That (Shaykh who was) obedient to the (Divine) command turned his face towards the city; the city of Ghazna became illumined by his face.
رو به شهر آورد آن فرمان‌پذیر ** شهر غزنین گشت از رویش منیر
A (great) multitude joyfully went out to meet him, (but) he entered (the city) in haste and furtively.
از فرح خلقی به استقبال رفت ** او در آمد از ره دزدیده تفت
All the notables and grandees rose up and made their palaces ready to receive him,
جمله اعیان و مهان بر خاستند ** قصرها از بهر او آراستند
(But) he said, “I do not come from (motives of) self-advertisement: I come not save in humility and beggary.
گفت من از خودنمایی نامدم ** جز به خواری و گدایی نامدم
I have no intention of talking and discoursing: I will go about from door to door with a basket in my hand.2690
نیستم در عزم قال و قیل من ** در به در گردم به کف زنبیل من
I am devoted to the (Divine) edict, for ’tis commanded by God that I should be a beggar, a beggar, a beggar.
بنده فرمانم که امرست از خدا ** که گدا باشم گدا باشم گدا
I will not use choice expressions in begging: I will tread the way of none but the vile beggars,
در گدایی لفظ نادر ناورم ** جز طریق خس گدایان نسپرم
That I may be completely overwhelmed with abasement, and that I may hear abusive words from high and low.
تا شوم غرقه‌ی مذلت من تمام ** تا سقطها بشنوم از خاص و عام
God's command is my (very) soul, and I am its follower: He has commanded me to be covetous, (for) ‘base is he that covets.’
امر حق جانست و من آن را تبع ** او طمع فرمود ذل من طمع
Since the Sultan of the Judgement desires covetousness from me, dust on the head of contentment henceforth!2695
چون طمع خواهد ز من سلطان دین ** خاک بر فرق قناعت بعد ازین
He has desired covetousness: how should I be ambitious of glory? He has desired beggary: how should I exercise sovereignty?
او مذلت خواست کی عزت تنم ** او گدایی خواست کی میری کنم
Henceforth beggary and abasement are my (very) soul: in my wallet are twenty (consummate beggars like) ‘Abbás.”
بعد ازین کد و مذلت جان من ** بیست عباس‌اند در انبان من
The Shaykh would go about, with a basket in his hand, (saying, “Give) something, Sir, for God's sake, if He prompt you (to be generous).”
شیخ بر می‌گشت زنبیلی به دست ** شیء لله خواجه توفیقیت هست
His inward experiences were higher than the Footstool and the Throne (of God); his (external) business was (to cry), “Something for God's sake, something for God's sake!”
برتر از کرسی و عرش اسرار او ** شیء لله شیء لله کار او
The prophets, every one, ply this same trade: the people (to whom they are sent) are (really) destitute, (yet) they (the prophets) practise beggary,2700
انبیا هر یک همین فن می‌زنند ** خلق مفلس کدیه ایشان می‌کنند
Crying, “Lend to God, lend to God,” and persevering contrariously in (the exhortation) “Help God!”
اقرضوا الله اقرضوا الله می‌زنند ** بازگون بر انصروا الله می‌تنند
This Shaykh is going as a suppliant from door to door, (while) in Heaven a hundred doors are opened for the Shaykh,
در به در این شیخ می‌آرد نیاز ** بر فلک صد در برای شیخ باز
Because the beggary that he practised (so) diligently was for the sake of God, not for the sake of his gullet;
که آن گدایی که آن به جد می‌کرد او ** بهر یزدان بود نه از بهر گلو
And even if he had done it for the sake of his gullet, that gullet hath (is endowed with) exorbitance by the Light of God.
ور بکردی نیز از بهر گلو ** آن گلو از نور حق دارد غلو
As regards him, the eating of bread and honey and the drinking of milk is better than the forty days' seclusion and the three days' fast of a hundred dervishes.2705
در حق او خورد نان و شهد و شیر ** به ز چله وز سه روزه‌ی صد فقیر
He eats Light, do not say he eats bread: he sows anemones (though) in appearance he feeds (on them).
نور می‌نوشد مگو نان می‌خورد ** لاله می‌کارد به صورت می‌چرد
Like the flame that consumes the oil (wax) in a candle, from his eating and drinking there is an increase of light for the company.
چون شراری کو خورد روغن ز شمع ** نور افزاید ز خوردش بهر جمع
God hath said, “Be not immoderate,” in reference to the eating of bread; He hath not said, “Be satisfied,” in reference to the eating of Light.
نان‌خوری را گفت حق لاتسرفوا ** نور خوردن را نگفتست اکتفوا
The former was the gullet subject to probation, while this (saintly) gullet was free from immoderation and secure from exorbitance.
آن گلوی ابتلا بد وین گلو ** فارغ از اسراف و آمن از غلو
(In the case of the Shaykh) ’twas (by) the (Divine) command and order, not (from) greed and cupidity: a spirit like that is not a follower of greed.2710
امر و فرمان بود نه حرص و طمع ** آن چنان جان حرص را نبود تبع
If the elixir say to the copper, “Give thyself up to me,” cupidity does not prevail (over it).
گر بگوید کیمیا مس را بده ** تو به من خود را طمع نبود فره
God had offered to the Shaykh (all) the treasures of the earth down to the seventh tier;
گنجهای خاک تا هفتم طبق ** عرضه کرده بود پیش شیخ حق
(But) the Shaykh said, “O Creator, I am a lover: if I seek aught but Thee, I am impious.
شیخ گفتا خالقا من عاشقم ** گر بجویم غیر تو من فاسقم
If I should bring into view the Eight Paradises, or if I should serve Thee from fear of Hell,
هشت جنت گر در آرم در نظر ** ور کنم خدمت من از خوف سقر
(Then) I am (only) a believer seeking salvation, for both these (motives) are concerned with the body.”2715
مومنی باشم سلامت‌جوی من ** زانک این هر دو بود حظ بدن
A hundred bodies are not worth a bean in the eyes of the lover who has received nutriment from God's love;
عاشقی کز عشق یزدان خورد قوت ** صد بدن پیشش نیرزد تره‌توت
And this body which the Shaykh of insight possesses has become something different: do not call it a body.
وین بدن که دارد آن شیخ فطن ** چیز دگر گشت کم خوانش بدن
(To be) in love with God's love and then (desire) a wage! (To be) a trusted Gabriel and then a thief!
عاشق عشق خدا وانگاه مزد ** جبرئیل متمن وانگاه دزد
In the eyes of that wretched lover of Laylá the kingdom of the world was (worthless as) a vegetable.
عاشق آن لیلی کور و کبود ** ملک عالم پیش او یک تره بود
Earth and gold were alike in his eyes. What of gold? (Even) his life had no value (for him).2720
پیش او یکسان شده بد خاک و زر ** زر چه باشد که نبد جان را خطر
Lions and wolves and wild beasts were acquainted with him and gathered round him like kinsfolk,
شیر و گرگ و دد ازو واقف شده ** هم‌چو خویشان گرد او گرد آمده
(Knowing) that this man had become entirely purged of animality and filled with love, and that his flesh and fat were poisonous (to them).
کین شدست از خوی حیوان پاک پاک ** پر ز عشق و لحم و شحمش زهرناک
The sweets scattered by Reason are poison to the wild beast, because the good of (that which is) good is antagonistic to (that which is) evil.
زهر دد باشد شکرریز خرد ** زانک نیک نیک باشد ضد بد
The wild beast dare not devour the flesh of the lover: Love is known both to the good and the evil;
لحم عاشق را نیارد خورد دد ** عشق معروفست پیش نیک و بد
And if the wild beast devour him even parabolically, the lover's flesh will become poison and kill him.2725
ور خورد خود فی‌المثل دام و ددش ** گوشت عاشق زهر گردد بکشدش
Everything except love is devoured by Love: to the beak of Love the two worlds are (but) a single grain.
هر چه جز عشقست شد ماکول عشق ** دو جهان یک دانه پیش نول عشق
Does a grain ever devour the bird? Does the manger ever feed on the horse?
دانه‌ای مر مرغ را هرگز خورد ** کاهدان مر اسپ را هرگز چرد
Do service (to God), that perchance thou mayst become a lover: (devotional) service is a means of gaining (Love): it comes into action (produces an effect).
بندگی کن تا شوی عاشق لعل ** بندگی کسبیست آید در عمل
The servant (of God) desires to be freed from Fortune; the lover (of God) nevermore desires to be free.
بنده آزادی طمع دارد ز جد ** عاشق آزادی نخواهد تا ابد
The servant is always seeking a robe of honour and a stipend; all the lover's robe of honour is his vision of the Beloved.2730
بنده دایم خلعت و ادرارجوست ** خلعت عاشق همه دیدار دوست
Love is not contained in speech and hearing: Love is an ocean whereof the depth is invisible.
در نگنجد عشق در گفت و شنید ** عشق دریاییست قعرش ناپدید
The drops of the sea cannot be numbered: the Seven Seas are petty in comparison with that Ocean.
قطره‌های بحر را نتوان شمرد ** هفت دریا پیش آن بحرست خرد
This discourse hath no end. Return, O reader, to the story of the Shaykh of the time.
این سخن پایان ندارد ای فلان ** باز رو در قصه‌ی شیخ زمان
On the meaning of “But for thee, I would not have created the heavens.”
در معنی لولاک لما خلقت الافلاک
A Shaykh like this became a beggar (going) from street to street. Love is reckless: beware!
شد چنین شیخی گدای کو به کو ** عشق آمد لاابالی اتقوا
Love makes the sea boil like a kettle; Love crumbles the mountain like sand;2735
عشق جوشد بحر را مانند دیگ ** عشق ساید کوه را مانند ریگ