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English translation

There was a foresighted king in Gorgan Who had a good nature and pure faith Since he possessed a gracious nature, rank, and honor, Fakhr-e Gorgani entered into his service. He kept his tongue attentive to praising him, For that king also held him in very high regard. That king of the age had a servant, Like Joseph, unique in his good looks. His two locks of hair were like two musky fish, What am I saying? They were two Hindus in China. His face was like the moon and his hair like a fish, From the fish (the earth) to the moon was his kingdom. If an eye were to see his eyebrow, An evil eye might strike his curved eyebrow. His two narcissus eyes, from eyelashes, shared a home with thorns, His two lips were sisters to a pomegranate seed. His sweet lip had so much sugar, That sugarcane stood ready to serve before his lip. His mouth was narrower than the eye of a needle, Hence the eye was unaware of his mouth. It happened one day that the proud king Summoned his army and started a feast. Fakhr was sitting happily that day, When that world-illuminating servant entered. In beauty, a highwayman of any soul, In sweetness, a sugar-pourer for a world. He had stolen thousands of hearts with his eyelashes, And with every single hair he had stolen a hundred souls. He cast the lasso of his hair upon the earth, And with his lips threw a commotion into the heavens. When Fakhr saw him, he gave up his body, All his soul departed and he gave his heart to him. But out of fear of the king, he did not have the gall, To bring his moon-like face into his sight. His senses were gone, yet he kept his senses, Manfully he guarded his own eyes. The king certainly understood that secret at once, But did not tear the veil from its face. When the people of the feast became drunk on wine, And in that drunkenness fell off their feet, In that assembly, from the wine and the face of the beloved, Two kinds of drunkenness appeared in Fakhr. His soul became so tempestuous from the fire, That his soul was consumed in that burning. Amidst the burning in a chaotic gathering, He restrained himself like a candle. When the king of Gorgan saw Fakhr thus, Saw his heart amidst love and fire, He immediately bestowed his own servant upon him, And from joy, that mute man became eloquent. From the burning of love and shame before the exalted king, Oh wonder, his complexion changed a hundred colors at once. His king said, 'What happened to you that you died? He is your servant, take his hand and lead him away.' Both the servant and Fakhr, joyfully, Departed from the king's assembly. Although that Fakhr was drunk and selfless, He brought into play his wisdom-thinking intellect. The nobles who were before the king, Were all aware of good and bad. He said to them, 'Tonight the king is drunk, And from wine, this servant too is fallen low. If tonight I take this servant from the king's presence, To my own house until the dawn, When the next day the king becomes sober, If he has regret over this deed, Or if he has forgotten it in his heart, Or if out of jealousy his blood comes to a boil, Since his servant has been with me, Whatever I say will be highly futile. He will shed my innocent blood by accusation, And throw me before dogs on the road. He will say to me, 'Did you not know, you ignorant one, That a drunkard's speech is not that of a rational man?' 'Why did you not wait one night until day, So that the victorious king could become sober?' Now I will not take him with me, For the king is drunk and we have a matter before us.' They all said, 'Your judgment is correct, Tonight his sleeping place should be near the king.' Beneath the throne of that great king, There was a cellar made of solid stone. In that cellar was a beautiful bed, On it ten sets of garments, all of brocade. In the presence of that gathering, He laid the drunk servant to sleep there with two or three candles. Out of honor for him, he lit two candles there, He came out, but he was burning like a candle. Then Fakhr of Gorgan closed the cellar door, In short, in front of the nobles. Then he gave them the key, and until daybreak, He slept at that door out of heart-illuminating love. When the next day the king sat down to wine, Fakhr entered and tied his belt for service. The nobles opened their lips in speech, Then placed the key before the king. They told him of Fakhr's deed, how he acted, And that truly he showed excessive precaution. Since the king gave him that servant in drunkenness, He truly maintained his respect. He left him there at night before ten people, To see what his king would command after this. His king said, 'This courtesy from him is perfect to me, This servant is especially his.' Fakhr became exceedingly joyful from this, His heart was blazing from that joy. At last, when he opened the cellar door, He let loose much blood-stained tears from every eye. For he saw that moon-face turned ugly, From head to foot turned into charcoal. It seems fire had leaped from the candle, And fallen onto the quilt of that fairy-faced one. Miserably burned his head and feet all at once, Neither garment remained nor bed in place. From the drunkenness of wine and drunkenness of sleep, He had drowned in the burning fire. When he saw the face of his heart-ravisher like that, He saw a world of fire that moment as the cash of his soul. Since his beloved had fallen into the fire, Falling into the fire became his deed. What can I say of how mad his heart became, Much madness was recorded upon him. In that madness, he fell into the desert, Like the heavens, day and night he fell into turning. When love went beyond limits, he made peace with his pain, He made the tale of Vis and Ramin his daily prayer. He recounted his own sorrow there, Although he told the story in his name. In the desert, day and night, he spoke and roamed, Amidst dust and blood he slept and roamed. You were not a fallen worker of this path, You were not aware of the secrets of lovers. What do you know of what the lover is engaged in? For his place of prostration is atop the gallows. You must perform ablution with your own blood, So that they bring that place of prostration before you.