پس بدان مشغول شو کان بهتر است ** تا ز تو چیزی برد کان بهتر است
Become occupied, therefore, with that which is better, in order that the thief may take away from you something that is less (in worth).
بار بازرگان چو در آب اوفتد ** دست اندر کالهی بهتر زند
When the trader's bales fall into the water, he lays his hands upon the better merchandise.
چون که چیزی فوت خواهد شد در آب ** ترک کمتر گوی و بهتر را بیاب
Since something will (certainly) be lost in the water, take leave of the less (worse) and gain (possession of) the better.
ظاهر شدن فضل و زیرکی لقمان پیش امتحان کنندگان
How the excellence and sagacity of Luqmán became manifest to those who made trial (of him).
هر طعامی کاوریدندی به وی ** کس سوی لقمان فرستادی ز پی1510
Whatever food they brought to him (Luqmán's master), he would send some one to Luqmán after (receiving it),
تا که لقمان دست سوی آن برد ** قاصدا تا خواجه پس خوردش خورد
That Luqmán might put his hand to (partake of) it, on purpose that the master might eat his (Luqmán's) leavings.
سور او خوردی و شور انگیختی ** هر طعامی کاو نخوردی ریختی
He would eat his remnants and be enraptured: any food that he (Luqmán) did not taste, he (the master) would throw away;
ور بخوردی بیدل و بیاشتها ** این بود پیوندی بیانتها
Or if he ate (of it), (’twould be) without heart and without appetite: this is (the sign of) an affinity without end.
خربزه آورده بودند ارمغان ** گفت رو فرزند لقمان را بخوان
They had brought a melon as a present. “Go, my son” said he, “and call Luqmán.”
چون برید و داد او را یک برین ** همچو شکر خوردش و چون انگبین1515
When he cut it and gave him a slice, he ate it as if it were sugar and honey.
از خوشی که خورد داد او را دوم ** تا رسید آن گرچها تا هفدهم
On account of the pleasure with which he ate (it), he gave him a second (slice), (and went on) till the slices (given him) reached the seventeenth.
ماند گرچی گفت این را من خورم ** تا چه شیرین خربزه ست این بنگرم
One slice remained. He said, “I will eat this (myself), so that I may see what a sweet melon this is.
او چنین خوش میخورد کز ذوق او ** طبعها شد مشتهی و لقمه جو
He (Luqmán) eats it with such pleasure that from his delight (all) natures have become eager and craving the morsel.”
چون بخورد از تلخیش آتش فروخت ** هم زبان کرد آبله هم حلق سوخت
As soon as he (the master) ate it, by its sourness there was kindled fire (which) blistered his tongue and burnt his throat.
ساعتی بیخود شد از تلخی آن ** بعد از آن گفتش که ای جان و جهان1520
He became beside himself for a while on account of its sourness; after that, he said to him, “O (you who are) soul and world,
نوش چون کردی تو چندین زهر را ** لطف چون انگاشتی این قهر را
How did you make all this poison an antidote? How did you deem this cruelty to be kindness?
این چه صبر است این صبوری از چه روست ** یا مگر پیش تو این جانت عدوست
What patience is this? For what reason is this great fortitude? Or, perchance, in your opinion this life of yours is an enemy (which you would fain destroy).
چون نیاوردی به حیلت حجتی ** که مرا عذری است بس کن ساعتی
Why did not you cunningly bring (forward) a plea, saying, ‘I have an excuse (for declining to eat): desist for a while’.”
گفت من از دست نعمت بخش تو ** خوردهام چندان که از شرمم دو تو
Luqmán said, “From thy munificent hand I have eaten so much that I am (bent) double with shame.
شرمم آمد که یکی تلخ از کفت ** من ننوشم ای تو صاحب معرفت1525
I was ashamed not to eat one bitter thing from thy hand, O thou who art possessed of knowledge.
چون همه اجزام از انعام تو ** رستهاند و غرق دانه و دام تو
Since all parts of me have grown from thy bounty and are plunged in thy bait and snare—
گر ز یک تلخی کنم فریاد و داد ** خاک صد ره بر سر اجزام باد
If I make outcry and complaint because of one bitter thing, may the dust of a hundred roads be on (all) parts of me!
لذت دست شکر بخشت بداشت ** اندر این بطیخ تلخی کی گذاشت
It (the melon) had the enjoyment of thy sugar-bestowing hand: how could it (such enjoyment) leave any bitterness in this melon?”
از محبت تلخها شیرین شود ** از محبت مسها زرین شود
By love bitter things become sweet; by love pieces of copper become golden;
از محبت دردها صافی شود ** از محبت دردها شافی شود1530
By love dregs become clear; by love pains become healing;
از محبت مرده زنده میکنند ** از محبت شاه بنده میکنند
By love the dead is made living; by love the king is made a slave.
این محبت هم نتیجهی دانش است ** کی گزافه بر چنین تختی نشست
This love, moreover, is the result of knowledge: who (ever) sat in foolishness on such a throne?
دانش ناقص کجا این عشق زاد ** عشق زاید ناقص اما بر جماد
On what occasion did deficient knowledge give birth to this love? Deficient (knowledge) gives birth to love, but (only love) for that which is (really) lifeless.
بر جمادی رنگ مطلوبی چو دید ** از صفیری بانگ محبوبی شنید
When it sees in a lifeless being the colour (appearance) of a desired one, (’tis as though) it heard the voice of a beloved in a whistle.
دانش ناقص نداند فرق را ** لاجرم خورشید داند برق را1535
Deficient knowledge cannot discriminate: of necessity it deems the lightning to be the sun.
چون که ملعون خواند ناقص را رسول ** بود در تاویل نقصان عقول
When the Prophet called the “deficient” (man) accursed, (his meaning) as interpreted was “deficiency of mind,”
ز انکه ناقص تن بود مرحوم رحم ** نیست بر مرحوم لایق لعن و زخم
Because one whose body is deficient is the object of (Divine) mercy: cursing and repulse (directed) against the object of (Divine) mercy are improper.
نقص عقل است آن که بد رنجوری است ** موجب لعنت سزای دوری است
’Tis deficiency of mind that is the bad disease: it is the cause of (God's) curse and merits banishment (from His presence),
ز انکه تکمیل خردها دور نیست ** لیک تکمیل بدن مقدور نیست
Forasmuch as the perfecting of minds is not remote (impossible), but the perfecting of the body is not within our power.
کفر و فرعونی هر گبر بعید ** جمله از نقصان عقل آمد پدید1540
The miscreance and Pharaoh-like pride of every infidel who is far (from God) have all been produced by deficiency of mind.
بهر نقصان بدن آمد فرج ** در نبی که ما علی الاعمی حرج
Relief for bodily deficiency has come in the (words of the) Qur’án—it is no crime in the blind man.
برق آفل باشد و بس بیوفا ** آفل از باقی ندانی بیصفا
Lightning is transient and very faithless: without clearness (of mind) you will not know the transient from the permanent.
برق خندد بر که میخندد بگو ** بر کسی که دل نهد بر نور او
The lightning laughs: say, at whom is it laughing? At him that sets his heart upon its light.
نورهای چرخ ببریده پی است ** آن چو لا شرقی و لا غربی کی است
The lights of the sky are hamstrung (feeble and imperfect): how are they like (that Light which is) neither of the east nor of the west?
برق را چون یخطف الأبصار دان ** نور باقی را همه انصار دان1545
Know that the nature of lightning is that it taketh away the sight; regard the everlasting Light as entirely Helpers (to the attainment of vision).
بر کف دریا فرس را راندن ** نامهای در نور برقی خواندن
To ride (your) horse upon the foam of the sea, to read a letter in a flash of lightning,
از حریصی عاقبت نادیدن است ** بر دل و بر عقل خود خندیدن است
Is, to fail, because of covetousness, to see the end; it is, to laugh at your own mind and intellect.
عاقبت بین است عقل از خاصیت ** نفس باشد کاو نبیند عاقبت
Intellect, by its proper nature, is a seer of the end (consequence); ’tis the fleshly soul that does not see the end.
عقل کاو مغلوب نفس او نفس شد ** مشتری مات زحل شد نحس شد
The intellect that is vanquished by the flesh becomes the flesh: Jupiter is checkmated by Saturn and becomes inauspicious.
هم درین نحسی بگردان این نظر ** در کسی که کرد نحست درنگر1550
Still, turn this gaze (of yours) upon this inauspiciousness, look on that One who made you ill-starred.
آن نظر که بنگرد این جر و مد ** او ز نحسی سوی سعدی نقب زد
The gaze (of him) that surveys this ebb and flow pierces from the inauspicious influence to the auspicious.
ز آن همیگرداندت حالی به حال ** ضد به ضد پیدا کنان در انتقال
He (God) continually turns you from one state (of feeling) to another, manifesting opposite by means of opposite in the change,
تا که خوفت زاید از ذات الشمال ** لذت ذات الیمین یرجی الرجال
For the purpose that fear of the left hand side may bring to birth in you the delight of “He causes the (blessed) men to hope for the right hand side,”
تا دو پر باشی که مرغ یک پره ** عاجز آید از پریدن ای سره
So that you may have two wings (fear and hope); for the bird that has (only) one wing is unable to fly, O excellent (reader).
یا رها کن تا نیایم در کلام ** یا بده دستور تا گویم تمام1555
(O God), either let me not come to speech (at all), or give me leave to tell (the whole) to the end.
ور نه این خواهی نه آن فرمان تراست ** کس چه داند مر ترا مقصد کجاست
But if Thou willest neither this nor that, ’tis Thine to command: how should any one know what Thou intendest?