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خوان بیاوردند بهر میهمان ** از بهیمه یاد آورد آن زمان
- They brought dishes of food for the guest, and he then bethought him of his beast.
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گفت خادم را که در آخر برو ** راست کن بهر بهیمه کاه و جو 205
- He said to the famulus (the servant of the Súfís), “Go into the stable and make the straw and barley all right for the animal.”
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گفت لا حول این چه افزون گفتن است ** از قدیم این کارها کار من است
- “Good gracious!” he replied, “why this saying overmuch? These things have been my care since long ago.”
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گفت تر کن آن جوش را از نخست ** کان خر پیر است و دندانهاش سست
- The Súfí said, “First wet his barley, for ’tis an old ass, and his teeth are shaky.”
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گفت لاحول این چه میگویی مها ** از من آموزند این ترتیبها
- “Good gracious!” said he, “why are you telling (me) this, Sir? They are taught by me (to make) these arrangements.”
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گفت پالانش فرو نه پیش پیش ** داروی منبل بنه بر پشت ریش
- The Súfí said, “First of all take off his saddle and (then) put the salve of manbal on his sore back.”
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گفت لاحول آخر ای حکمت گزار ** جنس تو مهمانم آمد صد هزار 210
- “Good gracious!” exclaimed the servant. “Why, O purveyor of wisdom, I have had a thousand guests of your sort,
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جمله راضی رفتهاند از پیش ما ** هست مهمان جان ما و خویش ما
- And all have departed from us well-pleased: the guest is (dear to us as) our life and our kinsman.”
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گفت آبش ده و لیکن شیر گرم ** گفت لاحول از توام بگرفت شرم
- The Súfí said, “Give him water, but (let it be) lukewarm.” “Good gracious!” cried the other, “I am ashamed of you.”
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گفت اندر جو تو کمتر کاه کن ** گفت لاحول این سخن کوتاه کن
- The Súfí said, “Put (only) a little straw in his barley.” “Good gracious! Cut short this speech,” he replied.
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گفت جایش را بروب از سنگ و پشک ** ور بود تر ریز بر وی خاک خشک
- The Súfí said, “Sweep his place (clear) of stones and dung, and if it is wet, sprinkle dry earth on it.”
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گفت لاحول ای پدر لاحول کن ** با رسول اهل کمتر گو سخن 215
- “Good gracious!” cried he, “implore God's grace, O father and say little (give few instructions) to a messenger who knows his business.”
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گفت بستان شانه پشت خر بخار ** گفت لاحول ای پدر شرمی بدار
- The Súfí said, “Take the comb and curry the ass's back.” “Good gracious! do have some shame, O father,” said he.
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خادم این گفت و میان را بست چست ** گفت رفتم کاه و جو آرم نخست
- The servant said this and briskly girded up his loins. “I go,” said he; “first I will fetch the straw and barley.”
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رفت و از آخر نکرد او هیچ یاد ** خواب خرگوشی بدان صوفی بداد
- Off he went and never thought of the stable at all: he gave that Súfí (a pretence like) the sleep of the hare.
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رفت خادم جانب اوباش چند ** کرد بر اندرز صوفی ریشخند
- The servant went off to (join) some rascals and made a mockery of the Súfí's admonition.
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صوفی از ره مانده بود و شد دراز ** خوابها میدید با چشم فراز 220
- The Súfí was fatigued by his journey and stretched his limbs (lay down to sleep): with his eyes closed he was dreaming
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کان خرش در چنگ گرگی مانده بود ** پارهها از پشت و رانش میربود
- That his ass was left (helpless) in the clutch of a wolf, (which) was tearing pieces (of flesh) from its back and thighs.
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گفت لاحول این چه مالیخولیاست ** ای عجب آن خادم مشفق کجاست
- “Good gracious!” he exclaimed, “what melancholy (madness) is this? Oh, where is that kindly servant?”
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باز میدید آن خرش در راه رو ** گه به چاهی میفتاد و گه به گو
- Again he would see his ass going along the road and falling now into a well and now into a ditch.
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گونهگون میدید ناخوش واقعه ** فاتحه میخواند او و القارعه
- He was dreaming various unpleasant dreams; he was reciting the Fátiha and the Qári‘a.
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گفت چاره چیست یاران جستهاند ** رفتهاند و جمله درها بستهاند 225
- He said (to himself), “What can be done to help? My friends have hurried out: they have departed and made all the doors fast.”
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باز میگفت ای عجب آن خادمک ** نه که با ما گشت هم نان و نمک
- Again he would say, “Oh, I wonder—that wretched servant! Did not he partake of bread and salt with us?
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من نکردم با وی الا لطف و لین ** او چرا با من کند بر عکس کین
- I showed him nothing but courtesy and mildness: why should he on the contrary show hatred towards me?
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هر عداوت را سبب باید سند ** ور نه جنسیت وفا تلقین کند
- Every enmity must rest on some cause; otherwise, our common humanity would dictate faithfulness (in friendship).”
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باز میگفت آدم با لطف وجود ** کی بر آن ابلیس جوری کرده بود
- Then he would say again, “When had Adam, the kind and generous, done an injury to Iblís?
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آدمی مر مار و کژدم را چه کرد ** کاو همیخواهد مر او را مرگ و درد 230
- What was done by man to snake and scorpion that they wish (to inflict) death and pain upon him?
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گرگ را خود خاصیت بدریدن است ** این حسد در خلق آخر روشن است
- To rend is the instinct of the wolf: after all, this envy is conspicuous in mankind.”
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باز میگفت این گمان بد خطاست ** بر برادر این چنین ظنم چراست
- Again he would say, “It is wrong thus to think evil: why have I such thoughts against my brother?”
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باز گفتی حزم سوء الظن تست ** هر که بد ظن نیست کی ماند درست
- Then he would say, “Prudence consists in your thinking evil: how shall he that thinks no evil remain unhurt?”
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صوفی اندر وسوسه و آن خر چنان ** که چنین بادا جز ای دشمنان
- The Súfí was in (this) anxiety, and (meanwhile) the ass was in such a plight that—may it befall our enemies!
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آن خر مسکین میان خاک و سنگ ** کژ شده پالان دریده پالهنگ 235
- That poor ass was amidst earth and stones, with his saddle crooked and his halter torn,
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خسته از ره جملهی شب بیعلف ** گاه در جان کندن و گه در تلف
- Killed (exhausted) by the journey, without fodder all the night long, now at the last gasp and now perishing.
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خر همه شب ذکر میکرد ای اله ** جو رها کردم کم از یک مشت کاه
- All night the ass was repeating, “O God, I give up the barley; (but am I to have) less than one handful of straw?”
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با زبان حال میگفت ای شیوخ ** رحمتی که سوختم زین خام شوخ
- With mute eloquence he was saying, “O Shaykhs, (have) some pity, for I am consumed (with anguish) because of this raw impudent rogue.”
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آن چه آن خر دید از رنج و عذاب ** مرغ خاکی بیند اندر سیل آب
- What that ass suffered of pain and torment, the land-bird suffers (the same) in a flood of water.
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بس به پهلو گشت آن شب تا سحر ** آن خر بیچاره از جوع البقر 240
- (All) that night till dawn the wretched ass, from exceeding hunger, rolled frequently on his side.
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روز شد خادم بیامد بامداد ** زود پالان جست بر پشتش نهاد
- Day rose. The servant came at morn and at once laid the saddle firmly on the ass's back.
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خر فروشانه دو سه زخمش بزد ** کرد با خر آن چه ز آن سگ میسزد
- After the fashion of ass-dealers he gave him two or three blows (with a goad): he did to the ass what is befitting from such a cur (as he was).
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خر جهنده گشت از تیزی نیش ** کو زبان تا خر بگوید حال خویش
- The sharpness of the sting set the ass jumping; where is the tongue (has an ass such a tongue) that he may describe his own state (feelings)?
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گمان بردن کاروانیان که بهمیهای صوفی رنجور است
- How the people of the caravan supposed the Sufi's beast was ill
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چون که صوفی بر نشست و شد روان ** رو در افتادن گرفت او هر زمان
- When the Súfí mounted and got going, he (the ass) began to fall on his face every time,
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هر زمانش خلق بر میداشتند ** جمله رنجورش همیپنداشتند 245
- (And) every time the people (the travellers) lifted him up: they all thought he was ill.
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آن یکی گوشش همیپیچید سخت ** و آن دگر در زیر گامش جست لخت
- One would twist his ears hard, while another sought for the (lacerated) part under his palate,
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و آن دگر در نعل او میجست سنگ ** و آن دگر در چشم او میدید زنگ
- And another searched for the stone in his shoe, and another looked at the dirt in his eye.
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باز میگفتند ای شیخ این ز چیست ** دی نمیگفتی که شکر این خر قوی است
- Also they were saying,“O Shaykh, what is the cause of this? Were not you saying yesterday, ‘Thanks (to God), this ass is strong’?”
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گفت آن خر کاو به شب لاحول خورد ** جز بدین شیوه نداند راه کرد
- He replied, “The ass that ate Lá hawl during the night cannot get along except in this manner.
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چون که قوت خر به شب لاحول بود ** شب مسبح بود و روز اندر سجود 250
- Inasmuch as the ass's food by night was Lá hawl, he was glorifying God by night and (is engaged) in prostrating himself by day.”
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آدمی خوارند اغلب مردمان ** از سلام علیکشان کم جو امان
- Most people are man-eaters: put no trust in their saying, “Peace to you.”
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خانهی دیو است دلهای همه ** کم پذیر از دیو مردم دمدمه
- The hearts of all are the Devil's house: do not accept (listen to) the palaver of devilish men.
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از دم دیو آن که او لاحول خورد ** هم چو آن خر در سر آید در نبرد
- He that swallows Lá hawl from the breath (mouth) of the Devil, like that ass falls headlong in the fight.