What diminution of your sovereignty will occur if you cast looks (of favour) on your slave and servant?”1940
از شهی تو چه کم گردد اگر ** برغلام و بنده اندازی نظر
He (the king) said, “This is easy; but he is fool: a foolish man is foul and rejected of God.
گفت این سهلست اما احمقست ** مرد احمق زشت و مردود حقست
Though I pardon his sin and fault, his disease will infect me also.
گرچه آمرزم گناه و زلتش ** هم کند بر من سرایت علتش
From (contact with) an itchy person a whole hundred become itchy, especially (in the case of) this loathsome reprobate itch.
صد کس از گرگین همه گرگین شوند ** خاصه این گر خبیث ناپسند
May the itch, lack of intelligence, not befall (even) the infidel His (the fool’s) ill-starredness keeps the cloud rainless.
گر کم عقلی مبادا گبر را ** شوم او بی‌آب دارد ابر را
On account of his ill-starredness the cloud sheds no moisture: by his owlishness the city is made a desert.1945
نم نبارد ابر از شومی او ** شهر شد ویرانه از بومی او
Because of the itch of those foolish ones the Flood of Noah devastated a whole world (of people) in disgrace.
از گر آن احمقان طوفان نوح ** کرد ویران عالمی را در فضوح
The Prophet said, ‘Whosoever is foolish, he is our enemy and a ghoul who waylays (the traveller).
گفت پیغامبر که احمق هر که هست ** او عدو ماست و غول ره‌زنست
Whoso is intelligent, he is (dear to us as) our soul :his breeze and wind is our sweet basil.’
هر که او عاقل بود از جان ماست ** روح او و ریح او ریحان ماست
(If) intelligence revile me, I am well-pleased, because it possesses something that has emanated from my emanative activity.
عقل دشنامم دهد من راضیم ** زانک فیضی دارد از فیاضیم
Its revilement is not without use, its hospitality is not without a table;1950
نبود آن دشنام او بی‌فایده ** نبود آن مهمانیش بی‌مایده
(But) if the fool put sweetmeat on my lip, I am in a fever from (tasting) his sweetmeat.”
احمق ار حلوا نهد اندر لبم ** من از آن حلوای او اندر تبم
If you are goodly and enlightened, know this for sure, (that) kissing the arse of an ass hath no (delicious) savour.
این یقین دان گر لطیف و روشنی ** نیست بوسه‌ی کون خر را چاشنی
He (the unsavoury fool) uselessly makes your moustache fetid; your dress is blackened by his kettle without (there being) a table (of food).
سبلتت گنده کند بی‌فایده ** جامه از دیگش سیه بی‌مایده
Intelligence is the table, not bread and roast-meat: the light of intelligence, O son, is the nutriment for the soul.
مایده عقلست نی نان و شوی ** نور عقلست ای پسر جان را غذی
Man hath no food but the light: the soul does not obtain nourishment from aught but that.1955
نیست غیر نور آدم را خورش ** از جز آن جان نیابد پرورش
Little by little cut (yourself) off from the (material) foods –– for these are the nutriment of an ass, not that of a free (noble) man ––
زین خورشها اندک اندک باز بر ** کین غذای خر بود نه آن حر
So that you may become capable of (absorbing) the original nutriment and may eat habitually the dainty morsels of the light.
تا غذای اصل را قابل شوی ** لقمه‌های نور را آکل شوی
‘Tis (from) the reflexion of that light that this bread has become bread; ‘tis (from) the overflowing of that (rational) soul that this (animal) soul has become soul.
عکس آن نورست کین نان نان شدست ** فیض آن جانست کین جان جان شدست
When you eat once of the light you will pour earth over the (material) bread and oven.
چون خوری یکبار از ماکول نور ** خاک ریزی بر سر نان و تنور
Intelligence consists of two intelligences; the former is the acquired one which you learn, like a boy at school,1960
عقل دو عقلست اول مکسبی ** که در آموزی چو در مکتب صبی
From book and teacher and reflexion and (committing to) memory, and from concepts, and from excellent and virgin (hitherto unstudied) sciences.
از کتاب و اوستاد و فکر و ذکر ** از معانی وز علوم خوب و بکر
(By this means) your intelligence becomes superior to (that of) others; but through preserving (retaining in your mind) that (knowledge) you are heavily burdened.
عقل تو افزون شود بر دیگران ** لیک تو باشی ز حفظ آن گران
You, (occupied) in wandering and going about (in search of knowledge), are a preserving (recording) tablet; the preserved tablet is he that has passed beyond this.
لوح حافظ باشی اندر دور و گشت ** لوح محفوظ اوست کو زین در گذشت
The other intelligence is the gift of God: its fountain is in the midst of the soul.
عقل دیگر بخشش یزدان بود ** چشمه‌ی آن در میان جان بود
When the water of (God-given) knowledge gushes from the breast, it does not become fetid or old or yellow (impure);1965
چون ز سینه آب دانش جوش کرد ** نه شود گنده نه دیرینه نه زرد
And if its way of issue (to outside) be stopped, what harm? for it gushes continually from the house (of the heart).
ور ره نبعش بود بسته چه غم ** کو همی‌جوشد ز خانه دم به دم
The acquired intelligence is like the conduits which run into a house from the streets:
عقل تحصیلی مثال جویها ** کان رود در خانه‌ای از کویها
(If) its (the house’s) water-way is blocked, it is without any supply (of water) Seek the fountain from within yourself!
راه آبش بسته شد شد بی‌نوا ** از درون خویشتن جو چشمه را
Story that some one was consulting another, who said, "Consult some one else, for I am your enemy."
قصه‌ی آنک کسی به کسی مشورت می‌کرد گفتش مشورت با دیگری کن کی من عدوی توم
A certain person was consulting some one, that he might be delivered from perplexity and from a quandary.
مشورت می‌کرد شخصی با کسی ** کز تردد وا ردهد وز محبسی
“O man of good name,” he replied, “seek another, not me, and explain to him the matter for consultation.1970
گفت ای خوش‌نام غیر من بجو ** ماجرای مشورت با او بگو
I am an enemy to you: do not attach yourself to me; one is never successful (never wins success) from the counsel of an enemy.
من عدوم مر ترا با من مپیچ ** نبود از رای عدو پیروز هیچ
Go, seek one who is a friend to you: undoubtedly a friend seeks (what is) good for his friend.
رو کسی جو که ترا او هست دوست ** دوست بهر دوست لاشک خیرجوست
I am an enemy: it is inevitable that from egoism I should go crookedly (play false) and show enmity towards you.
من عدوم چاره نبود کز منی ** کژ روم با تو نمایم دشمنی
Tis not a (just) condition to demand of a wolf (that he should perform) the task of a watchman (shepherd): to demand (anything) from the wrong place is a negation of the demand.
حارسی از گرگ جستن شرط نیست ** جستن از غیر محل ناجستنیست
Without any doubt I am an enemy to you: how should I show you the way? I am a highwayman.1975
من ترا بی‌هیچ شکی دشمنم ** من ترا کی ره نمایم ره زنم
Whoever is sitting with friends is amidst a flower-garden (though he be) in a bath-furnace.
هر که باشد همنشین دوستان ** هست در گلخن میان بوستان
Whoever in the world sits with an enemy, he is in a bath-furnace (though he be) in a flower-garden.
هر که با دشمن نشیند در زمن ** هست او در بوستان در گولخن
Vex not your friend by egoism, lest your friend become your adversary and enemy.
دوست را مازار از ما و منت ** تا نگردد دوست خصم و دشمنت
Do good unto the people for your God's sake or for the peace of your own soul,
خیر کن با خلق بهر ایزدت ** یا برای راحت جان خودت
That you may always see (them) friendly in your sight, and that ugly ideas arising from hatred may not come into your heart.1980
تا هماره دوست بینی در نظر ** در دلت ناید ز کین ناخوش صور
Since you have behaved with enmity (towards me), abstain (from consulting me): consult a friend who arouses (your) affection.”