Hence, oh thou depraved habitation of sin!
To a strange city, soon, you'll your journey begin.
From the founts of your eyes, cause a current to flow! And wash from yourself any filth you may show !
(ON THE TIME OF CHILDHOOD).
From the time of my father I mem❜ry retain,
(May mercy in show'rs on him constantly rain !)
That a tablet, a book and a ring, golden-wrought,
For my use, in the days of my childhood, he bought.
A purchaser, suddenly, came and conveyed
The ring from my hand, and a date for it paid.
When the worth of a ring to a child is unknown,
With a sweetmeat a person can make it his own.
You, too, failed to reckon your life as a boon,
Since you've cast it away in sweet pleasures, so soon.
When the good at the last Judgment Day mount on high,
And from under the earth to the Pleiades fly,
Your own head will remain hanging forward from shame,
For round you will press all the sins to your name.
Oh brother! feel shame at the work of the bad!
For in front of the good, you'll be humbled and sad.
When the Fates ask of actions and what has been said,
The bodies of heroes will tremble from dread.
To the place where the prophets in terror remain,
Come! and all your excuses for sinning explain!
The woman who worships the Lord with delight,
Is better than man who is godless in plight.
Respecting your manliness, rises no shame.
That woman should over you preference claim ?
The women because of a general law,
At seasons, their hands from devotions withdraw.
You sit like a woman, no plea have you got,
Go! oh lower than woman! of manhood boast not !
"What measure of eloquence centres in me ?"
Thus said the most eloquent man, Ansarī,1
"Oh strange! do not me with amazement behold!
Observe what my great predecessors have told !
When you straightness exceed you to crookedness lean;
In a man less than woman, what manhood is seen?"
In indulgence and mirth lustful appetite train,
And the enemy, shortly, more strength will obtain !
(OF THE MAN AND THE WOLF).
A man reared the cub of a wolf at his door;
When reared, its protector in pieces it tore.
On resigning his spirit he laid down his head;
A man of experience passed him and said:
"If you nurture a foe with such delicate care,
Don't you know that, defenceless, his wounds you must
Has not Satan regarding us vented his spite?
Saying, 'Wickedness only in these comes to light!'
Alas! for the evils that in us unite;
I'm afraid the opinion of Satan is right!"
When our chastisement pleased the accursed one, then,
The Lord, for our sakes, overthrew him again.
When shall I my head from this baseness release?
For with God I'm at war and with Satan at peace!
1 Ansari, name of a poet contemporary of Fardūsi.
The friend rarely looks the direction of you,
When yourself and the foe entertain the same view.
If a friend you require who will friendship repay,
You should not an enemy's order obey!
How long with base coin will you buy at the mart,
And cut from the friendship of Joseph your heart?
The person approves of estrangement from friends,
Who to share the same house with the foe condescends.
A friend rarely places his foot, don't you know?
In the house where he sees that there dwelleth a foe.
(OF THE REBELLIOUS SUBJECT).
A subject engaged with a monarch in strife;
To the foe he consigned him and said, "Take his life!"
Held fast in that harsh executioner's clutch,
To himself he was saying, with warmth weeping much,
"Had I brought not the wrath of the friend on my head,
By the enemy, when would my blood have been shed?"
Do not turn from the friend, if you claim to be wise,
That the foe may not view you with sinister eyes.
The comrade incurring the Friend's wrath, let slide!
The foe's ruthless harshness will tear off his hide.
With the friend be united in word and in heart,
That the enemy's root from its base may depart !
This hideous aspersion I cannot commend:
"In pleasing a foe to cause hurt to a friend!"
(OF THE FRAUDULENT MAN AND THE DEVIL).
A person, by fraud, people's property used;
And on giving it up, he the Devil abused !
On a highway, the Devil harangued him, one day:
"I never have seen such a fool, I must say ;
In secret, between you and me there is peace;
Why, in public, the sabre of warfare release ?"
What a pity it is the vile demon's command,
Will against you be writ by an angel's pure hand!
You from foulness and ignorance seem to delight,
That the holy the sins you've committed should write.
Secure a good road and for peace seek with care!
A Saviour obtain and excuses declare!
One moment of respite for no one will stay,
When the measure is full, as time passes away.
If a strong hand in business you do not possess,
Like the helpless, put forward the hand of distress!
And if beyond measure your wickedness went,
You'll be good when you say it has gone, and repent.
When the portal of peace you see open, advance !
For the door of repentance is shut at a glance !
Oh son! do not walk under Sin's heavy load!
For a porter gets weary and weak on the road.
It behoves one in rear of the pious to run;
For whoever enquired for this happiness, won.
But as you in pursuit of the vile demon strive,
I know not when you 'mong the good will arrive.
That man's intercessor the Prophet will be,
Whom, walking the road of the Prophet, you see.
Pursue the straight road, till the wished stage you find! You have strayed from the road and are therefore behind. Like the ox, that, with eyes by the oil-presser bound, Through the whole of the night in the same place goes round.
(OF THE POLLUTED MAN AND THE MOSQUE).
To a mosque, one polluted with mud took the road,
Who because of misfortune bewilderment showed.
Some one checking him said, "May your hands ruined be!
Skirt soiled, do not enter a place from filth free !"
Some sympathy entered my heart upon this,
For the Paradise lofty has pureness and bliss.
In that place of the pure, who keep hope in their view,
Has a man, skirt-polluted from sin, aught to do?
He who honestly worships will Paradise gain;
He who money possesses, choice goods will obtain.
You must wash your skirt clean from the rubbish of vice,
For they'll shut off the stream, from above, in a trice.
Do not say, "Fortune's bird from my keeping has flown;"
For the end of the string in your hand is still shown.
Be quick-paced, and smart! if you've practised delay;
And coming late, right, need not cause you dismay.
Your hand of beseeching Death cared not to tie ;
Raise your hands to the shrine of the great God on high!
Do not slumber! oh, negligent sinner, arise!
In excuse for your sins, shed the tears from your eyes!
When to scatter your fame comes the fated decree,
At least on the dust of this street let it be !
|