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5
624-648

  • ما بیاموزیم این سحر ای فلان  ** از برای ابتلا و امتحان 
  • We teach this magic, O such and such, for the purpose of trial and probation;

  • که امتحان را شرط باشد اختیار  ** اختیاری نبودت بی‌اقتدار  625
  • (But thou art free to choose), for probation necessarily involves free-will, and thou canst not have any (effective) free-will without the power (of action).”

  • میلها هم‌چون سگان خفته‌اند  ** اندریشان خیر و شر بنهفته‌اند 
  • Desires are like sleeping dogs: good and evil are hidden in them.

  • چونک قدرت نیست خفتند این رده  ** هم‌چو هیزم‌پاره‌ها و تن‌زده 
  • When there is no power (of action), this troop (of desires) are asleep and silent like faggots (smouldering in the fire),

  • تا که مرداری در آید در میان  ** نفخ صور حرص کوبد بر سگان 
  • Until (when) a carcase comes into view, the blast of the trumpet of greed strikes on (suddenly rouses) the dogs.

  • چون در آن کوچه خری مردار شد  ** صد سگ خفته بدان بیدار شد 
  • When the carcase of a donkey appears in the parish, a hundred sleeping dogs are awakened by it.

  • حرصهای رفته اندر کتم غیب  ** تاختن آورد سر بر زد ز جیب  630
  • The greedy desires that had gone into the concealment of the Unseen rush out and display themselves.

  • موبه موی هر سگی دندان شده  ** وز برای حیله دم جنبان شده 
  • Every hair on every dog becomes (like) a tooth, though they wag their tails (fawningly) for the sake of gaining their object.

  • نیم زیرش حیله بالا آن غضب  ** چون ضعیف آتش که یابد او حطب 
  • His (the dog's) under-half is cunning, (while) the upper (half) is anger, like a poor fire that gets faggots (fuel);

  • شعله شعله می‌رسد از لامکان  ** می‌رود دود لهب تا آسمان 
  • Flame on flame reaches (it) from (the realm of) non-spatiality: the smoke of its blaze goes up to the sky.

  • صد چنین سگ اندرین تن خفته‌اند  ** چون شکاری نیستشان بنهفته‌اند 
  • In this body (of ours) a hundred such dogs are sleeping: when they have no prey (in sight), they are hidden.

  • یا چو بازانند و دیده دوخته  ** در حجاب از عشق صیدی سوخته  635
  • Or they resemble falcons with eyes sealed (covered); (yet) in the veil (hood) consumed with passion for a prey,

  • تا کله بردارد و بیند شکار  ** آنگهان سازد طواف کوهسار 
  • Till he (the Falconer) lifts the hood and it (the falcon) sees the prey: then it circles the mountains (in pursuit).

  • شهوت رنجور ساکن می‌بود  ** خاطر او سوی صحت می‌رود 
  • The appetite of the sick man is quiescent: his thoughts are going (are turned) towards health.

  • چون ببیند نان و سیب و خربزه  ** در مصاف آید مزه و خوف بزه 
  • When he sees bread and apples and water-melons, his relish and his fear of injury (to himself) come into conflict.

  • گر بود صبار دیدن سود اوست  ** آن تهیج طبع سستش را نکوست 
  • If he be very self-restrained, the sight (of the food) is a benefit to him: that stimulation (of appetite) is good for his enfeebled constitution;

  • ور نباشد صبر پس نادیده به  ** تیر دور اولی ز مرد بی‌زره  640
  • But if he have not self-restraint, then it were better he had not seen (the food): ’tis better the arrow should be far from the man who is without a coat of mail.

  • جواب گفتن طاوس آن سایل را 
  • The answer of the peacock to his interrogator.

  • چون ز گریه فارغ آمد گفت رو  ** که تو رنگ و بوی را هستی گرو 
  • When he (the peacock) had finished weeping, he said, “Begone, for thou art in pawn (bondage) to colour and perfume.

  • آن نمی‌بینی که هر سو صد بلا  ** سوی من آید پی این بالها 
  • Dost not thou perceive that on account of these feathers a hundred afflictions approach me on every side?

  • ای بسا صیاد بی‌رحمت مدام  ** بهر این پرها نهد هر سوم دام 
  • Oh, many a pitiless fowler always lays a trap for me everywhere for the sake of these feathers.

  • چند تیرانداز بهر بالها  ** تیر سوی من کشد اندر هوا 
  • How many an archer, for the sake of my plumage, shoots arrows at me (when I am) in the air!

  • چون ندارم زور و ضبط خویشتن  ** زین قضا و زین بلا و زین فتن  645
  • Since I have not strength and self-control (to preserve me) from this destiny and this affliction and these tribulations,

  • آن به آید که شوم زشت و کریه  ** تا بوم آمن درین کهسار و تیه 
  • ’Tis better I should be ugly and hideous, that I may be safe amidst these mountains and deserts.

  • این سلاح عجب من شد ای فتی  ** عجب آرد معجبان را صد بلا 
  • These (feathers) are the weapons of my pride, O noble sir: pride brings a hundred afflictions on the proud.

  • بیان آنک هنرها و زیرکیها و مال دنیا هم‌چون پرهای طاوس عدو جانست 
  • Explaining that accomplishments and intellectual abilities and worldly wealth are enemies to (spiritual) life, like the peacock's feathers.

  • پس هنر آمد هلاکت خام را  ** کز پی دانه نبیند دام را 
  • Accomplishments, then, are a destruction to the (spiritually) ignorant man, for in his pursuit of the bait he does not see the trap.