perceived by the senses, and leans for support on that which is invisible.700
هر چه محسوس است او رد میکند ** و انچه ناپیداست مسند میکند
His love is manifest and his Beloved is hidden: the Friend is outside (of the world), (but) His fascination is in the world.
عشق او پیدا و معشوقش نهان ** یار بیرون فتنهی او در جهان
Give up this (belief). Loves (felt) for what is endued with form have not as their object the (outward) form or the lady's face.
این رها کن عشقهای صورتی ** نیست بر صورت نه بر روی ستی
That which is the object of love is not the form, whether it be love for (the things of) this world or yonder world.
آن چه معشوق است صورت نیست آن ** خواه عشق این جهان خواه آن جهان
That which you have come to love for its form—why have you abandoned it after the spirit has fled?
آن چه بر صورت تو عاشق گشتهای ** چون برون شد جان چرایش هشتهای
Its form is still there: whence (then) this satiety (disgust)? O lover, inquire who your beloved (really) is.705
صورتش بر جاست این سیری ز چیست ** عاشقا واجو که معشوق تو کیست
If the beloved is that which the senses perceive, every one that has senses would be in love (with it).
آن چه محسوس است اگر معشوقه است ** عاشق استی هر که او را حس هست
Inasmuch as constancy is increased by that (spiritual) love, how is constancy altered (impaired) by the (decay of the material) form?
چون وفا آن عشق افزون میکند ** کی وفا صورت دگرگون میکند
The sunbeam shone upon the wall: the wall received a borrowed splendour.
پرتو خورشید بر دیوار تافت ** تابش عاریتی دیوار یافت
Why set your heart on a piece of turf, O simple man? Seek out the source which shines perpetually.
بر کلوخی دل چه بندی ای سلیم ** واطلب اصلی که تابد او مقیم