Muntakhab al-tawarikh 27.1

27.1

My eye is the boundless ocean, the thought of my heart is a bark,
In sorrow my bark sets forth on the floods as they flow from my eyes.
Night and day I float in the flood of tears, how can my bark live in the midst of the raging billows of blood?
How can I expect to win my desire from the vile world?
How can I launch my bark on the surface of a gutter?
Although my bark in this ocean, now sails on and now lies at rest, sailing with the seven sails, and resting on the four anchors.
Of what use to me are those sails and those anchors, If my bark is suddenly overwhelmed by the billows of death?
In this age I sought fidelity from the tyrannical, Who has ever seen a boat on the Jihūn in the mouth of Mehrgan?
In front of the claws of this crab and the revolution of the nine heavens, loosen thy four anchors and then launch thy bark.
The sea-monster of avarice of my soul turns back, otherwise one might drag the boat to the shore by some contrivance.
With the exception of the philosopher’s how can anyone guide the ship out of the whirlpool of this world to its final haven of refuge.
Do not set thy heart upon the ebony like world, because a ship built of ebony is overwhelmed in the sea of this worthless world.
Do not seek for safety when loaded with boastfulness, for an overloaded ship is speedily wrecked.
Seek security from sorrow at that time when you have been wise enough to make, as I have, a ship from the planks of the praise of thy lord.