The Sultan of (all) hearts is waiting expectantly for that Heart full of light and goodness.
از برای آن دل پر نور و بر ** هست آن سلطان دلها منتظر
Thou mayst wander (many) days in Sabzawár, (but) thou wilt not find (there) a Heart like that by (the most) careful observation.
تو بگردی روزها در سبزوار ** آنچنان دل را نیابی ز اعتبار
Then thou wilt lay upon a bier the corrupt heart, whose soul is rotten, to carry (it) Yonder,890
پس دل پژمرده‌ی پوسیده‌جان ** بر سر تخته نهی آن سو کشان
And say, “I bring Thee a heart, O King: there is no better heart than this in Sabzawár.”
که دل آوردم ترا ای شهریار ** به ازین دل نبود اندر سبزوار
He (God) will answer thee, saying, “O audacious man, is this a graveyard that thou shouldst bring a dead heart hither?
گویدت این گورخانه‌ست ای جری ** که دل مرده بدینجا آوری
Go, bring the Heart that is kingly, from which is (derived) the security of the Sabzawár of (mundane) existence.”
رو بیاور آن دلی کو شاه‌خوست ** که امان سبزوار کون ازوست
You may say that that Heart is hidden from this world, because darkness and light are opposites.
گویی آن دل زین جهان پنهان بود ** زانک ظلمت با ضیا ضدان بود
From the Day of Alast there is an hereditary enmity of that Heart to the Sabzawár of the carnal nature;895
دشمنی آن دل از روز الست ** سبزوار طبع را میراثی است
For it is a falcon, while this world is the city of the crow: the sight of one who is uncongenial inflicts pain upon him who is not his congener;
زانک او بازست و دنیا شهر زاغ ** دیدن ناجنس بر ناجنس داغ
And if he (the worldling) behave with mildness (complaisance), he is acting hypocritically: he is seeking an advantage for himself by conciliating (the owner of the Heart).
ور کند نرمی نفاقی می‌کند ** ز استمالت ارتفاقی می‌کند
He assents, not on account of sincere feeling, (but) in order that the admonisher may curtail his long admonition;
می‌کند آری نه از بهر نیاز ** تا که ناصح کم کند نصح دراز
For this vile carrion-seeking crow hath a hundred thousand manifold tricks.
زانک این زاغ خس مردارجو ** صد هزاران مکر دارد تو به تو
If they (the saints) accept his hypocrisy, he is saved: his hypocrisy becomes identical with the sincerity of him who benefits by instruction,900
گر پذیرند آن نفاقش را رهید ** شد نفاقش عین صدق مستفید
Because the august owner of the Heart is a buyer of damaged goods in our bazaar.
زانک آن صاحب دل با کر و فر ** هست در بازار ما معیوب‌خر
Seek the owner of the Heart, if thou art not soulless: become a congener of the Heart, if thou art not an adversary of the (spiritual) Sultan.
صاحب دل جو اگر بی‌جان نه‌ای ** جنس دل شو گر ضد سلطان نه‌ای
(But) that one whose hypocrisy pleases thee, he is (only) thy saint, (he is) not the elect of God.
آنک زرق او خوش آید مر ترا ** آن ولی تست نه خاص خدا
Whosoever lives in accordance with thy disposition and nature seems to thy (carnal) nature to be a saint and a prophet.
هر که او بر خو و بر طبع تو زیست ** پیش طبع تو ولی است و نبیست
Go, renounce sensuality in order that the (spiritual) scent may be thine and that the sweet ambergris-seeking organ of smell may be thine.905
رو هوا بگذار تا بویت شود ** وان مشام خوش عبرجویت شود
Thy brain (organ of smell) is corrupted by sensual indulgence: to thy (olfactory) sense musk and ambergris are unsalable.
از هوارانی دماغت فاسدست ** مشک و عنبر پیش مغزت کاسدست
This discourse hath no bound, and (meanwhile) our gazelle is running to and fro in flight in the stable.
حد ندارد این سخن و آهوی ما ** می‌گریزد اندر آخر جابجا
The remainder of the Story of the gazelle in the donkey-stable.
بقیه‌ی قصه‌ی آهو و آخر خران
During (many) days the sweet-navelled male gazelle was in torment in the donkey-stable,
روزها آن آهوی خوش‌ناف نر ** در شکنجه بود در اصطبل خر
Like a fish wriggling in the death-agony from (being kept on) dry ground, (or like) dung and musk tortured (by being kept) in the same box.
مضطرب در نزع چون ماهی ز خشک ** در یکی حقه معذب پشک و مشک
One donkey would say to his neighbour, “Ha! this wild fellow has the nature of kings and princes. Hush!”910
یک خرش گفتی که ها این بوالوحوش ** طبع شاهان دارد و میران خموش
And the other would mock, saying, “By (constant) ebb and flow he has gained a pearl: how should he sell cheaply?”
وآن دگر تسخر زدی کز جر و مد ** گوهر آوردست کی ارزان دهد
And another donkey would say, “With this fastidiousness (of his), let him recline on the imperial throne!”
وآن خری گفتی که با این نازکی ** بر سریر شاه شو گو متکی
A certain donkey became ill with indigestion and was unable to eat; therefore he gave the gazelle a formal invitation (to dine).
آن خری شد تخمه وز خوردن بماند ** پس برسم دعوت آهو را بخواند
He (the gazelle) shook his head, (as though to say), “Nay, begone, O such-and such: I have no appetite, I am unwell.”
سر چنین کرد او که نه رو ای فلان ** اشتهاام نیست هستم ناتوان
He (the donkey) replied, “I know that you are showing disdain, or holding aloof in regard for your reputation.”915
گفت می‌دانم که نازی می‌کنی ** یا ز ناموس احترازی می‌کنی
He (the gazelle) said to himself, “That (which you offer me) is your food, whereby your limbs are revived and renewed.
گفت او با خود که آن طعمه‌ی توست ** که از آن اجزای تو زنده و نوست
I have been familiar with a (beauteous) pasture, I have reposed amongst (rivulets of) clear water and meadows.
من الیف مرغزاری بوده‌ام ** در زلال و روضه‌ها آسوده‌ام
If Destiny has cast me into torment, (yet) how should that goodly disposition and nature depart (from me)?
گر قضا انداخت ما را در عذاب ** کی رود آن خو و طبع مستطاب
If I have become a beggar, (yet) how should I have the face (impudence and greed) of a beggar? And if my (bodily) raiment become old, (yet) I am (spiritually) new.
گر گدا گشتم گدارو کی شوم ** ور لباسم کهنه گردد من نوم
I have eaten hyacinth and anemone and sweet basil too with a thousand disdains and disgusts.”920
سنبل و لاله و سپرغم نیز هم ** با هزاران ناز و نفرت خورده‌ام
He (the donkey) said, “Yes; boast and boast and boast away! In a strange country one can utter many an idle brag.”
He (the gazelle) replied, “Truly my navel (musk-gland) bears (me) witness: it confers a (great) favour (even) on aloes-wood and ambergris.
گفت نافم خود گواهی می‌دهد ** منتی بر عود و عنبر می‌نهد
But who will hearken to (perceive) that? (Only) he that hath the (spiritual) sense of smell. ’Tis taboo for the donkey addicted to dung.
لیک آن را کی شنود صاحب‌مشام ** بر خر سرگین‌پرست آن شد حرام
The donkey smells donkey's urine on the road: how should I offer musk to (creatures of) this class?”
خر کمیز خر ببوید بر طریق ** مشک چون عرضه کنم با این فریق
Hence the Prophet, (who was always) responsive (to the Divine command), spake, the parable, “Islam is a stranger in this world,”925
بهر این گفت آن نبی مستجیب ** رمز الاسلام فی‌الدنیا غریب
Because even his (the true Moslem's) kinsfolk are fleeing from him, though the angels are in harmony with his essence.
زانک خویشانش هم از وی می‌رمند ** گرچه با ذاتش ملایک هم‌دمند
The people deem his (outward) form homogeneous (with theirs), but they do not perceive in him that (spiritual) fragrance.
صورتش را جنس می‌بینند انام ** لیک از وی می‌نیابند آن مشام
(He is) like a lion in the shape of a cow: behold him from afar but do not investigate him!
هم‌چو شیری در میان نقش گاو ** دور می‌بینش ولی او را مکاو
And if you investigate, take leave of the cow, (which is) the body; for that lion natured one will tear the cow to pieces.
ور بکاوی ترک گاو تن بگو ** که بدرد گاو را آن شیرخو
He will expel the bovine nature from your head, he will uproot animality from the animal (soul).930
طبع گاوی از سرت بیرون کند ** خوی حیوانی ز حیوان بر کند
(If) you are a cow, you will become a lion (when) near him; (but) if you are glad to be a cow, do not seek to be a lion.
گاو باشی شیر گردی نزد او ** گر تو با گاوی خوشی شیری مجو
Commentary on “Verily I saw seven fat kine which seven lean kine devoured.” God had created those lean kine with the qualities of hungry lions, to the end that they might devour the seven fat ones with avidity. Although (only) the forms of those kine were shown as phantoms in the mirror of dream, do thou regard the reality!
تفسیر انی اری سبع بقرات سمان یاکلهن سبع عجاف آن گاوان لاغر را خدا به صفت شیران گرسنه آفریده بود تا آن هفت گاو فربه را به اشتها می‌خوردند اگر چه آن خیالات صور گاوان در آینه‌ی خواب نمودند تو معنی بگیر
The Lord of Egypt saw in dream, when the door of his inward eye was opened,
آن عزیز مصر می‌دیدی به خواب ** چونک چشم غیب را شد فتح باب
Seven fat kine, exceedingly well-nourished: the seven lean kine devoured them.
هفت گاو فربه بس پروری ** خوردشان آن هفت گاو لاغری
The lean ones were lions within; else they would not have been devouring the (fat) kine.
در درون شیران بدند آن لاغران ** ورنه گاوان را نبودندی خوران
The man of (holy) works, then, is human in appearance, but in him is concealed a man-eating lion.935
پس بشر آمد به صورت مرد کار ** لیک در وی شیر پنهان مردخوار
He (the lion) heartily devours the (carnal) man and makes him single: his dregs become pure if he (the lion) inflict pain upon him.
مرد را خوش وا خورد فردش کند ** صاف گردد دردش ار دردش کند
By that one pain he is delivered from all dregs: he sets his foot upon Suhá.
زان یکی درد او ز جمله دردها ** وا رهد پا بر نهد او بر سها