1 I CANNOT express a breath for thanks to my Friend (God);
For, I know not a word of praise that is worthy of Him.
Every hair on my body is a gift from Him;
How may I perform thanks for every hair?
Praise to the Lord-Giver,
Who, from nonentity, made the slave existing.
To whom, is there the power of description of His benefi-
cence?
For, His praises are immersed in His dignity.*
5 That inventor, who creates a person from clay,
Gives soul, and wisdom, and sense, and heart.
From the father's back-bone to the limit of old age,
Behold to what extent, He, from the unseen, gave thee
honour!
When God created thee pure, be sensible and pure;
For, it is a shame to go unclean to the dust (of the grave).
Shake off continually the dust (of mean qualities) from the
mirror (of the heart);
For, it takes not polish, when the blight eats it.
In the beginning, wast thou not water of man's seed?
If thou art a man, put presumption out of thy head.
10 When, thou bringst, with effort, victuals to thyself,
Rely not on the strength of thy own arm.
Oh self-worshipper! why dost thou not see God
Who brings into revolution the arm of the hand?
When by thy striving, a thing happens,
Know by God's grace (it is); not, by thy own effort.
By violence no one has carried off the ball;
Utter praise to the Lord of Grace.
Of thyself, thou art not erect one step;
From the hidden, aid arrives momently.
15 Wast thou not a child, tongue-bound as to boast (of
speech)?
Food, from the navel, kept coming within thee.
When they severed the umbilical cord, thy daily food was
broken off;
Thy hand clung to thy mother's breast.
A traveller, before whom adverse time brings sickness,
They give to him water from his own city, as medicine.*
Then he obtained nourishment in the belly;
He obtained food from the store of the bowels.
The two breasts,—that, to-day, are heart-pleasing to him,—
Are also two fountains of his nurturing-place.
20 The bosom and breast of the mother, heart-pleasing,
Are paradise; and, the breast is for him, a stream of milk.
Her stature, life-nourishing, is a tree;
The offspring, on her bosom,—a delicate fruit.
Are not the veins of the breast, within the heart?
Then, if thou wilt consider, milk is the heart's blood.
Teeth, sting-like, plunged in her blood;
Love for her own blood-devourer created within her.
When God made the arm strong; and, the teeth, dense—
The nurse anoints her breast with aloes.
25 The aloe makes it (the offspring) silent (forgetful) of milk, so
That it forgets the breast and its milk.
Oh sir! thou also art, as to repentance, a child of the path
of God;
By bitterness, sin becomes forgotten by thee.
A young man turned his head from his mother's judgment,
Her sorrowful heart burned like fire.
When she became helpless, she brought a cradle before
him,
Saying:—“Oh one languid of love and forgetful of the
time (of infancy)!
“Wast thou not weeping, and tired and small,
“When nights, from thy power, sleep overpowered me
not?
30 “No; to thee, in the cradle there was not the strength of
thy (present) state;
“To thee, there was not the power to drive away a fly
from thyself.
“Thou art that one, who used to be vexed with a single
fly,
“Who, to day, art chief and powerful.”
Thou mayst again be in that state, at the bottom of the
grave,
When thou canst not repel an ant from thy body.
Again how may the eye light up its lamp,
When the worm of the grave devours the fat of the brain?
Like one clothed as to the eye (blind), seest thou not that
the road
He knows not, at the time of going, from the well?
35 Thou who art possessed of vision, if thou didst perform
thanks (knowst the path from the well);
If not, thou also art one clothed as to the eye (blind).
The instructor taught thee not understanding and judg-
ment;
God created these qualities in thy existence.
If He had refused thee a heart, truth-hearing,
Truth would have appeared to thy eye the essence of false-
hood.
Behold one finger, with how many joints,
God, by creating, cast together.
Then, it is madness and foolishness,
That thou shouldst place thy finger (of cavilling) on the
word of His creating.
40 Far the sake of man's motion, consider
Him, who fixed the sinews and placed the articulations of
so many bones.*
For, without the revolution of the ancle, and the knee, and
the foot,
It is impossible to raise the foot from its place.
Prostration (on the ground) is not difficult for a man, on
that account,
That, the joint in his back-bone is not of one piece.
God has arranged two hundred joints within one another,
Who has finished like thee (oh God!) a clay-joint?
Oh one of agreeable disposition! the veins in thy body
Are a land,—in it, are three hundred and sixty streams.
45 In the head,—vision, and thought, and judgment, and dis-
cretion;
The limb of the body for the dear heart; (and) the heart
for dear wisdom.
The wild beasts, with the countenance downcast, are con-
temptible;
Thou, Alif-like, art a rider on thy feet.*
They, head-lowered, for the sake of eating;
Thou, with dignity, bringst thy food to the head.
It beseems thee not, with so much chieftainship,
That thou shouldst lower thy head, save in devotion (to
God).
By His own beauty, God gave thee knowledge; behold!
He made thee not, like the animals, head in the grass.
50 But, with this form, heart-enchanting,
Be not fascinated; take a good walk of life.
A straight path is necessary, not erect stature;
For, the infidel is also like us, in outward form.
He, who gave thee eye and mouth, and ear;
If thou art wise,—strive not in opposition to Him.
I grant, that thou mayst beat the enemy with a stone,
Wage not war, at least from ignorance, with the Friend
(God).
Those of wise disposition, obligation-recognising,
Sew up the favour (of God), with the nail of thanks.
55 One king-born fell from a black horse;
A joint in his neck became dislocated.
The neck, elephant-like, descended to his body;
His head used not to turn, so long as his body moved not.
The physicians were astonied at this;
But, a philosopher, from the Greek-land,
Twisted back his head, and the vein became right,
And, if he had not been present, he would have become
paralytic.
Again, he came near to the king;
That mean one looked not at him.
60 The sage's head became plunged in shame;
I heard that he went, and gently said:—
“If, yesterday, I had not twisted his neck,
“He would not, to-day, have turned his face from me.”
He sent a seed, by the hand of a slave,
Saying:—“It is proper that thou shouldst place it on the
censer, aloe-burning.”
To the one, king-born, through the smoke, sneezing came,
His head and neck became even as they were.
With apology, they hastened after the philosopher;
They sought much, but found little.
65 Turn not thy head from thanks to a benefactor,
Lest that thou shouldst, in after days, raise thy head for
nothing.
A certain one severely rubbed a boy's ears (chastised him),
Saying:—“Oh father of wonderful judgment, of overturned
fortune!
“I gave thee an axe, saying:—Split fire-wood;
“I said not:—Undermine the masjid-wall.”
The tongue came (from God) for thanks and praise;
The grateful one moves it not in slander.
The ear is the thoroughfare for the Kurán and counsel;
Strive not to listen to calumny and falsehood.
70 Two eyes, for the sake of (beholding) the creating of God,
are good;
Lower the eyes from the defect of brother and friend.
For the sake of thy ease, the night and day are;
The resplendent moon and the sun, world-illuminating.
For thy sake, the west wind, chamberlain-like,
Causes constantly to be spread the carpet of spring.
If wind, and snow, and rain, and hail are,
And if the Chaugán expresses thunder, and the sword
lightning,—
All are work-performers, and order-bearers (of God)
Who cherish thy seed in the dust.
75 And, if thou remainst thirsty, rage not through affliction;
For, the Water-carrier brings thee a cloud of water on His
back.
From the dust, He brings colour, and perfume, and food;
Amusement for the eye, and brain, and palate.
He gave thee honey from the bees; and manna, from the
sky;
He gave thee the green date, from the date-tree; and the
date-tree from the seed-stone.*
All the gardeners gnaw the hand
In astonishment, saying:—“No one planted such a date-
tree!”
The sun and moon and Pleiades all are for thee;
They are the candles of the roof of thy house.
80 He brings thee a rose from the thorn; musk, from the
(animal's) navel:
Gold, from the mine; and the green leaf, from the dry
wood.
He pourtrayed thy eye and eye-brow, with His own hand;
For, one cannot leave the intimate friend to strangers.*
The powerful One, who cherishes the delicate,
Cherishes thee, with various favours.
Breath by breath, with soul, it is proper to utter (praise);
For, thanks to Him is not a work of the tongue only.
Oh God! my heart became blood, and eye wounded,
When I see thy reward is greater than my speech (of
thanksgiving).
85 I speak not of the rapacious and non-rapacious beast, and
ant, and fish,
But, of the army of angels above heaven's summit.
Yet, they have uttered a little Thy praise;
They have uttered one out of so many thousands (which
they should have uttered).
Oh Sa'dí! go; wash thy hand, and the book;
Hasten not on the path, that has no end.
A person knows not the value of a day of pleasure,
Save on that day when he falls to hardship-enduring.
The winter-season of the darvesh, in the narrow year,—
How easy is it to the lord of wealth?
90 One healthy,—who, once complaining, slept not,—
Uttered not thanks to God for sound health.
When thou art a manly mover, and swift of foot,
Stand, with thanks (to God) by those slow of foot.
The young man bestows to the ancient old man,
The powerful one displays pity for the powerless.
What do the people of the Jíhún know of the value of
water?
Ask those wearied utterly in the sun.
To the Arab, who is sitting by the Tigris
What care is there as to the thirsty ones of the (desert of)
Zarúd?
95 That one recognised the value of healthiness,
Who, once, helpless sweltered in fever.
How may the dark night appear long to thee,
Who rollst, from side to side, in comfort?
Think of one falling and rising in fever;
For, the sick one knows the lengthiness of the night.
At the sound of the drum, the rich man becomes awake;
What knows he, how the watchman passed the night?
I have heard that Tughril, one night, in the autumn,
Passed a Hindú watchman,
100 From the pouring of snow, and rain, and torrent,
Fallen to trembling, like the star Canopus.
His heart, from pity for him, suffered agitation;
He said:—“Behold! put on my fur garment.
“Wait a moment, by the terrace-side;
“For, I will send it out by the hand of a slave.”
He was in this (speech); and, the morning-breeze blew.
The monarch entered the royal hall.
He had, in his retinue, a slave of Parí-form,
For whom, his disposition had a little inclination.
105 The sight of the beloved chanced so agreeably to him,
That the wretched Hindú passed from his memory.
The (word) fur-coat passed to his (the watchman's) ear,
It came not, through misfortune, to his shoulders.
Perhaps the torment of toil was not enough for him,
Since, the sky's revolution added to it expectation.
When the sultán slept in carelessness, behold,
What the watchman said to him, in the morning!
“Perhaps (the watchman) “Nek-Bakht” was forgotten
by thee,
“When thy hand went to the bosom of (the slave-girl)
“Aghosh.”
110 “For thee, the night passes in ease and joy;
“As to us, what knowst thou how the night passes?”
One of a káraván, head-lowered to the caldron,—
To him, what care of those sunk in sand?
Oh Lord of the Zaurak! keep on the water;
For the water has passed over the head of those helpless.
Oh vigorous young men! stay;
For, in the káraván, are sluggish old men.
Thou hast slept well in the haudaj of the káraván,—
The camel-rein, in the camel-driver's hand.
115 Whether plain or mountain; whether stone or sand,—to
thee what matter?
Ask the state (of the road) from those lagging behind.
The camel of burden, mountain-form, carries thee;
What knowst thou of the foot-man, who devours the blood
(of grief)?
Those sleeping, in comfort of heart, in the house,
What know they of the state of the hungry belly.
The night-guard had bound a certain one's hand;
He was, all night, afflicted, and heart-broken.
In the night of dark colour, there came to his ear,—
A person kept complaining of his straitened hand
(poverty).
120 The thief had, neck-fastened, heard this speech, and
said:—
“How long lamentst thou of helplessness? Sleep.
“Oh one of straitened hand (poor)! go; give thanks to
God,
That the night-guard bound not straitly thy hand.”
Make not much lamentation, as to foodlessness,
When thou seest one more foodless than thyself.
One of naked body made loan of one diram;
He made for his body a garment of raw hide.
He complained, saying:—“Oh perverse fortune!
“I am cooked with heat, within this raw hide.”
125 When the uncooked (foolish) one, with fierceness, began to
boil,—
One from the prison-pit said to him:—“Silence!
“Oh raw one! offer thanks to God,
“That thou art not like me—raw-hide (bound) on hand
and foot.”
A certain one passed by a holy man,
He came to his sight, in the form of a Jew.
He struck him a blow, on his neck;
The darvesh gave him his shirt.
He became ashamed saying:—“What passed from me was
a fault.
“Pardon me; what room (need) is there for giving (a
shirt)?”
130 He said:—On this (shirt-giving), I am firm, in thanks (to
God),
“That that one whom thou didst think me, I am not.”
One left behind on the road was weeping,
Saying:—“Than I in this desert, who is more wretched?”
An ass, load-carrier, said to him:—“Oh one without dis-
cretion!
“How long bewailst thou also of the tyranny of the
heavens?
“Go; thank God although thou art not on an ass,
“That thou art, in short, a son of Adam, not an ass.”
A lawyer passed by one fallen drunk;
He became proud of his own abstinence.
135 Through haughtiness, he looked not at him,
The young man raised his head, saying:—“Oh old man!
“Go; thank God, when thou art in prosperity,
“For disappointment comes from pride.
“Laugh not at one, whom thou seest in bonds;
“Lest that, suddenly, thou shouldst fall into confinement.
“In short, is it not, in the possibility of fate,
“That thou mayst be to-morrow fallen drunk like me?”
Heaven wrote for thee the inscription on the Masjid (of
Islám),
Express not reproach on others in the fire-temple.
140 Oh Musalmán! join the hands, in thanks,
That He bound not the idolater's cord about thy waist.
Whosoever is a seeker of Him, goes not by himself;
The favour of the friend (God) drawing takes him by force.
Behold, whence destiny travelled!
For it is blindness to place reliance on another (God).
God has created the power of convalescence in honey,
Not to such an extent that it exercises power over death.
Honey makes pleasant (benefits) the constitution of those
alive;
But, the pain of dying has no remedy.
145 For the one, in whom a spark of life remained,—when life
from his body
Issues, what use (is) honey in the mouth?
A certain one suffered (a blow of) a steel mace on his head
One said:—“Rub sandal wood on his wound.”
Fly, so long as thou canst, from danger;
But strive not sharply with destiny.
So long as the interior is capable of drinking and eating,
The body is fresh of face, and pure of form.
This house (of the body) becomes altogether bad, at that
time,
When the constitution and food agree not.
150 Thy temperament is moist and dry; and hot, and cold;
Man's constitution is compounded of these.
When one of these obtains the mastery over the others,
It breaks the balance of the equilibrium of thy temper-
ament.
If the wind of a cold sigh passes,
The stomach's heat brings the soul into agitation.
And if the caldron of the stomach agitates the food,
The work of the delicate body becomes immature.
The one possessed of knowledge binds not his heart to
these (four elements),
Which will not always agree with each other.
155 Consider not powerfulness of body, from food;
But, God's grace gives thee sustenance.
By God! if, on sword and knife,—the eye,
Thou placest, thou wilt not perform thanks to Him.
When thou placest thy face on the ground, in service,
Utter praise to God; and regard not thyself.
Praising God, and repeating the name of God, and having
the heart towards Him—are acts of beggary;
For the beggar, it is improper that he should be proud.
I admit, that thou thyself hast done a service to God;
Hast thou not constantly enjoyed His portion on feudal
tenure?
160 First, He placed in thy heart desire of worship,
Then His slave placed his head (in devotion) at His thres-
hold.
If the grace of a good act arrives not from God,
How may a good act arrive to a stranger from a slave?
Why observest thou the tongue which gave confession?
Behold Him, who gave speech to the tongue.
The door of the knowledge of God is man's eye,
Which He has opened on sky and earth.
To thee, how could there have been understanding of
ascent and descent,
If He had not opened this door (of the eye) on thy face?
165 He brought the head and hand from nonentity to existence,
He placed in this, liberality; in that, adoration.
And, if not, how would liberality have come from thy
hand?
It is impossible that adoration would have come from thy
head.
He gave thee a tongue endowed with wisdom; and, created
the ear,—
Which are the keys of the heart's chest.
If the tongue had not possessed (the power of) narration,
When would a person have possessed knowledge of the
heart's secret?
And, if there were not effort on the part of the news-
gatherer of the ear,
When would news have reached the sultán of sense (the
mind)?
170 He gave to me the sweet word of the narrator;
He gave to thee the ear and perception of the understander.
These two are perpetually, like chamberlains, at the door;
They carry news from sultán to sultán.
Why reflectst thou of thyself, saying:—“My action is
good!”
Glance at that door; because, it is His grace.
The gardener carries to the king's hall,
As first-fruit, even the rose from the king's garden.
I beheld an idol of ivory in the (idol-temple) Somnáth,
Gemmed like the (idol) Manát, in (the days of) ignorance.*
175 The painter had so pourtrayed its form,
That one more beautiful than it may not be imagined.
From all countries, káraváns going,
For the seeing of that soul-less form.
The chiefs of Chín and Chigal greedily desired
Fidelity, like Sa'dí, from that idol of stone-heart.
The eloquent ones, set out from every abode,
Supplication-making before that tongueless form.
I was exhausted as to the revealing of this matter,
Saying:—“Why does the living one worship a mineral?”
180 Of an idolater, who was partner with me,
One speaking well of me, and of the same cell, and friend,
I inquired, with gentleness,—“Oh Barhaman!
“I have wonder at the proceedings of this house.*
“For, they are distracted about this powerless form;
“They are imprisoned in the pit of error.
“In it, neither power of hand, nor motion of foot;
“And, if thou cast it down, it rises not from its place.
“Seest thou not, that its eyes are of amber!
“To seek fidelity from stone-eyes (lovely ones) is a mis-
take.”
185 At this speech, that friend became angry;
He became, with anger, fire-like, and caught me.
He informed the idolaters and the old men of the temple;
I saw not, in that assembly, a face of goodness.
The idolaters, Zand-reading, fell
Dog-like upon me, for the sake of that bone (the idol).*
When that crooked way was, in their opinion, straight,
The straight road appeared, in their eyes, crooked.
For, although a man be wise and pious,
He is, in the opinion of the ignorant, foolish.
190 Like a drowning person, I was destitute of remedy;
Beyond courtesy, I saw no path (of escape).
When thou seest the ignorant ones bent on malice,
Safety is in surrender; and, in being gentle.
I loudly praised the chief of the Barhamans,
Saying:—“Oh explaining old man, and Zand-teacher!
“To me, also, the painting of this idol is agreeable;
“For, it is a beautiful form, and a heart-alluring shape.
“In my sight, its form appears rare;
“But, I have no information as to its meaning.
195 “Because, lately, I am the traveller of this place;
“The foreigner seldom recognises bad from good.
“Thou knowst; because thou art the learned man (queen)
of this chess-board;
“Thou art the adviser of the king of this abode.
“What is the meaning in the form of this idol;
“For, I am the first (chief) among its worshippers?
“Worship, in imitation, is seduction;
“He who is acquainted is pleasing to the wayfarer.”
The Barhaman's face kindled with joy;
He approved and said:—“Oh one of approved counte-
nance!
200 “Thy question is right, and thy deed excellent;
“Whoever desires proof arrives at the stage (of his
desire).
“Much, like thee, I wandered in travel;
“I beheld idols, void of knowledge of themselves.
“Except this idol, which, in the morning from this place
where it is,
“Raises its hand to God, the Ruler!
“And if thou wishst, stay even here to-night;
“So that, to-morrow, this idol's mystery may be revealed
to thee.”
By the old man's order, I remained there the night,
Like Bezhan, a captive, in the pit of calamity.*
205 That night, long like the Judgment Day;
The idolaters, unwashed, in prayer around me.
The priests, ever water untroubled,
Their arm-pits,—like a corpse in the sun.
Perhaps, I had committed a great sin;
For, I endured much torment, during that night.
All night afflicted in this bondage of grief;
One hand on my breast; the other, in prayer.
When, suddenly the drum-striker beat the drum;
The Barhaman, cock-like, suddenly called out.
210 Night,—preacher, black-clad—without opposition,
Drew forth the sword of day from the scabbard.
The fire of the morning fell upon tinder;
A world became, in a moment, illumined.*
Thou wouldst have said that, in the country of Zangbár,
A Tátár had suddenly issued from a corner.*
The idolaters, of ruined judgment, of unwashed face,
Appeared from door, and plain and street.
Of man or woman, none remained in the city;
For a needle, there remained no room in that idol-temple.
215 I—through anguish, afflicted; and through sleep, intoxi-
cated;
When, suddenly, the image raised its hand!
A shout immediately issued from them;
Thou wouldst have said, that a sea had come into agita-
tion.
When the idol-temple became void of the assembly,
The Barhaman, laughing, glanced at me,
Saying:—“I know, a difficulty remains not to thee;
“Truth became evident; and falsehood remained not.”
When I saw that ignorance was strong within him;
(And that) an absurd fancy was concealed within him.
220 I again prepared not any speech of truth;
For, it is proper to conceal the truth from the false.
When thou seest the superior powerful of arm,
It is unmanliness to break one's fist.
In hypocrisy, I wept for a while,
Saying:—“I am become penitent, as to what I said.”
By weeping, the hearts of the infidels inclined towards
me;
By a torrent, if a stone rolls,—it is not wonderful.
Those service-performing ran towards me;
They seized, with respect, my arm.
225 Excuse-uttering, I went to the person of ivory (the idol),
On a chair of beaten gold, on a throne of ebony,
I gave a kiss on the hand of that worthless idol,
Saying:—“May a curse be on it; and, on the idol-wor-
shipper!”
Hypocritically, I became an infidel for a few days;
I became, in the sayings of Zand, a Barhaman.
When I saw that I was safe in the temple,
Through joy, I contained not myself in the earth.
One night, I firmly fastened the temple-door;
Ran, left and right, scorpion-like:
230 Looked beneath and above the throne;
Saw a screen, gold-bordered:
Behind the screen, an arch-priest, a fire-worshipper,
Sitting, the end of a cord in his hand.
Immediately, the state as to that (idol) became known to
me,
Like David, when the iron became (soft as) wax to him.*
That when he pulls the cord, of necessity,
The idol raises its hand, redress-seeking.
The Barhaman from before my face went ashamed;
For, the quilting, on the face of the work was a disgrace.*
235 He ran, and I hastened after him;
I threw him headlong into a well.
For I knew if that Barhaman, alive,
Remained, he would strive for my blood:
Would desire, that he might bring forth my destruction,
Lest I should make display of his secret.
When thou obtainst information of the work of a perni-
cious one,
Bring him forth from his power, when thou findst him.
For, if thou leavest him alive, that unskilful one
Will not wish thee further life.
240 And if he places his head in service at thy door,
If he prevail, he will cut off thy head.
Plant not thy foot on the deceiver's foot;
When thou goest and seest him, give him not respite.
I slew him, that impure one, outright with a stone;
For, from a corpse, the tale issues not.
When I saw that I excited tumult,
I escaped from that land and fled.
When thou setst fire to the cane-brake,
If thou art wise, shun the tigers.
245 Slay not the young of the snake, man-biting;
If thou slayst, stand no longer in that dwelling.
When thou disturbst the house of the wasp,
Fly quickly, from that quarter,—lest thou fall.
Cast not thy arrow at one more expert than thyself;
When it falls, seize thy skirt with the teeth (and fly).
In the leaves of Sa'dí, there is only this advice:—
“When thou minest the foundation of a wall,—stand not
there.”
After that resurrection day, I came to Hind;
And, thence, by way of Yaman, to Hijáz.
250 From that amount of bitterness, which passed over me,
To-day only, my mouth became sweet.
In the fortune, and strengthening of Abú Bakr (son) of
Sa'd;
Like whom, neither before nor after, a mother produces.
I came, justice-seeking, from heaven's violence;
I came to this shelter of the shelter-spreader (Abú Bakr).
I am, slave-like, a prayer-utterer for this kingdom;
Oh God! keep perpetually, this shadow,
Which placed not on me a plaster, worthy of the wound;
But, worthy of his own favours and honours.
255 How may I perform thanks for this favour,
Though my head become foot in his service?
After those bonds (of trouble) I obtained joy;
Yet, of those counsels, at my ear, is
One that, at that time, when the hand of supplication,
I raise to the Court of the Knower of Secrets (God),
That Chinese puppet comes to my hand,
It puts dust in the eye of my self-conceit.
I know that the hand, I raised,
I exalted not through my own power.
260 The pious draw not up (of themselves) their hands;
For, they draw the end of the cord through the One unseen
(God).
The door of goodness and devotion is open; but,
Every one is not powerful as to good deeds.
This, indeed, is the hinderer that—into the Court,
Save by the King's order, it is improper to go.
The key of destiny is in no one's hand;
God is absolutely powerful, and that is enough.
Then, oh man running on the straight path!
Thanks are not for thee; they are for God.
265 When He, in the hidden, created thy disposition good,
Bad conduct issues not from thy disposition.
This sweetness from the bee, made appear,
That very Person, who created poison in the snake.
When He wishes to lay waste a country,
He first makes a people afflicted by thee.
And if His bounty be over thee,
He causes ease to reach the people from thee.
Display not pride on the path of truth;
For, they (angels) seized thy hand, and thou didst rise.
270 Speech is profitable, if thou wilt listen;
Thou mayst attain to the (stage of the) men of God, if
thou travel the path of religion,
If they guide thee, thou wilt obtain an abode,
Where, they place thy table-cloth (victual-spread), on the
tray of respect.
But, it is improper that thou shouldst eat alone;
Thou shouldst remember the distressed darvesh (Sa'dí).
Thou didst, perhaps, send mercy upon me;
For, I am not confiding to my own work.