غزل شمارهٔ 409

Mind you do not slip, for the road behind and ahead is wet with blood; man-robbers are nowadays more numerous than gold-robbers.

If they are intent on robbing people of reason and awareness, what then will they make of him who is unaware of himself?

Do not consider yourself’s self so worthless and without antagonist; the world is in quest of gold, and your self is the mine of gold.

The prophet of God said, “Men are as mines”; the self is a mine of silver and gold and is truly full of gems.

You find a treasure, and therein you find not life for all the treasure; discover yourself, for this worldly treasure passes away from you.

Discover yourself, and be wary; yet what are you to do? For there is a wakeful, quickhanded thief on this way.

Though the dawn is dark, day is to be reckoned at hand; whoever’s face is turned towards the sun is as the dawn.

The spirits become intoxicated through the breath of daybreak, inasmuch as the face of daybreak is towards the sun and is the companion of vision.

You fling down the counter so many times upon “haply” and “perchance,” for you are very bankrupt, and heaven’s wheel carries off everything.

Brain-sieved and aware of nothing, you have fallen asleep— one might say your morsel of daily bread is the brain of an ass.

Labour more, and collect gold, and be joyful, for all your silver and gold and wealth is the serpent of hell.

For God’s sake, live one night without eating and sleeping; a hundred nights because of lust your carnal soul is sleepless and foodless.

Out of agony and grief, from behind every atom of dust comes sighing and lamentation, but your ear is deaf.

Sprinkle the heart’s blood on your cheek at dawn, for your provision for the way is heart’s blood and the sigh of morn.

Fill your heart with hope, and polish it well and clear, for your pure heart is the mirror of the sun of splendour.

Say, who is the companion of Ah.mad the Apostle in this world? Shams-i Tabr¯ız the Emperor, who is one of the greatest things.