(Formerly) thou wert always a head (leader): do not make thyself a tail, do not lose thy feet and hands and beard and moustache.
سر بدی پیوسته خود را دم مکن ** پا و دست و ریش و سبلت گم مکن
(Now) ’tis for thee to make a move on the (chess-) board: restore thyself to thy normal state (of spiritual health) and thy (natural) vigour.
بازی آن تست بر روی بساط ** خویش را در طبع آر و در نشاط
Anecdote of a king who brought a learned doctor into his banquet-hall by force and made him sit down. (When) the cup-bearer offered him wine and held out the goblet to him, the doctor averted his face and began to look sour and behave rudely. The king said to the cup-bearer, “Come, put him in a good humour.” The cup-bearer beat him on the head several times and made him drink the wine, etc.
ذکر آن پادشاه که آن دانشمند را به اکراه در مجلس آورد و بنشاند ساقی شراب بر دانشمند عرضه کرد ساغر پیش او داشت رو بگردانید و ترشی و تندی آغاز کرد شاه ساقی را گفت کی هین در طبعش آر ساقی چندی بر سرش کوفت و شرابش در خورد داد الی آخره
(Whilst) a drunken king was feasting merrily, a certain jurist passed by his gate.
پادشاهی مست اندر بزم خوش ** می‌گذشت آن یک فقیهی بر درش
He gave directions, saying, “Bring him into this hall and give him a drink of the ruby wine.”3915
کرد اشارت کش درین مجلس کشید ** وان شراب لعل را با او چشید
So they brought him to the king, (for) he had no choice (power to resist): he sat down in the hall, (looking) sour as poison and snakes.
پس کشیدندش به شه بی‌اختیار ** شست در مجلس ترش چون زهر و مار
(When) he (the cup-bearer) offered him wine, he angrily refused it and averted his eyes from the king and the cup-bearer,
عرضه کردش می نپذرفت او به خشم ** از شه و ساقی بگردانید چشم
Saying, “I have never drunk wine in my life: rank poison would please me better than wine.
که به عمر خود نخوردستم شراب ** خوشتر آید از شرابم زهر ناب
Hey, give me some poison instead of the wine, that I may be delivered from myself and ye from this (impoliteness).”
هین به جای می به من زهری دهید ** تا من از خویش و شما زین وا رهید
Without having drunk wine, he began to make a row and became as disagreeable to the company as death and (its) pangs.3920
می نخورده عربده آغاز کرد ** گشته در مجلس گران چون مرگ و درد
(This is) like (the behaviour of) carnal earthly-minded people in the world when they sit (associate) with spiritual folk.
هم‌چو اهل نفس و اهل آب و گل ** در جهان بنشسته با اصحاب دل
God keeps His elect (ever) drinking secretly the wine of the free.
حق ندارد خاصگان را در کمون ** از می احرار جز در یشربون
They offer the cup to one who is veiled (uninitiated), (but his) perception apprehends naught thereof except the (literal) words.
عرضه می‌دارند بر محجوب جام ** حس نمی‌یابد از آن غیر کلام
He averts his face from their guidance because he does not see their gift with his eye.
رو همی گرداند از ارشادشان ** که نمی‌بیند به دیده دادشان
If there were a passage from his ear to his throat, the hidden meaning of their admonition would have entered his inward parts.3925
گر ز گوشش تا به حلقش ره بدی ** سر نصح اندر درونشان در شدی
Inasmuch as his spirit is wholly fire, not light, who would throw anything but husks into a blazing fire?
چون همه نارست جانش نیست نور ** که افکند در نار سوزان جز قشور
The kernel remains outside and the husk, (consisting of mere) words, goes (in): how should the stomach be made warm and stout by husks?
مغز بیرون ماند و قشر گفت رفت ** کی شود از قشر معده گرم و زفت
The Fire of Hell torments only the husks: the Fire has nothing to do with any kernel;
نار دوزخ جز که قشر افشار نیست ** نار را با هیچ مغزی کار نیست
And if a fire should dart its flames at the kernel, know that ’tis in order to cook it, not to burn it.
ور بود بر مغز ناری شعله‌زن ** بهر پختن دان نه بهر سوختن
So long as God is the Wise, know that this law is perpetual (both) in the past and in the time that has not (yet) come.3930
تا که باشد حق حکیم این قاعده ** مستمر دان در گذشته و نامده
The pure kernels and (also) the husks are pardoned by Him: how, then, should He burn the kernel? Far (be it) from Him!
مغز نغز و قشرها مغفور ازو ** مغز را پس چون بسوزد دور ازو
If in His grace He beat the head of him (who resembles the husk), he (such an one) will feel an eager desire for the red wine;
از عنایت گر بکوبد بر سرش ** اشتها آید شراب احمرش
And if He do not beat him, he will remain, like the jurist, with his mouth closed against the potations and festivity of these (spiritual) kings.
ور نکوبد ماند او بسته‌دهان ** چون فقیه از شرب و بزم این شهان
The king said to his cup-bearer, “O well-conducted (youth), why art thou silent? Give (it him) and put him in good humour.”
گفت شه با ساقیش ای نیک‌پی ** چه خموشی ده به طبعش آر هی
Over every mind there is a hidden Ruler, (who) cunningly diverts from his purpose whomsoever He will.3935
هست پنهان حاکمی بر هر خرد ** هرکه را خواهد به فن از سر برد
The sun in the East and his radiance are bound like captives in His chain.
آفتاب مشرق و تنویر او ** چون اسیران بسته در زنجیر او
He causes the (celestial) sphere to revolve immediately when He chants half of a cunning spell in its brain.
چرخ را چرخ اندر آرد در زمن ** چون بخواند در دماغش نیم فن
The mind which dominates another mind has (obtains) the dice (of victory) from Him: He is the Master-player.
عقل کو عقل دگر را سخره کرد ** مهره زو دارد ویست استاد نرد
He (the cup-bearer) gave him (the jurist) several cuffs on the head, saying, “Take (the cup)!” The tormented man drained it in dread of (receiving further) blows.
چند سیلی بر سرش زد گفت گیر ** در کشید از بیم سیلی آن زحیر
He became tipsy and merry and smiling (gay) as a garden: he began to act like a boon-companion and tell ridiculous stories and make jokes.3940
مست گشت و شاد و خندان شد چو باغ ** در ندیمی و مضاحک رفت و لاغ
He became pot-valiant and jolly and snapped his fingers: in latrinam ivit ut mingeret. [He became pot-valiant and jolly and snapped his fingers: he went to the latrine in order to urinate.]
شیرگیر و خوش شد انگشتک بزد ** سوی مبرز رفت تا میزک کند
Erat in latrina puella lunae similis, venustissima, una de regis ancillis. [A maiden as (lovely as) the (full) moon was in the latrine, very beautiful and one of the maidservants of the king.]
یک کنیزک بود در مبرز چو ماه ** سخت زیبا و ز قرناقان شاه
When he espied her, his mouth gaped in amazement, his reason fled and his body was ready for violence.
چون بدید او را دهانش باز ماند ** عقل رفت و تن ستم‌پرداز ماند
Per aeva coelebs vixerat: extemplo cupidine et furore accensus puellae manus injecit. [He had been a bachelor (for) ages: passionate and drunk (with lust), he immediately grabbed the maidservant (with his) two hands.]
عمرها بوده عزب مشتاق و مست ** بر کنیزک در زمان در زد دو دست
Valde trepidavit puella et clamorem sustulit: ei non poterat resistere, operam perdidit. [The maiden trembled greatly and raised a clamor: she could not oppose him and (her resistance) had no benefit.]3945
بس طپید آن دختر و نعره فراشت ** بر نیامد با وی و سودی نداشت
Femina viro in manus tempore congressus tradita is like dough in the hands of a baker. [A woman in the hands of a man at the moment of (such an) encounter is like dough in the hands of a baker.]
زن به دست مرد در وقت لقا ** چون خمیر آمد به دست نانبا
He kneads it now gently, now roughly, and makes it groan under (the thumps of) his fist;
بسرشد گاهیش نرم و گه درشت ** زو بر آرد چاق چاقی زیر مشت
Now he draws it out flat on a board (rolling-pin), now for a bit he rolls it up;
گاه پهنش واکشد بر تخته‌ای ** درهمش آرد گهی یک لخته‌ای
Now he pours water on it and now salt: he puts it to the ordeal of oven and fire.
گاه در وی ریزد آب و گه نمک ** از تنور و آتشش سازد محک
Thus are the sought and the seeker intertwined: (both) the conquered and the conqueror are (engaged) in this sport. 3950
این چنین پیچند مطلوب و طلوب ** اندرین لعبند مغلوب و غلوب
This sport is not between husband and wife only: this is the practice of everything that is loved and loves.
این لعب تنها نه شو را با زنست ** هر عشیق و عاشقی را این فنست
A mutual embracing, like (that of) Wís and Rámín, is obligatory (Divinely ordained) between eternal and non-eternal and between substance and accident;
از قدیم و حادث و عین و عرض ** پیچشی چون ویس و رامین مفترض
But the sport is of a different character in each case: the embracing is for a different reason in each instance.
لیک لعب هر یکی رنگی دگر ** پیچش هر یک ز فرهنگی دگر
This is said as a parable for husband and wife, meaning, “O husband, do not dismiss thy wife unkindly.
شوی و زن را گفته شد بهر مثال ** که مکن ای شوی زن را بد گسیل
On thy wedding-night did not the bridesmaid place her (the wife's) hand in thy hand as a goodly trust?3955
آن شب گردک نه ینگا دست او ** خوش امانت داد اندر دست تو
For the evil or good which thou doest unto her, O man worthy of confidence, God will do (the same) unto thee.”
کانچ با او تو کنی ای معتمد ** از بد و نیکی خدا با تو کند
To resume, on this occasion this jurist was so beside himself that neither continence nor asceticism remained to him.
حاصل این‌جا این فقیه از بی‌خودی ** نه عفیفی ماندش و نه زاهدی
The jurist threw himself on the nymph: his fire caught hold of her cotton.
آن فقیه افتاد بر آن حورزاد ** آتش او اندر آن پنبه فتاد
Anima cum anima conjuncta est, corpora mutuo amplexu implicata tanquam duae aves abscissis capitibus tremebant. [Soul was joined to soul and (their) bodies strove (in mutual embrace), trembling like two decapitated birds.]
جان به جان پیوست و قالب‌ها چخید ** چون دو مرغ سربریده می‌طپید
What (to them) was the wine-party or the king or Arslán (the Turkish slave)? What (to them) was modesty or religion or fear and dread of (losing) their lives?3960
چه سقایه چه ملک چه ارسلان ** چه حیا چه دین چه بیم و خوف جان
Their eyes were contorted like (the letters) ‘ayn and ghayn: here neither Hasan nor Husayn is seen distinctly.
چشمشان افتاده اندر عین و غین ** نه حسن پیداست این‌جا نه حسین