He saw that a fierce black lion from the jungle had suddenly rushed upon the centre of the army;
دید شیر نر سیه از نیستان ** بر زده بر قلب لشکر ناگهان
(That) the Arab horses were demoniacally excited, (that) every stable and tent was in confusion;
تازیان چون دیو در جوش آمده ** هر طویله و خیمه اندر هم زده
(And that) the fierce lion from the covert was bounding twenty ells into the air, like billows of the sea.3885
شیر نر گنبذ همی‌کرد از لغز ** در هوا چون موج دریا بیست گز
The captain was manful and intrepid: he advanced, like a furious lion, to meet the lion.
پهلوان مردانه بود و بی‌حذر ** پیش شیر آمد چو شیر مست نر
He smote (it) with his sword and clove its head; (then) at once he hastened (back) to the tent of the beauty.
زد به شمشیر و سرش را بر شکافت ** زود سوی خیمه‌ی مه‌رو شتافت
Ubi sese puellae formosissimae ostendit, penis ejus itidem erectus erat. [When he showed himself to the hourí (lovely woman), his (organ of) manhood was erect in the same manner (as before).]
چونک خود را او بدان حوری نمود ** مردی او هم‌چنین بر پای بود
Pugna congressus erat cum tali leone: penis ejus erectus manebat nec languore jacuerat. [He joined in battle with such a lion: (yet) his manhood remained erect and did not rest (go limp).]
با چنان شیری به چالش گشت جفت ** مردی او مانده بر پای و نخفت
Illa diva, facie venusta lunae simili praedita, virilitatis ejus admiratione obstupuit. [That moon-faced idol, sweet of countenance, was amazed at his manhood.]3890
آن بت شیرین‌لقای ماه‌رو ** در عجب در ماند از مردی او
Protinus cum eo magna cupidine coivit: illae duae animae statim unitae evaserunt. [She joined with him (eagerly) in that moment with lust: those two souls immediately became united.]
جفت شد با او به شهوت آن زمان ** متحد گشتند حالی آن دو جان
Through the union of these two souls with one another, there will come to them from the Unseen World another soul.
ز اتصال این دو جان با همدگر ** می‌رسد از غیبشان جانی دگر
It will appear by the road of birth, if there be naught to waylay (prevent) its conception.
رو نماید از طریق زادنی ** گر نباشد از علوقش ره‌زنی
Wherever two persons unite in a love or hate, a third will certainly be born;
هر کجا دو کس به مهری یا به کین ** جمع آید ثالثی زاید یقین
But those forms are born in the Unseen World: when you go thither, you will see them in (clear) view.3895
لیک اندر غیب زاید آن صور ** چون روی آن سو ببینی در نظر
That progeny is born of your associations: beware, do not rejoice too soon in any associate.
آن نتایج از قرانات تو زاد ** هین مگرد از هر قرینی زود شاد
Remain in expectation of the appointed time (of meeting): recognise the truth of the (Divine) promise that the offspring shall join (their parents);
منتظر می‌باش آن میقات را ** صدق دان الحاق ذریات را
For they are born of action and causes: each one hath form and speech and dwelling-place.
کز عمل زاییده‌اند و از علل ** هر یکی را صورت و نطق و طلل
Their cry is coming (to you) from those delightful bowers— “O thou who hast forgotten us, hark, come with all speed!”
The soul (spiritual result) of (every) man and woman is waiting (for them) in the Unseen: why are you delaying? Step forward at once (on the way).3900
منتظر در غیب جان مرد و زن ** مول مولت چیست زوتر گام زن
He (the captain) lost his way and, (beguiled) by that false dawn, fell like a gnat into the pot of buttermilk.
راه گم کرد او از آن صبح دروغ ** چون مگس افتاد اندر دیگ دوغ
How that military chief repented of the sin which he had committed and adjured the girl not to tell the Caliph anything of what had happened.
پشیمان شدن آن سرلشکر از آن خیانت کی کرد و سوگند دادن او آن کنیزک را کی به خلیفه باز نگوید از آنچ رفت
He was absorbed in that (love-affair) for a while, (but) afterwards he repented of that grievous crime,
چند روزی هم بر آن بد بعد از آن ** شد پشیمان او از آن جرم گران
And adjured her, saying, “O thou whose face is like the sun, do not give the Caliph any hint of what has passed.”
داد سوگندش کای خورشیدرو ** با خلیفه زینچ شد رمزی مگو
When the Caliph saw her he became distraught (with love), and then too his secret was exposed to all.
چون ندید او را خلیفه مست گشت ** پس ز بام افتاد او را نیز طشت
He saw (her to be) a hundred times as beautiful as he (the informer) had described her: how in sooth should seeing be like hearing?3905
دید صد چندان که وصفش کرده بود ** کی بود خود دیده مانند شنود
Description is a picture (drawn) for the eye of intelligence: know that the (sensible) form belongs to the eye, not to the ear.
وصف تصویرست بهر چشم هوش ** صورت آن چشم دان نه زان گوش
A certain man asked an eloquent person, “What are truth and falsehood, O man of goodly discourse?”
کرد مردی از سخن‌دانی سال ** حق و باطل چیست ای نیکو مقال
He took hold of his ear and said, “This is false: the eye is true and possesses certainty.”
گوش را بگرفت و گفت این باطلست ** چشم حقست و یقینش حاصلست
The former is relatively false as compared with the latter: most sayings are relative, O trusty one.
آن به نسبت باطل آمد پیش این ** نسبتست اغلب سخنها ای امین
If the bat screens itself from the sun, (yet) it is not screened from the fancy (idea) of the sun.3910
ز آفتاب ار کرد خفاش احتجاب ** نیست محجوب از خیال آفتاب
Even the fancy (idea) of it (the sun) puts fear into it (the bat): that fancy leads it towards the darkness.
خوف او را خود خیالش می‌دهد ** آن خیالش سوی ظلمت می‌کشد
That fancy (idea) of the light terrifies it and causes it to become attached to the night of gloom.
آن خیال نور می‌ترساندش ** بر شب ظلمات می‌چفساندش
’Tis from the fancy (idea) and the picture (thou hast formed) of thy enemy that thou hast become attached to thy comrade and friend.
از خیال دشمن و تصویر اوست ** که تو بر چفسیده‌ای بر یار و دوست
O Moses, the revelation given to thee illumined the mountain, (but) the fancy conceiving (mountain) could not endure thy real experience (of the revelation).
موسیا کشفت لمع بر که فراشت ** آن مخیل تاب تحقیقت نداشت
Hark, be not deluded by (the belief) that thou art able to conceive the fancy (idea) thereof and by this means canst attain (to the reality).3915
هین مشو غره بدانک قابلی ** مر خیالش را و زین ره واصلی
No one was ever terrified by the (mere) fancy (idea) of war: there is no bravery before (actual) war. Know this, and ’tis enough.
از خیال حرب نهراسید کس ** لا شجاعه قبل حرب این دان و بس
(Possessed) with the fancy (idea) of war, the poltroon makes, in his thoughts, a hundred heroic attacks (on the enemy).
بر خیال حرب خیز اندر فکر ** می‌کند چون رستمان صد کر و فر
The antagonist (conceived) in the mind of every raw (weakling) is the picture of Rustam that may be (found) in a bath-house.
نقش رستم که آن به حمامی بود ** قرن حمله فکر هر خامی بود
When this fancy (idea) derived from hearing becomes (actually) visible, what of the poltroon? (Even) a Rustam (hero) is compelled (to submit).
این خیال سمع چون مبصر شود ** حیز چه بود رستمی مضطر شود
Endeavour that it (the fancy) may pass from thine ear into thine eye, and that what has (hitherto) been unreal may become real.3920
جهد کن کز گوش در چشمت رود ** آنچ که آن باطل بدست آن حق شود
After that, thine ear will become connatural with thine eye: the two ears, (gross) as wool, will become of pure substance (and subtle);
زان سپس گوشت شود هم طبع چشم ** گوهری گردد دو گوش هم‌چو یشم
Nay, thy whole body will become like a mirror: it will become all eye and pure spiritual substance.
بلک جمله تن چو آیینه شود ** جمله چشم و گوهر سینه شود
The ear rouses a fancy, and that fancy is the go-between (that leads) to union with that Beauty.
گوش انگیزد خیال و آن خیال ** هست دلاله‌ی وصال آن جمال
Endeavour that this fancy may increase, so that the go-between may become a guide for Majnún.
جهد کن تا این خیال افزون شود ** تا دلاله رهبر مجنون شود
That foolish Caliph, too, was mightily infatuated for awhile with that girl.3925
آن خلیفه گول هم یک چند نیز ** ریش گاوی کرد خوش با آن کنیز
Suppose the (monarch's) empire is the empire of the West and the East: since it will not remain, deem it to be (as fleeting as) a lightning-flash.
ملک را تو ملک غرب و شرق گیر ** چون نمی‌ماند تو آن را برق گیر
O thou whose heart is slumbering (heedless), know that the kingdom that does not remain unto everlasting is (but) a dream.
مملکت کان می‌نماند جاودان ** ای دلت خفته تو آن را خواب دان
Consider what thou wilt do with (all) that vanity and vainglory; for (ultimately) it will grip thy throat like an executioner.
تا چه خواهی کرد آن باد و بروت ** که بگیرد هم‌چو جلادی گلوت
Know that even in this world there is a safe refuge: do not listen to the hypocrite who says there is none.
هم درین عالم بدان که مامنیست ** از منافق کم شنو کو گفت نیست
The argument of those who disbelieve in the after-life, and a demonstration of the weakness of that argument, since their argument amounts to “We do not see any other (world) than this.”
حجت منکران آخرت و بیان ضعف آن حجت زیرا حجت ایشان به دین باز می‌گردد کی غیر این نمی‌بینیم
This is his (the hypocrite's) argument: he says at every moment, “If there were anything else, I should have seen it.”3930
حجتش اینست گوید هر دمی ** گر بدی چیزی دگر هم دیدمی
If a child does not see the various aspects of reason, will a rational person ever abandon reason?
گر نبیند کودکی احوال عقل ** عاقلی هرگز کند از عقل نقل
And if a rational person does not see the various aspects of Love, (yet) the auspicious moon of Love does not wane.
ور نبیند عاقلی احوال عشق ** کم نگردد ماه نیکوفال عشق