1 IF thou art wise, incline to truth;
For truth, not the semblance, remains in its place.123
To whomsoever, there was neither knowledge, nor liberality,
nor piety,—
In his form, there was no reality.
Beneath the clay, sleeps at ease that one,
By whom, men sleep tranquil at heart.
Suffer thy own grief in life; for the relation,
Through his own avarice, busies not himself with one dead.
5 Give now gold and silver, which is thine;
For, after thy (death), it is out of thy command.
Thou wishest not, that thou shouldst be distressed in
heart?
Put not out of thy heart those distressed.
Scatter treasure in alms, to-day, without delay;
For, to-morrow, the key is not in thy hand.
Take away with thy self, thy own road-provisions;
For compassion (after death) comes from neither son, nor
wife.
That one takes away the ball of empire from this world,
Who took, with himself, a portion to the future world.
10 With sympathy, like my finger-tip,
No one in the world scratches my back.
Place now, on the palm of the hand, whatever there is;
Lest that, to-morrow (the Judgment Day) thou shouldst
with the teeth bite the back of the hand.
Strive as to covering the shame of the darwesh,
That the veil of God may be thy secret (defect) -concealer.
Turn not the foreigner portionless from thy door,
Lest that thou shouldst become a wanderer (in beggary) at
doors.
The great one causes alms to reach the indigent;
For he fears that he may become necessitous (as to the
need of others).
15 Look into the state of the heart of those wearied;
For thy heart may, perhaps, one day be broken.
Make the hearts of those dejected happy;
Remember the day of helplessness (the Judgment Day).
Thou art not a beggar at the doors of others;
Drive not, in thanks to God, a beggar from thy door.
Cast protection over the head of the one father-dead;
Scatter his dust (of affliction), and pluck out his thorn.
Knowst thou not, how very dejected his state was?
May a rootless tree be ever green?125
20 When thou seest an orphan, head lowered in front (from
grief),
Give not a kiss to the face of thy own son.
If the orphan weeps, who buys for his consolation?
And, if he becomes angry, who leads him back (to
quietude)?
Beware! that he weep not; for, the great throne of God
Keeps trembling, when the orphan weeps.
Pluck out, with kindness, the tear from his pure eye;
Scatter, with compassion, the dust (of affliction) from his
face.
If his (the father's) protection departed from over his
head,
Do thou cherish him, with thy own protection.
25 I esteemed my head crown-worthy, at that time,
When, I held my head in my father's bosom.
If a fly had sate on my body,
The heart of some would have become distressed.
If now, enemies should bear me away captive,
None of my friends is a helper.
For me, is acquaintance with the sorrows of orphans,
For, in childhood, my father departed (in death), from my
head.
A certain one plucked out a thorn from an orphan's
foot;
The Khujand Chief, saw him, in a dream:—125a
30 He was talking and sauntering in the gardens of Paradise,
Saying:—“How many roses blossomed from that thron!”
So long as thou canst, be not free from mercy;
For they bear pity to thee, when thou bearst pity.
When thou hast done a favour, be not self-worshipping,
Saying:—“I am a superior; and, that other an inferior.”
Say not:—“The sword of Time has cast him!”
For, the sword of Time is yet drawn.
When thou seest a thousand persons, prayer-uttering for
the empire,
Give thanks to God for favours.
35 For the reason that many men have expectation from thee,
Thou hast expectation at the hand of none.
I have said that liberality is the character of chiefs;
I uttered a mistake;—it is the quality of prophets!
I have heard that, one week, a son of the road (a traveller)
Came not to the guest-house of (Ibráhím) the friend of
God.
Through his happy disposition, he used not to eat in the
morning,
Unless one, foodless, came from the path (of travel).
He went out, and looked in every direction;
Glanced in the quarters of the valley; and saw:—
40 One, willow-like, in solitude, in the desert;
His head and hair white with the snow of old age.
For consolation, he said to him:—“Marhabá!”
Uttered, according to the custom of the liberal, the invi-
tation,127
Saying:—“Oh pupil of my eyes!
“Do me a favour, as to bread and salt.”
He said, “Yes”; and sprang up and lifted his feet;
For, he knew his temperament:—on him be peace!
The guards of the guest-house of Ibráhím
Placed the abject old man, with respect.
45 He ordered; and, they arranged the table;
All sate around.
When the company began:—“Bismi-llah!”
A word from the old man reached not his ear.
He spoke to him, thus:—“Oh old man of ancient days!
“I behold not thy truth and heart-burning, like old men.
“When thou eatst food, is it not the custom
“That thou shouldst take the name of the Lord of
Victuals?”
He said:—“I accept not a religion,
“Which I have not heard from the old men, fire-wor-
shipping.”
50 The prophet of good omen knew
That the old man, of state-become ruined, was a Gabr.
He drove him away, with contempt, when he saw him a
stranger (to Islám);
For to the pure, the filthy is forbidden.
The angel Surosh came from the glorious Omnipotent,
With majesty, reproaching, saying:—“Oh friend of God!
“I had for a hundred years given him victuals and life;
“Abhorrence of him comes to thee, in a moment.
“If he takes his adoration to the fire,
“Why withdrawst thou thy hand of magnanimity?”
55 Make not a knot at the head of the ligature of beneficence,
Saying:—“This one is of fraud and deceit: and, that one
of treachery and guile.”128
The man, Kurán-knowing, does injury,
When he sells, for bread, the Kurán and sound doctrine.
Where do wisdom and law give the decision,
That one of wisdom should give religion for the world?
But, do thou take; because the wise man
Buys gladly from those cheap-selling.
One, tongue-knowing, came to a pious man,
Saying:—“I have stuck firmly in the mire.
60 “Ten dirams of a mean one are (weighing) on me,
“In such a way that a fourth part of them is ten mans on
my heart.128a
“Through him, all night, my state distracted;
“All day, (he is) shadow-like, behind me.
“From words, heart-confounding, he has made
“A wound, like a house-door, within my heart.
“Perhaps since he was born of his mother, God
“Gave not (to him) anything save these ten dirams.128b
“Of the book of Religion, Alif unknown;
“Unread, save the chapter:—Spend not.
65 “The sun raised not its head a single day above the
mountain
“That that scoundrel knocked not at my door.
“I am in reflection,—What liberal one
“May take my hand (help me) with silver, from that one
of stone heart.”
The old man of happy disposition heard this speech,
He placed two gold coins in his sleeve.
The gold fell into the hand of the tale-teller;
He went out, thence,—a face fresh like gold.
One said:—“Oh Shaikh! knowst thou not, who this is?
“It is not proper to weep over him, if he dies
70 “A beggar, who (by deceit) places a saddle on the male
lion;
“Who places (on one side) the knight and queen of Abú-
Zaid (the chess-player).”129
The 'ábid was confounded, saying:—“Be silent!
“Thou art not a man of tongue; listen!
“If what I thought (regarding him) was right
“I preserved his honour from the people.
“If he practised impudence and hypocrisy,
“Thou knowst not that he beguiled me.
“For, I preserved my own honour;
“From the hand of such a deceiver, foolishness-uttering.”
75 Spend silver and gold on the bad and the good;
For, this is the trade of liberality; and, that the repelling
of evil.130
Happy he who, in the society of the wise,
Learns the qualities of the pious.
Wisdom, and judgment, and deliberation, and sense are
thine;
Listen, with reverence, to Sa'dí's advice.
Because, Sa'dí, for the most part, has words (of counsel)
in this fashion;
Not—as to eye, and ringlet, and lobe of the ear, and mole
(of lovely ones).
One departed (from the world), and a hundred thousand
dínars of his,
The heir, a sensible pious man, took.
80 He clutched not his hand on the gold, like the misers;
He took off the fastening from it, like the nobles.
The darvesh used not to be empty at his door;
Nor, the traveller, within his guest-house.
He made the heart of stranger and relation happy;
Tied not up the gold, like his father.
One, reproach-making, said to him:—“Oh one of wind-
hand!
“Make not altogether scattered what treasure there is.
“Gold, and consequential airs, and favour, remain not
long.
“Perhaps, no one has told thee this tale?
85 “In these days, a certain Záhid, to his son,
“I heard—kept saying—‘Oh soul of father!
“‘Go alone; and be house-emptying;
“‘Be liberal, and wealth-dispersing.’131
“The son was fore-seeing and work-experienced,
“He praised his father, saying:—‘Oh one of good judg-
ment!
“‘In one year, one can gather together the harvest;
“‘To burn it in a moment, is not manliness.’
“When thou hast no patience, as to straitened circum-
stances,
“Consider the account, in the plenteous season.
90 “How well spoke the lady of the village to her daughter,
“Saying:—‘Put aside, in the time of plenty, means for
adversity.
“‘Keep full, at all times, the water-bag and pitcher;
“‘For, the rivulet in the village is not always running.’
“By this world, one can obtain the next;
“By gold, one can turn aside a lion-grasp.
“If thou art straitened, go not before a friend;
“But, if thou hast silver, come and bring (that silver).
“If thou placest thy face, on the dust of his feet,
“He utters no reply to thee, with empty hands.
95 “The lord of gold plucks out the demon's eye;
“He brings the jinn Sahar, by craft, to his net.131a
“Associate not, empty-handed, with lovely ones;
“For without anything, a man is not worth anything.
“The hope of the empty-handed one prospers not;
“With gold thou mayst pluck out the eye of the white
demon.132
“Scatter not gold, all at once, on friends;
“Be in contemplation of the trouble of the enemy.
“And if, on the palm of the hand, thou placest whatever
thou hast,
“In the time of need, thou wilt remain empty (handed).
100 “By thy effort, the beggars—ever strong,
“Become not; I fear, thou dost become lean.”
When the forbidder of liberality uttered this tale,
The young man's vein, through anger, slept not.
He became perplexed in heart as to that censorious one;
Was confounded, and said:—“Oh foolish talker!
“The power that is around me,
“My father said—was the heritage of my grandfather.
“Did they not first preserve it?
“They died, in regret; and, left it.
105 “To my hand, did not my father's property fall,
“That it might fall after me to my son's hand?”
It is best indeed that men should to-day enjoy;
For, to-morrow, after me, they will take it away in rapine.
Eat, and clothe thyself, and bestow, and cause ease to
arrive;
Why keepst thou (money) for the sake of the people?
The lords of judgment, (by alms) take away with them-
selves from the world;
The base one remains, in regret, in his place.
With this world, thou canst buy the future world;
Oh my soul! purchase; and, if not, suffer regret.
Gold and wealth are of use to that one,
110 Who makes the wall of the future world, gold decorated.
He (the heir) enjoyed and gave away, so that those endowed
with vision
Beheld the marks of that money-loss in him.
A person, out of nobleness, praised him,
Saying:—“In the path of God, thou enduredst much
grief.”
Head in the collar of shame, he kept saying:—
“What (good deed) did I, to which one can attach the
heart?
“The hope that I have is in the grace of God;
“For, to exercise reliance on my own effort is a crime.”
Religion is this indeed,—that people of truth
115 Are good-doers, and (their own) fault-perceivers.
The Shaikhs have, all night, uttered prayers;
Have, in the morning, spread the prayer-carpet.
In the name of manliness! listen to the words of men;
Not Sa'dí; but, of Sahrwadí, hear.133
For me the shaikh of knowledge, the spiritual guide,
Shaháb,
Uttered two maxims of counsel,—boat on the water:—
“One,—be not in the assembly of those evil-viewing;
“The other,—be not in the lust of self-beholding.”
120 One night, I know, that, from fear of hell, Shaháb slept
not;
In the morning, it came to my ear,—that he said:—
“How well would it have been, if hell had been full of me;
“Perhaps, for others, there might have been escape!”
Once upon a time, a wife lamented to her husband,
Saying:—“Purchase not again bread from the general
vendor of the street.
“Go to the market of the wheat-sellers.
“For, this is a barley-seller, wheat-exhibiting.
“Not on account of purchasers, but from a swarm of flies,
“No one has seen his face for a week.”
125 With heartiness, that indigent man,
To his wife, said:—“Oh light (of my eyes)! be content.
“In hope of us, the vendor took here a shop;
“It is not manliness, to take back from him profit.”
Take the path of good, noble men;
When thou art erect, seize the hand of the fallen.
Bestow; for, those who are men of God
Are the purchasers (at) of the shop without splendour.
If thou desirest truth,—the saint ('Alí) is the generous man;
Liberality is the profession of 'Alí, king of men.
130 I have heard that an old man, on the road to Hijáz,
Used to make two prayer-motions, at every step.
So impetuous in the path of God,
That he used not to pluck the ghílán thorn from his foot.
At length from temptation, heart-disturbing,
His work seemed good in his sight.
By the craft of Iblís, he fell into the pit (of pride),
Saying:—“One cannot go on a road, better than this.”
If the mercy of God had not found him,
Pride would have turned his head from the path (of reli-
gion).
135 An angelic messenger gave voice, from the invisible,
Saying:—“Oh one of happy fortune! of good disposition!
“If thou hast performed devotion, think not,
“That thou hast brought a rarity to this court.
“By beneficence a heart tranquil making,
“Is better than a thousand sacred inclinations of the head
at every stage.”
A wife thus spoke (to her husband) an officer of the Sultán,
Saying;—“Oh fortunate one! arise; knock at the door of
food.
“Go; so that they may give thee a portion from the
(Sultán's) tray;
“For, the children are looking to thee for food.
140 He said:—“To-day, the kitchen is cold;
“For, the Sultán made the resolve of fast, at night.”
The wife, through helplessness, cast down her head;
Heart torn with hunger, she kept saying to herself:—
“What did the Sultán wish from this fast-talking,
“The breaking of which is the festival of my children?”
The devourer, from whose hand liberality issues,
Is better than one, who, world-worshipping, perpetually
fasts.
Fast-keeping is reserved for him,
Who gives, to the wearied one, the bread of the morning
meal.
145 Otherwise, what need that thou shouldst endure the trouble
(of fasting);
Shouldst keep back from thyself (food in the day); and
shouldst eat it (at night)?
The imaginings of the ignorant one, sitting in solitude!
He confounds, at length, infidelity and religion.
Purity is in water; and, also, in the mirror;
But, discretion is necessary for purity.
To a certain one, liberality was; but power was not;
Means of subsistence, to the extent of his generosity, were
not.
Let not the mean one be lord of wealth!
Let not straitened means be to the generous man!
150 To him, to whom lofty spirit chances,
The object of his desire seldom falls within the noose.
Like the pouring torrent, which, in a mountainous country,
Takes not ease in the midst of the heights.
He exercised not liberality, according to his means;
On this account, assuredly, he used to be of small worth.137
One straitened wrote to him two words,
Saying:—“Oh one of happy end, of auspicious tempera-
ment!
“Take my hand (help me) once with some dirams;
“For, it is some time that I have been in prison.”
155 The request was, in his eye, of no value;
But, in his hand, there was not the smallest coin.
He sent a man to the enemies of the captive,
Saying:—“Oh men of good name, and noble!
“Restrain, for a little, your hands from his skirt;
“And if he flies, security for him (is) on me.”
And, thence, he came to the prison, saying:—“Arise!
“Flee from this city, so long as thou hast feet.”
When the sparrow beheld the cage-door open,
Repose within it remained not to it, a moment.
160 Like the zephyr-wind, from that land he travelled;
Such travelling, that the wind would not have reached the
dust of his feet.
They, at once, seized the generous man,
Saying:—“Thou mayst obtain the silver, or the man.”
He took, in helplessness, the path to the prison;
For, one cannot take the bird, gone from the cage.
I heard that he remained some time in prison;
He neither wrote to any one a complaint; nor, uttered a
lament.
Times, he reposed not; nights, slept not;
A devotee passed by him, and said:—
165 “I think not thou devourest the property of man;
“What chanced to thee, that thou art in prison?”
He said:—“Oh comrade of happy spirit!
“I enjoyed, by fraud, the property of no one.
“I beheld one, powerless, torn by captivity;
“I beheld no release for him, save by my own confinement.
“It seemed, in my opinion, not proper,
“I, at ease; another, in the noose (of torment).”
At length, he died; and, took away a good name;
How excellent, the life of him, whose name died not!
170 Beneath the clay,—a body dead, a heart alive;
Is better than a world alive, heart dead.
The living heart never becomes destroyed;
If, the body of the living heart dies,—what matter?138
A certain one found, in the desert, a thirsty dog;
He found not beyond a spark of life in him.
He of approved religion made a cap-bucket;
Bound to it his own turban, rope-like.
Bound his loins in service; and stretched forth his arm;
Gave a little water to the powerless dog.
175 The Prophet gave intelligence of the man's state,
Saying:—“The Ruler (God) pardoned his sins.”
Ho! if thou art a tyrant, reflect;
Choose fidelity; exercise liberality.
How does liberality become lost to the good man,
Since he lost not goodness done to a dog?
Pactise liberality so far as it may (suitably) come from thy
hand,
The world-keeper closes the door of beneficence on none.
To bestow from the treasury, to the extent of an ox's skin
of gold,
Is not like half a dang from the hand of toil.
180 Every one carries a load suitable to his strength;
The locust's foot is heavy to the ant.
Oh one of happy fortune! do good to the people,
That to-morrow, (the Judgment Day) God may not take
hard (measures) with thee.
If he come from his feet (fall), he remains not captive,
Who was hand-seizer (helper) of the fallen.
Give not, with rebuke, an order to the slave;
For, it may be that he may fall (come) to order-giving.
When thy majesty and rank are lasting
Exercise not violence on the weakness of the common dar-
wesh;
185 For, it may happen that he becomes possessed of rank and
majesty;
Like the pawn, that suddenly becomes a queen (at chess).
Listen to the counsel of men, far-seeing;
They scatter not the seed of rancour, in any heart.
The lord of the harvest suffers loss,
When he displays arrogance towards the corn-gleaners.
Fears he not that they (the angels) may give wealth to the
wretched one;
And from that one place the load of grief on the heart of
this one?140
Many strong ones,—who fell suddenly;
Many a fallen one,—Fortune assisted.
190 It is not proper to break the hearts of inferiors;
Lest that, one day, thou shouldst become an inferior.
A certain darvesh complained of weakness of state,
To one of stern face, lord of wealth.
The one of black heart gave him neither dínárs, nor dángs;
(And) shouted at him, moreover, in anger.140a
The beggar's heart, from his violence, bled.
He raised his head, with grief, and said:—“Oh wonder!
“Why, indeed is the rich man of severe visage?
“Perhaps, he fears not the bitterness of begging.”
195 The one of short sight ordered,—so that his slave
Drove him away, with contempt, and utter scorn.
By not offering thanks to the Omnipotent,
I heard that Fortune turned from him.
His greatness placed its head towards ruin;
Mercury put his pen in the ink (in record against him).
Wretchedness made him sit naked, like garlic;
It left him neither chattels nor baggage-taker (the ass).
God's decree made him, through poverty, sit, dust on the
head;
Juggler-like, purse and hand empty.
200 His state, head to foot, became of another kind;
Some time passed on (after) this occurrence.
His slave fell to the hand of a liberal one.
Generous of heart, and hand; and luminous of tempera-
ment.
By the sight of the wretch of overturned state,
He used to be as much pleased, as the poor one with wealth.
A certain one sought, at night-time, a morsel at his door;
From hardship-enduring, his steps were slow.
The lord of gift ordered the slave,
Saying:—“Make the dejected one happy.”
205 When he carried to him a portion from the table;
He involuntarily raised a cry.
He returned, heart-broken, to his master,
Tears on his face, mystery revealing.
The chief of happy temperament inquired,
Saying:—“From whose violence, came these tears on thy
face?”
He said:—“My heart sorely grieved,
“At the state of this old man of distracted fortune.
“For, in former times, I was his slave;
“He,—the lord of goods and property, and silver.
210 “When his hand, from honour and luxury, became short,
“He makes long the hand of begging at doors.”
He laughed and said:—“Oh son! it is no violence;
“For the revolution of Time, there is oppression against
none.
“Is he not that merchant of stern countenance,
“Who used, from pride, to bear his head against the sky?
“I am that one, whom he drove, that day, from his door;
“The world's revolution has placed him in my day (state).142
“The sky looked, again, towards me;
“It scattered the dust of grief from my face.”
215 If God closes one door, in wisdom,
He opens another, in grace and liberality.
Many a poor one, foodless, became satiated;
Many a work of the rich one became overturned.
Hear a trait of good men,
If thou art a good man, and of manly gait.
When Shiblí, from the shop of the wheat-seller,
Carried a wallet of wheat, on his back, to the village,
He glanced; he beheld, in that wheat, an ant,
That ran, head-revolving, in every corner.142a
220 He could not sleep, at night, for pity of that ant;
He brought it back to its own dwelling, and said:—
“It is not manliness that this wounded ant,
“I should cause to be separated from its dwelling.”
Keep tranquil the hearts of those distressed,
That tranquillity, from time, may be thine.
How well said Firdausí of pure birth,
—May mercy be on that pure tomb!—143
“Wound not the ant, that is the grain-carrier;
“For, it also has life; and, life is pleasant.”
225 He is of black vitals, and of stone-heart,
Who wishes that an ant may be of straitened-heart.
Strike not the hand of force on the head of the powerless,
Lest that thou shouldst, one day, fall ant-like beneath his
foot.
The candle bestowed no pity on the moth's state;
Behold how it (the candle) burned in the assembly!
I have assumed,—many are less powerful than thou;
Also there is a certain one, in the end, more powerful than
thou.
Oh son! bestow; for, the one man-born, a prey,
One can make by benefits; and, the wild beast, by re-
straint.143a
230 Bind the enemy, by showing kindness;
For, one cannot sever this noose, with the sword.
When the enemy experiences liberality, and courtesy, and
generosity,
Villainy from him comes not, again, into existence.
Do not evil, lest thou experience evil from the good friend;
The good fruit comes not from the seed-stone of wicked-
ness.
When with a friend, thou art difficult and hard to please,
He desires not to see thy painting and colour (of face).
But, if a man desires good to his enemies,
Much time passes not, but they become friendly.
235 A young man came before me, on the road,
A sheep, running in bounds, behind him.
I said to him:—“This is a cord and ligature,
“Which draws the sheep behind thee.”
He quickly undid the collar and chain from it;
Left and right, it began to bound.
Yet, from behind him, gambolling, it proceeded;
For, it had eaten barley and green-corn from the man's
hand.
When it returned to its place from pleasure and sport,
He regarded me, and said:—“Oh man of sense!
240 “This cord draws it not to me;
“But kindness is the noose about its neck.”
From the kindness, which the raging elephant has expe-
rienced,
He attacks not the elephant-keeper.145
Oh good man! cherish the bad;
For, the dog keeps watch, when he devours thy bread.
The leopard's teeth are blunt against that man,
On whose cheek, he rubs, for two days, his tongue.
A certain one saw a fox, legless and footless,
He was astonied at the grace and creation of God,145a
245 Saying:—“How does he pass his life?
“With this leg and foot, how does he eat?”
The darvesh of disturbed complexion was in this thought,
When a lion came forth, a jackal in his claws.
The lion devoured the jackal of reversed fortune;
Whatever remained,—of it, the fox ate to satiety.
Again, the next day, the event happened,
That the Victual-sender (God) gave to him the day's food.
Truth made the man's eye capable of vision;
He went; and relied on the Creator,
250 Saying:—“I may, after this, sit, ant-like, in a corner;
“Since, elephants eat not their daily food by force.”
He lowered, for some time, his chin to the collar (of reflec-
tion),
Saying:—“The Giver of daily food sends from the un-
seen.”
Neither stranger nor friend suffered toil for him;
Harp-like, his veins, and bones, and skin remained.
When, from weakness, his patience and sense remained not,
From the wall of the prayer-place, there came to his ear:—
“Oh impostor! go; be the rending lion;
“Cast not thyself, like the crippled fox.”
255 Strive so that, lion-like, there may remain (something)
from thy (trade)
Why art thou, fox-like, depending upon the lion's leavings.
Whose neck is stout, like lions,
If he falls (into idleness) fox-like, a dog is better than he.
Bring to thy grasp; and, drink with others;
Pay no attention to others' leavings.
Eat, so long as thou canst,—by means of thy own arm;
That thy strength may be in thy own balance.146
Endure toil, like men; and cause ease to arrive (to others);
The impotent enjoys the gain of others' toil.
260 Oh young man! Take the hand of the old darvesh;
Cast not thyself down, saying:—“Take my hand!”
The gift of God is on that slave,
By whose existence, the people are at ease.
That head, in which is a brain, exercises liberality;
For, those of mean spirit are skin,—brainless.
That one experiences good, in both habitations,
Who causes good to reach the people of God.146a
Didst thou not see (hear), on the foot-binding (difficult)
road to Kesh,
What that camel-driver said to his own son?147
265 “Enjoy food, with good men;
“For, they will not eat in solitude.”
I have heard that there was a man of pure birth-place,
A recogniser, and road-traveller (in the way of God), in the
confines of Rúm.
I and some other travellers, desert-wandering,
Went a-travelling for the sake of seeing the man.
He kissed the head, and eyes, and hands of each one;
Caused us to sit, with reverence and respect; and sate
down.
I beheld his gold, and sown fields, and attendants and
goods;
But, without generosity, like a fruitless tree.
270 As to manner and grace, he was attentive;
But, his cooking-pot-place was very cold.
All night, there was neither rest, nor sleep,—for him,
As to praising God and reciting—“There is no God, but
God”; and, for us, from hunger.147a
In the morning, he bound his loins and opened the door;
Began the very same courtesy and hand-kissing.
There was one, who was of sweet and pleasant temper,
Who, was, in that inn, a traveller with us.
He said:—“Give me the kiss, by letter-translating,
“Because, for the darvesh, food (tosha) is better than
a kiss (bosa).148
275 “Place not the hand in service, on my shoes;
“Give me bread; and, strike them on my head.”
Men have, by gifts, excelled;
Not those night-alive-keeping, heart dead.
This indeed I experienced from the Tatár watchman,
Heart dead, but night-alive-keeping.148a
Liberality is—generosity and bread-giving;
Foolish speech is the empty drum.
At the Resurrection, thou seest, in Paradise, that one,
Who sought truth, and let go pretension.
280 By truth, one can make a proper claim;
Breath, without action, is a slothful resting-place.148b
I have heard that, in the time of Hátim, there was,
Among his horses, one swift footed, like smoke.148c
A black steed of zephyr swiftness, thunder noise,
That used to surpass the lightning:
Used, in the gallop, to scatter hail over mountain and
plain;
Thou wouldst have said:—“Perhaps, an April-cloud has
passed?”
Such an one, torrent-moving, desert-travelling,
That the wind, from the front, used to lag, like dust.
285 Of Hátim's qualities, in every land and clime,
They mentioned a little to the Sultán of Rúm,
Saying:—“A man, there is not, like him in liberality;
“A horse, there is not, like his in moving and journeying.
“Such a desert-traveller, like a boat on the water,
“That the crow flies not above his journeying!”
The Sultán of Rúm spoke to his learned Vazír, thus,
Saying:—“The claim without evidence is shame.
“Of Hátim, that steed of Arab descent, I
“Will ask; if he should exercise liberality, and give,
290 “I shall know that, in him is the pomp of greatness;
“But, if he refuses, (his pretension) is the noise of the
empty drum!”
An envoy, skilful in the world, to (the tribe of) Tai,
He despatched; and, ten men along with him.
The ground dead; but, the cloud weeping over it,
The zephyr again placed life in it.
At the halting (dwelling) place of Hátim, the envoy
alighted;
(And) became tranquil, like the thirsty one, by the Zinda
river.149
He (Hátim) spread a table, victual-covered; and, killed a
horse;
Gave them sugar in his skirt; gold in his fist.
295 There, they passed the night; and, the next day,
The man of information (the envoy) uttered what he knew.150
The envoy kept talking; and, Hátim distracted, like one
intoxicated,
Kept gnawing his hand with the teeth of regret,
Saying:—“Oh partner, learned, of good name!
“Why didst thou not utter before this thy message?
“That wind-moving, fast, Duldul,—I
“Made roast-meat, last night, for your sake.150a
“For, through the dread of rain and torrents, I knew
“It was impossible to go into the pasture place of the herd
(of cattle).
300 “For me, there was, in no other way, either turning or
path;
“There was only that horse at the door of my court.
“I considered it not generosity, in respect to my usage,
“That a guest should sleep, heart torn with hunger.
“For me,—a name conspicuous in the climes (of the world)
is necessary;
“Say:—let there not be (for me) another famous steed.”
He gave to the individuals of the envoy's retinue dirams,
dresses of honour, and horses.
—The good quality is natural, not an acquisition.—
News of the young man of Tai went to Rúm;
The Sultán uttered a thousand benedictions on his disposi-
tion.
305 Be not content with this incident of Hátim;
Listen to this more beautiful circumstance.
I know not, who told me this tale,
That there had been, in the country of Yaman, an order-
giver.
He snatched the ball of empire from those renowned;
For in treasure-bestowing, there was no equal to him.
One could call him—“the Cloud of Liberality,”
For, his hand used to scatter money like rain.
No one used to take to him the name of (mention) Hátim,
At which (mentioning), phrenzy used not to go to his head,
310 Saying:—“How much—of the words of that wind-weigher,
“Who has neither country, nor command, nor treasure?”
I heard that he prepared a royal feast,
(And) harp-like entertained the people, in the midst of the
banquet.
One opened the door of mention of Hátim;
Another began to utter his praise.
Envy held the man to the desire of revenge;
He appointed one for his blood-devouring,
Saying:—“So long as Hátim is in my time,
“My name will not go (into the world) for goodness.”
315 The calamity-seeking one took the path to the tribe of Tai,
He set out for the slaying of the young man.152
There came before him, on the road, a young man,
From whom, the perfume of affection came up to him:
Good of visage, and wise, and sweet of tongue;
He brought him a guest, that night, to his own abode:
Exercised liberality, and sympathised, and made excuses;
Snatched the enemy's heart, by kindness:
Placed the morning-kiss on his hands and feet,
Saying:—“Stay at ease, a few days, with us.”
320 He said:—“I cannot here become a resident;
“For I have before me an important matter.”
He replied:—“If thou wilt reveal the matter to me,
“I will with soul exert myself, like friends of one heart.”
He replied:—“Oh young man! listen to me;
“For, I know the generous one is a secret-concealer.
“Thou knowest, perhaps, in this land, Hátim,
“Who is of happy judgment, and good manners?
“The King of Yaman has desired his head;
“I know not, what hatred has arisen between them.
325 “Show me the short path to where he is;
“Oh friend! this indeed, I look for from thy courtesy.”
The youth laughed, saying:—“I am Hátim:
“Behold! separate, with the sword, the head from my
body.
“When the morning becomes white, it is not proper that,
“Injury should reach thee; or, that thou shouldst become
disappointed.”153
When Hátim placed, with nobleness, his head (for
slaughter),
A cry issued from the young man (the guest).
He fell upon the dust; and, leaped to his feet;
Kissed now the dust; now, his feet and hands:
330 Threw down the sword; and placed the quiver (on the
ground);
Put, like the helpless, his hands on his breast,153a
Saying:—“If I strike a rose on thy body,
“I am, in men's sight, a woman, not a man.”
He kissed both his eyes; and, embraced him;
And, took his way, thence, to Yaman.
Between the two eyebrows of the man, the king
Knew, immediately, that he had not performed the duty.
He said:—“Come; what news hast thou?
“Why didst thou not bind his head to thy saddle-strap?
335 “Perhaps a renowned one made an assault against thee;
“Thou, through weakness, sustainedst not the fury of
the contest?”
The clever youth gave the ground-kiss;
Praised the king; and, the majesty of his nature,
Saying:—“I discovered Hátim, fame-seeking,
“Skilful, and of pleasant appearance, and of good visage:
“Considered him generous, and endowed with wisdom;
“Regarded him, in manliness, my superior:
“The load of his favour made my back bent;
“He slew me, with the sword of kindness and grace.”
340 Whatever he experienced, from his liberality,—he uttered;
The monarch recited praises on the offspring of Tai:
Gave the envoy gold-money,
Saying:—“Liberality is the seal on Hátim's name.”
It (the evidence) reaches (touches) him, if they give evi-
dence;
Since, truth and fame are his fellow-travellers.154
I have heard that, in the time of the Prophet, the tribe of
Tai
Made not acceptance of the faith (of the Kurán).154a
The Messenger of good news and the Observer (Muham-
mad) sent an army;
They took captive a multitude of them.
345 The Prophet ordered them to slay them with the sword of
hate,
Saying:—“They are unclean, and of impure religion.”
A woman said:—“I am Hátim's daughter,
“Ask (pardon for me) from this renowned Ruler (Mu-
hammad):
“Oh revered sir! exercise generosity as to my state;
“For my lord (Hátim) was endowed with liberality.”
By the command of the Prophet of pure judgment,
They loosed the fetters from her hands and feet:
Drew the sword upon the rest of that tribe,
So that they caused, mercilessly, a torrent of blood to flow.
350 With weeping, the woman said to the swordsman:—
“Strike my neck also with all the rest:
“I consider, not release from fetters, generosity;
“I—alone; and, my friends in the noose (of calamity).”
She kept uttering lamentations, over the brothers of Tai;
Her voice came to the Prophet's ear.
The rest of that tribe, he gave to her,
Saying:—“One of true origin never erred!”
From Hátim's store-house, an old man
Demanded ten diram's weight of sugar candy.155
355 From the historian, I remember news such,
That he sent him a sack of sugar.
The wife said, from the tent:—“What is this?
“The old man's need was exactly ten dirams.”
The fame-cherisher of Tai heard this speech;
He laughed, and said:—“Oh heart's ease of Hai!
“If he demanded (what was) suitable to his own need,
(and got it),
“Where is the liberality of the offspring of Hátim?”
Another in generosity, like Hátim,
Comes not, perhaps, from the world's revolution,
360 That Abú Bakr, son of Sa'd,—the hand of munificence,
Whose magnanimity places on the mouths of beggars.156
Oh peasant-refuge! May thy heart be glad!
May Islám, by thy endeavour, flourish!
This dust of happy soil raises its head (ascends),
By thy justice over the climes of Greece and Rúm!
Like Hátim, if his name had not been,
No one, in the world, would have taken the name of (men-
tioned) Tai.
In books, the praise of that renowned one (Hátim) remains;
For thee, both praise and also reward remain.
365 Whereas, Hátim sought for that reputation and renown (in
the world);
Thy struggle and endeavour are for the sake of God!
There is no ceremony for the darvesh;
Save this one word,—there is no other counsel:—
“As much as may be in thy power, do good;”
Good remains, after thee (Oh Abú Bakr!); and, speech
after Sa'dí.
Of a certain one, an ass had fallen into the mire;
The blood, through phrenzy, had gathered to his heart.
Desert and rain, and cold, and torrent;—
Darkness let down its skirt on the horizon.
370 He was in this grief, all night, till the morning;
Spoke passionately; and gave curse and abuse.
Neither enemy, nor friend, escaped his tongue (of reproach);
Nor the Sultán, whose land and produce it was.
By chance, the lord of that wide plain
Passed by him in that reprehensible state.
He heard these words,—far from rectitude;—
Neither patience of hearing; nor, way of answer.
He looked at him, with the eye of punishment,
Saying:—“For what is this person's anger against me?”
375 One said:—“Oh king! strike him with the sword;
“Pluck up his life's root, from the earth's surface.”
The Sultán of high rank glanced;
He himself saw him, in calamity; and, his ass in the mire:
Forgave the man, on account of his ruined state:
Swallowed the anger of his cold words:
Gave him gold, and a horse, and a coat of fur;
—How good is love, at the time of hate!—
One said to him:—“Oh old man, void of reason and sense!
“Thou didst escape wonderfully from slaughter.” He
said:—“Be silent:
380 “If I complained on account of my own grief,
“He gave me presents suitable to himself.”
For evil, the return of evil is easy;
If thou art a man, do good to him who did evil to thee.
I have heard that a proud man, from pride-intoxication,
Shut the door of his house in a beggar's face.
The man, helpless, sate down in a corner;
His liver hot (with rage); and, sigh cold, from the heat (of
despair) of his chest.
A certain one, covered as to the eyes (blind), entered;
He asked him, the cause of his hate and rage.
385 He related—and wept, on the dust of the street—
The violence, that chanced to him, from that person.
He said:—“Oh certain one! abandon grief,
“Break fast, only to-night, with me.”
He drew his collar, with politeness and kindness;
Brought him to his lodging; and, spread the victual-table.158
The darwesh of luminous disposition became comforted;
He said:—“May God give thee luminosity (as to thy
eyes)!”
At night, from his eyes some drops trickled;
In the morning, he opened his eyes; and, beheld the world!
390 Within the city, the story went; and tumult occurred—
For, last night, an eyeless one opened his eye.
He heard this report,—the rich man of stone heart,
From whom, the darwesh turned away straitened in heart.
He said:—“Oh fortunate one! relate this tale,
“How this difficult deed became easy to thee.
“Who turned back to thee this candle, world-illumi-
nating?”
He replied:—“Oh tyrant of troubled days!
“Thou wast of short vision, and of sluggish judgment,
“For, instead of the humá (an auspicious bird), thou wast
engaged with the owl (a filthy bird).
395 “That one opened this door (of vision) on my face;
“On whose face, thou didst shut the door.
“If thou dost express a kiss on the dust of men,
“In the name of manliness! luminosity comes to thee.159
“Those, who are covered as to the eye of the heart,
“Are, indeed, careless of this antimony.”
When the one of overturned fortune heard this rebuke,
He bit the finger-tip of regret, with his teeth,
Saying:—“My falcon became the prey of thy net;
“I had fortune; to thy name, it went.”
400 How may he bring the male falcon to his grasp,—that one,
Like a mouse, teeth plunged in avarice.159a
Verily, if thou art a seeker of the pious one,
Exercise not carelessness, a moment, as to his service.
Give food to the sparrow, and partridge and dove,
That the humá may, one day, fall to thy net.
When thou castst the arrow of supplication, in every corner,
There is hope that thou mayst, suddenly, make a prey.
From many oysters, a single pearl comes forth;
Out of a hundred arrows, one comes to the butt.
405 The son of a certain one was lost from a camel-litter;
The father wandered about, in the night-time, in the
káfila:
Inquired at every tent; and, hastened in every direction;
Found that light (his son), in the darkness.
When he came to the men of the káraván,
I heard, that he said to the camel-driver:—
“Knowst thou not how I found the path to the friend (my
son)?
“Whosoever came before me, I said:—it is he!”160
The pious ones are at the heels of every one, on that
account,
That they may, perchance, one day, reach a sage, holy man:
410 Bear burdens, for the sake of the pious;
Endure the thorn (of affliction) for the sake of a single rose.
From the crown of one king-born, in a camel-stable,
A ruby fell, one night, in a stony place.160a
The father, to his son, said:—“In this night, of dark
colour,
“How knowst thou,—which is the jewel or stone?
“Oh son! take care of all the stones,
“That the ruby may not be out of their midst.”
The pure ones of distraught visage, among the rogues,
Are, indeed—the ruby and (precious) stone, in a dark place.
415 Endure, with pleasure the burden (of violence) of every
ignorant one,
That, in the end of time, a pious one may fall (to thee).
The person, who is merry of head (enamoured) with a
friend,—
Seest thou not how he is the enemy's (rival's) load-carrier?161
He rends not his garment, rose-like, on account of the
power of the thorn,
Who, pomegranate-like, laughs, blood gathered in the heart.161a
Endure the grief of a crowd, for the love of one,
Pay observance to a hundred, for the sake of one.
If those of foot-dust, distraught of head,
Are, in thy sight, contemptible and miserable,
420 Ever look not at them, with the eye of approval;
For, they are approved of God, and that is enough.161b
The one, who, in thy opinion, is bad,
How knowst thou but that he himself is the possessor of
saintship?
The door of the knowledge of God is open to those,
In whose face, the doors of men are shut.
Many of better life, and bitterness-tasting,
May be, in the quarter (Judgment Day), skirt-displaying (in
majesty).162
If thou hast reason and deliberation, thou wilt kiss
The hand of the king-born one (the Man of God) in the
prison (of this world).
425 For, the day he comes from prison,
He may, when he becomes lofty, give to thee loftiness.
Cause not the rose-tree to burn, in the autumn;
For, it appears to thee excellent, in the fresh spring.162a
A certain one possessed not the power of spending;
Gold, he had; the power of enjoying, he had not.
He used not to eat, that his heart might rest;
Used not to give (in alms), that it might be of use to him
to-morrow (Judgment Day).
Night and day,—in the entanglement of gold and silver:
—The fetter of the mean one, (is) in gold and silver.—
430 One day, the son, in ambush, knew
Where the miser had placed the gold, in the earth.
He brought it forth from the dust, and gave it to the wind;
I heard, that he deposited a stone in that spot.
For the young man, the gold remained not;
It came to one hand; he enjoyed it with the other.
For this reason that he was one of unclean face (conduct)
and a low thrower of dice;
His hat in the bázár; and, trousers pawned.
The father,—clutch placed (in grief) on his own neck;
The son,—a harp and flute (in enjoyment) brought to the
front.
435 The father, weeping and lamenting, slept not all night;
The son, in the morning, laughed; and said:—
“Oh father! gold is for the sake of enjoying;
“For depositing, whether stone or gold,—what matter?”
They bring forth gold from the hard stone;
That they may enjoy it with friends and beloved ones.
Gold, in the palm of the man's hand, world-worshipping,
Oh brother! is yet within the stone.
When, thou art, in life, bad to thy family,
Complain not of them, if they wish thy death.
440 Thy family enjoy thy (wealth) to satiety, at that time,
When thou fallst from the roof of fifty yards to the bottom.
The miser, rich with dínars and silver,
Is a tilism dwelling over the treasure.163
His gold remained years, for the reason,
That such a tilism trembles at its head!
With the stone of Fate (death), they suddenly shatter it;
They make, at ease, division of the treasure.
After carrying and collecting, like the ant,
Enjoy,—before that the grave-worm devours thee.
445 The words of Sa'dí are precept and counsel;
If thou becomest work-performing, they are of use to thee.
It is folly to turn away the face from this;
Since one can, in this way, obtain empire.
A young man had exercised liberality to the extent of a
dáng;
He had accomplished an old man's desire.
The sky suddenly caught him, in a crime;
The Sultán sent him to the slaughtering-place:
The hurrying of soldiers, and uproar of the people;
Sightseers about the door, and street, and roof.
450 When, within the tumult, the old darvesh beheld
The young man, a captive in the people's hands.
His heart was wounded, on account of the wretched youth,
Who had, once, taken his heart.
He raised a cry, saying:—“The Sultán is dead!
“The world remained; but, he took away his good dispo-
sition.”
He kept rubbing together the hands of sorrow;
The soldiers, swords drawn (for slaying) heard.164
At the cry, a shout issued from them,—
Palm-striking on head, and face, and shoulder!
455 On foot, up to the door of the court, with haste,
They ran; they saw the king on the throne.
The youth went forth from the midst; they took the old
man,
By the neck, a captive, to the Sultán's throne.
He, with awe-inspiring manner inquired; and, displayed
majesty,
Saying:—“To thee,—wherefore was the desiring of my
death?
“Since my disposition and rectitude are good,
“Why, in the end, desirest thou ill (by my death) to
men?”165
The resolute old man brought forth a tongue,
Saying:—“Oh (king)! the world is a ring in the ear (a
slave) of thy order!
460 “By a false word—‘the king is dead!’
“Thou didst not die; and, a helpless one carried off his
life.”
The king wondered at this tale to such a degree,
That he gave him something, and said nothing.
And, on this side, the youth, falling and rising,
Kept proceeding, running in every direction, helplessly.
One said to him:—“From the four directions of retribution,
“What didst thou, that liberation came to thy soul?”165a
He whispered to his ear—“Oh wise man!
“I escaped from bonds, through a brave soul and a dáng.”
465 He places a seed in the dust for the reason,
That it may, in the day of distress, give fruit.
A barley-grain keeps back a great calamity;
Thou hast heard of the staff, that killed 'Új (King of
Bashan)?166
The true account came from the Chosen One (Muhammad),
That—the giving of arms is the repelling of calamity.166a
Thou seest not an enemy's foot, in this habitation;
For, Abú Bakr, son of Sa'd, is master of the kingdom.
A world joyful by thy face,—Oh (Abú Bakr)! seize
The world, that joy may be on thy face.166b
470 In thy time, no one endures distress from another;
The rose in the parterre suffers not the violence of the
thorn.
Thou art the shadow of the grace of God on the earth;
Prophet-like—the mercy of both worlds!
If a person knows not thy worth,—what matter?
They also know not the—“Shab-i-kadr.”167
In a dream, a person beheld the plain of the place of
assembling:
The earth's surface, from sun,—molten copper.
From men, complaint kept ascending to heaven;
The brain, through heat, came to boiling.
475 (Beheld) a certain one of this multitude,—in the shade;
An ornament of Paradise, about his neck.
He inquired, saying:—“Oh man, assembly-adorning!
“Who was thy helper, in this assembly?”
He said:—“I had a vine at my house-door;
“A holy man slept in its shade.
“At this time of despair, that true man
“Asked pardon for my sins from the Ruler of rulers,
“Saying:—‘Oh Lord! forgive this slave;
“‘For once I experienced, through him, ease.’”
480 What said I, when I unloosed this mystery (of the title)?
—“May glad tidings be to the Lord of Shíráz (Abú-
Bakr)!”167a
For, the grandees, in the shadow of his spirit,
Are resident; and, at the table of his bounty.
The man of liberality is a tree, fruit-possessing;
When thou passest beyond it,—fuel of the mountain.168
If they strike the axe, at the foot of the tree, fit for fuel,—
When strike they at the fruitful tree?
Oh tree of skill (Abú-Bakr)! Long keep thy foot!
For, thou art fruit-possessing; and, also shady.
485 As to beneficence, I said much;
But, it is not proper for every one.
Enjoy the blood and wealth of the one, man-injuring;
For, of the bad bird,—the feather and wing plucked out is
best.
One, who is in strife with thy master,
Why givest thou to his hand, the stick and stone?
Cast away the root, that bears the thorn;
Cherish the tree, that produces fruit.
Give the dignity of the great, to that one,
Who to inferiors holds himself, not proudly.168a
490 Wherever, there is a tyrant,—pardon him not;
For, mercy to him is tyranny to the world.
The lamp of the world-consumer (tyrant) extinguished—is
best;
One in the fire is better than a people with the stain (of
tyranny).
Whosoever shows mercy to a thief,
Attacks the káraván, with his own arm.
Give to the wind (of destruction) the heads of those
tyranny-practising:
Oppression, on one oppression-practising, is justice and
equity.
I have heard that a man experienced house-vexation;
For, a wasp made a nest in his roof.
495 His wife said:—“What thou desirest in respect to them,
do not;
“Lest that they should become scattered from their native
country.”
The wise man went to his own work;
The wasps began, one day, to sting his wife.
About the door, and roof, and street,—the foolish wife
Kept making lamentation. But, the husband said:—
“Oh woman! make not thy face bitter towards men;
“Thou didst say:—‘Slay not the poor wasps!’”
How may one do good to the bad!
Forbearance to ill-doers increases ill.
500 When thou beholdst a people's injury in a chief,
Cut his throat, with a sharp sword.
What dog, in short, is there—for whom they place a victual-
tray?
Order, that they give him a bone.
How well has the old man of the village (Firdausí) ex-
pressed this proverb:—
“The baggage-animal, leg-striking (kicking), is best under
a heavy load.”
If the watchman shows mercy,
No one is able to sleep at night, for thieves.
In the circle of contest, the spear-reed
Is more precious than a hundred thousand sugar-reeds
(canes).
505 Not every one is worthy of property;
This one requires property; that one, rebuke.
When thou cherishst the cat, it takes away the pigeon;
When thou makest the wolf fat, it rends Joseph.170
The edifice, that has not firm foundations,—
Make it not lofty; and, if thou dost, tremble for it.
How well said Bahrám, desert-dwelling,
When his thorough-bred, restive, steed threw him to the
earth,170a
“It is proper to take from the herd another horse,
“Which it is possible to restrain, if he becomes restive.”
510 Oh son! bind the Euphrates, at low-water;
For, when the torrent is risen, it is of no use.
When the filthy wolf comes to thy snare,
Slay; if not, pluck up thy heart from (love for) the sheep.
From Iblís, adoration never comes;
Nor from the bad jewel,—goodness into existence.
Give neither place nor opportunity to the malignant one;
The enemy in the pit, and the demon in the glass bottle—
is best.
Say not:—“It is proper, to kill this snake with a stick”;
Strike, when he has his head beneath thy stone.
515 The pen striker (pen-man), who did ill to his inferiors,
To make, with the sword, his hand a pen (to sever it)—is
best.
The deliberator, who introduces bad regulations,
Takes thee, that he may give thee to hell-fire.
Say not:—“For the country, this deliberator is enough”;
Call him not deliberator, who is unfortunate.
The fortunate one acts upon Sa'dí's speech,
Because, it is the (cause of) increase of country, and deli-
beration, and judgment.
1 OH happy the time of those distraught in love of Him,
Whether they experience the wound (of separation); or,
the plaster (of propinquity to Him)!172
Beggars from royalty fleeing;
In the hope of union with Him, in beggary, long-suffering.172a
Time to time, they drink the wine of pain (of love for Him);
And, if they consider it bitter, they draw breath (are
patient).
In the pleasure of wine, there is the evil of head-sickness;
The thorn is the armour-bearer of the rose-branch.173
5 Patience, which is in remembrance of Him, is not bitter;
For bitterness from a friend's hand is sugar.
His captive descries not release from bonds;
His prey seeks not freedom from the snare.
Sultáns of retirement, beggars of Hai!
Stages of God recognisers, foot-trace lost.173a
Intoxicated with (the love of) the friend (God), reproach-
enduring;
The camel, intoxicated, more easily bears the load.
How, may people find the path to their state?
For, like the water of life, they are in darkness.173b
10 Like the holy house (Jerusalem), within—full of towers
(pomp);
Without,—the wall left desolate.174
Moth-like, they set fire to themselves;
Silk-worm-like, they spin not on themselves (a protection).
Mistress in embrace,—mistress-seeking;
On the stream-bank, lip dry with thirst.174a
I say not that, as to water, they are powerless;
But they are, on the Nile, dropsical.
The love of one, like thyself—of water and clay,
Ravishes patience and heart-ease.174b
15 In wakefulness,—enamoured of her cheek and mole;
In sleep,—foot-bound, in thought of her.
In truth, thou placest thy head (life) at her feet, in such a
way,
That, thou considerst the world, in comparison with her
existence, non-existent.
When thy gold comes not to the eye (of approval) of thy
mistress,
Gold and dust appear to thee the same.
To thee,—desire for another appears not;
For, with her,—place for another remains not.
Thou sayst:—“Her lodging is within my eye”;
And, if thou closest together the eye—“It is in my heart.”
20 Neither, thought of any one, lest thou shouldst become
disgraced,
Nor, power that thou shouldst, for a moment, become
patient.
If she desires thy life, thou placest it on the palm of her
hand;
And, if she puts the sharp sword on thy head, thou placest
thy head (in submission).
When love, whose foundation is on desire,
Is, to such a degree, tumult-exciting and command-issuing,
Hast thou wonder at the travellers of the path of God,
That they should be immersed in the sea of truth?
In passion for the Beloved, with soul engaged;
In remembrance of the Friend (God), careless of the world.175
25 In memory of God, they have fled from the world;
So intoxicated with (the splendour of) the Cup-bearer
(God) that they have spilled the wine!175a
It is impossible to effect their cure with medicine;
For, none is acquainted with their pain (of love).
From eternity without beginning, to their ear comes:—
“Am I not your God?”
With clamour, in a shout, they utter:—“Yes!”176
A crowd,—office-holding, corner-sitting;
Feet, clayey; breath fiery,—176a
Pluck up, with a shout, a mountain from its place;
Heap together, with a cry, a city:
30 Are, wind-like, invisible, and swift-moving;
Are, stone-like, silent, but praise-uttering.
In the morning, they weep to such a degree that the water
Washes down from their eyes the collyrium of sleep.
Steed (of the body) slain, with the great (austerity), with
which they have urged the night;
In the morning, shouting, saying:—“They are wearied!”176b
Night and day, in the sea of phrenzy and burning;
From perturbation, they know not night from day.
So enamoured of the splendour of the figure-painter (God),
That they have no occupation with the beauty of the out-
ward form.
35 The pious ones gave not their hearts to the covering (ex-
ternal beauty);
And, if a fool gave,—he is brainless, and fleshless.
That one drank the pure wine of the Unity (of God),
Who forgot this world and the next.
I have heard that, once upon a time, one, beggar-born,
Had affection for one, king-born.177
He went, and cherished a vain desire;
Imagination plunged its teeth in desire.
Mile-stone like, he used not to be free (absent) from his (the
prince's) plain;
Bishop-like, at all times, at the side of his horse.177a
40 His heart became blood, and the secret remained in his
heart;
But, his feet, through weeping, remained in the mire (of
desire).
The guards obtained intelligence of his grief;
They said to him:—“Wander not again here!”
A moment, he went; recollection of the friend's face
came to him;
Again, he pitched his tent, at the head of his friend's
street.
A slave broke his head, and hand, and foot,
Saying:—“Said we not once to thee,—come not here?”
Again, to him,—patience and rest remained not;
On account of his friend's face, patience remained not.
45 Like flies from off the sugar, with violence, him,
They used to drive away; but, with speed, he used to
return.
One said to him:—“Oh impudent one of insane appear-
ance!
“Thou hast wonderful patience as to (blows of) stick and
stone.”
He said:—“This violence, against me, is through his
tyranny;
“It is not proper to complain of a friend's hand.
“Behold, I express the breath of friendship;
“If he holds me friend; or, if enemy.
“Expect not, without him, patience from me;
“Nay—even with him, repose has no possibility.
50 “Neither the power of patience, nor room for anger;
“Neither the possibility of being (stopping), nor the foot
of flight.
“Say not,—turn aside the head from this door of the
Court;
“Though he place my head, like a tent-peg in the tent-
rope.
“Nay,—the moth, life given at its friend's foot,
“Is better than alive in its dark corner.”
He said:—“If thou shouldst suffer the wound of his club?”
He replied:—“I will fall, at his feet, ball-like.”
He said:—“If, with the sword, he cuts off thy head?”
He replied:—“This much even, I grudge not.
55 “To me,—indeed, there is not so much knowledge,—
“Whether, the crown, or the axe, be at my head.
“Display not reproof with me impatient;
“For, patience appears not, in love.
“If my eye becomes white (diseased) like Yakúb,
“I abandon not hope of seeing Yusúf.179
“One who is happy (in love) with another,
“Is not vexed with him, for every little thing.”179a
On day, the youth kissed his (the prince's) stirrup;
He became angry; and turned the rein from him.
60 He laughed, and said:—“Turn not the rein;
“For, the Sultán turns not away the rein (face) from any.
“To me—by thy existence, existence remains not;
“To me,—in memory of thee, self-worshipping remains
not.
“If thou observst a crime, reproach me not:
“Thou art head brought forth (produced) from my collar
(of existence).179b
“I fixed my hand in thy stirrup with that boldness;
“For, I brought not myself in the account.
“I drew the pen on (effaced) my own name;
“Placed my foot on the head of my own desire.
65 “The arrow of that intoxicated eye slays me indeed;
“What need that thou shouldst bring thy hand to the
sword.
“Set fire to the reed, and pass;
“So that in the forest neither dry, nor green, thing may
remain.”180
I have heard, that at the chanting of a singer,
One of Parí face began to dance.
From the fire of the distracted hearts around her,
A candle-flame caught in her skirt.
She became troubled in heart and vexed;
One of her lovers said:—“What fear?
70 “Oh love! as to thee,—the fire burned the skirt;
“As to me,—it burned, all at once, the harvest (of
existence).”
If thou art a lover, express not a breath about thy self;
For, it is infidelity (to speak of) lover and one's self.180a
I recollect hearing from a knowing old man, in this way,
That one, distraught with love, turned his head to the
desert.
The father, through separation from him, neither ate nor
slept;
They reproached the son; he said:—
“From that time, when the Friend called me one of his
own,
“Further love for any one remained not to me.
75 “By God! when He showed me His beauty,
“Whatever else I beheld appeared to me fancy.”
He, who turned away from the people became not lost;
For he found again his own lost one (God).
There are, beneath the sky, shunners of men,
Whom one can call, at once, wild beast and also angel.
Like the angel, they rest not from remembering the King
(God);
Like the wild beast, they, night and day, shun men.
Strong of arm (by spirituality); but short of hand (by
materiality);
Wise,—(outwardly) mad; sensible—(outwardly) intoxi-
cated.181
80 Sometimes, tranquil in a corner, religious habit-stitching;
Sometimes, perplexed in society, religious habit-burning.
Neither passion as to themselves; nor, solicitude for any
one;
Nor place for any one, in the cell of their unitarianism.
Perturbed of reason, confused of sense;
Ear-stuffed to the word of the adviser.181a
The duck will not become drowned in the river (of lust);
The samundar! what knows he of the torment of burning?182
Empty of hand, men of full stomach (proud);
Desert wanderers, without a Káfila:
85 They have no expectation of the people's approbation;
For, they are approved of God;—and that is enough.
Dear ones (of God) concealed from the people's eye;
Not those waist-cord-possessing, clothed in the habit of the
darwesh.
They are full of fruit, and shady, vine-like;
Are not like us,—of black deeds, and blue garment-dyers.182a
Head plunged in themselves (in reflection), oyster-like;
Not, foam (on mouth) gathered, river-like.
If wisdom be thy friend, be afraid of them, (those foam-
gathered);
For, they are demons in the garb of men.182b
90 They are not men indeed of bone and skin;
A true soul is not in every form.
The Sultán (God) is not the purchaser of every slave;
Not, beneath every religious garment is there a living man.
If every drop of hail had become a pearl,
The bázár would have become full of them like small shells.
They fasten not the (wooden) clog to themselves, juggler-
like;
For, the wooden clog moves hardly from its place.183
Companions of the house of retirement—“Am I your
God?”
They are, with a draught, intoxicated until the blast of
the trumpet (of Saráfíl).183a
95 For the sword, they take not off their grasp from desire
(of God);
For abstinence and love are as the mirror and the stone.183b
A certain one had a mistress in Samarkand;
Thou wouldst say:—“She possessed sugar, in place of
speech.”183c
A beauty,—pledge taken from the sun!
Piety's foundation became ruined by her coquetry.183d
God Most High!—of beauty, to such a degree,
That thou wouldst think it a sign of the mercy (of God)!
She used to walk;—and, eyes were behind her;
Lover's hearts, life placed in exchange for her.183e
100 That lover used, covertly, to glance at her;
She once, with severity, looked; and, said:—
“Oh perverse one! so much, thou runst after me;
“Knowst thou not, that I am not the bird of thy net?
“If, again, I see thee (at my heels), with the sword,
“Like an enemy, pitiless, I will cut off thy head.”
One said to him:—“Now take thy resolve;
“Choose a more easy object than this one.
“I think not thou mayst acquire this desire;
“God forbid! that thou shouldst place thy life in the
heart's desire.”
105 When he,—mad with love, heart-lost,—heard this reproach,
He drew forth with sorrow a cry from his heart,
Saying:—“Allow,—that the wound of the sword of de-
struction
“May cause my corpse to roll in blood and sweat.
“Perhaps, before friend and enemy, they will speak,
“Saying:—‘This is one slain by her hand and sword!’
“I see not the (way of) flight, from the dust of street;
“Say:—in tyranny, spill not my honour!
“Oh self-worshipper! For me,—thou dictatest repen-
tance;
“For thee,—repentance of this speech is better.
110 “Pardon me; for, whatever she does,
“She does well—even if there be desire for my blood.
“Every night, her fire (of love) causes me to burn;
“In the morning, I become alive by her pleasant perfume.
“If, to-day, I die, in the street of my beloved,
“In the Resurrection, I will pitch my tent by my beloved.”
Yield not, so long as thou canst, in this battle (of love);
For Sa'dí is alive, whom love slew.185
A certain one thirsty was saying, while he surrendered his
soul:—
“Happy is that fortunate one, who in water died!”
115 One of deficient understanding said to him,—“Oh wonder!
“When thou art dead,—whether moist or dry of lip, what
matter?”
He said:—“In the end, do I not make my mouth moist,
“Until, I lay down even my precious life?”
The thirsty one falls into the deep basin;
For, he knows that the one drowned dies water-satiated.
If thou art a lover, seize her skirt;
And, if she says:—“Surrender thy life!” say:—“Take
it.”185a
Thou mayst enjoy ease of life, at that time,
When thou passest over the hill of non-existence.
120 The heart of seed-sowers may be afflicted;
(But), when the harvest is accomplished, they sleep plea-
santly.
In this assembly (of love to God), those arrive at their
desire,
Who, in the last circulation, attain the cup (of love).185b
I have a tale of this sort—of the men of the way of God,
Rich mendicants; king beggars;186
—That an old man went, in the morning, for the purpose
of begging;
He beheld the door of a masjid; and, gave the mendicant's
cry.
One said to him:—“This is not the people's house;
“Where they give thee anything; stand not here, in im-
pudence.”
125 He said to him:—“Then, whose is this house,
“In which, there is no bestowing (of alms) to any one?”
He said:—“Be silent; what faulty word is this?
“The lord of this house is our Lord God!”
The old man glanced within; he beheld candle and
prayer-arch,
He drew forth, with burning, a lament from his liver.
Saying:—“It is a pity, to go farther hence;
“It is a pity, to go disappointed from this door.
“In disappointment, I went not forth from any street;
“Why should I go, yellow-of-face, from God's door?186a
130 “Even here, I may make the hand of entreaty long;
“For, I know that I may not return empty of hand.”
I have heard that, for a year, he sate, a sojourner,
Like those redress-seeking, hand-uplifted.
One night, the foot of his life descended into the clay (of
death).
Through weakness, his heart began to palpitate.
In the morning, a person brought a lamp near to his head;
He beheld a spark of life in him, like the morning-lamp.
From gladness, clamour-making, he kept saying:—
“Whosoever beats (knocks at) the door of the Merciful
One, that door becomes opened.
135 The seeker of God must be patient and submissive;
I have not heard that the alchymist is (ever) dejected.
How much gold do they put in the obscure dust,
That they may, possibly, one day, make a piece of copper
gold!
Gold, for the sake of purchasing a thing, is good;
What wilt thou buy better than friend and lover?
If through one, heart-ravishing,—thy heart is straitened,
Another consoler may come to thy grasp.
For one of bitter face, endure not life-bitterness;
With the water (of beauty) of another, draw out the fire
(of love) for her.
140 But if she have, in beauty, no equal;
Abandon her not, for a little heart-annoyance.
It is possible to disengage the heart from that one,
Without whom, thou knowst it is possible to be content.
I heard that an old man kept awake the night;
In the morning, he raised the hand of need to God.
A voice from heaven cast into the old man's ear:—
—“Thou art profitless; go; take thy own way.”187
“At this door (of God), thy prayer is unacceptable;
“Go, in contempt; or stand, in lamentation.”
145 The next night, from recitation of the name of God and
devotion, he slept not;
A disciple obtained news of his state, and said:—
“When thou sawst that the door on that side was closed,
“Endure not uselessly such a struggle.”
On his cheek, tears of ruby-colour
Rained, in regret; and, he said:—“Oh youth!
“I would, in hopelessness, have turned away,
“From this door, at the time when I could have found
another way.
“Think not, if the friend broke the reins,
“That I would take off the hand from his saddle-strap.
150 “When the asker becomes disappointed at a door,
“What grief, if he recognises another door?188
“I have heard that my way is not in this street;
“But, there is not the semblance of another path.”
He was in this talk,—head on the ground of devotion,
When, in the ear of his soul, they uttered this sound:—
“The prayer is accepted, though to him is no goodness;
“For save us, to him is no other shelter.”
A new young bride complains,
To an old man (her father), of her unkind husband,188a
155 Saying:—“Approve not so much that, by this son (my
husband),
“My time should pass in bitterness.
“Those (man and wife) who are with us in this lodging
“—I see not that they are, like me, disturbed in heart.
“The woman and man are together such friends,
“That thou mayst say—they are two kernels, and one
husk.
“During this time, on my husband's part, I have not seen,
“That, he once smiled in my face.”
The old man of happy omen heard this speech;
The man of ancient years was speech-knowing.
160 He gave to her an answer, sweet and pleasant,
Saying:—“Endure the burden of his violence, if he be
beautiful of face.”
It is a pity to turn away from one,
Like whom, it is not possible to find another.
Why art thou arrogant with one who, if he be arrogant,
Draws the pen on the letter of (effaces) thy existence?
Acquiesce, slave-like, to the order of God;
For, thou seest not a master like Him.
One day, my heart burned (in pity) on account of a slave;
Who, while his master was selling him, was saying:—
165 “To thee,—many a slave, better than I, may chance;
“To me,—a master, like thee, no one may be.
In Marv, there was a physician of Parí cheek,
Whose stature, in the garden of the heart, was a cypress.190
To him,—no knowledge of the grief of torn hearts;
To him,—no knowledge of his own sick eye.190a
A sorrowful wanderer relates a tale,
Saying:—“Some time, I had love for the physician.190b
“I desired not my own health;
“Lest that the physician should not, again, come to me.”
170 There is much strong, brave, wisdom,
Which the passion of love subdues.
When the passion of love rubs wisdom's ear,
Sense is unable, again, to raise its head.
A certain one established (by training) an iron grasp,
Who wished to grapple with the lion.
When the lion drew him within his own grasp,
He found not, again, any force in his own grasp.
One, at length, said to him:—“Why sleepst thou, woman-
like?
“Strike him (the lion) with the iron fist.”
175 I heard that the wretch, beneath that (lion), said:—
“It is not possible with this grasp to battle with the lion.”191
When love becomes audacious, as to the wisdom of the
sage,
This, indeed, is an iron grasp and a lion.
Thou art a woman, in the grasp of lion-men,
What advantage may the iron grasp render thee?191a
When love comes, speak not again of reason;
For the ball (of reason) is captive in the power of the
Chaugán (of love).
Between two uncle-born ones, marriage occurred:
Two of sun-face, of high descent.191b
180 To one (the wife)—it (the marriage) had chanced very
agreeably;
The other had become shunning and avoiding.191c
One possessed courtesy and Parí-like grace;
The other kept his face towards the wall.
One used to adorn her own body;
The other used to ask for his own death from God.
The old men of the village caused the husband to sit (before
them),
Saying:—“To thee, is no love for her; to her, give the
dowry.”
He laughed and said:—“With a hundred sheep,
“Deliverance from bonds is not loss!”
185 The one of Parí-face, with her own nail, flayed her skin,
Saying:—“With this number of sheep, how can I ever be
patient, as to my friend?192
“Not a hundred sheep, but six hundred thousand,
“Are unnecessary,—without seeing the face of my lover!”
Whatever keeps thee engaged with a friend,
—If thou desirest truth,—it is thy heart-ease (mistress).
A certain one to one of distraught state, wrote,
Saying:—“Desirest thou hell, or heaven?”
He said:—“Ask not of me, this matter;
“I approve what He approves for me.”
190 A certain one spoke to Majnún, saying:—“Oh one of
auspicious foot!
“What happened to thee, that thou comest not again to
Hayy?
“Perhaps, the passion for Laila, in thy brain, remains not;
“Thy fancy turns; and desire remains not?”
When the helpless one heard, he wept bitterly,
Saying:—“Oh sir! Keep thy hand from my skirt.
“I have, indeed, a heart,—sorrowful and torn;
“Pour not thy salt on my wound.
“Separation is not a proof of patience;
“For, separation is often a necessity.”
195 He said:—“Oh one fidelity-possessing, of happy disposi-
tion!
“Utter the message, which thou hast for Laila.”
He replied:—“Take not my name before the beloved;
“For (to mention) my name, where she is, is violence.”
A certain one took up reproach against Mahmúd of Ghaznín,
Saying:—“Áyáz has no (great) beauty. Oh wonder!
“The rose, which has neither colour nor perfume,—
“The nightingale's passion for it is wonderful.”
One uttered this matter to Mahmúd;
He writhed much on himself, in reflection,
200 Saying:—“Oh sir! my love is for his disposition,
“Not, for his stature, and good height.”
I heard that, in a defile, a camel
Fell; and, a chest of pearls broke.
The king expanded his sleeve for plunder;
And, thence urged his horse with speed.
The horsemen (of the retinue) went after the pearls and
coral;
They became, in search of plunder, separated from the king.
Of the attendants, neck-exalting, there remained
None, behind the king, save Áyáz.
205 He glanced, saying:—“Oh one heart-enchanting, fold in
fold!
“What hast thou brought from the plunder?” He
replied:—“Nothing.194
“I galloped in rear of thee;
“I quitted not service for wealth.”
If thou hast propinquity, in the Court (of God),
Be not careless of the King, for wealth.
It is contrary to religion, that the friends of God;
Should ask for anything, save God, from God.194a
If, as to a friend, thy eye is intent upon his beneficence,
Thou art in the desire of thyself, not in the desire of thy
friend.
210 So long as thy mouth is open, through avarice;
The secret (of God) from the hidden comes not to the ear
of the heart.
Truths are a decorated house;
Lust and concupiscence are dust up-raised.194b
Seest thou not, that wherever the dust has risen,
The sight beholds not, though man be possessed of vision.
By chance I and an old man from Faryáb
Arrived at a water (of a river) in the soil of the West.194c
I had one diram; they took
Me, in a boat; and, left the darvesh.
215 The Ethiopians (boatmen) urged the vessel, like smoke;
For the commander of that vessel was one, God-not
fearing.195
From thought of my companion, to me weeping came;
He laughed a horse-laugh, at my weeping, and said:—
“Oh one full of wisdom! suffer not grief for my sake;
“That One, who takes the boat, brings me.”
He spread the prayer-carpet on the surface of the water;
—I thought, is it fancy; or (do I behold it) in a dream?—
From amazement, my eye, that night, slept not;
In the morning, the old man glanced at me, and said:—
220 “Oh friend of happy judgment! remainst thou astonied?
“A boat brought thee! and, God me!”
Why do not the people of prayer believe to this extent,
That certain pious men may go in water and fire?195a
The child, who has no knowledge of fire,
The loving mother protects.
Then those, who are immersed in religious fervour,
Are, night and day, in the eye of the protection of God.
God preserves (Ibráhím) the friend of God from the heat
of the fire;
As the wooden-cradle of Musa (the speaker of God) from
the whirl-pool of the Nile.
225 When a boy is in the hand of a swimmer,
He fears not, though the Euphrates be broad.196
How mayst thou walk on the surface of the sea,
Like men (of God), when, on dry land, thou art wet of
skirt (sin-stained)?
Wisdom's path is not, save turning on turning;
Before holy men there is nothing, save God.
One can say this to the one truths-knowing;
But, the people of argument cavil,196a
Saying:—“Then the sky and earth—what are they?
“The son of Ádam, and rapacious and non-rapacious
beasts what are they?”
230 Oh wise man! thou didst ask an approved matter;
If the answer be agreeable to thee, I will speak,
Saying:—“The plain, and sea, and mountain, and sky,
“Parí and Ádam-born, and demon, and angel—
“All, whatever they are,—are less than He;
“For, they took the name of existence by His existence.196b
“Before thee, the sea, in wave-motion, is mighty;
“The shining sun, in the zenith, is lofty.
“But, how do people of external form find the trace,
“To the country, where the lords of truth are?197
235 “Saying:—‘If it be a sun, it is not even an atom;
“And, if it be seven rivers, it is not even a drop of water.’”197a
When the Sultán of Honour (God) draws forth His
standard (appears),
The world draws its head into the collar of non-existence.
The Ra,is of a village, with his son, on a certain road,
Passed by the centre of a monarch's army.
The son beheld the heralds, and sword, and battle-axe;
Coats of satin, waist-belts of gold.
Warriors, bow-possessing, and prey-striking;
Slaves, quiver-bearing, and arrow-casting.
240 This one,—a garment of painted silk on his body;
That one,—a royal cap on his head.
The son, when he beheld all that pomp and splendour,
Saw the exceeding meanness of his father,
Whose state changed, and whose colour went;
From fear, he fled to a cave.
The son said, at length, to him:—“Thou art the Ra,is of
a village;
“Thou art, in chieftainship, of the great ones.198
“What chanced to thee, that thou didst sever the hope of
life;
“Didst tremble, willow-like, with the blast of terror?”
245 He replied:—“Yes; I am chief, and order-giver;
“But, my honour is (only) so long as I am in the village.”
The great ones (holy men) are terror-struck, on that
account,
That they have been in the Court of the King (God).
Oh simpleton! thou art, in the village, inasmuch
As thou attributest such importance to thy own person.
The eloquent uttered no word,
On which, Sa'dí utters not a parable.
Perhaps, thou mayst have seen, in the garden or meadow,
how
The fire-fly gleams at night, lamp-like?198a
250 One said to it:—“Oh fire-fly, night-illuminating!
“What is the matter with thee, that thou comest not forth
by day?”
Behold—the fiery fire-fly, earth-born,
What answer it gave from its head of luminosity.
“Day and night, save in the desert, I am not;
“But, in the sun's presence, I am not manifest.”
In a city of Syria, tumult occurred;
They seized an old man of happy nature.
Within my ear, still is that speech,
—When they placed fetters on his feet and hands,—
255 Which he uttered:—“If the Sultán (God) makes not the
signal,
“To whom, is there the boldness to plunder?”
It is proper to hold such an enemy (the plunderer), a friend;
For, I know the Friend (God) appointed him over me.
If there be respect and rank; or, if contempt and bonds,—
I know that they come from God, not from 'Umar and Zayd.199
Oh wise man! have no fear of disease;
For, the Physician (God) sends bitter medicine.
Enjoy whatever comes from the hand of the friend;
The sick one is not wiser than the physician.
260 A certain one uttered praise as to Sa'd (son) of Zangí;
Saying:—“May there be much mercy on his tomb!”199a
He gave money, and a dress of honour; and cherished him;
Prepared for him, a dignity conformable to his skill.
When he saw—“Alláh va bas,”—on a picture of gold,
He was agitated; and plucked off the robe from his body.200
From perturbation, such a flame caught his soul,
That he arose, and took the path to the desert.
One of those desert-sitting said to him:—
“What sawst thou, that thy state became changed?
265 “Thou didst, first, kiss the ground in three places;
“Thou shouldst not, in the end, strike the back of the
foot (on the gold).”200a
He laughed, saying:—“First, from fear and hope,
“A trembling, willow-like, fell on my limbs.
“Finally, from the majesty of—‘Alláh va bas”
“Neither thing, nor person, appeared (worthy) in my
eye.”
Of a certain one like me, the heart to the power of a
person
Was pledged; and, he endured much contempt.200b
After (regarding him for) learning and wisdom,
They proclaimed him by (beat of) drum for madness.
270 For the friend, he used to bear the violence of the enemy;
For the poison (even) of a friend is a great antidote.201
He used to suffer pushing on the back of the head, from
the hands of his friends;
Forehead brought forward (to the blows) nail-like.201a
Fancy made tumult as to his head, in such a way,
That, it made the roof of his brain kick-suffering.
Of his friends' reproaching, to him was no knowledge,
As one drowning has no knowledge of rain.
He, whose heart's foot has come against the stone (of love)
Reflects not regarding the gloss of name and fame.
275 One night the demon (Shaitán) made himself like one of
Parí-face;
He hastened into that young man's embrace.201b
In the morning, to him, was no power of prayer;
Of his friends none was acquainted with his secret.
He plunged into a piece of water, near the roof (building),—
A marble-door, on it ice fixed.201c
An adviser began to reproach,
Saying:—“Thou wilt kill thyself, in this cold water.”
From the just youth, a cry issued,
Exclaiming:—“Oh friend! be silent as to so much
reproach.
280 “Five days, this boy fascinated my heart;
“For love of him, I am in such a state that I cannot be
patient.202
“He asked not once, with sweet throat, (as to my con-
dition),
“Behold,—how long I endure, with soul, the burden of
his tyranny.
“Then as to Him,—who created my body from the dust;
“Created within it, by His power, the pure soul,—
“Hast thou wonder, if I bear the burden of His order,
“When I am perpetually immersed in His beneficence and
grace?”
If thou art a man of love, lose thyself;
And, if not,—take the path of ease.202a
285 Fear not that God may, through love, make thee clay;
For thou remainst, if God destroys thee.202b
From true grains, vegetation springs not,
Unless, first, dust gathers about them.202c
That gives thee acquaintance with God,
Which gives thee deliverance from thy own hand.202d
For, so long as thou art self-possessing, the path to thyself
is not;
And, with this subtlety, the self-less one only is acquainted.203
Not the musician,—but the sound of the animal's hoof,
Is song (samá'), if thou hast love (to God) and passion
(for Him).
290 The fly beats not its wings, before the one heart-dis-
traught,
Who strikes not, fly-like, his hands on his head.203a
The one distraught in affairs (the lover of God) knows
neither the bass nor the treble note;
The fakír weeps at the voice of the fowl.203b
The Singer (God) Himself becomes not silent;
But, not every time, is the ear open.203c
When those distraught practise wine-adoration,
They express intoxication, at the sound of the water-wheel.203d
Like a water-wheel, they begin gyrating;
Like a water-wheel, they weep bitterly on themselves.
295 With resignation, they carry their head into the collar (of
reflection);
When power (of patience) remains not, they rend the
collar (in perturbation).204
Reproach not the darvesh, bewildered and intoxicated
(with love),
Who is immersed in the sea of God; for that reason, he
strikes hand and foot.204a
Oh brother! I say not samá', what it is (lawful, or not);
Perhaps, I know not the hearer, who he is (a lover of
God, or not)?
If from the tower of truth (of God), his bird (soul) flies,
The angel remains below his journeying.
If he be a man of sport and pastime and mirth,
The demon (of lust) becomes stronger within his brain.205
300 How is the lust-worshipper a man of samá'?
At the pleasant sound, the one sleeping rises, not the one
intoxicated.205a
By the moving wind, the rose becomes disturbed;
Not, the fire-wood, which one can split only with an axe.205b
The world is full of samá', and intoxication, and distraction,
But, what does the blind man behold in the mirror?205c
Seest thou not—the camel at the rousing of the Arab's
(recitation),
How joy brings him to dancing?206
What! the camel has, in his head, tumult and joy;
If a man has not—he is an ass.
305 A young man of sugar-lip used to blow the flute;
In such a way, that he used to burn hearts in the fire,
reed-like.206a
The father, oftentimes, hurled shouts at him,
With severity; and, used to set fire to the flute.
One night, he listened to his son's performance;
The hearing of it made him confused and senseless.
The father spoke—sweat cast up on his face,
Saying:—“This time, the reed (flute) set fire to me.”
Knowst thou not—the intoxicated phrenzied ones
Why they spread forth the hands in dancing?
310 Through events, a door opens on his heart,
He scatters his hand as to (abandons) the universe.206b
In memory of his Friend (God), dancing was lawful to him,
In whose every sleeve is a soul.206c
I allow—that thou art vigorous in swimming;
Naked,—thou canst better strike the hand and foot.207
Pluck off the ragged garments of name and reputation,
and hypocrisy;
For a man, powerless by his garment, may be drowned.
Worldly connection is a veil, and profitless;
When thou breakst the ligature, thou art one joined (to
God).207a
315 A person said to a moth:—“Oh contemptible one!
“Go; take a friend suitable to thyself,
“Go on such a path, that thou mayst see the way of hope;
“Thou, and the love of the candle is from where to where?207b
“Thou art not the samundar; circle not around the fire;
“For, manliness is (first) necessary (for man), then con-
flict.
“The blind mouse (bat) goes hidden from the sun;
“For, force is foolish against an iron grasp.
“The person, whom thou knowst to be thy enemy;
“To take for a friend is not (the part) of wisdom.”208
320 No one says to thee:—“Thou dost do good
“When thou placest thy life in the desire of his love.208a
“The beggar who, of a king, asked (in marriage) for his
daughter,
“Suffered pushing on the back of his head, and nurtured
a vain passion.
“How may she bring into reckoning a lover like thee,
“For, the faces of kings and sultáns are towards her?208b
“Think not that, in such an assembly, she
“Will exercise courtesy to a poor one like thee.
“Or if she practise gentleness towards the whole creation,
“—Thou art a helpless one;—she will exercise severity
to thee.”
325 Behold! the ardent moth
What it said:—“Oh wonder displayer! if I burn, what
fear?208c
“Like Ibráhím, a fire (of love) is in my heart,
“That, thou mayst consider this (candle-) flame is to me
a rose.208d
“My heart draws not the skirt of the ravishing one (the
candle);
“But its love draws the collar of my soul.209
“Voluntarily, I take not myself to the fire;
“But, the chain of love is about my neck.
“Even so, I was far, when it burned me;
“Not this moment, when the fire of love kindled in me.
330 “A beloved one, in regard to loveliness, does not do that,
“That one can speak to her of continence.
“Who reproaches me for love of the friend,
“When, slain at the friend's foot, I am content?
“Knowst thou, why I have a lust for destruction,
“When it (the candle) is, if I am not,—it is proper.
“I will burn because it is the approved beloved,
“In whom, the burning of the friend (the moth) makes
circulation.
“How long speakst thou to me, saying:—‘Suitable to
thyself
“‘Get a companion, compassionate to thyself?’
335 “Admonition to that one of distraught state is as if
“Thou shouldst say to one scorpion-bitten—lament not!
“Oh astonished one! utter not advice to that person,
“In whom, thou knowst that it will take no effect.209a
“To the helpless one, rein-gone from the hand,
“They say not:—‘Oh boy! urge slowly.’”209b
How pleasantly occurred this witticism in the book—Sind-
bád:—
—“Oh son! love is fire; advice, wind.”210
The fierce fire, by the wind, becomes more lofty;
The panther, by striking, becomes more angry.
340 When I saw, thoroughly, thou doest evil,
That thou placest my face opposite to one like thyself.210a
Seek one better than thyself, and reckon it gain;
For, with one like thyself, thou losest time.
The self-worshippers go in pursuit of such as themselves;
Those intoxicated of God go in a dangerous street (of love).
When I first possessed desire for this work,
I took up, at once, my heart from desire (of life).210b
One head-casting is true as a lover;
For, one of white-liver is the lover of himself.210c
345 Death, in ambush, suddenly, slays me;
It is better, indeed, that the delicate one should slay me.
When, doubtless, destruction is written on my head,
Destruction (is) most pleasant, by the hand of the beloved.
Dost thou not, one day, in helplessness, yield the soul?
Then, it is best thou surrender it, at the feet of the beloved.
One night, I recollect that my eyes slept not;
I heard that a moth spoke to a candle,
Saying:—“I am a lover; if I burn, it is lawful,
“Wherefore is thy weeping and burning?”
350 It replied:—“Oh my poor lover!
“Honey (wax), my sweet friend, has departed from me.
“When sweetness (wax) goes away from me,
“Like (the statuary) Farhad, fire goes to my head.”
The candle kept speaking,—and, every moment, a torrent
of grief
Ran down, on its yellow cheeks,—
Saying:—“Oh claimant! love is not thy business;
“For, thou hast neither patience, nor the power of
standing.
“Thou dost fly from before a naked flame;
“I am standing, until I completely burn.
355 “If the fire of love burns thy feathers,
“Behold me, whom it burns from head to foot.
“Observe not my splendour, assembly-illuminating;
“Consider the heat and torrent of my heart-burning.
“Like Sa'dí, whose outward form is illuminated;
“But, if thou lookst,—his vitals are burned.”211
A portion of the night, even so, had not passed,
When one of Parí-face, suddenly, extinguished it.211a
While its smoke rose to its head, it kept saying:—
“Oh son! this is indeed the end of love!”211b
360 This is the way (of God), if thou wilt learn;
By being slain, thou wilt obtain ease from the burning (of
love).212
Make not lamentation over the grave of one slain by the
friend;
Say:—“Praise be to God! that he is accepted by Him.”
If thou art a lover, wash not the hand of sickness (of love).
Wash the hand, like Sa'dí, of (worldly) design.212a
The one who sacrifices his life keeps not his hand from his
object,
Though they rain arrow and stone on his head.212b
I said to thee “Beware; go not to the ocean;
“But, if thou goest, entrust thy body to the storm.”
1 THE pure Lord created thee from dust,
Then, oh slave, practise humility like dust.
Be not avaricious, and world-consuming, and head-strong;
Of dust, He created thee; be not like fire.213
When the horrent fire exalted its neck,
The dust cast down its body in abjectness.
When that (the fire) showed head-exaltation; this, abase-
ment;
They made—of that, a demon; of this, a man.213a
5 A rain-drop dropped from a cloud;
It became ashamed, when it beheld the amplitude of the
ocean.
Saying:—“Where the ocean is, what am I?
“If it be; by God! then, I am not.”
When it regarded itself with the eye of contempt,
A shell cherished it with fervour in its bosom.
The sky caused its work to reach to the place (of honour),
Where, it became the famous royal pearl.
It obtained loftiness, in that it became low;
It beat the door of non-existence, until it became existent.
10 A wise youth of pure disposition
Came forth from the sea, at the barrier of Rúm.
They observed in him,—excellence, and austerity, and dis-
cretion;
They placed his chattels in a precious place (a masjid).
One day, the chief of the 'Ábids (the shaikh) spoke to the
man,
Saying:—“Sweep up the chips and dust of the masjid.”214
As soon as the man, road-travelling (to God) heard this
speech,
He went forth; and, none saw again a trace of him.214a
The religious brethren (the Súfís), and the shaikh con-
jectured,
Saying:—“The fakír has no solicitude for service.”
15 The next day, a servant (of the monastery) seized him on
the road,
Saying:—“Through faulty judgment, thou didst not well.
“Oh boy, self-approving! knowst thou not,
“That by service, men attain to rank?
From the power of truth and ardour, he began to weep,
Saying:—“Oh friend, life-cherishing, heart-illuminating!
“In that abode (the masjid), I beheld neither dust, nor
refuse;
“In that pure place, I (only) was polluted.
“I consequently took the retreating step,
“Saying:—‘The masjid pure of dust and chips (myself)
is well.’”
20 For the darvesh, there is only this path;
That he hold his own body subjected.
Is exaltation necessary to thee? Choose humility;
For there is only this ladder to that roof (of exaltation).
I have heard that, once upon a time, on the morning of
an 'íd,
Báyizid came out of the hot bath.215
A certain one, unknowingly, a basin of ashes,
Cast down, from a house, on his head.
He spoke,—turban and hair polluted,
Rubbing the palm of his hand thankfully on his face,—
25 Saying:—“Oh lust of mine! I am worthy of the fire (of
hell);
“Why draw I together my face for a single ash?”
The great showed not regard to themselves;
Desire not God-beholding from one self-beholding.
Greatness is not in reputation and speech;
Exaltation is not in pretension and conceit.
Humility exalts the head of thy sublimity;
Arrogance casts thee to the dust.
One, head-extending, of fierce temper falls to the neck (in
a pit);
Is exaltation necessary to thee?—seek not exaltation.
30 Seek not for the way of Islám from one world-proud;
Seek not God-beholding from one self-beholding.216
If rank be necessary to thee,—like the mean,
Look not at persons, with the eye of contempt.
How may the sensible man entertain the idea,
That high worth is in head-mightiness?
Seek not rank more renowned than this,
That the people should call thee:—“One of approved dis-
position.”
No;—when one like thyself uses haughtiness to thee,
Thou, with wisdom's eye, considerst him not great.
35 If thou displayst arrogance,—thou also, even so,
Appearst, as those haughtiness-displaying appear to thee.
When thou art standing on the lofty house,
—If thou art wise—laugh not at the fallen.
There came down off his feet, many a standing one,
Whose place, the fallen took.
I allow that thou art thyself free from defect;
Exercise not reproaching on the faulty.
This one has, in his hand, the door-ring of the Ka'ba;
That one is fallen, intoxicated, in the tavern.
40 If God calls this one,—who may not permit him?
And, if He drives away that one,—who may bring him
back?
Neither is that one strength-finder by his own (good)
deeds!
Nor for this one is the door of repentance shut in the face.
A compiler of the traditions, thus related, in talk,—
That, in the time of 'Ísa (on Him be peace!)217
A certain one had squandered his life;
Had passed it in ignorance and error.
One bold, of black deeds, of hard heart;
Through his uncleanness, Iblís was ashamed of him.
45 His time, uselessly accomplished;
Through him, not a single soul rested, so long as he lived.
His head void of wisdom, but full of grandeur;
His belly fat with forbidden morsels.
With non-uprightness, one, garment-stained,
With shamelessness, one, house-plastered.
Neither one of foot straight-travelling, like those seeing;
Nor one of ear, like the man, advice-hearing.
The people fleeing from him, like the bad year;
Pointing him out, together from afar, like the new moon.218
50 His harvest (of life) lust and concupiscence burned;
A grain of good repute ungathered.
He of black deeds urged his pleasure in such a way,
That, in the Book, no place for writing (his deeds) re-
mained.
A sinner, and one self-opiniated, and lust-worshipper,
Night and day, in carelessness, drunk and intoxicated.
I heard that 'Ísa entered from the desert;
He passed by the cell of a certain 'Ábid.
The recluse came down from a window;
He fell, head on the earth, at His feet.
55 From afar, the ill-starred sinner,
Moth-like, astonied at them, by (their) splendour.
Reflecting, with regret, ashamed;
Darvesh-like before one wealth-possessing.
Ashamed, beneath his lip excuse-asking, with heart-
burning,
On account of whole nights passed in carelessness.
Tears of grief raining, cloud-like, from his eye,
Saying:—“Alas! my life in carelessness passed.
“I threw away the ready money of dear life;
“A particle of goodness unacquired.
60 “Let there never be one, like me, living;
“For, his death (is) much better than his living.
“That one escaped, who died in childhood!
“For, he bore not the aged head of shame (to the grave).
“Oh World-Creator! pardon my sin;
“For, if it come with me (to the Resurrection) it will be
a bad companion.”
In this corner, the old sinner weeping,
Saying:—“Oh hand-seizer! come to the complaint of my
state.”
His head, in shame lowered,
The water of remorse, with lamentation and desire running.
65 And, on that side,—the 'Ábid, head full of pride,
His eye-brows gathered together, on the sinner from afar.
Saying:—“Why is this wretch behind us?
“The ignorant unfortunate one! what! is he of the same
sort as we?
“One steeped to the neck in fire;
“One life-given to the wind of lust.
“What good came from his soul, wet of skirt,
“That he is society for Masíh (the Messiah) and me?
“Well would it have been, if he had taken the trouble (of
his person) from before me;
“(If) he had gone to hell, after his own deeds.
70 “I am constantly vexed by his unpleasant countenance;
“Lest that the fire of his sins should fall on me.
“At the place of assembling, when the assembly becomes
present,
“Oh God! make not Thou my assembling with him.”
In this, he was; and, from the One of glorious qualities, a
revelation
Came to 'Ísa,—on Him be blessing!—
Saying:—“If this one be learned, and that one ignorant,
“The prayers of both have come to My acceptance.
“The one of wasted time, and inverted days,
“Bewailed before Me, with weeping and heart-burning.
75 “Whosoever comes to Me, in helplessness,
“Him, I cast not down from the threshold of mercy.
“I pass over his ugly (sinful) deeds;
“I bring him, by My own grace, into Paradise.
“But, if the devotion-zealot has shame,
“That he should be fellow-sitting with him in Paradise,
“Say—Have no shame of him, on the Resurrection Day;
“For, they will carry that one (the sinner) to heaven;
and, this one to hell.
“If the liver of that became blood, through heart-burning
and sorrow;
“And, if this one relied on his own devotion,
80 “Knew he not that in the Court of the Independent One
(God),
“Helplessness is better than pride and presumption?
“Whose garment is pure, but walk of life impure,—
“For him, no key to hell's door is necessary.221
“At this threshold of God, thy weakness and wretchedness
“Are better than thy devotion, and self-beholding.”
When thou reckonedst thyself among the good, thou art
bad;
Self-sufficiency is not contained in godship.
If thou art a man, speak not of thy own manliness,
Not every jockey carries off the ball (of victory).
85 He is an onion, all husk,—that one skill-less,
Who thought there was, within him, a brain pistachio-nut-
like.
Devotion of this sort is of no use;
Go; bring excuse for the fault of thy devotion.
That ignorant one enjoys not the fruit of devotion,
Who to himself is good; and, to the people bad.
Whether a vagabond of confused distracted fortune;
Or, a devotee, who, on his body, practises severity—what
difference?
Strive with abstinence and fear of God, and truth, and
purity;
But add not to the merit of the Chosen One (Muhammad).222
90 Desire not whiteness (purity) beyond limit,
Saying:—It is disgusting; what room for blackness?222a
Of wise men speech remains a token;
Of Sa'dí, remember this one word:—
“The sinner, God-fearing
“Is better than the saint, devotion-displaying.”
A certain lawyer of tattered garment, of straitened hand,
Sate down in the foremost ranks, in the hall of the Kází.
The Kází very sharply glanced at him;
The officer of the court seized his sleeve, saying:—“Rise!
95 “Knowst thou not, that thy place is not the highest!
“Sit lower, or go, or stand.
“Not every one is worthy of the chief-place;
“Munificence is in grace; and rank, in worth.
“What need to thee of anyone's advice?
“This very shame is to thee sufficient torture.
“Every one, who sate, with honour, lower down,
“Falls not with contempt from above to below.
“Exercise not boldness, in the place of the great;
“Display not lionishness, when thou hast not the power of
grasp.”
100 When that wise one of darvesh complexion saw
That his fortune sate down and rose up to battle,
A sigh, like fire, came forth from the helpless one;
Than the place where he was, he sate lower down.
The lawyers prepared the path of strife;
They hurled—the “not,” and “I do not agree.”
They opened together the door of contest;
Neck made long with—“not; and—“yes.”
Thou wouldst have said—the courageous cocks are in
battle;
Entangled, they fell on each other with beak and claw.
105 This one, from anger beside himself, like one intoxicated;
That one, beating both his hands on the ground.
They fell into a difficulty, exceedingly intricate;
In the solution of which, they could find no path.
The one of tattered garment, in the lowest ranks,
Entered the contest, with force, like a roaring lion.
He said:—“Oh chiefs of the law of the Prophet!
“With the traditions, and revelations (of the Kurán), and
law, and the principles of Islám,
“Proofs, strong and real, are necessary;
“Not, the veins of the neck (swelling) in hot altercation.
110 “To me, also are the chaugán (bat) of sport and ball.”
They said:—“If thou knowst well, speak.”
Then he, who sate at the knee of respect,
Opened his tongue, and closed their mouths.
With the reed of eloquence of description, which he pos-
sessed,
He pourtrayed on their hearts, like the picture of a ring-
stone:
Drew his head from the street of simile to reality;
Drew the pen upon the head of the letter of (effaced) the
claim.
On every side, they shouted;—“Afrín! Afrín!”
Saying:—“On thy wisdom and genius, a thousand
praises!”
115 The dun horse of speech, he urged so far,
That the Kází, ass-like, remained behind in the mire.
He came forth from his robe and turban;
He sent them, with reverence and courtesy, to the one,
garment-tattered.
Saying:—“Alas! I recognised not thy worth;
“I was not engaged in thanks for thy auspicious arrival.
“With so great a capital of eloquence, I grieve,
“That I behold thee, in such a rank (the lowest).”
The officer of the court came, with cordiality, to him,
That he might place the turban of the Kází, on his head.
120 “With hand and tongue, he forbade him saying:—“Be it
far from me!
“Place not, on my head, the foot-link of pride.
“For, to-morrow, towards those wearing old garments
(the poor),
“Heavy will my head become with the turban of fifty
yards.225
“When they call me Maula and chief magistrate,
“Men will appear contemptible in my eyes.
“Is drinking-water ever different,
“If its vessel be golden, or earthen?225a
“Wisdom and brain, within man's head, are necessary;
“For me, like thee, a beautiful turban is unnecessary.
125 “A person is not of worth, through head-greatness;
“The gourd of great head is even without a kernel.
“Exalt not the neck with turban and beard:
“For, the turban is cotton; and, the moustache, dry
herbage.
“Those who, in form (only) are man-like,
“Best indeed it is, that they be silent, picture-like.
“To the extent of one's skill, it is proper to seek dignity:
“Make not, Saturn-like, loftiness and misfortune.
“Great is the greatness of the mat-reed,
“In which, indeed, is the intrinsic quality of the sugar-
reed.
130 “With this (deficient) wisdom, and spirit,—I call thee no
one,
“Even if a hundred slaves go behind thee.
“How well said the small shell in the clay,
“When an ignorant one, full of avarice, took it up,—
“No one will purchase me for any thing;
“Wind me not, in foolishness, in silk (like a jewel).
“A beetle has that very worth which is its,
“Even if it sate amidst tulips.226
“The rich man is not, by property, better than a person;
“If the ass puts on satin-housings,—he is an ass.”
135 In this way, the sensible man (the lawyer), speech-uttering,
Washed malice, with the water of speech, from the heart.226a
The speech of one heart-troubled is hard;
When thy enemy falls, display not sluggishness.
When power reaches thee, pluck out the enemy's brain;
For, the opportunity washes down the dust (of grief) from
the heart.
The Kází remained captive to his own violence, in such a
way
That he said:—“This is indeed a disastrous day!”
Through astonishment, he bit his hands, with his teeth;
His eyes, like the two stars near the pole, remained fixed
on him.
140 And thence, the young man turned the face of resolution;
He went out, and no one again found his trace.
Clamour arose from the chiefs of the assembly,
“Say, whence is one of such a bold eye?”
A herald went from the front, and ran in every direction,
Saying:—“Who saw a man of this description and ap-
pearance?”
One said;—“Of this kind of sweet speech,
“We know, in this city, Sa'dí; and him only.
“On him be a hundred thousand blessings that he thus
spoke;
“The bitter truth—behold! how sweetly he uttered it.”227
145 There was in the town of Ganja,—one king-born,
Who was unclean and tyrannical—may it be far from
thee!—
Singing and intoxicated, he entered a masjid,
Wine in his head, and bumper-glass in hand.
In a cell, a devotee was dwelling,
One, tongue-entangling (in truth); and, heart-pure (as to
malice).
Some persons for his talking, assembled.
—When thou art not learned, be not less than the
hearer.—
When that refractory steed (the prince) exercised disre-
spectfulness,
Those dear ones (the assembly) became desolate of heart.
150 When the foot of the prince is wicked,
Who is able to express a breath concerning the well-known
order?227a
Garlic overpowers the rose-perfume;
The sound of the harp becomes weak, through the drum.228
If the prohibiting of forbidden things comes from thy
hand,
It is not proper to sit like one, handless and footless.
And if thou hast not the hand of power, speak;
For, the disposition becomes pure by admonition.
When as to both hand and tongue, power is not,
Men show manliness by prayer.
155 One (of the hearers) before the sage, sitting in solitude,
Lamented and wept, head on the earth,228a
Saying:—“On this intoxicated rascal (the prince) once,
“Pray; for we are tongueless and handless.
“A single ardent breath (sigh) from a thoughtful heart,
“Is stronger than seventy swords and axes.”
The one, world-experienced, stretched forth his hand;
What said he? “Oh Lord of high and low!
“Through fortune, this youth,—his time is happy;
“Oh God! keep all his time happy.”
160 A person said to him:—“Oh exemplar of rectitude!
“Why desirest thou for goodness for this wretch?
“When thou desirest good for the faithless,
“What ill desirest thou on the citizens?”
The one beholding with quick intelligence thus spoke:—
“When thou findst not the secret of my speech, agitate
not:
“We adorned not the assembly with raving nonsense;
“We desired his repentance from the justice of the Creator.
“For every one, who returns from bad ways,
“Reaches eternal ease in Paradise.
165 “This pleasure of wine is indeed for five days;
“In abandoning it,—perpetual pleasures.”
This matter, which the man, speech-making (the recluse),
uttered,
One out of that assembly unfolded to the prince.
From rapture, water, cloud-like, came to his eyes;
A torrent of sorrow rained on his face.
His heart burned with the fires of desire;
Shame sewed his eyes to the back of his feet.
To the one of good appearance (the recluse) he sent a person,
Knocking at the door of repentance, saying:—“Oh griev-
ance-redresser!
170 “Be pleased to come, that I may lay down my head (at
thy feet);
“That I may put aside ignorance and non-rectitude.”
The adviser (the recluse) came to the prince's court;
He glanced into the hall of the court.
He saw sugar, and jujube, and candle, and wine;
The assembly prosperous with wealth; but, the men in-
toxicated.229
This one unconscious of himself; that one half-drunk;
Another poetry-spouting, wine-flagon in hand.
On one side, the minstrel's cry raised;
On the other, the cup-bearer's voice saying:—“Drink!”
175 The companions, with wine of red colour intoxicated,
Through sleep, the head of the harper on his bosom, harp-
like.
Of the boon-companions, neck-exalting, there was not
An eye of any open there, save the narcissus.
The drum and harp consonant with each other;
The flute, from the midst, brought forth a lament.
He (the recluse) ordered: they shattered (the drum and
harp) into small pieces;
That pure pleasure became changed to dregs.
They broke the harp and snapped the string;
The speaker put singing out of his head.
180 They struck a stone on the wine-vessel, in the wine-house,
They placed the wine-vessel (before them), and struck off
its neck.
The wine of red colour from the flagon, head-lowered,
Ran as blood from a slain duck.
The jar was pregnant nine months with wine:
In that calamity (of birth), it quickly cast out the daughter
(of grapes).
They rent the belly of the leathern (wine) bag to its navel,
The blood eyes of the cup, over it, full of tears.230
He ordered:—the stone of the court-yard of the building,
They plucked up, and put anew in its place.
185 For, the rosy colour of the wine of ruby hue
Departed not, by washing, from the marble surface.
It is not wonderful if the sink become intoxicated,
When, it drank, on that day, so much wine.
Whosoever used again to take the harp in his hand,
Used to endure pushing (beating) of his head, drum-like,
at men's hands.
And, if a worthless fellow had taken a harp on his neck,
He would have rubbed his ear, guitar-like.
The young man (the prince), head-intoxicated with pride
and conceit,
Sate, like old men, in the corner of devotion.
190 The father had, many times, spoken vehemently to him,
Saying:—“Be of decent gait, and of pure speech.”
He endured his father's violence, and prison, and restraint,
It was not so useful to him, as counsel.
If the gentle-speaker (the recluse) had spoken severely to
him,
Saying:—“Put youthfulness, and ignorance out of thy
head.”
Imagination and pride would have prevailed over him,
That he would not have left the darvesh (the speaker) alive.
The roaring lion, through fighting, casts not away the
shield (surrenders not);
The panther thinks not of the cutting sword.
195 One can, with gentleness, flay the enemy's skin;
When thou exercisest severity towards a friend, he is an
enemy.
No one made a hard face, anvil-like,
Who suffered not the chastising hammer on his head.
Exercise not vehemence, in speaking to an amír;
Pursue gentleness, when thou seest that he practises
severity.
Make thyself, by manners, concordant, with whomsoever
thou mayst see,
Whether he be inferior, or superior.
For this one (the superior) may draw back his neck from
pride;
And, that one may, by thy pleasant speech, draw his head
within thy noose.
200 One can, by sweet speech, carry away the ball (of power);
But one of bad disposition, constantly, endures bitterness.
Take thou, from Sa'dí, the pleasant speech;
To the one of bitter visage, say:—“Die of bitterness!”
One of sugar-laughter sold honey,
From whose sweetness, hearts become consumed.
A sweet one, waist-girt, sugar-cane like,
The purchasers about her more (numerous) than the flies.
If, for instance, she should have taken up poison,
They would have devoured it like honey from her hand.
205 One of hard life glanced at her work;
He bore envy, in respect to her market-day.
He went, the next day, running around the world;
Honey in his hand; vinegar (ill-temper) on his eye-brow.
Wandered much, before and behind, clamour-making,
But, not a fly sate on his honey.
At night-time, when money came not to his hand,
He sate, with straitened heart, face to the corner.
Like a sinner, face embittered with (God's) threatening;
Like the eyebrows of prisoners on a day of festival.
210 A woman sportively said to her husband:—
“The honey of one of bitter visage is bitter.”
A bad temper takes a man to hell;
Those of good temper only see Paradise,
Go; drink warm water from the brink of the rivulet;
Drink not the cool draught of one of bitter face.
It was forbidden thee to taste the bread of that one,
Who drew together his eye-brows table-cloth-like.
Sir! put not on thyself difficult work;
For the one of bad temper is of reversed fortune.
215 I assume—that to thee, there is neither silver, nor gold;
To thee, the tongue also is not sweet, like Sa'dí's.
I have heard that of a learned man, God-worshipping,—
His collar, a drunken knave seized.
From that one of black heart, the man of pure heart
Suffered head-pushing, but raised not his head from
tranquillity.
At length, one said to him:—“Art thou not also a man?
“Endurance, in respect to this indiscreet one, is a pity.”
The man of pure disposition heard this speech;
He said to him:—“Speak not again to me in this way.
220 “The ignorant drunken one rends a man's collar:—
“Who meditates (practises) conflict with a lion-claw?234
“It befits not the learned one, that his hand,
“He should fix in the collar of the drunken, ignorant one.
“The skilful one possesses life in this way:—
“He suffers violence; and exercises kindness.”
The foot of one desert-sitting, a certain dog bit
With such anger, that poison dropped from his teeth.
At night, through pain, helpless, sleep took him not;
There was, in his party, a little daughter.
225 She used violence to her father, and displayed severity,
Saying:—“Hast thou, also, indeed no teeth?”
After weeping, the man of distressed days
Laughed, saying:—“Oh little mother, heart-illuminating!
“Although, to me—are power and poison,
“I am loth (to use) my jaws and teeth.
“It is impossible, even if I endure a sword blow on my
head,
“That I should plunge my teeth within the leg of a dog.
“As to dogs, the nature is evil;
“But, doggishness comes not from man.”
230 There was a certain great one, skilful in the world;
His slave was of depraved qualities.
Through this filthy one, hair dishevelled,
He used to be as one vinegar-rubbed on the face.235
Like a large male serpent, his teeth stained with poison;
From the ugly ones of the city, pledge taken.235a
Continually on his face, the water of a diseased eye
Used to run, as the smell of onion (issued) from his armpit.
At cooking-time, he used to express a frown on his eye-
brow;
When they had cooked, he used to strike knee (in sitting)
with his master.235b
235 Time to time, for bread-eating, his fellow-sitter;
But if he (the master) had died, he would not have given
water to his hand.
Neither speaking nor the blows of a stick used to exercise
effect on him;
Night and day, the house was in a state of being mined
(ruined) by him.235c
Sometimes, he used to throw thorns and chips on the road;
Sometimes, he used to fling the hens into the well.
From his aspect, great terror used to arise;
He used not to go to a work, from which he used to return.
A person said:—“Of this slave of bad qualities,
“What desirest thou,—manners, or skill, or beauty?
240 “A person, with this unpleasantness, is not worth (so
much),
“That thou shouldst approve of his violence, and endure
his torment.
“A slave,—good and of correct walk of life, I
“Will bring to thy hand; take away this to the captive-
seller.
“And, if he brings thee the smallest coin, turn not away
thy head;
“He is dear at any price,—if thou wishest the truth.”
The man of good disposition heard this speech;
He laughed, saying:—“Oh friend of auspicious family!
“As to this boy—his nature and disposition are bad; but,
“By him, my nature becomes good nature.
245 “When I shall have endured much from him,
“I may be able to endure the violence of everyone.”
Endurance appears, at first, to thee, like poison;
But when it grows in the disposition, it becomes honey.
No one sought the road to the ancient shaikh Ma'rúf of
Karkh,
Who placed not, first, his own renown, out of his head.236
I heard that a certain one came a guest to him;
From his sickness to death little remained.
Head cast as to its hair; and face, as to its purity (of
complexion);
The soul clinging, by a single hair, to his body.
250 At night, he cast himself down there, and put his pillow;
Forthwith, he placed his hands—in clamour, and lament.
Nights, one moment, neither used sleep to seize him;
Nor (was there) sleep to anyone, by reason of his lament.
A disturbed nature, and rough disposition;
He died not; but slew a people by his altercation.
From his clamour, and lamenting, and sleeping, and
rising,—
People took the path of flight from him.
Of the men-inmates of that abode, a person (was not);
There remained—the powerless one, and Ma'rúf only.
255 I have heard that, many nights, on account of service,
Ma'rúf slept not;
Like men, he bound his waist; and did whatever he said.
One night, sleep brought an army to his (Ma'rúf's) head;
—How much power may the non-sleeping man exercise?—
In a moment, when his eyes began to sleep,
The distressed traveller began to speak,
Saying:—“May there be a curse on this impure race (of
darveshes),
“Who are (seekers of) name and fame; but, are fraud
and wind:
“Filthy believers, purity-wearing;
“Deceivers, piety-selling.
260 “How knows the glutton, sleep-intoxicated,
“That a helpless one closed not his eyes?”237
He uttered unlawful words to Ma'rúf,
Saying:—“Why slept he careless of him, one moment?”
The shaikh, from generosity, endured this matter;
The concealed ones of the haram (the women) heard.
One spoke secretly to Ma'rúf.
Saying:—“Heardst thou what the lamenting darvesh
said?
“Oh shaikh! go; after this, say:—take thy own way;
“Take away reproach; die in another place.
265 “Goodness and mercy are in their own places;
“But, generosity to the bad is evil.
“Place not a round pillow for the head of the mean;
“The head of the man-injurer (is) best against a stone.238
“Oh one of good fortune! exercise not goodness to the
bad;
“For, (only) the fool places the tree in the salt soil.
“I say not—Take no care of a man,
“But waste not generosity on such as are not men.
“Act not, with qualities of softness towards the rough;
“For, they rub not the dog's back, like the cat.
270 “If thou desirest justice, the dog, right-recognising,
“Is better, in character, than the man ungrateful.238a
“Use not mercy, with ice-water, towards the mean;
“When thou dost,—write the compensation for it on ice.
“I beheld not such a crafty person;
“Show not mercy to this worthless one.”
When the lady of the palace (Ma'rúf's wife) uttered this
reproach,
A cry issued from the good man's heart,
Saying:—“Return, and sleep tranquil of heart;
“Be not distressed, as to this distressed one, because he
thus spoke.
275 “If, from indisposition, he shouted at me,
“The unpleasant speech from him came pleasantly to my ear.
“It is proper to listen to the tale of violence of such a
one,
“Who, from restlessness, cannot slumber.”
When thou seest thyself of strong state and happy,
Endure, thankfully, the burden of the feeble.
If thou art, indeed, a mere semblance, tilism-like,
Thou wilt die; and, thy name, like thy body, will die;
But if thou causest thyself to cherish the tree of liberality,
Thou mayst, assuredly, enjoy the fruit of good name.
280 Seest thou not that, in Karkh, the tombs are many?
The tomb of Ma'rúf only is known.
The man pomp-worshipping displays pride;
He knows not that grandeur is in gentleness.
An impudent one preferred his desire (in beggary) to a
pious one,
There was not, at that time, a single acquired thing
(money) in his girdle.
His girdle and hands were void and clean (empty);
Otherwise, he would have scattered gold on his face, dust-
like.
The beggar, malignant of face, hastened out;
In the street, he began to reproach him,
285 Saying:—“Beware of these silent scorpions;
“Panther-renders, wool-clad.
“For, they place the knee against the heart, cat-like;
“But, if a prey chances, they leap up, dog-like.
“The shop of fraud to the masjid brought,
“For, one can seldom find game in a house.
“Lion-men attack the káraván;
“But, these (Súfís) pluck off the garment of men.
“White and black pieces (of cloth) stitched together;
“Capital put together; gold gathered.
290 “Oh excellent! barley-sellers, wheat-exhibiting;
“World-wanderers, night-mendicants, harvest-beggars.
“Look not at their devotion, saying:—“They are old and
lazy;
“For, in dancing (rapture) and ecstacy, they are young
and vigorous.240
“Why is it necessary to make prayers from a state of
posture,
“When they can leap up to dance?
“They are the staff of Músa, much-devouring;
“Outwardly—so yellow of face, and emaciated.240a
“They are neither abstinent, nor learned;
“This, indeed, is enough—that they purchase the world
with religion.
295 “On their body, they put a coarse cloak like that of
Bilál;
“With the produce of Abyssinia, they make garments
for women.241
“Of the precepts of Muhammad, thou seest in them no
sign,
“Save the former sleep (in the afternoon), and the morn-
ing bread.241a
“The belly up to the head, they have filled tight with
morsels;
“Like the palm-leaf basket of beggary of seventy colours.
“Beyond this, I will not speak on this matter;
“For, it is a sin to speak of one's own walk of life.”
The impudent speaker spoke of this habit (of the Súfís);
The eye, fault-finding, sees not skill.
300 One who has made many dishonoured,
What care has he of anyone's reputation?
A disciple related this speech to the shaikh;
—If thou wishst the truth, he did not wisely.241b
An evil one behind me spoke of my defect, and slept;
Worse than he,—the friend, who brought (the tale) and
uttered it.
A certain one cast an arrow, and it fell on the road;
It injured not my existence, and gave me no wound.
Thou didst take it up and come to me;
Didst strike it violently into my loins.—
305 The pious one of good disposition laughed,
Saying:—“This is easy, say—utter a more difficult matter
than this.
“Yet what he said ill of me is little;
“It is one, out of a hundred of those bad deeds I know.
“These that he, through suspicion, attributed to me;
“I, on my part, truly know that they are so.242
“He joined his society with us this year;
“What knows he of the defects of my seventy years?
“In the world, better than I, a person, my own defect,
“Knows not,—save the Knower of my secret (God).
310 “I have not seen one of such good intention,
“Who considered my defect was this, and no more.
“At the place of assembling, if he be the evidence of my
sin,
“I fear not hell; for, my work is good.
“If my enemy speaks ill of me,
“Come and say:—‘Take away the draft (of my defect)
from before me.’”
Those have been men of the path of God,
Who have been the butt of the arrow of calamity.
They threw off (from the head) the hat of pride;
They exalted the head with the crown of eminence.
315 Be submissive, while they rend thy skin;
For the pious endure the burden of the impudent.
If, of the dust of men, they make a pitcher;
Those reproach-making will break it with a stone.
King Sálih of the kings of Syria
Used to come out early in the morning with his slave.
He used to wander in the quarters of the bázár and streets,
After the manner of an Arab,—a veil bound about his face.
For, he was possessed of discernment, and was the poor
man's friend;
Whosoever has these two qualities,—he is King Sálih.
320 He discovered two darveshes sleeping in a masjid;
He found them distressed of heart, and heart disturbed.
In the night, through cold, sleep had not taken their eyes;
Thinking of the sun, lizard-like.
One of those two was speaking to the other,
Saying:—“Even, on the day of the place of assembling,
there is justice.243
“If these kings, neck-exalting,
“Who are in sport and pastime, and possessed of desire
and consequential airs,
“Enter Paradise with those distressed,
“I will not raise my head from the brick of the grave.
325 “Lofty Paradise is our country and abode;
“For, to-day, the fetter of grief is about our feet.
“During thy whole life-time, what pleasure didst thou
experience from them,
“That thou shouldst, in the next world, also endure their
trouble?
“If Sálih there, by the garden-wall,
“Enters, I will rend his brain with my shoe.”
When the man uttered this speech, and Sálih heard it,
He considered it not wisdom to be (standing) longer there.
A moment passed, when the fountain of the sun,
Washed down sleep from the eyes of the people.
330 Running, he sent for the two men, and called them;
In pomp, he sate; and, in dignity, caused them to sit.244
He rained on them the rain of liberality;
He washed down, from their bodies, the dust of contempt.
After distress through cold, and rain, and torrent,
They sate with those renowned of the tribe:
Two beggars, night made day, garmentless,
Perfuming their garments over the aloe-burner.
One of them spoke privately to the king,
Saying:—“Oh king! the world a ring in the ear (a slave)
to thy order,
335 Those approved of God attain greatness;
In us two slaves, what appeared pleasing to thee?
The monarch expanded from joy, rose-like;
He laughed, in the face of the darvesh, and said:—
“I am not such a one that, from pride of retinue,
“I contract my face, at those helpless.
“Put thou also as to me the malignant disposition, out of
thy head:
“Lest thou shouldst, in Paradise, display discordance.
“I opened, to-day, the door of peace;
“Shut not, to-morrow, the door on my face.
340 “If thou art an accepter of the true path, choose a path
like this;
“When power reaches thee, take the hand of the darvesh.
“That one took not away the fruit (of pardon) of the
Túba tree,
“Who sowed not, to-day, the seed of desire (of good
deeds).
“Thou hast not desire,—seek not happiness;
“With the chaugán of service, one can carry off the ball
(of empire).”
To thee, how is there effulgence (of love) lamp-like,
Since, thou art full of thyself, as a lamp with water.245
That existence gives light to the assembly,
Whose burning in the bosom is candle-like.
345 A certain one had a little skill in astronomy;
But, he possessed a head, intoxicated with pride.
From the far road, he came to Koshyár,
—A heart full of desire; a head, full of pride.—245a
The sage used to sew up (close) his eyes from him,
He used not to teach him a single letter.
When portionless, he resolved to return,
The sage, neck-exalting, said to him:—
“Thou hast imagined thyself full of wisdom;
“A vase that is full—how may it take more.
350 “Thou art full of pretension; on that account, thou goest
empty from me:
“Come empty; so that thou mayst become full of truth.”
Sa'dí-like, in the world,—of self-consciousness,
Become void, and return full of the knowledge of God.
In anger, a slave turned his head from a king (fled);
He ordered a person to seek; no one found him.246
When he (the slave) returned, in anger and rancour,
He said to the swordsman:—“Spill his blood!”
Thirsty for blood, the unkind executioner
Drew forth a sword like a thirsty tongue.
355 I heard that, from his straitened heart, he said:—
“Oh God! I pardon him my blood,
“Because, always in favour, and pleasure, and fame,
“I have, in his fortune, been a friend.246a
“God forbid! that, to-morrow (the Judgment Day), for
my blood,
“They should seize him, and his enemy become joyful (by
his punishment).”
When his speech came to the king's ear,
The cauldron of his wrath boiled no further.
He gave (him) many kisses on his head and eyes;
He became lord of the standard, and tambourine, and drum.
360 From such a frightful place, by softness,
He caused his fortune to attain that dignity.247
The design of this tale is—that soft speech
Is like water on the fire of a fiery man.
Oh friend! exercise humility to a stern enemy;
For, gentleness makes blunt the cutting sword.
Seest thou not that, in the place of meeting of sword and
arrow,
They put on the garment of silk, a hundred-fold?
From the desolate place of a holy man, ragged garment-
clad,
The baying of a dog came to a certain one's ear.
365 To his heart, he said:—“How is the baying of a dog
here?”
He entered, saying:—“Where is the holy darvesh?”
From before and behind, he saw not the trace of a dog;
Save the pious man, he saw none other there.
Ashamed, he began to return;
For, shame came to him to argue about the mystery.
From within, the holy man heard the foot-sound;
He said:—“Ho! why standst thou at the door? Enter.
“Oh my resplendent eye! thoughtst thou not,
“That, from here, a dog gave tongue? I am the dog.
370 “When I saw that He purchases helplessness,
“I put out of my head—pride, and judgment, and wisdom.
“I made much noise, dog-like, at His door;
“For, I beheld not many meaner than a dog.”
When thou desirest that thou mayst attain sublime rank,
Thou wilt attain to loftiness from the low place of
humility.
Those took the chief seat in this presence,
Who placed their own worth low.
When the torrent came with fear and haste,
It fell headlong, from height to depth.
375 When the dew fell—humble and feeble,
The sky carried it, with love, to the (lofty) red star
(Pleiades-following).
A number of the eloquent are of opinion,
That Hátim was deaf; believe it not.248
In the morning, there issued the buzzing of a fly,
Which fell into a spider's net.
All the spider's weakness and silence was deceit;
The fly thought it sugar; it was imprisonment.
From the desire of counsel, the shaikh glanced at the fly,
Saying:—“Oh foot-bound in avarice! be still.
380 “Sugar and honey, and candy everywhere, are not;
“But nets and fetters, in the corners, are open.”
One of that clique of people of judgment said:—
“Oh man of the way of God! I hold it wonderful,
“How thou didst perceive the fly's noise,
“When it came, to our ears, with difficulty!
“Since thou art acquainted with the fly's sound,
“It is not proper, after this, to call thee deaf.”
Hátim, smiling, said to him:—“Oh one of quick under-
standing!
“To be deaf is better than to be listening to foolish talk.
385 “Those, who are with me in privacy,
“Are defect-concealers and praise-scatterers.
“When I hold concealed mean qualities,
“Existence makes me weak; (and) lust, vile.
“I show myself as though I heard not,
“Perhaps I may be free from the trouble (of bad qualities).
“When fellow-sitters consider me deaf,
“They utter whatever is good and bad of me.
“If to hear evil is unpleasant to me,
“I withdraw my skirt from bad conduct.”
390 Be not at the well (of egotism), with the cord of
praise;
Be deaf, like Hátim, and hear thy own defects.
He sought not happiness, and found not safety,
Who turned aside the neck from Sa'dí's sayings.
Is a better adviser than this Sa'dí necessary to thee?
I know not what may chance to thee after him.
There was, in the limits of Tabríz, one dear to God,
Who was always wakeful and night-rising (in devotion).
One night, he saw a place where a thief, a noose,
Twisted and cast upon the side of a roof.
395 He informed the people, and raised a cry;
Men, from every side, arose with sticks.
When the unmanly thief heard the voice of men,
He saw no place of existing, in the midst of the danger.
Through that tumult, fear came upon him;
Flight, in season, became his choice.
From pity, the devotee's heart became wax;
For, the helpless night-thief was disappointed.
In the darkness, he, from behind came to his front;
By another road, he returned in front of him,
400 Saying:—“Oh friend! go not; for I am a friend of thine;
“I am, in manliness, the dust of thy foot.
“I have seen no one, like thee, in manliness;
“Since battle-action lies in two ways only.
“One way is to come manfully before the enemy;
“The second to carry one's life out of the contest (by
flight).
“By these two qualities of thine, I am thy slave;
“How art thou named; for I am the slave of thy name?
“If, by way of liberality, it be thy opinion;
“I may guide thee to a place which I know.
405 “It is a house, small; and the door fast shut;
“I think not the lord of the chattels is there.
“We may place two clods, one on the other;
“We may put one foot on the shoulder of the other (to
reach the roof).
“Be satisfied with as much as falls to thy hand;
“It is better, than that thou shouldst return empty of
hand.”
With cordiality, and flattery, and art,
He drew him (the thief) towards his own house.
The young night-traveller (the thief) held lowered his
back;
The lord of sense (the devotee) entered (the house), by his
shoulder.
410 Horse-housings, and turbans, and chattels which he had;
He put, from above, into his (the thief's) skirt.
And, thence he raised a shout, saying:—“Thief!
“Oh young men! (there are) recompense, and aid, and
hire.”251
The deceitful thief leaped out from the tumult,
Running, the garment of the devotee under his arm.
The man of good faith became comforted,
Saying:—“The desire of the one head distracted became
accomplished.”
The filthy one, who pitied no one,—
The heart of a good man forgave.
415 From the mode of life of the intelligent, it is not won-
derful,
That they should, from magnanimity, do good to the bad.
In the prosperity of the good, the bad live;
Although, the bad are not people of goodness.
There was a pure heart, Sa'dí-like, to a certain one,
Who had fallen in love with one of smooth face.252
He used to endure violence from the enemy, harsh-speaking,
Used to leap, ball-like, from the chaugán of hardship.
Used not to cast a frown, at any, on his eyebrows,
Used not to relinquish gentleness for harshness.252a
420 One, at length, said to him:—“To thee is there no shame?
“Of all this slap-giving and stone-throwing,—is there no
knowledge?
“The mean make their own body fat;
“The feeble make endurance of the enemy.
“It is not proper to pass over the fault of an enemy,
“Lest they say:—‘He possessed neither power, nor man-
liness.’”
The distraught one, distracted of head, gave to him
An answer, which it is fit to write in gold:—
“My heart is the house of the love of my friend only;
“For that reason, malice to no one is contained in it.”
425 How well said Bahlúl of happy temperament,
When he passed by a holy man, battle-seeking,—252b
“If this claimant had recognised the Friend (God),
“He would not have engaged, in contest with the enemy.”253
If he had possessed knowledge of the existence of God,
He would have considered all people non-existent.
I have heard that Lukmán was of black colour;
Was neither tender, as to body; nor, delicate, as to limb.253a
A certain one considered him his own slave;
He was vile; he kept him (engaged) on clay-work.
430 He experienced violence, and endured his tyranny and
anger;
He prepared, in one year, a house for his sake.
When the runaway slave came back to him,
Of Lukmán, a great fear came over him.
He fell at his feet, and made apology;
Lukmán laughed, saying:—“What is the use of apology?
“In a year, by thy violence, I make my liver blood;
“In a moment, how may I put grief out of my heart?
“But indeed I forgive thee, oh good man!
“For, thy gain (by my service) made not my loss.253b
435 “Thou didst make thy sleeping-chamber prosperous;
“For me,—skill and knowledge of God became greater.
“Oh one of good fortune! there is, among my followers, a
slave,
“Whom I oftentimes order difficult work.
“Again I will not sorely vex his heart;
“When recollection comes to me of the severity of the
clay-work.”
Whosoever endured not the violence of the great,
His heart burned not for the poor weak folk.
If the word of rulers be hard to thee,
Exercise not harshness towards thy inferiors.
440 I have heard that, in the desert of San'á, Juníd
Saw a dog (by old age) the hunting-teeth dug out.254
From the power of the grasp, lion-seizing,
He had become weak, like an old fox.
After seizing, on foot, mountain-sheep and antelope,
He used to suffer kicks from the sheep of the tribe of
Hayy.
When he beheld it weak, powerless and wounded,
He gave to it a half of his own provisions.
I heard that he said, while he wept blood:—
“Who knows, which of us two is the better?
445 “To-day, in outward appearance, I am better than this
dog;
“In the future, what (decree) may Fate urge against me?
“If the foot of my faith slips not from its place,
“I may place the crown of God's pardon on my head.
“But if, on my body, the garment of holiness
“Remain not, I am less by much than this dog.
“For when the dog, with all its ill-repute, dies
“They will not carry it to hell.”
Oh Sa'dí! this is the way—that men of the path of God
Looked not on themselves with honour.
450 They possessed honour above the angels, on that account,
That they regarded not themselves better than a dog.
A certain drunken one had a harp under his arm;
He broke it, at night, on a devotee's head.
When day came, that good gentle man
Carried a handful of silver to that one of stone-heart.
Saying:—“Last night, thou wast proud and intoxicated;
“For thee and me, harp and head are broken.
“As to me, that wound has become well, and fear has
risen (and departed);
“As to thee, save by silver, the harp will not be sound.”
455 The friends of God are over heads (in power), on that
account,
That they endure much on their heads.
I heard that, in the dust of Wakhsh, of the great,
There was one hidden, in the corner of retirement.255
Naked in truth; not, by the religious garment, a holy one,
Who puts out the hand of need (in beggary) to the
people.256
As to happiness,—the door opened towards him;
The doors of others shut in his face.
An eloquent one, void of wisdom, endeavoured,
Through impudence, to speak ill of that good man,
460 Saying:—“Beware of this deceit, and artifice, and fraud;
“Of sitting, demon-like, in the place of Sulaimán.256a
“From time to time, they (the Súfís) wash the face, cat-
like,
“Lusting for the prey of the mice of the street.
“Austerity-enduring, for the sake of name and pride;
“For, far goes the sound of the empty drum.”
He kept talking, and the crowd about him a multitude,
Man and woman, making fun of them (the devotee and the
orator).
I heard that the sage of Wakhsh wept,
Saying:—“Oh Lord! forgive this Thy slave.
465 “Oh pure Lord! if he spoke truth,
“Give to me repentance, that I may not be destroyed.
“My fault-seeker was agreeable to me;
“For, he made known to me my bad disposition.”
If thou art that which an enemy says, grieve not;
And, if thou art not, say:—“Go, wind-weigher!”
If a fool called the musk fetid,
Be thou tranquil; for, he uttered nonsense.
And, if this speech, as to the onion passes,
Say it is so; display not a fetid (proud) brain.257
470 The wise one of enlightened mind takes not
The mouth-stopper of the enemy (defect-revealing) from
the juggler.257a
It is not wisdom, and judgment, and understanding,
That a wise man should purchase deceit from a juggler.
Then the wise man sate behind his own work,
He shut against himself the enemy's tongue.
Be thou of good conduct, that the malevolent one
May not obtain the power of speaking to thy injury.
When from the enemy's speech, it comes hard to thee.
See! what defect he takes up, that do not.
475 That person only knows good of me,
Who reveals to me my faults.
A certain one brought a difficult matter before 'Alí;—
Peradventure, he may make apparent to him the difficulty.258
The chief, enemy-binding, territory-conquering,
Gave to him an answer from the fountain of knowledge
and judgment.
I heard that, in this assembly, a person
Said:—“Oh Bú-l-Hasan! it is not so.”
Haydar, name-seeking, on account of him, grieved not;
He said:—“If thou knowst better than this, speak.”
480 Whatever he knew, he spoke; and suitably spoke;
It is improper to conceal the sun's fountain with clay.
The king of men approved of his answer,
Saying:—“I was in error; and he, in truth.
“He spoke better than I; the Wise One is one only
(God);
“For, knowledge is not higher than His knowledge.”
If, to-day, there had been a lord of rank,
He would not, through his pride, have looked at him.
The chamberlain would have placed him out of court;
They would, without reason, have beaten him.
485 Saying:—“Hereafter, make not one void of reputation;
“Speech is improper before the great.”
One, in whose head, is conceit,—
Think not, that he will ever listen to truth.
From his knowledge, comes sorrow; from admonition, dis-
grace;
The red tulips grow from rain, not from stone.
If thou hast the pearl of the river of excellence, rise;
Scatter, in admonition, (pearls) at the feet of the darvesh.
Seest thou not that,—in the dust, fallen, wretched,—
The rose grows, and the fresh spring blossoms?
490 In the eye of (wise) people, no one is of account,
Who shows, in himself, much haughtiness.
Oh sage! scatter not sleeves of pearls (of eloquence),
When thou beholdst a rich man, full of himself.
Speak not,—so that a thousand persons may utter thy
praises;
When thou speakst of thyself, expect not (praise) from
any.
I heard that, in a narrow street, as regards a beggar,
'Umar placed his own foot on the back of his foot.259
The helpless poor man knew not who he was;
For one aggrieved knows not enemy from friend.
495 He was enraged at him, saying:—“Perhaps, thou art
blind?”
'Umar, the just chief, said to him:—
“I am not blind; the deed passed by mistake;
“I observed not; pass over my fault.”260
How just have been the great ones of religion.
Who have, with inferiors, been even so.
One sense-choosing is humble;
The branch full of fruit places its head on the earth.
Those humility-practising will, to-morrow, boast;
The head of those neck-exalting will, in shame, be lowered.
500 If thou fearst the day of reckoning,
Forgive the fault of that one, who fears thee.
Exercise not malignant tyranny towards thy inferiors;
For, there is a power even above thy power.
Of good conduct and good disposition, there was a certain
one,
Who was well-speaking of the bad.
When he passed (in death), a person beheld him in a dream
(and asked),
Saying:—“Tell me of past events.”
He opened a mouth, rose-like, with laughter,
He gave utterance, nightingale-like, with a sweet sound,
505 Saying:—“They used not much severity towards me;
“For I practised oppression against no one.”
I have recollection of this sort, that the water-carrier of
the Nile
Prepared not, one year, water for Egypt.
A crowd went towards the mountains;
Became, with supplication, suppliants for rain.261
They wept; but, from their weeping, a running rivulet
Came not, save the water of the eyes of women.
One from among them carried news to the Saint Zú-n-Nún,
Saying:—“On the people there is much grief and suffer-
ing.261a
510 “Pray for those distressed;
“For the word of those God-accepted is not rejected.”
I heard that Zú-n-Nún fled to Madín;
Much time passed not before rain fell.261b
After the lapse of twenty days, the news went to Madín,
That the cloud of black heart had wept over them.
The old man made an immediate resolution of returning;
For, by the spring-torrents, the water-pools became full.
A holy man secretly inquired of him,
“What philosophy was there in this thy going away?”
He replied:—
515 “I heard that for fowl, and ant, and rapacious beast,
“There was scarcity of food, on account of the deeds of
the wicked.
“In this country, I reflected much;
“I considered no one worse than myself.
“I went, lest that, through my wickedness,
“God should fasten the door of liberality on the people
(of Egypt).”
Is greatness necessary to thee? exercise courtesy; for those
great ones
Beheld not men worse than themselves, in the world.
Thou becomest precious before men, at that time,
When thou reckonst thyself for nothing.
520 The great one, who reckoned himself among the small folk,
Carried away greatness in this and in the future world.
From this dust-holder (the world), that slave went pure,
Who, at the feet of the meanest person, became dust.
Ho! thou who passest over our dust,
By the dust of dear ones! (let it be) that thou rememberst
(me).262
For if Sa'dí (after death) became dust—to him what
sorrow?
Since he was, in life also, dust (humble).
In humbleness, he gave his body to the dust;
Although he went, wind-like, around the world.262a
525 Much time passes not before that the dust (of the grave)
consumes him,
The wind carries him, again, through the world.
Behold! since the rose-garden of truth blossomed,
No nightingale spoke in it, sweetly, like Sa'dí.
If a nightingale should die in such a way, wonderful,—
That a rose should not grow on its bones!
↩man=13.0033 lbs.
“Mujarrd” signifies—one who flings away all his goods that he may devote himself to God.
↩Shaikh Sa'dí enjoyed his society; and travelled, by water, with him.
↩↩“Last night, in a dream, I beheld money.
I said: ‘Why comest thou not to me?’
The money replied: ‘Thou recognisest not my worth;
Thou givest, in liberality, to this and that.
Misers know my value;
I therefore go to the misers.’”
“Murda-dil” signifies—tárík-dil wa bad-kár.
↩Firdausí wrote the Sháh-Náma, containing one hundred and twenty thousand lines, at the desire of Maḥmúd of Ghazní; he died A.D. 1021.
The Sháh-Náma has, in part, been translated into English.
↩“Taḥlíl” signifies—lá iláha illa lláh!
↩Read:—Whose magnanimity places the hand of munificence on the mouths, &c.
↩“Dandán faro burdan” signifies—khám ṭam' namúdan.
↩In some copies, the second line runs:—
↩(a) Which thorn (rival) may have, snake-like, fallen in thy path.
(b) In whose heart, blood, pomegranate-like, may have gathered.
“Dáman-kashán” signifies—kharámán ba náz vavanda.
↩Moses made an attempt against him, upon which 'Új took up a mountain, two farsangs in extent, on his head, with the intention of casting it on the army of Moses, so that it might be destroyed. God sent the bird, Hoopoo, which pierced the mountain, so that it became a collar about his neck.
Moses then struck him on the ankle, so that he fell and died.
↩In the 'Iḳd-i-manẓúm, couplets 480 to 484 are omitted.
The king,—in whose shade a world is living and at ease at his table of bounty,—to what dignity will he (in heaven) ascend!
↩In the 'Iḳd-i-manẓúm, couplets 508 to 518 are omitted.
↩The student should on this subject see—
(a) A summary of the tenets of Ṣúfí-ism, by Sir William Jones.
(b) De Bode's Bakhára.
(c) Sind, by Richard Burton, World-traveller, chap. viii.
(d) Hughes' Notes on Muẖammadanism, p. 227.
For a general view of the tenets of the Muslim religion, see Lane's Modern Egyptians, vol. i. chap. iii.
The season of those distraught in love for God Most High is, in every state, very happy. Whether they experience the wound of separation, through the thorn of pain of love for Him, or become wounded by the axe of separation, life-penetrating, and the arrow of affliction of separation, heart-stitching; or, by obtaining propinquity to the presence of God, and the fortune of union with Him, receive the healing plaster for the heart- wound, and drink the draught, pleasant-tasting, of beholding Him.
↩Then, head-sickness from wine-drinking and the thorn of the rose-branch are as guards, so that the father of lust may not, without bitterness, obtain the taste of pleasure, nor easily bring to his hand the rose (of the beloved).
↩“'Uzlat” here signifies—khilwat wa tanhá,í, or the mystery belonging to God, into which a stranger has no entrance.
“Gum karda pai” signifies—be nishán búdan, one who so does his work that another cannot find the clue to his purpose.
“Manázil-shinásán” signifies —murshidán wa 'árifán, holy men.
↩“Waḳt” here signifies—waḳt-i-ẖuẓúr, the time of being present before God.
As regards the water of life, see the Sikandar Náma, Discourses 69 and 70. English translation by Clarke.
↩“Mushtaghil,” in the second line, signifies—gháfil; ná-parwá; rúe gardánída.
“Janán” signifies—ma'shúḳ, a mistress.
↩The second line means—With the splendour of the Cup-bearer (God) they are to such a degree intoxicated, and become non-existent, that they have spilled the wine of love, and have no need of wine for causing intoxication (masti), and selflessness (be-khudí).
↩They gave evidence to the truth, and said, “Yes!”
When they came into the world, many, by reason of worldly affections, forgot that covenant; but, as to the true lovers, the sound of those words is yet in the ear of their hearts; and they are in shout till now, in exclaiming, “Yes!”
↩After passing through the stage “ilạ Alláh” (to God), they proceed to “fí Alláh” (in God), to which there is no limit.
↩“Naẓar dáshtan” signifies—'ishḳ dáshtan.
“Dandán ba kám faro burdan” signifies—kám-yáb wa mastaulí shudan.
↩Again:— Cast the fire of love into my heart and go, so that all my body may burn.
↩“Jám” signifies—jám-i-ma'rifat wa rísálat.
↩Outwardly beggars, inwardly kings.
↩See couplet 103.
↩With the intoxication of the wine of beauty and loveliness, he was so intoxicated and senseless that, apart from (ḳaṭa'-i-naẓar) the remedy for the heart-pain of lovers, he had not even knowledge of his own sick eye, so that he might prepare a remedy for it.
↩Bar kase 'áshiḳ shudam.
Bá kase ta'ashshuḳ wa mail-i-dil dashtam.
See couplets 58 and 268.
↩↩I heard the wretch in that (state) beneath (the lip) say:—
(a) Ta'alluḳ wa mihr-i-tamám ba shauhar dásht.
(b) Zan ba shauhar rághib wa masrúr búd.
The student should note the use of “uftādan” in these two lines.
↩(a) Maẖbúb-i-muẓá'af wa mustaẖkam.
(b) Dil-rabáyanda dar kham-i-zulf-i-tábdár.
Oh heart-ravisher, in the curl of the curling-curl!
↩In the 'Iḳd-i-manẓúm, couplets 213-236 are omitted.
↩“Ahl-i-da'wạ” signifies—ahl-i-dunyá, people attentive to the exterior, but who know not God from the heart (the Pharisee).
↩“Ahl-i-ḳiyás” signifies—sages who make proof of religious points by sight and argument.
↩According to the author, the possible existence (of a creation) in connection with the necessary existence (God the Creator) is in the stage of nonentity; and, though possibilities (of creation) are great, they are small in comparison with the greatness of God.
With the Ṣúfís the display of argument on the part of sages is impossible, for they say that reason, in the understanding of this, is dismissed, even as in the understanding of probabilities the senses are out of office.
They call the Ṣúfís “ṭá,ifa,e wujúdiya.” The word Ṣúfí comes from the Arabic word “ṣúf” signifying wool. In former days the Ṣúfís wore a blue woollen garment of harsh texture; for good clothing could not then be made of wool. In Persia, the educated people are in favour of Ṣúfí-ism. The belief, set forth in couplet 232, is attributed to Revelation and Apocalypse.
↩In the 'Iḳd-i-manẓúm, couplets 268 to 283 are omitted.
↩(a) Ikhtiyár-i-nístí kun.
(b) Tark-i-khudí kun, va dar yád-i-ma'shúḳ khud vá farámosh kun.
In the 'Iḳd-i-manẓúm, couplets 284-304 are omitted.
↩↩“Whosoever regards himself self-less, he is informed.”
“Samá'” signifies—hearing, song, the circular dance of the darvesh.
↩“Zer” signifies—áwáz-i-sabuk wa barík wa narm, a quick, gentle, and soft note.
↩(a) Gardan nihádan.
(b) Muráḳibat kardan.
(c) Fikr wa andesha kardan.
In resignation to God, they sit, head on the knee of reflection; and whenever, in the stage of witnessing the splendour of God, power of restraining the effulgence of the rays of glory remains not, they rend the collar in perturbation.
↩“The hearing of a pleasant modulated sound is the inciter of the heart.”
When the hearer comes, by reason of this sound, into motion, I observe that the motion is either modulated, or not modulated. If it be modulated, they call it dancing (raḳṣ), and, if not modulated, agitation (iẓṭiráb), or “samá'.”
When the “samá'” is the cause of motion, they call the motion itself “samá',” after the fashion of naming the thing caused (raḳṣ) by the name of the cause (samá').
When a person hears this pleasant sound, a certain state, called ecstasy (wajd) is created within him. When, involuntarily, not through sport or in the way of the sinner, such a state (wajd) is produced within him, “samá'” is lawful, otherwise unlawful. The impropriety (ẖurmat) of sport and mirth, on hearing a pleasant sound, is not because the “samá'” is modulated, or that it is a pleasant sound. The listening to modulated metrical utterances of God's word, and the traditions of His Prophet, and the words of pious men, and to nightingales and men of fine voice, would then have been unlawful; but no one has said so.
↩If the bird of fancy is the hearer from the tower of the knowledge of God (that is, the nest of truth, “ma'ní,” is in his fancy), his flight will reach to a place where the angel is impotent as to his flight.
But, if he be a lust-worshipper, his imperious lust will become stronger, and will incline him to his sins.
↩The lust-worshipper is incapable of hearing “samá'” and song (sarod), for he is in the sleeping stage [careless of intoxication (masti) and the relish of the love of God], not intoxicated and senseless with wine of the love of God. He, sleeping, becomes awake at the pleasant sound.
The lovers of God are all, with wine of love, intoxicated and senseless.
Again:—He who is a lust-worshipper is not of the people of “samá'.” When the lovers of God hear the sound of the song of praise to God, the hearing of such sound is lawful. Hence, they have said:—
“‘Samá'’ is lawful to that one to whom the sound of the harp and of the shutting of a door are the same as regards enjoyment and pleasure.”
↩Another of the assembly replied, “God and His Prophet, and the Cousin of His Prophet ('Alí) know.”
Then 'Alí said, “This conch exclaims ‘Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh truth! Oh truth! Oh truth!’”
↩In the 'Iḳd-i-manẓúm, couplets 305-314 are omitted.
↩In the sea of love, calamity-exciting, and in the sea of the knowledge of God, blood-shedding, thou canst not swim with the garments of fame and reputation, nor with the raiment of fraud and hypocrisy.
Then pluck off the garment of existence from thy back; cast off the ragged robe of worldly affections from thy breast.
↩“Wáṣil,” in Ṣúfí-ism, signifies—one who has escaped from himself; joined God Most High; dived into the sea of non-existence; and carried his foot to the shore of existence, so that his trace is not visible, just as a drop in the ocean becomes untraceable.
“Ḥijáb” signifies—a veil, or hinderer of union, between thee and God.
↩↩Fidá sákhtan-i-ján dar sar o kár-i-kase, wa 'umr-i-khud ṣirf namúdan.
↩(a) Awwal kár wa kár-i-ákhir.
(b) Saudá,e 'ishḳ.
↩Into reckoning, a lover like thee, how may that one bring,
Towards whom the faces of kings and sulṭáns are (turned)?
“Sar bar dáshtan” signifies—tark-i-sar kardan.
↩“Sar andáz” is one who sports with his head (life).
↩Observe that “kushtan” is used to express in couplet—
↩358, the extinguishing of a candle.
360, the slaying of a man.
In the 'Iḳd-i-manẓúm, couplets 5 to 21 are omitted.
The Ḳurán says:—“Verily, we have created man from black clay, kneaded; and, before his creation, jinn, from red fire, flame-possessing and burning.
“Tan ba becháragí andákhtan” signifies —
↩Tawáẓu' farotaní kháksárí kardan.
Abú Músạ, his disciple, says that Báyazid relates:—
In a dream I beheld God Most High. I said, “How is the path to Thee?” He replied, “When thou passest out of thyself, thou arrivest.”
In a dream they beheld Báyizid, after death, and asked, “What is thy state?” He replied, “The angels said to me, ‘Oh, old man, what hast thou brought?’ I said, ‘When a darvesh goes to a king's country, they say not to him, “What broughtst thou?” but “What wishst thou?”’”
Báyizid, at the time of death, said:—
↩“Neither did I worship Thee, save with negligence;
Nor did I serve Thee, save with carelessness.”
“Maghrúr-i-dunyá” signifies—one in love with the pomp of the world.
↩In some copies, “sále búd” occurs instead of “chú sál-i-bad”; the first line will then run:—
Like the year, the people were fugitives from him.
The word “sále” (a year) is introduced, in this case, to mark excessive avoidance and abhorrence; for, a year is a long period of time.
↩The Prophet—with all his devotion and purity, and power of prophesying, and message-bringing, and sublime rank—chose humility; put not his foot beyond limit, in any matter; and confessed to the defect of his devotion.
↩In every matter, to pass beyond limit and not to preserve bounds, is indecorous; nay, it brings loss upon the face of the work.
When some of the “Companions” exercised asceticism, Muẖammad forbade their going deeply in devotion.
↩Even so are the Lords of Eloquence, in every garment and condition; difference, in their perfection and greatness, occurs not.
↩“Ja'l” signifies—sargín, ghalatang.
↩↩In this way, the man, speech-uttering, quickly.
Candle here signifies—joking.
↩↩An evil one: one with vinegar rubbed on his face.
“Az kase girau burdan” signifies—ba kase sábiḳa kardan; taḳad-dum namúdan; az kase rihn sitándan.
↩Músạ's rod, by swallowing, became not fat; the same is the case with these men.
↩See couplet 250.
↩In the 'Iḳd-i-manẓúm, couplets 352 to 363 are omitted.
↩In the 'Iḳd-i-manẓúm, couplets 376 to 424 are omitted.
↩↩Assist me, for recompense and reward.
The claimant here means one claiming to be of the circle of holy men.
↩Juníd was a well-known saint of Baghdád; they say that originally he was of Nihávand; his title was Abú-l-Ḳásim, and his nickname Ḳávarírí of Zajjaj, or Khazzár. He died in A.H. 287 or 289.
All Imáms are directly descended from him; hence they call him Ṣayyidu-l-ṭá,ifa, “chief of the band.”
↩In the 'Iḳd-i-manẓúm, couplets 456-501 are omitted.
↩Hangáma-gir is one who, in public places, utters tales so that men purchase his amulets.
“Zabán-band” signifies—a charm, with which they close an enemy's mouth, so that he is unable to slander.
“Mush 'abid” signifies—huḳḳa-báz; hangáma-gír.
↩His father was Naubí of the wise ones of Kuresh; his spiritual guide, Isráfíl; his teacher, Malik-i-Uns. He died in A.H. 245.
↩The second line may mean:—
↩That thou rememberst me in auspicious prayer.
Or, That thou rememberst this speech, in couplet 523.