The party (of merchants) said to him, “O man (weak) as a sandhill, what were you doing, then? Who are you, O recreant?”
قوم گفتندش که ای چو تل ریگ ** پس چه می‌کردی کیی ای مردریگ
“I was (only one,” said he, “and they were a band, armed and brave and formidable.”
گفت من یک کس بدم ایشان گروه ** با سلاح و با شجاعت با شکوه
He (the spokesman of the merchants) said, “If you had no hope (of overcoming them) in battle, (why didn't you) shout, ‘Gentlemen, spring up (from your beds)?’”
گفت اگر در جنگ کم بودت امید ** نعره‌ای زن کای کریمان برجهید
He replied, “At that moment they produced knives and swords, crying, ‘Silence! or we will kill you ruthlessly.’
گفت آن دم کارد بنمودند و تیغ ** که خمش ورنه کشیمت بی‌دریغ
At that time I shut my mouth in terror; at this time (I can utter) screams and calls for help and cries of distress.550
آن زمان از ترس بستم من دهان ** این زمان هیهای و فریاد و فغان
At that time my breath was stopped from breathing a word: at this time I will scream as much as you please.”
آن زمان بست آن دمم که دم زنم ** این زمان چندانک خواهی هی کنم
After the Devil who exposes (sinners) to disgrace has carried off your life, it is foolish (to cry) “I take refuge (with God)” and (to recite) the Fátiha;
چونک عمرت برد دیو فاضحه ** بی‌نمک باشد اعوذ و فاتحه
(But) though ’tis foolish to moan now, (yet) assuredly heedlessness is (even) more foolish than that (tardy supplication).
گرچه باشد بی‌نمک اکنون حنین ** هست غفلت بی‌نمک‌تر زان یقین
Continue to sob thus, even foolishly, crying, “Regard the base (sinners), O Almighty One!
هم‌چنین هم بی‌نمک می‌نال نیز ** که ذلیلان را نظر کن ای عزیز
Whether it be late or early, Thou art omnipotent: when did anything escape Thee, O God?”555
قادری بی‌گاه باشد یا به گاه ** از تو چیزی فوت کی شد ای اله
The King of (that ye) may not grieve for what hath escaped you —how should the object of (your) desire vanish from (the range of) His power?
شاه لا تاسوا علی ما فاتکم ** کی شود از قدرتش مطلوب گم
How the bird attributed its being caught in the trap to the artifice and cunning and hypocrisy of the ascetic; and how the ascetic answered the bird.
حواله کردن مرغ گرفتاری خود را در دام به فعل و مکر و زرق زاهد و جواب زاهد مرغ را
The bird said, “This is a fit punishment for one who listens to the beguiling talk of ascetics.”
گفت آن مرغ این سزای او بود ** که فسون زاهدان را بشنود
“Nay,” said the ascetic; “it is a fit punishment for the greedy wretch who incontinently devours the property of orphans.”
گفت زاهد نه سزای آن نشاف ** کو خورد مال یتیمان از گزاف
Afterwards it (the bird) began to lament in such wise that the trap and the fowler trembled at the grief (which it displayed),
بعد از آن نوحه‌گری آغاز کرد ** که فخ و صیاد لرزان شد ز درد
Crying, “My back is broken by the contradictions (conflicting motives) in my heart: come, O Beloved, rub Thy hand on my head.560
کز تناقضهای دل پشتم شکست ** بر سرم جانا بیا می‌مال دست
Under Thy hand my head hath a (great) relief (from pain): Thy hand is a miracle in bestowing favour.
زیر دست تو سرم را راحتیست ** دست تو در شکربخشی آیتیست
Do not take away Thy shadow (protection) from my head: I am restless, restless, restless.
سایه‌ی خود از سر من برمدار ** بی‌قرارم بی‌قرارم بی‌قرار
(All) sorts of sleep have quitted mine eye in my passion for Thee, O Thou who art envied by the cypress and the jasmine.
خوابها بیزار شد از چشم من ** در غمت ای رشک سرو و یاسمن
Though I am not deserving (of Thy favour), what matter if for a moment Thou ask after an unworthy one (who is) in a (great) anguish?”
گر نیم لایق چه باشد گر دمی ** ناسزایی را بپرسی در غمی
What right (to Thy favour), forsooth, had Not-being, to which Thy grace opened such doors?565
مر عدم را خود چه استحقاق بود ** که برو لطفت چنین درها گشود
(Thy) bounty touched (embraced) the mangy earth and put in its bosom ten pearls of the light of sensation—
خاک گرگین را کرم آسیب کرد ** ده گهر از نور حس در جیب کرد
Five outward senses and five inward senses—whereby the dead semen was made Man.
پنج حس ظاهر و پنج نهان ** که بشر شد نطفه‌ی مرده از آن
Repentance without Thy blessing, O sublime Light, what is it but to laugh at the beard of repentance?
توبه بی توفیقت ای نور بلند ** چیست جز بر ریش توبه ریش‌خند
Thou dost tear the moustaches of repentance piecemeal: repentance is the shadow and Thou art the shining moon.
سبلتان توبه یک یک بر کنی ** توبه سایه‌ست و تو ماه روشنی
O Thou by whom my shop and dwelling is ruined, how shall not I wail when Thou rackest my heart?570
ای ز تو ویران دکان و منزلم ** چون ننالم چون بیفشاری دلم
How shall I flee (from Thee), since without Thee none liveth, and without Thy lordship no slave hath existence?
چون گریزم زانک بی تو زنده نیست ** بی خداوندیت بود بنده نیست
Take my life, O Source of my life, for without Thee I have become weary of my life.
جان من بستان تو ای جان را اصول ** زانک بی‌تو گشته‌ام از جان ملول
I am in love with the art of madness, I am surfeited with wisdom and sagacity.
عاشقم من بر فن دیوانگی ** سیرم از فرهنگی و فرزانگی
When (the veil of) shame is rent asunder, I will publicly declare the mystery: how much (more) of this self-restraint and griping pain and tremor?
چون بدرد شرم گویم راز فاش ** چند ازین صبر و زحیر و ارتعاش
I have become concealed in shame, like the fringe (sewn on the inside of a garment): I will spring forth of a sudden from beneath this coverlet.575
در حیا پنهان شدم هم‌چون سجاف ** ناگهان بجهم ازین زیر لحاف
O comrades, the Beloved has barred the ways: we are lame deer and He a hunting lion.
ای رفیقان راهها را بست یار ** آهوی لنگیم و او شیر شکار
(For one who is) in the clutch of a fierce bloodthirsty lion where is any resource except resignation and acquiescence?
جز که تسلیم و رضا کو چاره‌ای ** در کف شیر نری خون‌خواره‌ای
He, like the sun, hath neither sleep nor food: He makes the spirits (also) to be without food and sleep,
او ندارد خواب و خور چون آفتاب ** روحها را می‌کند بی‌خورد و خواب
Saying, “Come, be Me or one with Me in nature, that thou mayest behold My Face when I unveil Myself.
که بیا من باش یا هم‌خوی من ** تا ببینی در تجلی روی من
And if thou hadst not beheld it, how shouldst thou have become so distraught? Thou wert earth, (and now) thou hast become one who seeks to be quickened (with spiritual life).”580
ور ندیدی چون چنین شیدا شدی ** خاک بودی طالب احیا شدی
If He has not given you provender from the (world that is) without spatial relations, how has your spiritual eye remained (fixed) on that region?
گر ز بی‌سویت ندادست او علف ** چشم جانت چون بماندست آن طرف
The cat became intent on (watching) the (mouse)-hole because she had (formerly) provisioned herself from that hole.
گربه بر سوراخ زان شد معتکف ** که از آن سوراخ او شد معتلف
Another cat prowls on the roof because she (formerly) obtained food by preying on birds.
گربه‌ی دیگر همی‌گردد به بام ** کز شکار مرغ یابید او طعام
One man's qibla (object of attention) is the weaver's craft, while another is a guardsman for the sake of the (king's) allowance;
آن یکی را قبله شد جولاهگی ** وآن یکی حارس برای جامگی
And another is unemployed, his face (turned) towards (the world of) non-spatiality because Thou (formerly) gavest him spiritual food from that quarter.585
وان یکی بی‌کار و رو در لامکان ** که از آن سو دادیش تو قوت جان
He has the (real) work who has become desirous of God and for His work's sake has severed himself from every (other) work.
کار او دارد که حق را شد مرید ** بهر کار او ز هر کاری برید
The rest are like children playing, these few days, till the departure at nightfall.
دیگران چون کودکان این روز چند ** تا شب ترحال بازی می‌کنند
The drowsy one who awakes and springs up, him the nurse, evil suggestion, beguiles,
خوابناکی کو ز یقظت می‌جهد ** دایه‌ی وسواس عشوه‌ش می‌دهد
Saying, “Go to sleep, my darling, for I will not let any one arouse thee from (thy heedless) slumber.”
رو بخسپ ای جان که نگذاریم ما ** که کسی از خواب بجهاند ترا
You yourself (if you are wise) will tear up your slumber by the roots, like the thirsty man who heard the noise of the water.590
هم تو خود را بر کنی از بیخ خواب ** هم‌چو تشنه که شنود او بانک آب
(God says to you), “I am the noise of the water in the ears of the thirsty: I am coming like rain from heaven.
بانگ آبم من به گوش تشنگان ** هم‌چو باران می‌رسم از آسمان
Spring up, O lover, exhibit agitation: noise of water and (you) thirsty, and then to fall asleep!”
بر جه ای عاشق برآور اضطراب ** بانگ آب و تشنه و آنگاه خواب
Story of the lover who, in hope of the tryst promised (to him) by his beloved, came at night to the house that he had indicated. He waited (there) part of the night; (then) he was overcome by sleep. (When) his beloved came to fulfil his promise and found him asleep, he filled his lap with walnuts and left him sleeping and returned (home).
حکایت آن عاشق کی شب بیامد بر امید وعده‌ی معشوق بدان وثاقی کی اشارت کرده بود و بعضی از شب منتظر ماند و خوابش بربود معشوق آمد بهر انجاز وعده او را خفته یافت جیبش پر جوز کرد و او را خفته گذاشت و بازگشت