The waft of air that caught the words of the absent would hasten to the ear of the king,
باد دم که گفت غایب یافتی ** سوی گوش آن ملک بشتافتی
Saying, “Such-and-such an one said so-and-so just now, O mighty Solomon of auspicious fortune!”
که فلانی این چنین گفت این زمان ** ای سلیمان مه صاحب‌قران
How the mouse made an arrangement with the frog, saying, “I cannot come to you in the water when I want (to see you). There must be some means of communication between us, so that when I come to the river-bank I may be able to let you know, and when you come to the mouse-hole you may be able to let me know, etc.”
تدبیر کردن موش به چغز کی من نمی‌توانم بر تو آمدن به وقت حاجت در آب میان ما وصلتی باید کی چون من بر لب جو آیم ترا توانم خبر کردن و تو چون بر سر سوراخ موش‌خانه آیی مرا توانی خبر کردن الی آخره
This topic is endless. One day the mouse said to the frog, “O lamp of intelligence,2665
این سخن پایان ندارد گفت موش ** چغز را روزی کای مصباح هوش
At times I wish to talk with you in secret, and you are gambolling in the water.
وقتها خواهم که گویم با تو راز ** تو درون آب داری ترک‌تاز
I am on the river-bank, crying aloud for you, (but) you in the water do not hear the wailing of lovers.
بر لب جو من ترا نعره‌زنان ** نشنوی در آب ناله‌ی عاشقان
(When we meet) at this appointed time, O brave (frog), I never become weary of conversing with you.”
من بدین وقت معین ای دلیر ** می‌نگردم از محاکات تو سیر
The (ritual) prayer is five times (daily), but the guide for lovers is (the Verse), (they who are) in prayer continually.
پنج وقت آمد نماز و رهنمون ** عاشقان را فی صلاة دائمون
The wine-headache that is in those heads is not relieved by five (times) nor by five hundred thousand.2670
نه به پنج آرام گیرد آن خمار ** که در آن سرهاست نی پانصد هزار
“Visit once a week” is not the ration for lovers; the soul of the sincere (lovers) has an intense craving to drink.
نیست زر غبا وظیفه‌ی عاشقان ** سخت مستسقیست جان صادقان
“Visit once a week” is not the ration for (those) fishes, since they feel no spiritual joy without the Sea.
Notwithstanding the crop-sickness of the fishes, the water of this Sea, which is a tremendous place, is but a single draught (too little to satisfy them).
آب این دریا که هایل بقعه‌ایست ** با خمار ماهیان خود جرعه‌ایست
To the lover one moment of separation is as a year; to him a (whole) year's uninterrupted union is a (fleeting) fancy.
یک دم هجران بر عاشق چو سال ** وصل سالی متصل پیشش خیال
Love craves to drink and seeks him who craves to drink: this (Love) and that (lover) are at each other's heels, like Day and Night.2675
عشق مستسقیست مستسقی‌طلب ** در پی هم این و آن چون روز و شب
Day is in love with Night and has lost control of itself; when you look (inwardly), (you will see that) Night is (even) more in love with it.
روز بر شب عاشقست و مضطرست ** چون ببینی شب برو عاشق‌ترست
Never for one instant do they cease from seeking; never for one moment do they cease from pursuing each other.
نیستشان از جست‌وجو یک لحظه‌ایست ** از پی همشان یکی دم ایست نیست
This one has caught the foot of that one, and that one the ear of this one: this one is distraught with that one, and that one is beside itself for this one.
این گرفته پای آن آن گوش این ** این بر آن مدهوش و آن بی‌هوش این
In the heart of the beloved the lover is all: Wámiq is always in the heart of ‘Adhrá.
در دل معشوق جمله عاشق است ** در دل عذرا همیشه وامق است
In the lover's heart is naught but the beloved: there is nothing to separate and divide them.2680
در دل عاشق به جز معشوق نیست ** در میانشان فارق و فاروق نیست
These two bells are on one camel: how, then, in regard to these twain should (the injunction), “Visit once a week,” be admissible?
بر یکی اشتر بود این دو درا ** پس چه زر غبا بگنجد این دو را
Did any one (ever) pay recurring visits to himself? Was any one (ever) a companion to himself at regular intervals?
هیچ کس با خویش زر غبا نمود ** هیچ کس با خود به نوبت یار بود
That (of which I speak) is not the (sort of) oneness that reason apprehends: the apprehension of this (oneness) depends on a man's dying (to self);
آن یکیی نه که عقلش فهم کرد ** فهم این موقوف شد بر مرگ مرد
And if it were possible to perceive this (oneness) by means of reason, wherefore should self-violence have become a duty?
ور به عقل ادراک این ممکن بدی ** قهر نفس از بهر چه واجب شدی
How, with such (infinite) mercy as He hath, would the King of intellect say unnecessarily “Kill thyself”?2685
با چنان رحمت که دارد شاه هش ** بی‌ضرورت چون بگوید نفس کش
How the mouse exerted himself to the utmost in supplication and humble entreaty and besought the water-frog to grant him access (at all times).
مبالغه کردن موش در لابه و زاری و وصلت جستن از چغز آبی
He (the mouse) said, “O dear and affectionate friend, without (seeing) thy face I have not a moment's rest.
گفت کای یار عزیز مهرکار ** من ندارم بی‌رخت یک‌دم قرار
By day thou art my light and (power of) acquisition and strength; by night thou art my rest and comfort and sleep.
روز نور و مکسب و تابم توی ** شب قرار و سلوت و خوابم توی
It would be a generous act if thou wouldst make me happy and kindly remember me early and late.
از مروت باشد ار شادم کنی ** وقت و بی‌وقت از کرم یادم کنی
During (the period of) a (whole) day and night thou hast allowed me (only) breakfast-time for access (to thee), O well-wisher.
در شبان‌روزی وظیفه‌ی چاشتگاه ** راتبه کردی وصال ای نیک‌خواه
I feel in my liver five hundred cravings for drink, and bulimy (morbid hunger) is conjoined with every craving.2690
پانصد استسقاستم اندر جگر ** با هر استسقا قرین جوع البقر
Thou, O prince, art unconcerned with my passion: pay the poor-tax on thy high estate, look (kindly) on (this) poor wretch.
بی‌نیازی از غم من ای امیر ** ده زکات جاه و بنگر در فقیر
This poor unmannerly wretch is not worthy (of thy favour); but thy universal grace is superior to (regard for) that.
این فقیر بی‌ادب نا درخورست ** لیک لطف عام تو زان برترست
Thy universal grace requires no support (reason to justify it): a sun strikes (with its beams) on (all) ordures.
می‌نجوید لطف عام تو سند ** آفتابی بر حدثها می‌زند
Its light suffers no loss thereby, and the ordure is made dry and (fit for) fuel,
نور او را زان زیانی نابده ** وان حدث از خشکیی هیزم شده
So that the ordure goes into a bath-furnace, is converted into light, and illumines the door and wall of a bath-house.2695
تا حدث در گلخنی شد نور یافت ** در در و دیوار حمامی بتافت
(Formerly) it was a defilement, now it has become an adornment, since the sun chanted that spell (exerted that powerful influence) upon it.
بود آلایش شد آرایش کنون ** چون برو بر خواند خورشید آن فسون
The sun also warms the belly of the earth, so that the earth consumes the remaining ordures.
شمس هم معده‌ی زمین را گرم کرد ** تا زمین باقی حدثها را بخورد
They become a part of the earth, and herbage springs up from them: even so doth God wipe out evil actions.
جزو خاکی گشت و رست از وی نبات ** هکذا یمحو الاله السیات
To ordure, which is the worst (of things), He does this (favour), that He makes it herbage and narcissus and eglantine.
با حدث که بترینست این کند ** کش نبات و نرگس و نسرین کند
(Judge, then), what God bestows in (the way of) recompense and bounty on the eglantines (good works) of devotion (performed) faithfully.2700
تا به نسرین مناسک در وفا ** حق چه بخشد در جزا و در عطا
Since He confers such a robe of honour on the wicked, (consider) what He bestows on the righteous in the place where He waits (for them).
چون خبیثان را چنین خلعت دهد ** طیبین را تا چه بخشد در رصد
God gives them that which no eye hath beheld, that which is not comprehensible in any tongue or language.
آن دهد حقشان که لا عین رات ** که نگنجد در زبان و در لغت
Who are we to (aspire to) this? Come, my friend, make my day bright with (thy) goodly disposition.
ما کییم این را بیا ای یار من ** روز من روشن کن از خلق حسن
Do not regard my ugliness and hatefulness, though I am as venomous as a mountain-snake.
منگر اندر زشتی و مکروهیم ** که ز پر زهری چو مار کوهیم
Oh, I am ugly and all my qualities are ugly: since He planted me as a thorn, how should I become a rose?2705
ای که من زشت و خصالم جمله زشت ** چون شوم گل چون مرا او خار کشت
Bestow on the thorn the springtide of the rose's beauty: bestow on this snake the loveliness of the peacock!
نوبهار حسن گل ده خار را ** زینت طاووس ده این مار را
I have reached the limit in perfection of ugliness: thy grace has reached the limit in excellence and accomplishment.
در کمال زشتیم من منتهی ** لطف تو در فضل و در فن منتهی
Do thou grant the boon sought by this consummate one from that consummate one, O thou who art the envy of the tall cypress.
حاجت این منتهی زان منتهی ** تو بر آر ای حسرت سرو سهی
When I die, thy bounty, though it is exempt from need, will weep for kindness' sake.
چون بمیرم فضل تو خواهد گریست ** از کرم گرچه ز حاجت او بریست
It will sit beside my grave a long while: tears will gush from its gracious eye.2710
بر سر گورم بسی خواهد نشست ** خواهد از چشم لطیفش اشک جست
It will mourn for my deprivation (of beauty), it will shut its eyes to my abjectness.
نوحه خواهد کرد بر محرومیم ** چشم خواهد بست از مظلومیم
Bestow a little of those favours now, put a few of those (kind) words as a ring into my ear!
اندکی زان لطفها اکنون بکن ** حلقه‌ای در گوش من کن زان سخن