- Excepting the thankful and faithful who are attended by fortune. 1000
- جز ز اهل شکر و اصحاب وفا ** که مریشان راست دولت در قفا
- How should the past fortune bestow strength (on its possessors)? ’Tis the future fortune that bestows a special virtue.
- دولت رفته کجا قوت دهد ** دولت آینده خاصیت دهد
- In (obedience to the Divine command) “Lend,” make a loan (to God) from this (worldly) fortune, that thou mayst see a hundred fortunes before thy face.
- قرض ده زین دولت اندر اقرضوا ** تا که صد دولت ببینی پیش رو
- Diminish a little for thine own sake this (eating and) drinking, that thou mayst find in front (of thee) the basin of Kawthar.
- اندکی زین شرب کم کن بهر خویش ** تا که حوض کوثری یابی به پیش
- He who poured a draught on the earth of faithfulness, how should the prey, fortune, be able to flee from him?
- جرعه بر خاک وفا آنکس که ریخت ** کی تواند صید دولت زو گریخت
- He (God) gladdens their hearts, for He maketh their state to prosper: He restoreth their (worldly) entertainment after they have perished. 1005
- خوش کند دلشان که اصلح بالهم ** رد من بعد التوی انزالهم
- (He says), “O Death, O Turcoman who plunderest the village, give back whatsoever thou hast taken from these thankful ones.”
- ای اجل وی ترک غارتساز ده ** هر چه بردی زین شکوران باز ده
- He (Death) gives it back; (but) they will not receive it, for they have been endowed with the goods of spiritual life.
- وا دهد ایشان بنپذیرند آن ** زانک منعم گشتهاند از رخت جان
- (They say), “We are Súfís and have cast off our (bodily) mantles: we will not take (them) back after we have gambled (them) away.
- صوفییم و خرقهها انداختیم ** باز نستانیم چون در باختیم
- We have seen the recompense (from God)—(and) how (can there be) a (worldly) recompense then (after that)? Want and desire and object are gone from us.
- ما عوض دیدیم آنگه چون عوض ** رفت از ما حاجت و حرص و غرض
- We have emerged from a briny and destroying water, we have attained to the pure wine (of Paradise) and the fountain of Kawthar. 1010
- ز آب شور و مهلکی بیرون شدیم ** بر رحیق و چشمهی کوثر زدیم
- O World, that which thou hast shown unto others—faithlessness and deceit and grievous pride—
- آنچ کردی ای جهان با دیگران ** بیوفایی و فن و ناز گران
- We pour (it all) on thy head in repayment, for we are martyrs come to war (against thee).”
- بر سرت ریزیم ما بهر جزا ** که شهیدیم آمده اندر غزا
- (This is) in order that you may know that the Holy God hath servants impetuous and combative,
- تا بدانی که خدای پاک را ** بندگان هستند پر حمله و مری
- (Who) tear out the moustache of worldly hypocrisy and pitch their tents on the rampart of (Divine) aid.
- سبلت تزویر دنیا بر کنند ** خیمه را بر باروی نصرت زنند
- These martyrs have become warriors anew, and these captives have gained the victory once more; 1015
- این شهیدان باز نو غازی شدند ** وین اسیران باز بر نصرت زدند
- They have lifted up their heads again from non-existence, saying, “Behold us if thou art not blind from birth,”
- سر برآوردند باز از نیستی ** که ببین ما را گر اکمه نیستی
- That you may know that in non-existence there are suns, and that what is a sun here is (only) a small star yonder.
- تا بدانی در عدم خورشیدهاست ** وآنچ اینجا آفتاب آنجا سهاست
- How, O brother, is existence (contained) in non-existence? How is opposite concealed in opposite?
- در عدم هستی برادر چون بود ** ضد اندر ضد چون مکنون بود
- He brings forth the living from the dead: know that the hope of (His) worshippers is non-existence.
- یخرج الحی من المیت بدان ** که عدم آمد امید عابدان
- The sower whose barn is empty, is not he joyful and happy in hope of non-existence— 1020
- مرد کارنده که انبارش تهیست ** شاد و خوش نه بر امید نیستیست
- (Namely, in the hope) that that (crop) will grow from the quarter of nonexistence? Apprehend (this) if thou art aware of (spiritual) reality.
- که بروید آن ز سوی نیستی ** فهم کن گر واقف معنیستی
- Moment by moment thou art expecting from non-existence to gain understanding and (spiritual) perception and peace and good.
- دم به دم از نیستی تو منتظر ** که بیابی فهم و ذوق آرام و بر
- ’Tis not permitted to divulge this mystery; else I should make Abkház a Baghdád.
- نیست دستوری گشاد این راز را ** ورنه بغدادی کنم ابخاز را
- Non-existence, then, is God's factory from which He continually produces gifts.
- پس خزانهی صنع حق باشد عدم ** که بر آرد زو عطاها دم به دم
- God is the Originator, and an originator is he who produces a branch (derivative) without root (fundamental principle) or support (model). 1025
- مبدع آمد حق و مبدع آن بود ** که برآرد فرع بیاصل و سند
- Parable of the world (really) existent that appears non-existent and the world (really) non-existent that appears existent.
- مثال عالم هست نیستنما و عالم نیست هستنما
- He (God) hath caused the non-existent to appear existent and magnificent; He hath caused the existent to appear in the form of non-existence.
- نیست را بنمود هست و محتشم ** هست را بنمود بر شکل عدم
- He hath concealed the Sea and made the foam visible; He hath concealed the Wind and displayed to thee the dust.
- بحر را پوشید و کف کرد آشکار ** باد را پوشید و بنمودت غبار
- The dust is whirling in the air, (high) as a minaret: how should the dust rise aloft of itself?
- چون منارهی خاک پیچان در هوا ** خاک از خود چون برآید بر علا
- Thou seest the dust on high, O infirm (of sight): the Wind (thou seest) not, except through knowledge given by induction.
- خاک را بینی به بالا ای علیل ** باد را نی جز به تعریف دلیل
- Thou seest the foam moving in every direction: without the Sea the foam hath no turning-place. 1030
- کف همیبینی روانه هر طرف ** کف بیدریا ندارد منصرف
- Thou seest the foam by sense perception and the Sea by induction: thought is hidden, speech manifest.
- کف به حس بینی و دریا از دلیل ** فکر پنهان آشکارا قال و قیل
- We deemed negation to be affirmation: we had an eye that saw (only) the nonexistent.
- نفی را اثبات میپنداشتیم ** دیدهی معدومبینی داشتیم
- The eye that appeared (came into being) in a state of slumber, how should it be able to see aught but phantasy and non-existence?
- دیدهای که اندر نعاسی شد پدید ** کی تواند جز خیال و نیست دید
- Necessarily we were bewildered by error, since Reality was hidden and Phantasy visible,
- لاجرم سرگشته گشتیم از ضلال ** چون حقیقت شد نهان پیدا خیال
- (Wondering) why He (God) set up this non-existence in (full) view and why He caused that Reality to be hidden from sight. 1035
- این عدم را چون نشاند اندر نظر ** چون نهان کرد آن حقیقت از بصر
- Praise (to Thee), O Master-weaver of magic who hast made the dregs to seem pure (wine) to them that turn away (from the Truth).
- آفرین ای اوستاد سحرباف ** که نمودی معرضان را درد صاف
- Magicians quickly measure moonbeams in the presence of the merchant and receive gold as profit.
- ساحران مهتاب پیمایند زود ** پیش بازرگان و زر گیرند سود
- (When) by artful tricks of this sort they take money, the money is gone from his (the purchaser's) hand, (but) there is no linen (to be seen).
- سیم بربایند زین گون پیچ پیچ ** سیم از کف رفته و کرباس هیچ
- This world is a sorcerer, and we are the merchants who buy from it the measured moonbeams.
- این جهان جادوست ما آن تاجریم ** که ازو مهتاب پیموده خریم
- Magician-like, it hastily measures out by the ell five hundred ells of linen from the light of the moonbeams, 1040
- گز کند کرباس پانصد گز شتاب ** ساحرانه او ز نور ماهتاب
- (Yet), when it takes the money, (which is) thy life, O slave, the money is gone, there is no linen, and thy purse is empty.
- چون ستد او سیم عمرت ای رهی ** سیم شد کرباس نی کیسه تهی
- Thou must recite Say, I take refuge, crying, “O (Thou who art) One, come, save me from the witches and from (their) knots.
- قل اعوذت خواند باید کای احد ** هین ز نفاثات افغان وز عقد
- These sorceresses are blowing on the knots: help, O Thou whose help is besought against (the world's) victory and checkmate.”
- میدمند اندر گره آن ساحرات ** الغیاث المستغاث از برد و مات
- But invoke (Him) with the tongue of deeds also, for the tongue of words is weak, O honourable man.
- لیک بر خوان از زبان فعل نیز ** که زبان قول سستست ای عزیز
- In the world thou hast three fellow-travellers: one is faithful and these two (others) are treacherous. 1045
- در زمانه مر ترا سه همرهاند ** آن یکی وافی و این دو غدرمند
- One (of the latter) is friends and the other is goods and chattels; and the third (fellow-traveller) is faithful, and that one is excellence in deeds.
- آن یکی یاران و دیگر رخت و مال ** وآن سوم وافیست و آن حسن الفعال
- (Thy) wealth will not come with thee out of thy palaces; (thy) friend will come, but he will come (only) as far as thy grave.
- مال ناید با تو بیرون از قصور ** یار آید لیک آید تا به گور
- When thy day of doom comes to meet thee, thy friend will say (to himself) in the language appropriate to his sentiments,
- چون ترا روز اجل آید به پیش ** یار گوید از زبان حال خویش
- “(I have come) as far as here: I accompany thee no farther, I will stand a (little) while at thy grave.”
- تا بدینجا بیش همره نیستم ** بر سر گورت زمانی بیستم