Since a hare brings a lion to the well, how should not a fox lead an ass to the grass?
چونک خرگوشی برد شیری به چاه ** چون نیارد روبهی خر تا گیاه
Shut thine ear and do not swallow (beguiling) spells: (swallow naught) but the spell of the righteous saint—
گوش را بر بند و افسونها مخور ** جز فسون آن ولی دادگر
That spell of his, (which is) sweeter than halwá, that (spell) of whose feet a hundred halwá’s are (only) the dust.2520
آن فسون خوشتر از حلوای او ** آنک صد حلواست خاک پای او
The imperial jars full of the wine (of mystical knowledge) have drawn their stock from the wine of his lips.
خنبهای خسروانی پر ز می ** مایه برده از می لبهای وی
(Only) that alien soul which has never seen the wine of his ruby lips is a lover of the wine (of conventional knowledge).
عاشق می باشد آن جان بعید ** کو می لبهای لعلش را ندید
Since the blind bird does not see the sweet water, how should not it circle round the brackish water?
آب شیرین چون نبیند مرغ کور ** چون نگردد گرد چشمه‌ی آب شور
The spiritual Moses makes the breast a Sinai: he makes the blind parrots able to see.
موسی جان سینه را سینا کند ** طوطیان کور را بینا کند
The Khusraw (who is the lover) of the spiritual Shírín has beaten the drum (of sovereignty); consequently sugar has become cheap in the city.2525
خسرو شیرین جان نوبت زدست ** لاجرم در شهر قند ارزان شدست
The Josephs of the unseen world are marching: they are bringing bales of candy and sugar.
یوسفان غیب لشکر می‌کشند ** تنگهای قند و شکر می‌کشند
The faces of the camels of Egypt are (turned) towards us: hearken, O parrots, to the sound of the (camel-)bell.
اشتران مصر را رو سوی ما ** بشنوید ای طوطیان بانگ درا
To-morrow our city will be filled with sugar; sugar is cheap (to-day): (tomorrow) it will be cheaper.
شهر ما فردا پر از شکر شود ** شکر ارزانست ارزان‌تر شود
O confectioners, wallow in sugar, like the parrot, in despite of the bilious ones.
در شکر غلطید ای حلواییان ** هم‌چو طوطی کوری صفراییان
Pound the sugar-cane: this is the only work (of importance); lavish your souls (on him): this is the only Beloved.2530
نیشکر کوبید کار اینست و بس ** جان بر افشانید یار اینست و بس
Now not a single sour one is left in our city, since Shírín has seated the Khusraws on the throne (of Love).
یک ترش در شهر ما اکنون نماند ** چونکه شیرین خسروان را بر نشاند
’Tis dessert on dessert and wine on wine! Ho, go up on the minaret and proclaim that all are welcome (to the feast).
نقل بر نقلست و می بر می هلا ** بر مناره رو بزن بانگ صلا
The nine years old vinegar is becoming sweet; the stone and marble are becoming ruby(-like) and golden.
سرکه‌ی نه ساله شیرین می‌شود ** سنگ و مرمر لعل و زرین می‌شود
The sun in heaven is clapping his hands: the motes are dancing like lovers.
آفتاب اندر فلک دستک‌زنان ** ذره‌ها چون عاشقان بازی‌کنان
(All) eyes are intoxicated with the orchard abounding in greenery, (where) the blossoms are budding on the boughs.2535
چشمها مخمور شد از سبزه‌زار ** گل شکوفه می‌کند بر شاخسار
The eye of blessedness works absolute magic: the spirit is made victorious (mansúr), crying “I am God.”
چشم دولت سحر مطلق می‌کند ** روح شد منصور انا الحق می‌زند
If the fox is seducing an ass, let him seduce (him)! Do not thou be an ass, and be not troubled.
گر خری را می‌برد روبه ز سر ** گو ببر تو خر مباش و غم مخور
Story of the person who rushed into a house in terror, with cheeks yellow (pale) as saffron, lips blue as indigo, and hands trembling like the leaves of a tree. The master of the house asked, “Is all well (with you)? What is the matter?” He replied, “Outside they are taking asses by force.” “Bless you!” cried the other; “they are taking asses, (but) you are not an ass: what are you afraid of?” He said, “They are taking (them) in a great hurry: (all) discrimination has ceased. To-day I am afraid they will take me for an ass.”
حکایت آن شخص کی از ترس خویشتن را در خانه‌ای انداخت رخها زرد چون زعفران لبها کبود چون نیل دست لرزان چون برگ درخت خداوند خانه پرسید کی خیرست چه واقعه است گفت بیرون خر می‌گیرند به سخره گفت مبارک خر می‌گیرند تو خر نیستی چه می‌ترسی گفت خر به جد می‌گیرند تمییز برخاسته است امروز ترسم کی مرا خر گیرند
A certain man took refuge in a house: his face was yellow, his lips blue, and his colour had ebbed away.
آن یکی در خانه‌ای در می‌گریخت ** زرد رو و لب کبود و رنگ ریخت
The master of the house said to him, “Is it well (with you)? for your hand is trembling like (that of) an old man.
صاحب خانه بگفتش خیر هست ** که همی لرزد ترا چون پیر دست
What has happened? Why have you taken refuge (here)? How have you lost the colour of your face so (entirely)?”2540
واقعه چونست چون بگریختی ** رنگ رخساره چنین چون ریختی
“To-day,” said he, “they are seizing asses outside (in the streets) to do forced labour for the tyrannical king.”
گفت بهر سخره‌ی شاه حرون ** خر همی‌گیرند امروز از برون
He (the householder) replied, “O beloved of your uncle, they are taking it because it is an ass: since you are not an ass, go (your way): why are you troubled at this?”
گفت می‌گیرند کو خر جان عم ** چون نه‌ای خر رو ترا زین چیست غم
He answered, “They are very urgent and furious in taking (them): ’twill be no wonder if they take me too for an ass.
گفت بس جدند و گرم اندر گرفت ** گر خرم گیرند هم نبود شگفت
They have put their hands with all their might to (the job of) taking asses: accordingly discrimination has ceased.”
بهر خرگیری بر آوردند دست ** جدجد تمییز هم برخاستست
Since undiscriminating persons are our rulers, they carry off the owner of the ass instead of the ass.2545
چونک بی‌تمییزیان‌مان سرورند ** صاحب خر را به جای خر برند
(But) the King of our city is not one who takes at random: He has discrimination, He is hearing and seeing.
نیست شاه شهر ما بیهوده گیر ** هست تمییزش سمیعست و بصیر
Be a man and do not be afraid of those who take the asses: thou art not an ass: be not afraid, O Jesus of the (world of) Time.
آدمی باش و ز خرگیران مترس ** خر نه‌ای ای عیسی دوران مترس
The Fourth Heaven, moreover, is filled with thy light: God forbid (that I should say) that the Stable is thy abode.
چرخ چارم هم ز نور تو پرست ** حاش لله که مقامت آخرست
Thou art higher even than the sky and the stars, though for a good reason thou art (temporarily) in the Stable.
تو ز چرخ و اختران هم برتری ** گرچه بهر مصلحت در آخری
The Master of the Stable is one thing and the ass another: not every one who has entered the Stable is an ass.2550
میر آخر دیگر و خر دیگرست ** نه هر آنک اندر آخر شد خرست
Why have we fallen in behind the ass? Tell of the Rose-garden and the fresh roses,
چه در افتادیم در دنبال خر ** از گلستان گوی و از گلهای تر
And of the pomegranate and the citron and the apple-bough, and of the wine and the fair youths innumerable,
از انار و از ترنج و شاخ سیب ** وز شراب و شاهدان بی‌حساب
Or of the Sea whose waves are pearls and whose pearls are speaking and seeing,
یا از آن دریا که موجش گوهرست ** گوهرش گوینده و بیناورست
Or of the Birds which pick roses and lay eggs of silver and gold,
یا از آن مرغان که گل‌چین می‌کنند ** بیضه‌ها زرین و سیمین می‌کنند
Or of the Falcons which foster the partridges and fly both with their bellies turned downward and also on their backs.2555
یا از آن بازان که کبکان پرورند ** هم نگون اشکم هم استان می‌پرند
In the world there are invisible ladders, (leading) step by step up to the summit of heaven.
نردبانهاییست پنهان در جهان ** پایه پایه تا عنان آسمان
There is a different ladder for every class, there is a different heaven for every (traveller's) way.
هر گره را نردبانی دیگرست ** هر روش را آسمانی دیگرست
Every one is ignorant of another's condition (in) the kingdom (which is) wide and without end or beginning.
هر یکی از حال دیگر بی‌خبر ** ملک با پهنا و بی‌پایان و سر
This one is amazed at that one and asks wherefore he is happy, while that one is astounded at this one and asks why he is amazed.
این در آن حیران که او از چیست خوش ** وآن درین خیره که حیرت چیستش
The area of God's earth is spacious: every tree springs up from a certain soil.2560
صحن ارض الله واسع آمده ** هر درختی از زمینی سر زده
The leaves and boughs on the trees are giving thanks (to God), crying, “Oh, what a fine kingdom! Oh, what a broad expanse!”
بر درختان شکر گویان برگ و شاخ ** که زهی ملک و زهی عرصه‌ی فراخ
The nightingales are (flying) round the knobby blossom, saying, “Give us some of that which thou drinkest.”
بلبلان گرد شکوفه‌ی پر گره ** که از آنچ می‌خوری ما را بده
This discourse hath no end: return to the fox and the lion and the (lion's) sickness and hunger.
این سخن پایان ندارد کن رجوع ** سوی آن روباه و شیر و سقم و جوع
How the fox brought the ass to the lion, and how the ass jumped away from the lion, and how the fox reproached the lion, saying, “The ass was still far off: you were too hasty”; and how the lion made excuses and entreated the fox to go and trick him a second time.
بردن روبه خر را پیش شیر و جستن خر از شیر و عتاب کردن روباه با شیر کی هنوز خر دور بود تعجیل کردی و عذر گفتن شیر و لابه کردن روبه را شیر کی برو بار دگرش به فریب
When he (the fox) brought him (the ass) up the hill towards the meadow, in order that the lion might pulverise him with a (sudden) charge,
چونک بر کوهش بسوی مرج برد ** تا کند شیرش به حمله خرد و مرد
He (the ass) was (still) far from the lion, but the lion would not wait for him to come near before attacking.2565
دور بود از شیر و آن شیر از نبرد ** تا به نزدیک آمدن صبری نکرد
The terrible lion made a spring from an eminence, (though) indeed he had not the strength and power to move (effectively).
گنبدی کرد از بلندی شیر هول ** خود نبودش قوت و امکان حول
The ass saw him from afar and turned and fled to the bottom of the hill, dropping his shoes as he ran.
خر ز دورش دید و برگشت و گریز ** تا به زیر کوه تازان نعل ریز