- In (the realm of) Time there is no poison or sugar that is not a foot (support) to one and a fetter (injury) to another—
- در زمانه هیچ زهر و قند نیست ** که یکی را پا دگر را بند نیست
- To one a foot, to another a fetter; to one a poison and to another (sweet and wholesome) like sugar.
- مر یکی را پا دگر را پای‌بند ** مر یکی را زهر و بر دیگر چو قند
- Snake-poison is life to the snake, (but) it is death in relation to man.
- زهر مار آن مار را باشد حیات ** نسبتش با آدمی باشد ممات
- The sea is as a garden to the water-creatures; to the creatures of earth it is death and a (painful) brand.
- خلق آبی را بود دریا چو باغ ** خلق خاکی را بود آن مرگ و داغ
- Reckon up likewise, O man of experience, (instances of) this relativity from a single individual to a thousand. 70
- همچنین بر می‌شمر ای مرد کار ** نسبت این از یکی کس تا هزار
- Zayd, in regard to that (particular) one, may be a devil, (but) in regard to another person he may be a (beneficent) sultan.
- زید اندر حق آن شیطان بود ** در حق شخصی دگر سلطان بود
- That one will say that Zayd is an exalted siddíq (saint), and this one will say that Zayd is an infidel who ought to be killed.
- آن بگوید زید صدیق سنیست ** وین بگوید زید گبر کشتنیست
- Zayd is one person—to that one (he is as) a shield, (while) to this other one (he is) wholly pain and loss.
- زيد يك ذات است بر آن يك جنان ** او بر اين ديگر همه رنج و زيان
- If you wish that to you he should be (as) sugar, then look on him with the eye of lovers.
- گر تو خواهی کو ترا باشد شکر ** پس ورا از چشم عشاقش نگر
- Do not look on that Beauteous One with your own eye: behold the Sought with the eye of seekers. 75
- منگر از چشم خودت آن خوب را ** بین به چشم طالبان مطلوب را
- Shut your own eye to that Sweet-eyed One: borrow an eye from His lovers.
- چشم خود بر بند زان خوش‌چشم تو ** عاریت کن چشم از عشاق او
- Nay, borrow eye and sight from Him, and then look on His face with His eye,
- بلک ازو کن عاریت چشم و نظر ** پس ز چشم او بروی او نگر
- So that you may be secure from satiety and weariness: on this account the Almighty said, “God shall belong to him:
- تا شوی آمن ز سیری و ملال ** گفت کان الله له زین ذوالجلال
- I shall be his eye and hand and heart,” to the end that His fortunate one should escape from adversities.
- چشم او من باشم و دست و دلش ** تا رهد از مدبریها مقبلش
- Whatsoever is loathed is a lover and friend when it becomes thy guide towards thy beloved. 80
- هر چه مکرو هست چون شد او دلیل ** سوی محبوبت حبیبست و خلیل
- Story of the preacher who at the beginning of every exhortation used to pray for the unjust and hard-hearted and irreligious.
- حکایت آن واعظ کی هر آغاز تذکیر دعای ظالمان و سخت‌دلان و بی‌اعتقادان کردی
- A certain preacher, whenever he mounted the pulpit, would begin to pray for the highway robbers (who plunder and maltreat the righteous).
- آن یکی واعظ چو بر تخت آمدی ** قاطعان راه را داعی شدی
- He would lift up his hand, (crying), “O Lord, let mercy fall upon evil men and corrupters and insolent transgressors,
- دست برمی‌داشت یا رب رحم ران ** بر بدان و مفسدان و طاغیان
- Upon all who make a mock of the good people, upon all whose hearts are unbelieving and those who dwell in the Christian monastery.”
- بر همه تسخرکنان اهل خیر ** برهمه کافردلان و اهل دیر
- He would not pray for the pure; he would pray for none but the wicked.
- می‌نکردی او دعا بر اصفیا ** می‌نکردی جز خبیثان را دعا
- They said to him, “This is unknown (extraordinary): ’tis no generosity to pray for the people of unrighteousness.” 85
- مر ورا گفتند کین معهود نیست ** دعوت اهل ضلالت جود نیست
- He replied, “I have seen (experienced) goodness from these folk: for this reason I have chosen to pray for them.
- گفت نیکویی ازینها دیده‌ام ** من دعاشان زین سبب بگزیده‌ام
- They wrought so much wickedness and injustice and oppression that they cast (drove) me forth from evil into good.
- خبث و ظلم و جور چندان ساختند ** که مرا از شر به خیر انداختند
- Whenever I turned my face towards this world, I suffered blows and beating from them,
- هر گهی که رو به دنیا کردمی ** من ازیشان زخم و ضربت خوردمی
- And took refuge from the blows Yonder: the wolves were always bringing me back into the (right) Way.
- کردمی از زخم آن جانب پناه ** باز آوردندمی گرگان به راه
- Inasmuch as they contrived the means of my (spiritual) welfare, it behoves me to pray for them, O intelligent one.” 90
- چون سبب‌ساز صلاح من شدند ** پس دعاشان بر منست ای هوشمند
- The servant (of God) complains to God of pain and smart: he makes a hundred complaints of his pain.
- بنده می‌نالد به حق از درد و نیش ** صد شکایت می‌کند از رنج خویش
- God says, “After all, grief and pain have made thee humbly entreating and righteous.
- حق همی گوید که آخر رنج و درد ** مر ترا لابه کنان و راست کرد
- Make this complaint of the bounty that befalls thee and removes thee far from My door and makes thee an outcast.”
- این گله زان نعمتی کن کت زند ** از در ما دور و مطرودت کند
- In reality every foe (of yours) is your medicine: he is an elixir and beneficial and one that seeks to win your heart;
- در حقیقت هر عدو داروی تست ** کیمیا و نافع و دلجوی تست
- For you flee away from him into solitude and would fain implore help of God's grace. 95
- که ازو اندر گریزی در خلا ** استعانت جویی از لطف خدا
- Your friends are really enemies, for they make you far from the (Divine) Presence and occupied (with them).
- در حقیقت دوستانت دشمن‌اند ** که ز حضرت دور و مشغولت کنند
- There is an animal whose name is ushghur (porcupine): it is (made) stout and big by blows of the stick.
- هست حیوانی که نامش اشغرست ** او به زخم چوب زفت و لمترست
- The more you cudgel it, the more it thrives: it grows fat on blows of the stick.
- تا که چوبش می‌زنی به می‌شود ** او ز زخم چوب فربه می‌شود
- Assuredly the true believer's soul is a porcupine, for it is (made) stout and fat by the blows of tribulation.
- نفس مومن اشغری آمد یقین ** کو به زخم رنج زفتست و سمین
- For this reason the tribulation and abasement (laid) upon the prophets is greater than (that laid upon) all the (other) creatures in the world, 100
- زین سبب بر انبیا رنج و شکست ** از همه خلق جهان افزونترست
- So that their souls became stouter than (all other) souls; for no other class of people suffered that affliction.
- تا ز جانها جانشان شد زفت‌تر ** که ندیدند آن بلا قوم دگر
- The hide is afflicted by the medicine (tan-liquor), (but) it becomes sweet like Tá’if leather;
- پوست از دارو بلاکش می‌شود ** چون ادیم طایفی خوش می‌شود
- And if he (the tanner) did not rub the bitter and acrid (liquor) into it, it would become fetid, unpleasant, and foul-smelling.
- ورنه تلخ و تیز مالیدی درو ** گنده گشتی ناخوش و ناپاک بو
- Know that Man is an untanned hide, made noisome and gross by humours.
- آدمی را پوست نامدبوغ دان ** از رطوبتها شده زشت و گران
- Give (him) bitter and acrid (discipline) and much rubbing (tribulation), that he may become pure and lovely and exceedingly strong; 105
- تلخ و تیز و مالش بسیار ده ** تا شود پاک و لطیف و با فره
- But if you cannot (mortify yourself), be content, O cunning one, if God give you tribulation without choice (on your part),
- ور نمی‌توانی رضا ده ای عیار ** گر خدا رنجت دهد بی‌اختیار
- For affliction (sent) by the Friend is (the means of) your being purified: His knowledge is above your contrivance.
- که بلای دوست تطهیر شماست ** علم او بالای تدبیر شماست
- The affliction becomes sweet (to the sufferer) when he sees happiness: the medicine becomes sweet (to the sick man) when he regards health.
- چون صفا بیند بلا شیرین شود ** خوش شود دارو چو صحت‌بین شود
- He sees victory for himself in the very essence of checkmate; therefore he says, “Kill me, O trusty ones!”
- برد بیند خویش را در عین مات ** پس بگوید اقتلونی یا ثقات
- This policeman became a (source of) profit in respect of another, but he became reprobate in respect of himself. 110
- این عوان در حق غیری سود شد ** لیک اندر حق خود مردود شد
- The mercy appertaining to the Faith was cut off from him; the hate inherent in the Devil enfolded him.
- رحم ایمانی ازو ببریده شد ** کین شیطانی برو پیچیده شد
- He became a factory of anger and hatred: know that hate is the root of error and infidelity.
- کارگاه خشم گشت و کین‌وری ** کینه دان اصل ضلال و کافری
- How they asked Jesus, on whom be peace, saying, "O Spirit of God, what is the hardest thing to bear of all the hard things in existence?"
- سال کردن از عیسی علیه‌السلام کی در وجود از همه‌ی صعبها صعب‌تر چیست
- A sober-minded man said to Jesus, “What is the hardest to bear of all things in existence?”
- گفت عیسی را یکی هشیار سر ** چیست در هستی ز جمله صعب‌تر
- He replied, “O (my dear) soul, the hardest is God's anger, on account of which Hell is trembling as we (are).”
- گفتش ای جان صعب‌تر خشم خدا ** که از آن دوزخ همی لرزد چو ما
- He said, “What is the security against this anger of God?” Jesus said, “To abandon thine own anger at once.” 115
- گفت ازین خشم خدا چه بود امان ** گفت ترک خشم خویش اندر زمان