Original content

English translation

After a month, when they arrived on that side, They were destitute, and their beasts were without fodder.

Behold the villager who, out of ill-nature, After all is said and done, acts in this way:

He hides his face from them during the day, Lest they should open their mouths toward his garden.

Such a face, which is entirely deceit and evil, Is better hidden from Muslims.

There are faces upon which demons sit like flies, Standing guard like sentinels.

When you see his face, they fall upon you; Either do not look at such a face, or if you do, do not smile cheerfully.

Concerning such a vile and rebellious face, God said: 'We will surely drag him by the forelock.'

When they inquired and found his house, Like relatives they hastened toward the door.

The members of his household closed the door; The master became like a madman at this crooked conduct.

But it was not a time for harshness either; When you have fallen into a well, what is the use of being sharp?

At his door they remained for five days, At night in the cold, by day scorched by the sun.

Their staying was neither from negligence nor foolishness, But was out of necessity and lack of means.

The good are bound to the vile by necessity; The lion eats carrion out of wretched hunger.

He (the master) would see him and salute him, saying: 'I am so-and-so, and this is my name.'

He (the villager) said: 'So be it! How do I know who you are? Whether you are filthy or a companion of purity?'

He (the master) said: 'This moment has become like the Resurrection, When a brother flees from his brother.'

He explained to him: 'I am the one whose delicious food You ate from my table in abundance.

On such-and-such day I bought you that commodity— Every secret that goes beyond two becomes public.

The people have heard the secret of our friendship; The face should have shame when the throat has swallowed a bounty.'

He (the villager) kept saying: 'What nonsense are you talking? I know neither you, nor your name, nor your place.'

On the fifth night, clouds and rain set in, Such that the sky itself wondered at its downpour.

When the knife reached the bone, The master knocked on the door ring, saying, 'Call the master of the house!'

When with a hundred entreaties he (the villager) came to the door, He said: 'After all, what is it, O soul of your father?'

He (the master) said: 'I have let go of those rights; I have abandoned what I used to think.

I have suffered five years of pain in these five days, My wretched soul in this heat and burning.

A single cruelty from a relative, a friend, or kin Is as heavy as three hundred thousand (cruelties).

Because the heart did not expect his tyranny and cruelty, Its soul was accustomed to his kindness and fidelity.

Whatever affliction and hardship befalls people, Know for certain that it is because of a disruption of habit.'

He said: 'O you whose sun of love is in decline, Even if you shed my blood, I make it lawful.

Tonight, give us a corner against the rain, So that you may find a provision on the Day of Resurrection.'

He said: 'There is only one corner, that of the gardener, Who is here as a watchman against the wolf.

In his hand are a bow and arrow for the wolf, To shoot if that huge wolf comes.

If you perform that service, the place is yours; Otherwise, order another place to be sought.'

He (the master) said: 'I will perform a hundred services, just give us shelter; Place that bow and arrow in my hand.

I will not sleep, I will guard the vineyard; If the wolf shows its head, I will shoot it with an arrow.

For God's sake, do not leave me tonight, O double-minded one, With rainwater on my head and mud under my feet.'

A corner was cleared, and he with his family Went there, a tight space with no room to move.

Mounted upon one another like locusts, For fear of the flood in the corner of a cave.

All night long they were saying: 'O God, This is our dessert, our dessert, our dessert!

This is the punishment of him who became the companion of vile people, Or did anything for the sake of worthless ones.

This is the punishment of him who, out of raw greed, Abandons the service of the dust of the noble.

To lick the dust of the pure and their wall Is better than the common folk, their vineyard, and their flower-garden.

To be the servant of a single enlightened man Is better than walking upon the crown of kings' heads.

From the kings of the earth, nothing but the sound of a drum Will you find, O messenger of the blind paths.

Townsfolk themselves are highwaymen in relation to the spirit; Who is the villager? A bewildered, uninspired one.

This is the punishment of him who, without the guidance of intellect, Heard the call of a ghoul and chose to move.'

When repentance reaches the core of the heart, After that, confession is of no use.

That bow and arrow in his hand, He was searching for the wolf all night, in every direction.

The wolf was indeed master over him like a spark; He was searching for the wolf while unaware of the wolf (within).

Every mosquito, every flea had become like a wolf, Inflicting wounds upon them in that ruin.

There was no opportunity even to drive away those mosquitoes, Out of fear of the attack of the obstinate wolf.

Lest the wolf should inflict harm, And the villager should tear out the master's beard.

Gnashing their teeth like this until midnight, Their souls were coming up to their lips from their navels.

Suddenly, the likeness of a fierce wolf Raised its head from above a hillock.

The master released the arrow from his thumb-joint; He hit that animal so that it fell down low.

Upon falling, wind escaped from the animal; The villager shouted 'Ha!' and clapped his hands,

'O ungenerous man! That is my young donkey!' He (the master) said: 'No, this wolf is like Ahriman.

The shapes of a wolf are apparent in it; Its shape gives news of its wolfish nature.'

He (the villager) said: 'No, the wind that escaped from its rump, I recognize just as one knows water from wine.

You have killed my young donkey in the meadows; May you never have expansion (joy) instead of contraction (grief)!'

He (the master) said: 'Examine better, it is night; Figures are hidden from the observer in the night.

The night shows errors and alters much; Not everyone possesses correct vision at night.

Both the night, the clouds, and the deep rain— These three darknesses bring about great error.'

He (the villager) said: 'To me, that is as bright as day; I recognize the wind of my young donkey.

Among twenty winds, I recognize that wind, Just as a traveler recognizes his provisions.'

The master leaped up and came forward, unhesitating, And seized the villager by his collar,

'O foolish, deceitful trickster! Have you consumed both bhang and opium together?

In three darknesses you recognize the wind of a donkey; How then do you not know me, O stubborn head?

He who knows a calf at midnight, How does he not know his companion of ten years?

You pretend to be a gnostic and ecstatic, Throwing dust into the eyes of chivalry,

Saying, "I am not even aware of myself, There is no room in my heart for other than Allah.

I do not remember what I ate yesterday; This heart is not glad with anything other than bewilderment.

I am the sane-madman of God, remember; Excuse me in such selflessness of mine."

He who eats carrion—that is, wine— The Sacred Law has drawn him toward the excused.

For the drunkard and the bhang-eater, there is no divorce or sale; He is like a child, excused and set free.

The intoxication that comes from the scent of the Unique King— A hundred jars of wine could not do that to the head and brain.

How then can obligation be lawful for him? The horse collapsed and became disabled.

Who in the world places a burden on a young donkey? Who gives a lesson in Persian to an Abu Umar (Arabic speaker)?

They lift the burden when lameness occurs; God said: "There is no blame upon the blind."

"I have become blind to myself and seeing through God; Therefore, I am excused from little and from much."

You boast of dervishhood and selflessness, And the "Hay-Huy" of divine ecstatics,

Saying, "I do not distinguish the earth from the heaven." Yet Jealousy (of God) put you to the test, a real test!

The wind of a young donkey has thus disgraced you, And proved the existence of your negated self!

In this manner does God disgrace deceit, In this manner does He capture the runaway prey.

There are hundreds of thousands of tests, O son, For anyone who says, "I have become the leader of the gate."

Even if the common people do not know him through testing, The experienced ones of the Path seek his sign.

When a vile fellow makes a claim to tailoring, The king throws a piece of satin before him,

Saying, "Cut this into a wide tunic." By the test, his horns (incapacity) become manifest.

If there were no testing of every evil person, Every effeminate man would be a Rostam in battle.

Suppose the effeminate man has put on armor; When he sees a wound, he becomes like a captive.

How could the one intoxicated by God become sober from the west wind? The one intoxicated by God does not come to himself until the sounding of the Trumpet!

The wine of God is true, without falsehood; You drank buttermilk! You drank buttermilk! Buttermilk, buttermilk!

You made yourself out to be a Junayd and a Bayazid, Saying, "Go away, for I do not know an ax from a key,"

Bad nature, laziness, greed, and avarice— How can you hide them with deceit, O trickster?

You make yourself out to be a Mansur-e Hallaj, Setting fire to the cotton of friends,

Saying, "I do not distinguish Umar from Abu Lahab, But I recognize the wind of my young donkey at midnight!"

O you donkey, that a donkey would believe this from you, Making itself blind and deaf for your sake!

Consider yourself less than the wayfarers; You are a companion of the highway robbers, talk no nonsense!

Fly back from deceit, run toward intellect; How can metaphorical wings fly to heaven?

You made yourself out to be a lover of God, But you played at love with a black demon!

The lover and the beloved, on the Day of Resurrection, They bind together two by two and bring them forward swiftly.

Why have you made yourself bewildered and selfless? Where is the blood of the grape? For you have drunk our blood!

Saying, "Go away, for I do not know you, leap away from me; I am a selfless gnostic and the Bahlul of the village."

You form an illusion of proximity to God, As if a platter were not far from another platter.

Do you not see that the proximity of the saints Possesses a hundred miracles, authority, and power?

Iron becomes like wax for David, While wax in your hand is like iron.

The proximity of creation and sustenance is common to all, But these noble ones possess the proximity of revelation and love.

Proximity is of various kinds, O father; The sun shines upon the mountain and upon gold,

But the sun has a proximity to gold...