غزل شمارهٔ 1136

God has written around the cheek of the Beloved the inscription Therefore take heed of him, you who have eyes.

Since Love devours men, it is necessary for a man to make himself a morsel before man-devouring Love.

You are a sour morsel, and are very long digesting; the saint is a sweet morsel easy to digest.

Do you break the morsel you are, because that mouth is narrow; even three elephants would not devour you, save at three gulps.

In face of your greed the elephant itself is a morsel; you are like the ab¯ab¯ıl birds which made the elephant their prey.

You were born of non-entity, come after a long famine; to you, fattened bird as food and serpent and snake are the same.

You have come to a hot cauldron; now you burn your mouth, now you blacken your clothes and lips and turban.

With nothing are you sated, like the belly of hell, save perchance the Almighty Creator sets His foot on you,

Even as He sets His foot on the head of hell, and hell proclaims, “Enough, I am full, lift up Your foot!”

God satiates the eye of the saints and the elect, for they are delivered from self and from greed for this carrion.

No greed remains in them for knowledge and science, no desire for paradise; the lion-rider does not seek for ass or camel.

Silence! Were I to count His gifts and donations, resurrection day itself would become giddy and confounded at the tally.

Come, Pride of Tabriz, true Shams al-D¯ın; the sun in the spinning skies is your humble slave.