خلوت از اغیار باید نه ز یار ** پوستین بهر دی آمد نه بهار25
One must seclude one's self from strangers, (but) not from the friend: the fur-coat is for winter, not for spring.
عقل با عقل دگر دو تا شود ** نور افزون گشت و ره پیدا شود
(If) the intellect is paired with another intellect, light increases and the way becomes plain;
نفس با نفس دگر خندان شود ** ظلمت افزون گشت و ره پنهان شود
(But if) the fleshly soul makes merry with another fleshly soul, darkness increases, the way becomes hidden.
یار چشم تست ای مرد شکار ** از خس و خاشاک او را پاک دار
The friend is thine eye, O huntsman: keep him pure from (unsoiled by) sticks and straws.
هین به جاروب زبان گردی مکن ** چشم را از خس ره آوردی مکن
Beware! Do not make a dust with thy tongue's broom, do not make a present of rubbish to thine eye.
چون که مومن آینهی مومن بود ** روی او ز آلودگی ایمن بود30
Since the true believer is a mirror for the true believer, his face is safe from defilement.
یار آیینه ست جان را در حزن ** در رخ آیینهای جان دم مزن
The friend is a mirror for the soul in sorrow: breathe not on the face of the mirror, O my soul!
تا نپوشد روی خود را در دمت ** دم فرو خوردن بباید هر دمت
Lest it cover its face to (conceal itself from) thee at once, thou must swallow (suppress) thy breath at every moment.
کم ز خاکی چون که خاکی یار یافت ** از بهاری صد هزار انوار یافت
Art thou less than earth? When a plot of earth finds a friend, that is, a springtide, it finds (gains) a hundred thousand flowers.
آن درختی کاو شود با یار جفت ** از هوای خوش ز سر تا پا شکفت
The tree that is united with a friend, that is, the sweet air (of spring), blossoms from head to foot;
در خزان چون دید او یار خلاف ** در کشید او رو و سر زیر لحاف35
In autumn, when it sees (meets with) a repugnant companion, it withdraws its face and head under the coverlet
گفت یار بد بلا آشفتن است ** چون که او آمد طریقم خفتن است
And says, “A bad comrade is (the means of) stirring up trouble: since he has come, my (best) course is to sleep.
پس بخسبم باشم از اصحاب کهف ** به ز دقیانوس باشد خواب کهف
Therefore I will sleep, I will be (like) one of the Men of the Cave (the Seven Sleepers): that prisoner of woe (that sorely distressed one) is better than Decianus.”
یقظه شان مصروف دقیانوس بود ** خوابشان سرمایهی ناموس بود
Their time of waking was expended by (was at the disposal of) Decianus; their sleep was the capital (fundamental source) of their renown.
خواب بیداری ست چون با دانش است ** وای بیداری که با نادان نشست
Sleep, when it is accompanied by wisdom, is (spiritual) wakefulness; (but) alas for the man awake who consorts with the ignorant!
چون که زاغان خیمه بر بهمن زدند ** بلبلان پنهان شدند و تن زدند40
When the crows pitch their tents on Bahman (January), the nightingales hide themselves and are mute,
Because the nightingale is silent without the rose-garden: the absence of the sun kills (the nightingale's) wakefulness.
آفتابا ترک این گلشن کنی ** تا که تحت الارض را روشن کنی
O sun, thou takest leave of this rose-garden (the earth) in order to illumine (the region) below the earth;
آفتاب معرفت را نقل نیست ** مشرق او غیر جان و عقل نیست
(But) the Sun of Divine knowledge has no motion: its place of rising is naught but the spirit and the intellect;
خاصه خورشید کمالی کان سری ست ** روز و شب کردار او روشنگری ست
Especially the perfect Sun which is of yonder (world of Reality): day and night its action is (giving) illumination.
مطلع شمس آی گر اسکندری ** بعد از آن هر جا روی نیکوفری45
If thou art an Alexander, come to the Sun's rising-place: after that, wheresoever thou goest, thou art possessed of goodly splendour.
بعد از آن هر جا روی مشرق شود ** شرقها بر مغربت عاشق شود
After that, wheresoever thou goest, ’twill become the place of sunrise: (all) the places of sunrise will be in love with thy place of sunset.
حس خفاشت سوی مغرب دوان ** حس در پاشت سوی مشرق روان
Thy bat-like senses are running towards the sunset; thy pearl-scattering senses are faring towards the sunrise.
راه حس راه خران است ای سوار ** ای خران را تو مزاحم شرم دار
The way of (physical) sense-perception is the way of asses, O rider: have shame, O thou that art jostling (vying) with asses!
پنج حسی هست جز این پنج حس ** آن چو زر سرخ و این حسها چو مس
Besides these five (physical) senses there are five (spiritual) senses: those (latter) are like red gold, while these (physical) senses are like copper.