The seven dry, ugly, and unapproved ears of corn are feeding on its fresh ears.
هفت خوشه‌ی خشک زشت ناپسند ** سنبلات تازه‌اش را می‌چرند
Famine has arisen in its Egypt, O mighty Potentate: hark, O King, do not continue to sanction this.
قحط از مصرش بر آمد ای عزیز ** هین مباش ای شاه این را مستجیز
Let my Joseph sit in Thy prison, O King: come, deliver me from the wiles of the women.2795
یوسفم در حبس تو ای شه نشان ** هین ز دستان زنانم وا رهان
My mother's lust caused me to fall from the highest heaven which was my tethering-place (stable), for (God said), Fall ye down!
از سوی عرشی که بودم مربط او ** شهوت مادر فکندم که اهبطوا
So by the artfulness of a crone I fell from (a state of) complete perfection into the prison of the womb.
پس فتادم زان کمال مستتم ** از فن زالی به زندان رحم
She brings the spirit from the highest heaven to the (corporeal) Hatím (enclosure): great must be the craft of women.
روح را از عرش آرد در حطیم ** لاجرم کید زنان باشد عظیم
(Both) my first and my last fall were caused by woman, since I was spirit—and how have I become body?
اول و آخر هبوط من ز زن ** چونک بودم روح و چون گشتم بدن
Hearken to this lament of Joseph in his lapse (from grace), or take pity on that distraught Jacob.2800
بشنو این زاری یوسف در عثار ** یا بر آن یعقوب بی‌دل رحم آر
Shall I complain of my brethren or of the women who have cast me, like Adam, from the gardens (of Eden)?
ناله از اخوان کنم یا از زنان ** که فکندندم چو آدم از جنان
I am withered like leaves in December because I have eaten the wheat from the Paradise of union.
زان مثال برگ دی پژمرده‌ام ** کز بهشت وصل گندم خورده‌ام
When I saw Thy graciousness and kindness and Thy greeting of peace and Thy message,
چون بدیدم لطف و اکرام ترا ** وآن سلام سلم و پیغام ترا
I produced rue (to burn as a charm) against the evil eye; (but) the evil eye reached even my rue.
من سپند از چشم بد کردم پدید ** در سپندم نیز چشم بد رسید
(’Tis) only Thy languishing eyes (that) are able to avert every evil eye (whether) in front or behind.2805
دافع هر چشم بد از پیش و پس ** چشم‌های پر خمار تست و بس
Thy good eye, O King, defeats and extirpates the evil eye: how excellent it is as a remedy!
چشم بد را چشم نیکویت شها ** مات و مستاصل کند نعم الدوا
Nay, from Thine eye come (wondrous) alchemies (transmutations): they turn the evil eye into the good eye.
بل ز چشمت کیمیاها می‌رسد ** چشم بد را چشم نیکو می‌کند
The King's eye hath smitten the eye of the falcon-heart, and its falcon-eye hath become mightily aspiring,
چشم شه بر چشم باز دل زدست ** چشم بازش سخت با همت شدست
So that, because of the great aspiration which it has gained from the (King's) look, the royal falcon will (now) catch (hunt) nothing but the fierce lion.
تا ز بس همت که یابید از نظر ** می‌نگیرد باز شه جز شیر نر
What (of the) lion? The spiritual royal falcon is Thy quarry and at the same time Thou art its prey.2810
شیر چه کان شاه‌باز معنوی ** هم شکار تست و هم صیدش توی
The call uttered by the falcon-soul in the meadow of devotion is cries of “I love not them that set.”
شد صفیر باز جان در مرج دین ** نعره‌های لا احب الافلین
From Thy infinite bounty there came an (inward) eye to the falcon-soul that was flying for Thy sake.
باز دل را که پی تو می‌پرید ** از عطای بی‌حدت چشمی رسید
From Thee its nose gained (the inward sense of) smell, and its ear the (inward) hearing: to each sense was allotted a portion (of the spiritual sense that was) distributed (amongst them all).
یافت بینی بوی و گوش از تو سماع ** هر حسی را قسمتی آمد مشاع
Since Thou givest to each sense the means of access to the Unseen, that (spiritual) sense is not subject to the frailty of death and hoary eld.
هر حسی را چون دهی ره سوی غیب ** نبود آن حس را فتور مرگ و شیب
Thou art the Lord of the kingdom: Thou givest to the (spiritual) sense something (peculiar to itself), so that that sense exercises sovereignty over (all) the senses.2815
مالک الملکی به حس چیزی دهی ** تا که بر حس‌ها کند آن حس شهی
Story of the night-thieves with whom Sultan Mahmúd fell in during the night (and joined them), saying, “I am one of you”; and how he became acquainted with their affairs, etc.
حکایت شب دزدان کی سلطان محمود شب در میان ایشان افتاد کی من یکی‌ام از شما و بر احوال ایشان مطلع شدن الی آخره
While King Mahmúd was roaming about alone at night he encountered a band of thieves.
شب چو شه محمود برمی‌گشت فرد ** با گروهی قوم دزدان باز خورد
Thereupon they said to him, “Who art thou, O honest man?” “I am one of you,” replied the King.
پس بگفتندش کیی ای بوالوفا ** گفت شه من هم یکی‌ام از شما
One (of the thieves) said, “O company practised in cunning, let each of us declare his (special) talent;
آن یکی گفت ای گروه مکر کیش ** تا بگوید هر یکی فرهنگ خویش
Let him tell his comrades in the night-talk what (eminent) skill he possesses in his nature.”
تا بگوید با حریفان در سمر ** کو چه دارد در جبلت از هنر
One said, “O ye fellows who are exhibiting (your) cleverness, my specialty lies in my two ears.2820
آن یکی گفت ای گروه فن‌فروش ** هست خاصیت مرا اندر دو گوش
(It is this), that I know what a dog is saying when it barks.” The (rest of the) party replied, “Two dángs of a dínár.”
که بدانم سگ چه می‌گوید به بانگ ** قوم گفتندش ز دیناری دو دانگ
Another (thief) said, “O company of gold-worshippers, my specialty lies wholly in my eyes.
آن دگر گفت ای گروه زرپرست ** جمله خاصیت مرا چشم اندرست
If I see any one in the world by night, I know him by day without (having any) doubt (as to his identity).”
هر که را شب بینم اندر قیروان ** روز بشناسم من او را بی‌گمان
Another said, “My specialty lies in my arm: I make tunnels (through walls) by strength of hand.”
گفت یک خاصیتم در بازو است ** که زنم من نقبها با زور دست
Another said, “My specialty lies in my nose: my business is to detect the (characteristic) smell in (different) earths (soils).2825
گفت یک خاصیتم در بینی است ** کار من در خاکها بوبینی است
The secret of ‘men are mines’ has yielded itself (to me), so that (I know the reason) why the Prophet has said it.
سرالناس معادن داد دست ** که رسول آن را پی چه گفته است
From (smelling) the earth of the body I know how much good ore is (hidden) therein and what (sort of) mine it holds.
من ز خاک تن بدانم کاندر آن ** چند نقدست و چه دارد او ز کان
In one mine is contained gold immeasurable, while (in the case of) another the revenue (derived) from it is less than the expenditure (cost of working it).
در یکی کان زر بی‌اندازه درج ** وان دگر دخلش بود کمتر ز خرج
Like Majnún, I smell the soil and detect the soil (abode) of Laylá without mistake.
هم‌چو مجنون بو کنم من خاک را ** خاک لیلی را بیابم بی‌خطا
I smell and know from (the scent of) every shirt whether ’tis (belongs to) a Joseph or an Ahriman (devil).2830
بو کنم دانم ز هر پیراهنی ** گر بود یوسف و گر آهرمنی
Like Ahmad (Mohammed), who catches scent from Yemen, this nose of mine has gained (been endowed with) some portion of that (spiritual faculty),
هم‌چو احمد که برد بو از یمن ** زان نصیبی یافت این بینی من
(So that I can smell) which soil is a neighbour of gold, or which soil is empty and poor.”
که کدامین خاک همسایه‌ی زرست ** یا کدامین خاک صفر و ابترست
Another said, “Look here, my specialty lies in my fist: I can throw a lasso to the height of a mountain,
گفت یک نک خاصیت در پنجه‌ام ** که کمندی افکنم طول علم
Like Ahmad (Mohammed), whose spirit threw a lasso so (high) that his lasso bore him to Heaven,
هم‌چو احمد که کمند انداخت جانش ** تا کمندش برد سوی آسمانش
And God said to him, ‘O thrower of the lasso (of thy aspiration) at the (celestial) House, deem that (act of throwing) to be from Me: thou didst not throw when thou threwest.’”2835
گفت حقش ای کمندانداز بیت ** آن ز من دان ما رمیت اذ رمیت
Then they (the thieves) asked the King, saying, “O man of authority, in what may thy special talent consist?”
پس بپرسیدند زان شه کای سند ** مر ترا خاصیت اندر چه بود
He replied, “My specialty lies in my beard: I can save criminals from punishment.
گفت در ریشم بود خاصیتم ** که رهانم مجرمان را از نقم
When criminals are handed over to the executioners, as soon as my beard moves they are saved.
مجرمان را چون به جلادان دهند ** چون بجنبد ریش من زیشان رهند
When I move my beard in mercy, they (the executioners) put an end to the killing and (all) the trouble.”
چون بجنبانم به رحمت ریش را ** طی کنند آن قتل و آن تشویش را
The company said to him, “Thou art our qutb (supreme chief), for thou wilt be the (means of our) deliverance on the day of tribulation.”2840
قوم گفتندش که قطب ما توی ** که خلاص روز محنتمان شوی
Afterwards they all set out together and went towards the palace of the fortunate king.
بعد از آن جمله به هم بیرون شدند ** سوی قصرآن شه میمون شدند
When a dog barked on the right, (one of them) said, “It says ‘The Sultan is with you.’”
چون سگی بانگی بزد از سوی راست ** گفت می‌گوید که سلطان با شماست