Ghazal 329: At dawn the Twins laid their sword-belt down before me

جوزا سحر نهاد حمایل برابرم
یعنی غلام شاهم و سوگند می‌خورم

ساقی بیا که از مدد بخت کارساز
کامی که خواستم ز خدا شد میسرم

جامی بده که باز به شادی روی شاه
پیرانه سر، هوای جوانیست در سرم

راهم مزن به وصف زلال خضر که من
از جام شاه جرعه کش حوض کوثرم

شاها اگر به عرش رسانم سریر فضل
مملوک این جنابم و مسکین این درم

من جرعه نوش بزم تو بودم هزار سال
کی ترک آبخورد کند طبع خوگرم

ور باورت نمی‌کند از بنده این حدیث
از گفتهٔ کمال، دلیلی بیاورم

«گر برکنم دل از تو و بردارم از تو مهر
آن مهر بر که افکنم؟ آن دل کجا برم؟»

منصور بن مظفر غازیست حرز من
و از این خجسته نام، بر اعدا مظفرم

عهد الست من همه با عشق شاه بود
وز شاهراه عمر، بدین عهد بگذرم

گردون چو کرد نظم ثریا به نام شاه
من نظم در چرا نکنم؟ از که کمترم؟

شاهین صفت چو طعمه چشیدم ز دست شاه
کی باشد التفات به صید کبوترم

ای شاه شیرگیر چه کم گردد ار شود
در سایهٔ تو ملک فراغت میسرم

شعرم به یمن مدح تو صد ملک دل گشاد
گویی که تیغ توست زبان سخنورم

بر گلشنی اگر بگذشتم چو باد صبح
نی عشق سرو بود و نه شوق صنوبرم

بوی تو می‌شنیدم و بر یاد روی تو
دادند ساقیان طرب یک دو ساغرم

مستی به آب یک دو عنب وضع بنده نیست
من سالخورده پیر خرابات پرورم

با سیر اختر فلکم داوری بسیست
انصاف شاه باد در این قصه یاورم

شکر خدا که باز در این اوج بارگاه
طاووس عرش می‌شنود صیت شهپرم

نامم ز کارخانهٔ عشاق محو باد
گر جز محبت تو بود شغل دیگرم

شبل الاسد به صید دلم حمله کرد و من
گر لاغرم وگرنه شکار غضنفرم

ای عاشقان روی تو از ذره بیشتر
من کی رسم به وصل تو کز ذره کمترم

بنما به من که منکر حسن رخ تو کیست
تا دیده‌اش به گزلک غیرت برآورم

بر من فتاد سایهٔ خورشید سلطنت
و اکنون فراغت است ز خورشید خاورم

مقصود از این معامله بازارتیزی است
نی جلوه می‌فروشم و نی عشوه می‌خرم

At dawn the Twins laid their sword-belt down before me,
as if to say: "I am the king's slave, and I swear to it."

Cupbearer, come, for with the help of a fortune that sets things right
the desire I asked of God has been granted to me.

Give me a cup, for once again, in joy at the face of the king,
in my old age the desire of youth is in my head.

Do not turn me from my road by describing the clear water of Khizr, for I
drink from the king's cup the draught of the pool of paradise.

O king, though I should raise the throne of merit to the heavens,
I am the bondsman of this court and the poor man at this door.

For a thousand years I have been a drinker of the dregs at your banquet;
how should my nature, grown used to it, leave its watering place?

And if you do not believe this account from your servant,
I will bring a proof from the words of Kamal:

"If I tear my heart away from you and take my love from you,
on whom shall I bestow that love? Where shall I take that heart?"

Mansur son of Muzaffar, the warrior, is my amulet,
and through this blessed name I am victorious over my enemies.

My covenant of the first day was wholly with love of the king,
and along the highway of life I will pass on with this covenant.

Since the sky has strung the Pleiades in the name of the king,
why should I not string pearls? Whom am I less than?

Since, like the falcon, I have tasted food from the hand of the king,
how should I pay any heed to the hunting of pigeons?

O king who seizes lions, what would be lost if
in your shade the kingdom of ease were granted to me?

Through the blessing of your praise my verse has opened a hundred kingdoms of the heart;
you would say that my eloquent tongue is your sword.

If I passed by a rose garden like the wind of morning,
it was neither for love of the cypress nor for longing for the pine.

I was catching your scent, and in memory of your face
the cupbearers of joy gave me a cup or two.

To be drunk on the juice of a grape or two is not this servant's way;
I am an old man, full of years, brought up in the tavern.

I have many a quarrel with the course of the stars in the sky;
may the justice of the king be my helper in this affair.

God be thanked that once again, in the heights of this court,
the peacock of the Throne hears the sound of my wing.

May my name be struck from the workshop of lovers
if I have any occupation other than love of you.

The lion's cub has charged to hunt my heart, and I,
lean or not, am the prey of the lion.

O you whose lovers are more in number than the motes,
how shall I reach union with you, who am less than a mote?

Show me who it is that denies the beauty of your face,
that I may put out his eye with the knife of jealousy.

The shadow of the sun of sovereignty has fallen upon me,
and now I have no need of the sun of the east.

The purpose of this dealing is to quicken the market;
I neither sell display nor buy flattery.

Interpretation of the fal

The wish you asked of God has been granted, and fortune is with you. Stay loyal to the great person who supports you and value them: it is in their shade that you find ease and success. With such backing, do not set your heart on small things. Put your talent to use, without showing off and without being taken in. If you have a grievance against fortune, seek justice.