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شهر شهر از بهر این مطلوب گشت ** نه جزیره ماند و نه کوه و نه دشت
- He roamed from town to town for this object: neither island nor mountain nor plain was left (unvisited).
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هر که را پرسید کردش ریشخند ** کاین که جوید جز مگر مجنون بند
- Every one whom he asked made a mock of him, saying, “Who would search after this, unless perhaps a madman in confinement?”
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بس کسان صفعش زدند اندر مزاح ** بس کسان گفتند ای صاحب فلاح
- Many slapped him jocosely; many said, “O fortunate man,
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جستجوی چون تو زیرک سینه صاف ** کی تهی باشد کجا باشد گزاف
- How should the enquiry of a clever and clear-minded person like you be devoid (of result)? How should it be vain?”
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وین مراعاتش یکی صفعی دگر ** وین ز صفع آشکارا سختتر 3650
- And this (ironical) respect was to him another slap, and it was harder (to bear) than the visible slap.
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میستودندش به تسخر کای بزرگ ** در فلان اقلیم بس هول و سترگ
- They extolled him sarcastically, saying, “O great sir, in such and such a very tremendous and huge country,
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در فلان بیشه درختی هست سبز ** بس بلند و پهن و هر شاخیش گبز
- In such and such a forest there is a green tree, very tall and broad, and every branch of it is big.”
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قاصد شه بسته در جستن کمر ** میشنید از هر کسی نوعی خبر
- The king's envoy, who had braced his belt for the quest, was hearing a different kind of report from every one;
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بس سیاحت کرد آن جا سالها ** میفرستادش شهنشه مالها
- There for years he travelled much, (whilst) the king kept sending money to him.
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چون بسی دید اندر آن غربت تعب ** عاجز آمد آخر الامر از طلب 3655
- After he had suffered much fatigue in that foreign land, at last he became too exhausted to seek (any longer).
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هیچ از مقصود اثر پیدا نشد ** ز آن غرض غیر خبر پیدا نشد
- No trace of the object of pursuit was discovered: of what he wanted nothing appeared but the report.
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رشتهی امید او بگسسته شد ** جستهی او عاقبت ناجسته شد
- The thread of his hope snapped, the thing he had sought became unsought in the end.
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کرد عزم باز گشتن سوی شاه ** اشک میبارید و میبرید راه
- He resolved to return to the king, (and set out) shedding tears and traversing the way.
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شرح کردن شیخ سر آن درخت را با آن طالب مقلد
- How the Shaykh explained the hidden meaning of the tree to the seeker who was in the bondage of formalism.
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بود شیخی عالمی قطبی کریم ** اندر آن منزل که آیس شد ندیم
- There was a wise Shaykh, a noble Qutb, at the halting-place where the king's intimate fell into despair.
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گفت من نومید پیش او روم ** ز آستان او به راه اندر شوم 3660
- He (the envoy) said, “Being without hope, I will go to him, and set out on the road (again) from his threshold,
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تا دعای او بود همراه من ** چون که نومیدم من از دل خواه من
- In order that his prayer (blessing) may accompany me, since I have no hope of (winning) my heart's desire.”
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رفت پیش شیخ با چشم پر آب ** اشک میبارید مانند سحاب
- With tearful eyes he went to the Shaykh: he was raining tears, like a cloud.
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گفت شیخا وقت رحم و رقت است ** ناامیدم وقت لطف این ساعت است
- “O Shaykh,” he cried, “it is the time for mercy and pity; I am in despair: now is the time for kindness.”
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گفت وا گو کز چه نومیدیستت ** چیست مطلوب تو رو با چیستت
- He (the Shaykh) said, “Say plainly what is the cause of thy despair: what is thy object? what hast thou in view?”
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گفت شاهنشاه کردم اختیار ** از برای جستن یک شاخسار 3665
- He answered, “The Emperor chose me out to seek a certain branching tree,
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که درختی هست نادر در جهات ** میوهی او مایهی آب حیات
- For there is a tree, unique in (all) the quarters (of the world): its fruit is (of) the substance of the Water of Life.
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سالها جستم ندیدم یک نشان ** جز که طنز و تسخر این سر خوشان
- I have sought (it) for years and seen no sign (of it) except the gibes and ridicule of these merry men.”
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شیخ خندید و بگفتش ای سلیم ** این درخت علم باشد در علیم
- The Shaykh laughed and said to him, “O simpleton, this is the tree of knowledge in the sage—
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بس بلند و بس شگرف و بس بسیط ** آب حیوانی ز دریای محیط
- Very high and very grand and very far-spreading: (it is) a Water of Life from the all-encompassing Sea (of God).
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تو به صورت رفتهای ای بیخبر ** ز آن ز شاخ معنیی بیبار و بر 3670
- Thou hast gone after the form, O ignorant man: hence thou art without fruit and produce from the bough of reality.