- Nay; I will accept the rede and counsel of the Sage (of Ghazna): I will not let my heart be sickened (wounded) by every taunt.
- نه بگیرم گفت و پند آن حکیم ** دل نگردانم بهر طعنی سقیم
- Parable of the foal's refusing to drink the water because of the bawling of the grooms.
- مثل زدن در رمیدن کرهی اسپ از آب خوردن به سبب شخولیدن سایسان
- As he has said in his discourse, the foal and its mother were drinking the water.
- آنک فرمودست او اندر خطاب ** کره و مادر همیخوردند آب
- Those persons (the grooms) were bawling incessantly at the horses, “Come on! Hey, drink!”
- میشخولیدند هر دم آن نفر ** بهر اسپان که هلا هین آب خور
- (The noise of) that bawling reached the foal: it was lifting its head and refusing to drink.
- آن شخولیدن به کره میرسید ** سر همی بر داشت و از خور میرمید
- Its mother asked, “O foal, why art thou always refusing to drink this water?” 4295
- مادرش پرسید کای کره چرا ** میرمی هر ساعتی زین استقا
- The foal said, “These people are bawling: I am afraid of the occurrence of their shouts.
- گفت کره میشخولند این گروه ** ز اتفاق بانگشان دارم شکوه
- Therefore my heart is trembling and jumping: dread of the occurrence of the outcry is coming on me.”
- پس دلم میلرزد از جا میرود ** ز اتفاق نعره خوفم میرسد
- The mother said, “Ever since the world existed, there have been busybodies of this sort on the earth.”
- گفت مادر تا جهان بودست ازین ** کارافزایان بدند اندر زمین
- Hark, do your own business, O worthy man: soon will they tear their beards (in sorrow).
- هین تو کار خویش کن ای ارجمند ** زود کایشان ریش خود بر میکنند
- The time is restricted, and the abundant water is flowing away: (drink) ere, through being parted (from it), you fall to pieces. 4300
- وقت تنگ و میرود آب فراخ ** پیش از آن کز هجر گردی شاخ شاخ
- There is a famous conduit, full of the Water of Life: draw the Water, in order that verdure may grow up from you.
- شهره کاریزیست پر آب حیات ** آب کش تا بر دمد از تو نبات
- We are drinking the water of Khizr from the river of the speech of the saints: come, O heedless thirsty man!
- آب خضر از جوی نطق اولیا ** میخوریم ای تشنهی غافل بیا
- If you do not see the water, artfully after the fashion of the blind bring the jug to the river, and dip it in the river.
- گر نبینی آب کورانه بفن ** سوی جو آور سبو در جوی زن
- Forasmuch as you have heard that there is water in this river-bed, (go and try): the blind man must practise conformity.
- چون شنیدی کاندرین جو آب هست ** کور را تقلید باید کار بست
- Carry down to the river the water-skin that has thoughts of the water, so that you may find your water-skin heavy. 4305
- جو فرو بر مشک آباندیش را ** تا گران بینی تو مشک خویش را
- When you have found it heavy, you will be led to infer (the truth): at that moment your heart is delivered from dry conformity.
- چون گران دیدی شوی تو مستدل ** رست از تقلید خشک آنگاه دل
- If the blind man does not see the river-water ocularly, yet he knows, when he finds the jug heavy,
- گر نبیند کور آب جو عیان ** لیک داند چون سبو بیند گران
- That some water has gone from the river into the jug; for this (jug) was light, and (now) it has become heavy and swollen with water;
- که ز جو اندر سبو آبی برفت ** کین سبک بود و گران شد ز آب و زفت
- “Because,” (he will say), “every wind used to sweep me away, (but now) the wind does not sweep me away: my weight has increased.”
- زانک هر بادی مرا در میربود ** باد مینربایدم ثقلم فزود
- The foolish are swept away by every gust of desire, because they have no weight (ballast) of (intellectual) faculties. 4310
- مر سفیهان را رباید هر هوا ** زانک نبودشان گرانی قوی
- The wicked man is an anchorless ship, for he finds no precaution (means of defence) against the perverse (contrary) wind.
- کشتی بیلنگر آمد مرد شر ** که ز باد کژ نیابد او حذر
- To the intelligent man the anchor of intelligence is security: beg (such) an anchor from the intelligent.
- لنگر عقلست عاقل را امان ** لنگری در یوزه کن از عاقلان
- Since he (the Sage) has borne away the succours (supplies) of intelligence from the pearl-treasury of that Sea of Bounty,
- او مددهای خرد چون در ربود ** از خزینه در آن دریای جود
- By such succours (replenishments) the heart is filled with knowledge: it (that knowledge) shoots from the heart, and the eye too becomes illuminated,
- زین چنین امداد دل پر فن شود ** بجهد از دل چشم هم روشن شود
- Because the light from the heart has settled upon this eye so that your eye, having become the heart, is (physically) inactive. 4315
- زانک نور از دل برین دیده نشست ** تا چو دل شد دیدهی تو عاطلست
- When the heart too has come into contact with the intellectual Lights, it bestows a portion thereof on the eyes also.
- دل چو بر انوار عقلی نیز زد ** زان نصیبی هم بدو دیده دهد
- Know, then, that the blessed Water from Heaven is the inspiration of (men's) hearts and the true explanation (of every mystery).
- پس بدان کاب مبارک ز آسمان ** وحی دلها باشد و صدق بیان
- Let us also, like that foal, drink the water of the stream; let us pay no regard to the evil suggestions of the railer.
- ما چو آن کره هم آب جو خوریم ** سوی آن وسواس طاعن ننگریم
- (If) you are a follower of the prophets, tread the Way: deem all the railing of (human) creatures to be a (vain and empty) wind.
- پیرو پیغمبرانی ره سپر ** طعنهی خلقان همه بادی شمر
- When have the Masters who have traversed the Way lent ear to the clamour of curs? 4320
- آن خداوندان که ره طی کردهاند ** گوش فا بانگ سگان کی کردهاند
- The remainder of the story of the guest in the guest-killing mosque.
- بقیهی ذکر آن مهمان مسجد مهمانکش
- Relate what appeared in the mosque to that self-sacrificing valiant man, and what he did.
- باز گو کان پاکباز شیرمرد ** اندر آن مسجد چه بنمودش چه کرد
- He slept in the mosque, (but) where (how) in sooth had he sleep? How should a submerged man sleep in the river?
- خفت در مسجد خود او را خواب کو ** مرد غرقه گشته چون خسپد بجو
- Always, for the lovers (of God) beneath the flood of a (great) passion, there is (only) the sleep of birds and fishes.
- خواب مرغ و ماهیان باشد همی ** عاشقان را زیر غرقاب غمی
- At midnight came an awful voice, “I come, I come upon thee, O thou that seekest advantage.”
- نیمشب آواز با هولی رسید ** کایم آیم بر سرت ای مستفید
- Five times came such a terrible voice, and his heart was being rent piecemeal. 4325
- پنج کرت این چنین آواز سخت ** میرسید و دل همیشد لختلخت
- Commentary on the verse (of the Qur’án): “And raise the battle-cry against them with thy horsemen and men on foot.”
- تفسیر آیت واجلب علیهم بخیلک و رجلک
- When you earnestly resolve to be religious, the Devil in your nature cries out at you,
- تو چو عزم دین کنی با اجتهاد ** دیو بانگت بر زند اندر نهاد
- “Go not in that direction! Bethink you, O misguided one; for you will become captive to distress and poverty.
- که مرو زان سو بیندیش ای غوی ** که اسیر رنج و درویشی شوی
- You will become destitute, you will be cut off from friends, you will be despised, you will feel sorry.”
- بینوا گردی ز یاران وابری ** خوار گردی و پشیمانی خوری
- From fear of the outcry of that accursed Devil you flee away from certain truth into error,
- تو ز بیم بانگ آن دیو لعین ** وا گریزی در ضلالت از یقین
- Saying, “Ho, to-morrow is mine and after to-morrow: I will run in the Way of religion, I have (plenty of) time.” 4330
- که هلا فردا و پس فردا مراست ** راه دین پویم که مهلت پیش ماست
- Then again you see Death killing your neighbours on left and right, so that the cry (of lamentation) is raised.
- مرگ بینی باز کو از چپ و راست ** میکشد همسایه را تا بانگ خاست
- Now, in fear of (your) life, you resolve to be religious: for a while, you make yourself a (true) man;
- باز عزم دین کنی از بیم جان ** مرد سازی خویشتن را یک زمان
- So you put on the armour of knowledge and wisdom, saying, “I will not shrink from any danger.”
- پس سلح بر بندی از علم و حکم ** که من از خوفی نیارم پای کم
- Again he (the Devil) deceitfully cries out at you—“Be afraid and turn away from the sword of poverty!”
- باز بانگی بر زند بر تو ز مکر ** که بترس و باز گرد از تیغ فقر
- Once more you flee from the Way of Light and cast off that armour of knowledge and virtue. 4335
- باز بگریزی ز راه روشنی ** آن سلاح علم و فن را بفکنی
- (For many) years, you are a slave to him because of a cry: you have laid down the blanket (have lain down to rest) in such darkness as this!
- سالها او را به بانگی بندهای ** در چنین ظلمت نمد افکندهای
- Dread of the cry of the devils has bound the people and taken hold of their throats,
- هیبت بانگ شیاطین خلق را ** بند کردست و گرفته حلق را
- Till their souls have become as hopeless of the Light as the spirits of the infidels who dwell in the tombs.
- تا چنان نومید شد جانشان ز نور ** که روان کافران ز اهل قبور
- Such is the terror of the cry of that accursed one: how (great) must be the dread of the Divine cry!
- این شکوه بانگ آن ملعون بود ** هیبت بانگ خدایی چون بود
- Dread of the falcon is (falling) upon the noble partridge: the fly hath no portion of that dread, 4340
- هیبت بازست بر کبک نجیب ** مر مگس را نیست زان هیبت نصیب