“O envoys, I will send you as envoys (to Bilqís): my refusal (of the gift) is better for you than acceptance.
ای رسولان می‌فرستمتان رسول ** رد من بهتر شما را از قبول
Relate to Bilqís what marvellous things ye have seen concerning the desert of gold,
پیش بلقیس آنچ دیدیت از عجب ** باز گویید از بیابان ذهب
That she may know we do not covet gold: we have gotten gold from the gold-Creator,655
تا بداند که به زر طامع نه‌ایم ** ما زر از زرآفرین آورده‌ایم
At whose will the whole earth’s soil from end to end would become gold and precious pearls.”
آنک گر خواهد همه خاک زمین ** سر به سر زر گردد و در ثمین
On that account, O thou who choosest gold, God will make this earth silvern on the Day of Resurrection.
حق برای آن کند ای زرگزین ** روز محشر این زمین را نقره گین
“We have no need of gold, for we are very skilful: we make earthly beings entirely golden.
فارغیم از زر که ما بس پر فنیم ** خاکیان را سر به سر زرین کنیم
How shall we beg gold of you? We (can) make you (spiritual) alchemists.
از شما کی کدیه‌ی زر می‌کنیم ** ما شما را کیمیاگر می‌کنیم
Abandon (all) that, (even) if it is the kingdom of Saba, for beyond (this) water and earth there are many kingdoms.”660
ترک آن گیرید گر ملک سباست ** که برون آب و گل بس ملکهاست
That which thou hast called a throne is (really) a splint- bandage: thou deemest (it) the seat of honour, but (in truth) thou hast remained at the door.
تخته‌بندست آن که تختش خوانده‌ای ** صدر پنداری و بر در مانده‌ای
(If) thou hast not sovereignty over thine own beard, how wilt thou exercise sovereignty over good and evil?
پادشاهی نیستت بر ریش خود ** پادشاهی چون کنی بر نیک و بد
Without thy wish, thy beard grows white: be ashamed of thy beard, O thou whose hopes are perverse.
بی‌مراد تو شود ریشت سپید ** شرم دار از ریش خود ای کژ امید
He (God) is the Possessor of the Kingdom: whosoever lays his head before Him, to him He gives a hundred kingdoms without the terrestrial world;
مالک الملک است هر کش سر نهد ** بی‌جهان خاک صد ملکش دهد
But the (inward) savour of a single prostration before God will be more sweet to thee than two hundred empires:665
لیک ذوق سجده‌ای پیش خدا ** خوشتر آید از دو صد دولت ترا
Then thou wilt cry (in humble entreaty), “I desire not kingdoms: commit unto me the kingdom of that prostration.”
پس بنالی که نخواهم ملکها ** ملک آن سجده مسلم کن مرا
The kings of the world, because of their evil nature, got no scent of the wine of service (to God);
پادشاهان جهان از بدرگی ** بو نبردند از شراب بندگی
Otherwise, dizzy and dumbfounded like (Ibráhim son of) Adham, without delay they would have dashed their sovereignty to pieces.
ورنه ادهم‌وار سرگردان و دنگ ** ملک را برهم زدندی بی‌درنگ
But (this they do not inasmuch as), for the maintenance of this world, God set a seal upon their eyes and mouths,
لیک حق بهر ثبات این جهان ** مهرشان بنهاد بر چشم و دهان
To the end that throne and crown should be sweet to them, "for" (they say) "we will exact tribute from the rulers of the world."670
تا شود شیرین بریشان تخت و تاج ** که ستانیم از جهانداران خراج
If by way of tribute thou amass gold as (though it were) sand, at last it will be left behind thee as an inheritance.
از خراج ار جمع آری زر چو ریگ ** آخر آن از تو بماند مردریگ
Sovereignty and gold will not accompany thy spirit on its journey: give thy gold away, get collyrium for thy sight,
همره جانت نگردد ملک و زر ** زر بده سرمه ستان بهر نظر
In order that thou mayst see that this world is a narrow well, and that, like Joseph, thou mayst grasp that rope,
تا ببینی کین جهان چاهیست تنگ ** یوسفانه آن رسن آری به چنگ
So that, when thou comest from the well (up) to the roof, the Soul will say, “Oh, good news for met This is a youth for me.”
تا بگوید چون ز چاه آیی به بام ** جان که یا بشرای هذا لی غلام
In the well (of this world) there are optical inversions, the least (of which is) that stones appear to be gold.675
هست در چاه انعکاسات نظر ** کمترین آنک نماید سنگ زر
To children at play-time, from infirmity (of mind), those potsherds (with which they play) appear to be gold and riches.
وقت بازی کودکان را ز اختلال ** می‌نماید آن خزفها زر و مال
His (God’s) knowers have become alchemists, so that mines (of gold) have become worthless in their eyes.
عارفانش کیمیاگر گشته‌اند ** تا که شد کانها بر ایشان نژند
How a dervish saw in dream a company of Shaykhs and begged for a daily portion of lawful food (which he should receive) without being occupied with earning (it) and being (thereby) incapacitated from devotional service; and how they directed him, and how the sour and bitter mountain-fruit became sweet to him through the bounty of those Shaykhs.
دیدن درویش جماعت مشایخ را در خواب و درخواست کردن روزی حلال بی‌مشغول شدن به کسب و از عبادت ماندن و ارشاد ایشان او را و میوه‌های تلخ و ترش کوهی بر وی شیرین شدن به داد آن مشایخ
A certain dervish said in the night-talk, “I saw in dream those (saints who are) connected with Khizr.
آن یکی درویش گفت اندر سمر ** خضریان را من بدیدم خواب در
I said to them, ‘Whence shall I (get to) eat a daily portion of lawful food that is not pernicious?’
گفتم ایشان را که روزی حلال ** از کجا نوشم که نبود آن وبال
They took me along towards the mountainous country: they were shaking down the fruit from (the trees in) the forest,680
مر مرا سوی کهستان راندند ** میوه‌ها زان بیشه می‌افشاندند
Saying, ‘God hath made the fruit (to taste) sweet in thy mouth because of our benedictions.
که خدا شیرین بکرد آن میوه را ** در دهان تو به همتهای ما
Come, eat (food that is) clean and lawful, and free of reckoning, without trouble and change of place and (going) up and down.’
هین بخور پاک و حلال و بی‌حساب ** بی صداع و نقل و بالا و نشیب
Then from that daily provision there appeared in me a (gift of) speech: (the spiritual) savour of my words was transporting (the people's) minds.
پس مرا زان رزق نطقی رو نمود ** ذوق گفت من خردها می‌ربود
I said, ‘This is a temptation: O Lord of the world, bestow (on me) a gift hidden from all (Thy) creatures!’
گفتم این فتنه‌ست ای رب جهان ** بخششی ده از همه خلقان نهان
Speech departed from (forsook) me; I gained a joyous heart: I was bursting with rapture, like the pomegranate;685
شد سخن از من دل خوش یافتم ** چون انار از ذوق می‌بشکافتم
I said, ‘If there be naught in Paradise (for me) but this delight which I have within my nature,
گفتم ار چیزی نباشد در بهشت ** غیر این شادی که دارم در سرشت
No other blessing will be desired (by me): I will not be diverted from this (delight) by the houris and sugar-cane (of Paradise).’
هیچ نعمت آرزو ناید دگر ** زین نپردازم به حور و نیشکر
Of my (former) earnings one or two small pieces (of money) had remained with me, sewn in the sleeve of my jubba.
مانده بود از کسب یک دو حبه‌ام ** دوخته در آستین جبه‌ام
How he formed an intention, saying, ‘I will give this money to that carrier of firewood, since I have obtained daily provision through the miraculous gifts of the Shaykhs’; and how the carrier of firewood was offended by his secret thought and intention.
نیت کردن او کی این زر بدهم بدان هیزم‌کش چون من روزی یافتم به کرامات مشایخ و رنجیدن آن هیزم‌کش از ضمیر و نیت او
A poor man was carrying firewood: he approached (me), weary and exhausted, from the forest.
آن یکی درویش هیزم می‌کشید ** خسته و مانده ز بیشه در رسید
So I said (to myself), ‘I am independent of (earning) daily bread: henceforth I have no anxiety for the daily portion.690
پس بگفتم من ز روزی فارغم ** زین سپس از بهر رزقم نیست غم
The loathed fruit has become sweet to me: a special provision for my body has come to hand.
میوه‌ی مکروه بر من خوش شدست ** رزق خاصی جسم را آمد به دست
Since I have been freed from the (cravings of the) gullet, here are some small pieces of money: I will give him these.
چونک من فارغ شدستم از گلو ** حبه‌ای چندست این بدهم بدو
I will give this money to this toil-worn man, that for two or three brief days he may be made happy by food.’
بدهم این زر را بدین تکلیف‌کش ** تا دو سه روزک شود از قوت خوش
He himself was knowing my mind, because his (inward) hearing had illumination from the candle of Hú (God).
خود ضمیرم را همی‌دانست او ** زانک سمعش داشت نور از شمع هو
To him the secret of every thought was as a lamp within a glass.695
بود پیشش سر هر اندیشه‌ای ** چون چراغی در درون شیشه‌ای
No mental conception was hidden from him: he was ruler over the contents of (men's) hearts.
هیچ پنهان می‌نشد از وی ضمیر ** بود بر مضمون دلها او امیر
Therefore that wondrous man was muttering to himself under his breath in answer to my (unspoken) thought,
پس همی منگید با خود زیر لب ** در جواب فکرتم آن بوالعجب
‘Thou thinkest so concerning the (spiritual) kings: how shouldst thou meet (receive) the daily provision unless they provide thee (with it)?’
که چنین اندیشی از بهر ملوک ** کیف تلقی الرزق ان لم یرزقوک
I was not understanding his words, but his rebuke smote my heart mightily.
من نمی‌کردم سخن را فهم لیک ** بر دلم می‌زد عتابش نیک نیک
He approached me with awful mien, like a lion, and laid down his bundle of firewood.700
سوی من آمد به هیبت هم‌چو شیر ** تنگ هیزم را ز خود بنهاد زیر
(Through) the influence of the ecstatic state in which he laid down the firewood, a trembling fell upon all my seven limbs.
پرتو حالی که او هیزم نهاد ** لرزه بر هر هفت عضو من فتاد
He said, ‘O Lord, if Thou hast elect ones whose prayers are blessed and whose feet (comings and goings) are auspicious,
گفت یا رب گر ترا خاصان هی‌اند ** که مبارک‌دعوت و فرخ‌پی‌اند