قند بیند خود شود زهر قتول ** راه بیند خود بود آن بانگ غول2310
He (the fool) sees (what he thinks is) candy: it is, in sooth, deadly poison; he sees (what he thinks is) the road: it is, in sooth, the cry of the ghoul (luring him to destruction).
ای فلک در فتنهی آخر زمان ** تیز میگردی بده آخر زمان
O sky, in the tribulation of (these) latter days thou art revolving swiftly; pray, give (us) time (respite and relief).
خنجر تیزی تو اندر قصد ما ** نیش زهر آلودهای در فصد ما
Thou art a keen dagger to assail us; thou art a poisoned lancet to bleed us.
ای فلک از رحم حق آموز رحم ** بر دل موران مزن چون مار زخم
O sky, learn mercy from the Mercy of God: do not, like a snake, inflict wounds on the hearts of ants.
حق آن که چرخهی چرخ ترا ** کرد گردان بر فراز این سرا
By the truth of Him who hath set the wheel of thy sphere turning above this (earthly) abode,
که دگرگون گردی و رحمت کنی ** پیش از آن که بیخ ما را بر کنی2315
(We beseech thee to) revolve in another wise and show mercy, ere thou uproot us.
حق آن که دایگی کردی نخست ** تا نهال ما ز آب و خاک رست
(We beseech thee by) the truth of thy having fostered us at first, so that our (young) shoot grew up from (the nurture given by) water and earth;
حق آن شه که ترا صاف آفرید ** کرد چندان مشعله در تو پدید
By the truth of that King who created thee pure and displayed so many cressets in thee,
آن چنان معمور و باقی داشتت ** تا که دهری از ازل پنداشتت
Who hath kept thee so flourishing and lasting that the materialist hath thought thee (existent) from eternity.
شکر دانستیم آغاز ترا ** انبیا گفتند آن راز ترا
Thanks (to God), we have come to know thy beginning: the prophets have told that secret of thine.
آدمی داند که خانه حادث است ** عنکبوتی نه که در وی عابث است2320
A man knows that a house is made (at some time or other); the spider which plays idly in it (knows) not (this).
پشه کی داند که این باغ از کی است ** کاو بهاران زاد و مرگش در دی است
How should the gnat know of what date this garden is?––for ‘twas born in spring, and its death is in the (following) winter.
کرم کاندر چوب زاید سست حال ** کی بداند چوب را وقت نهال
The worm that is born miserably in (dry) wood––how should it know the wood at the time when it was a (sappy) shoot?
ور بداند کرم از ماهیتش ** عقل باشد کرم باشد صورتش
And if the worm should know (this), it would be intellect in its essential substance; the worm would be (only) its (outward) form.
عقل خود را مینماید رنگها ** چون پری دور است از آن فرسنگها
Intellect shows itself (in many) guises, (but) like the Jinn is leagues removed from them (in its real nature).
از ملک بالاست چه جای پری ** تو مگس پری به پستی میپری2325
It is above the angels––what occasion is there for (comparing it with) the Jinn? (But) you have the wings of a gnat, you are flying downwards.
گر چه عقلت سوی بالا میپرد ** مرغ تقلیدت به پستی میچرد
Although your intellect is flying upward, the bird of your conventional notions is feeding below.
علم تقلیدی وبال جان ماست ** عاریه ست و ما نشسته کان ماست
Conventional knowledge is the bane of our souls; it is a borrowed thing, but we rest (at ease in the belief) that it is ours.
زین خرد جاهل همی باید شدن ** دست در دیوانگی باید زدن
It behoves us to become ignorant of this (worldly) wisdom; (rather) must we clutch at madness.
هر چه بینی سود خود ز آن میگریز ** زهر نوش و آب حیوان را بریز
Always flee from whatever you deem profitable to your (lower) self: drink poison and spill the water of life.
هر که بستاند ترا دشنام ده ** سود و سرمایه به مفلس وام ده2330
Revile any one that praises you: lend (both) interest and capital to the destitute.
ایمنی بگذار و جای خوف باش ** بگذر از ناموس و رسوا باش و فاش
Let safety go, and dwell in the place of fear (danger): leave reputation behind and be disgraced and notorious.
آزمودم عقل دور اندیش را ** بعد از این دیوانه سازم خویش را
I have tried far-thinking (provident) intellect; henceforth I will make myself mad.
عذر گفتن دلقک با سید که چرا فاحشه را نکاح کرد
How Dalqak excused himself to the Sayyid-i Ajall (who asked him) why he had married a harlot.
گفت با دلقک شبی سید اجل ** قحبهای را خواستی تو از عجل
One night the Sayyid-i Ajall said to Dalqak, “You have married a harlot in haste.
با من این را باز میبایست گفت ** تا یکی مستور کردیمیت جفت
You ought to have disclosed this (matter) to me, so that we might have made a chaste (woman) your wife.”
گفت نه مستور صالح خواستم ** قحبه گشتند و ز غم تن کاستم2335
Dalqak replied, “I have (already) married nine chaste and virtuous women: they became harlots, and I wasted away with grief.
خواستم این قحبه را بیمعرفت ** تا ببینم چون شود این عاقبت
I married this harlot without (previous) acquaintance (with her), in order to see how this one (also) would turn out in the end.
عقل را من آزمودم هم بسی ** زین سپس جویم جنون را مغرسی
Often have I tried (sound) intelligence; henceforth I will seek a nursery for insanity.”
به حیلت در سخن آوردن سائل آن بزرگ را که خود را دیوانه ساخته بود
How an inquirer managed to draw into conversation an eminent (saintly) man who had feigned to be mad.
آن یکی میگفت خواهم عاقلی ** مشورت آرم بدو در مشکلی
A certain man was saying, “I want some one of intelligence, (that) I may consult him about a difficulty.”
آن یکی گفتش که اندر شهر ما ** نیست عاقل جز که آن مجنوننما
One said to him, “In our city there is nobody of intelligence except yonder man who appears to be mad.
بر نیی گشته سواره نک فلان ** میدواند در میان کودکان2340
Look, there is (one named) so-and-so: mounted on a cane, he rides (it as a cock-horse) amongst the children.
صاحب رای است و آتش پارهای ** آسمان قدر است و اختر بارهای
He is possessed of judgment and (keen as) a spark of fire; he is as the sky in dignity, and as the stars in high estate.
فر او کروبیان را جان شده ست ** او در این دیوانگی پنهان شده ست
His glory has become the (rational) soul of the Cherubim; he has become concealed in this (feigned) madness.”
لیک هر دیوانه را جان نشمری ** سر منه گوساله را چون سامری
But you must not account every madman a (rational) soul: do not, like Sámirí, lay down your head (in worship) to a calf.
چون ولیی آشکارا با تو گفت ** صد هزاران غیب و اسرار نهفت
When a manifest saint has declared unto you hundreds of thousands of unseen things and hidden mysteries,
مر ترا آن فهم و آن دانش نبود ** واندانستی تو سرگین را ز عود2345
And you have not had the (proper) understanding and knowledge, (so that) you have not distinguished dung from aloes-wood—
از جنون خود را ولی چون پرده ساخت ** مر و را ای کور کی خواهی شناخت
How, when the saint has made for himself a veil of madness, will you recognise him, O blind one?
گر ترا باز است آن دیدهی یقین ** زیر هر سنگی یکی سرهنگ بین
If your eye of intuitive certainty is open, behold a (spiritual) captain under every stone.
پیش آن چشمی که باز و رهبر است ** هر گلیمی را کلیمی در بر است
To the eye that is open and (as) a guide, every dervish-cloak hath a Moses in its embrace.
مر ولی را هم ولی شهره کند ** هر که را او خواست با بهره کند
’Tis only the saint (himself) that makes the saint known and makes fortunate whomsoever he will.
کس نداند از خرد او را شناخت ** چون که او مر خویش را دیوانه ساخت2350
No one can recognise him by means of wisdom when he has feigned to be mad.
چون بدزدد دزد بینایی ز کور ** هیچ یابد دزد را او در عبور
When a seeing thief steals from a blind man, can he at all detect (the identity of) the thief (who is) in the act of passing?
کور نشناسد که دزد او که بود ** گر چه خود بر وی زند دزد عنود
The blind man does not know who it was that robbed him, even though the wicked thief may knock against him.
چون گزد سگ کور صاحب ژنده را ** کی شناسد آن سگ درنده را
When a dog bites a blind ragged mendicant, how should he recognise that ferocious dog?
حمله بردن سگ بر کور گدا
How the dog attacked the mendicant who was blind.
یک سگی در کوی بر کور گدا ** حمله میآورد چون شیر وغا
A dog was attacking, as (though it were) a warlike lion, a blind mendicant in a certain street.
سگ کند آهنگ درویشان به خشم ** در کشد مه خاک درویشان به چشم2355
The dog rushes angrily at dervishes; the moon smears her eyes with dust of (the feet of) dervishes.
کور عاجز شد ز بانگ و بیم سگ ** اندر آمد کور در تعظیم سگ
The blind man was made helpless by the dog's barking and by (his) fear of the dog; the blind man began to pay honour to the dog.
کای امیر صید و ای شیر شکار ** دست دست تست دست از من بدار
Saying, “O prince of the chase, and O lion of the hunt, thine is the (upper) hand: refrain thy hand from me!”—
کز ضرورت دم خر را آن حکیم ** کرد تعظیم و لقب دادش کریم
For, (moved) by necessity, that (renowned) philosopher paid honour to (one vile as) the tail of an ass, and gave him the title of “noble.”
گفت او هم از ضرورت کای اسد ** از چو من لاغر شکارت چه رسد
He (the blind man) too, of necessity, said, “O lion, what (good) will come to thee from such a meagre prey as I am?