(If) your face is very beautiful, put some indigo on it (as an ornament); (but) indigo on the face of an Abyssinian (negro) would be a laughing-stock.
روت بس زیباست نیلی هم بکش ** ضحکه باشد نیل بر روی حبش
When did any (spiritual) light enter into you, O misguided man, that you should become a seeker of unconsciousness and darkness?
در تو نوری کی درآمد ای غوی ** تا تو بیهوشی و ظلمت‌جو شوی
’Tis the (approved) rule to seek the shadow during the day; (but) you seek the shadow on a cloudy night.
سایه در روزست جستن قاعده ** در شب ابری تو سایه‌جو شده
If it (wine) is lawful as sustenance for the common folk, (yet) it is unlawful to those who seek the Beloved.
گر حلال آمد پی قوت عوام ** طالبان دوست را آمد حرام
The wine for the lovers (of God) is their heart's blood: their eyes are (fixed) upon the Way and upon the Destination.3485
عاشقان را باده خون دل بود ** چشمشان بر راه و بر منزل بود
In this Way across the terrible wilderness the guide, Reason, suffers a hundred eclipses.
در چنین راه بیابان مخوف ** این قلاوز خرد با صد کسوف
(If) you throw dust in the eyes of the guides, you will cause the caravan to perish and lose the way.
خاک در چشم قلاوزان زنی ** کاروان را هالک و گمره کنی
In sooth, barley bread is unlawful and injurious to the carnal soul: set (only) bread made of bran before it.
نان جو حقا حرامست و فسوس ** نفس را در پیش نه نان سبوس
Keep in abject submission the enemy on the Way to God: do not place a pulpit for the robber, (but) keep him on the gibbet.
دشمن راه خدا را خوار دار ** دزد را منبر منه بر دار دار
Deem the amputation of the robber's hand desirable: if you are unable to cut his hand off, bind it.3490
دزد را تو دست ببریدن پسند ** از بریدن عاجزی دستش ببند
Unless you bind his hand, he will bind yours; unless you break his leg, he will break yours.
گر نبندی دست او دست تو بست ** گر تو پایش نشکنی پایت شکست
You give the enemy wine and sugar-cane—for what reason? Bid him laugh venomously and eat earth.”
تو عدو را می دهی و نی‌شکر ** بهر چه گو زهر خند و خاک خور
In his indignation he (the ascetic) hurled a stone at the jug and broke it: he (the slave) let the jug fall and sprang away from the ascetic.
زد ز غیرت بر سبو سنگ و شکست ** او سبو انداخت و از زاهد بجست
He went to the Amír, who said to him, “Where is the wine?” He (the slave) related in his presence all that had happened, point by point.
رفت پیش میر و گفتش باده کو ** ماجرا را گفت یک یک پیش او
How the enraged Amír set out to punish the ascetic.
رفتن امیر خشم‌آلود برای گوشمال زاهد
The Amír became like fire and jumped straight up. “Show me,” he cried, “where the ascetic's house is,3495
میر چون آتش شد و برجست راست ** گفت بنما خانه‌ی زاهد کجاست
That I may pound his head with this heavy club—his ignorant whoreson head.
تا بدین گرز گران کوبم سرش ** آن سر بی‌دانش مادرغرش
What should he know about enjoining (others) to do right? He is currishly seeking notoriety and fame,
او چه داند امر معروف از سگی ** طالب معروفی است و شهرگی
In order that by means of this hypocrisy he may make a position for himself and somehow make himself conspicuous;
تا بدین سالوس خود را جا کند ** تا به چیزی خویشتن پیدا کند
For in truth he has no talent save this alone, that he plays the hypocrite to all and sundry.
کو ندارد خود هنر الا همان ** که تسلس می‌کند با این و آن
If he is mad and bent on mischief, the cure for a madman is an ox-hide whip, [If he is mad and bent on mischief, the cure for a madman is a whip (made from) an ox’s penis,]3500
او اگر دیوانه است و فتنه‌کاو ** داروی دیوانه باشد کیر گاو
So that the devil may go forth from his head: how should an ass go (forward) without the ass-drivers' blows?”
تا که شیطان از سرش بیرون رود ** بی‌لت خربندگان خر چون رود
The Amír dashed out, with a mace in his hand: at midnight he came, half intoxicated, to the ascetic.
In his rage he wished to kill the ascetic, (but) the ascetic hid beneath (some) wool.
خواست کشتن مرد زاهد را ز خشم ** مرد زاهد گشت پنهان زیر پشم
The ascetic, hidden under the wool belonging to certain rope-makers, heard that (threat) from the Amír.
مرد زاهد می‌شنید از میر آن ** زیر پشم آن رسن‌تابان نهان
He said (to himself), “(Only) the mirror that has made its face hard can tell a man to his face that he is ugly.3505
گفت در رو گفتن زشتی مرد ** آینه تاند که رو را سخت کرد
It needs a steel face, like a mirror, to say to thee, ‘Behold thy ugly face.’”
روی باید آینه‌وار آهنین ** تات گوید روی زشت خود ببین
Story of Dalqak's checkmating the Sayyid, the Sháh of Tirmid.
حکایت مات کردن دلقک سید شاه ترمد را
The Sháh was playing chess with Dalqak: he (Dalqak) checkmated him: immediately the Sháh's anger burst out.
شاه با دلقک همی شطرنج باخت ** مات کردش زود خشم شه بتاخت
He (Dalqak) cried, “Checkmate, checkmate!” and the haughty monarch threw the chessmen, one by one, at his head,
گفت شه شه و آن شه کبرآورش ** یک یک از شطرنج می‌زد بر سرش
Saying, “Take (it)! Here is ‘checkmate’ for you, O scoundrel.” Dalqak restrained himself and (only) said, “Mercy!”
که بگیر اینک شهت ای قلتبان ** صبر کرد آن دلقک و گفت الامان
The Prince commanded him to play a second game: he (Dalqak) was trembling like a naked man in bitter cold.3510
دست دیگر باختن فرمود میر ** او چنان لرزان که عور از زمهریر
He played the second game, and the Sháh was defeated: (when) the time and moment for saying “checkmate, checkmate” arrived,
باخت دست دیگر و شه مات شد ** وقت شه شه گفتن و میقات شد
Dalqak jumped up and ran into a corner and in his fear hastily flung six rugs over himself.
بر جهید آن دلقک و در کنج رفت ** شش نمد بر خود فکند از بیم تفت
(There) he lay hidden beneath (several) cushions and six rugs, that he might escape from the Sháh's blows.
زیر بالشها و زیر شش نمد ** خفت پنهان تا ز زخم شه رهد
The Sháh exclaimed, “Hi, hi! what have you done? What is this?” He replied, “Checkmate, checkmate, checkmate, checkmate, O excellent Sháh!
گفت شه هی هی چه کردی چیست این ** گفت شه شه شه شه ای شاه گزین
How can one tell the truth to thee except under cover, O wrathful man who art wrapped in fire,3515
کی توان حق گفت جز زیر لحاف ** با تو ای خشم‌آور آتش‌سجاف
O thou who art defeated (by me), while I, defeated by thy Majesty's blows, am crying ‘checkmate, checkmate’ under thy house-furnishings?”
ای تو مات و من ز زخم شاه مات ** می‌زنم شه شه به زیر رختهات
When the (whole) quarter became filled with the furious shouts of the Amír and his kicking the (ascetic's) door and holding and seizing,
چون محله پر شد از هیهای میر ** وز لگد بر در زدن وز دار و گیر
The people quickly rushed out from left and right, crying, “O Prince, ’tis the hour for pardon and grace.
خلق بیرون جست زود از چپ و راست ** کای مقدم وقت عفوست و رضاست
His brain is dry, and at this time his intelligence is inferior to the intelligence and understanding of children.
مغز او خشکست و عقلش این زمان ** کمترست از عقل و فهم کودکان
Asceticism and old age have come on the top of each other, and no (spiritual) revelation has been given to him in his asceticism.3520
زهد و پیری ضعف بر ضعف آمده ** واندر آن زهدش گشادی ناشده
He has suffered the pain but never seen the gain (that comes) from the Beloved: he has done (many) works (of devotion) but never seen the wages for his work.
رنج دیده گنج نادیده ز یار ** کارها کرده ندیده مزد کار
Either the essential thing was not in his work at all, or by (Divine) decree the hour for the reward has not yet arrived.
یا نبود آن کار او را خود گهر ** یا نیامد وقت پاداش از قدر
Either his labour has been like the labour of the Jews, or the recompense has been connected with (deferred till) the appointed season.
یا که بود آن سعی چون سعی جهود ** یا جزا وابسته‌ی میقات بود
For him ’tis sorrow and misfortune enough that he is without any one (to succour him) in this vale full of blood.
مر ورا درد و مصیبت این بس است ** که درین وادی پر خون بی‌کس است
His eyes are painful, and he sits in a corner, sour-faced and chop-fallen.3525
چشم پر درد و نشسته او به کنج ** رو ترش کرده فرو افکنده لنج
There is no oculist to sympathise with him, nor has he any intelligence that he should find the way to a collyrium.
نه یکی کحال کو را غم خورد ** نیش عقلی که به کحلی پی برد
He is making a (great) effort with (the help of) conjecture and opinion: the matter rests in ‘maybe’ till it turn out well.
اجتهادی می‌کند با حزر و ظن ** کار در بوکست تا نیکو شدن
Far is the road he must travel ere he sees the Beloved, because he does not seek the head; his desire is headship.
زان رهش دورست تا دیدار دوست ** کو نجوید سر رئیسیش آرزوست
At one time he is (engaged) in reproach, saying (to God), ‘The portion allotted to me from this calculation (of mine) is (nothing but) pain.’
ساعتی او با خدا اندر عتاب ** که نصیبم رنج آمد زین حساب
At another time he is (engaged) in a quarrel with his own luck, saying, ‘All (the others) are flying, and we have our wings cut off.’”3530
ساعتی با بخت خود اندر جدال ** که همه پران و ما ببریده بال