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?
گور میگیرند یارانت به دشت ** کور میگیری تو در کوچه به گشت2360
Thy friends are catching onagers in the desert; thou art catching a blind man in the street; this is bad.
گور میجویند یارانت به صید ** کور میجویی تو در کوچه به کید
Thy friends seek on agers by hunting (them); thou in (mere) malice seekest a blind man in the street.”
آن سگ عالم شکار گور کرد ** وین سگ بیمایه قصد کور کرد
The knowing dog has made the onager his prey, while this worthless dog has attacked a blind man.
علم چون آموخت سگ رست از ضلال ** میکند در بیشهها صید حلال
When the dog has learned the knowledge (imparted to him), he has escaped from error: he hunts lawful prey in the jungles.
سگ چو عالم گشت شد چالاک زحف ** سگ چو عارف گشت شد ز اصحاب کهف
When the dog has become knowing (‘álim), he marches briskly; when the dog has become a knower of God (‘árif), he becomes (as) the Men of the Cave.
سگ شناسا شد که میر صید کیست ** ای خدا آن نور اشناسنده چیست2365
The dog has come to know who is the Master of the hunt. O God, what is that knowing light?
کور نشناسد نه از بیچشمی است ** بلکه این ز آن است کز جهل است مست
(If) the blind man knows it not, ’tis not from (his) having no eye (to see); nay, ’tis because he is drunken with ignorance.
نیست خود بیچشم تر کور از زمین ** این زمین از فضل حق شد خصم بین
Truly, the blind man is not more eyeless than the earth; and this earth, by the grace of God, has become a seer of (God's) enemies.
نور موسی دید و موسی را نواخت ** خسف قارون کرد و قارون را شناخت
It saw the Light of Moses and showed kindness to Moses; (but) Qárún it engulfed, (for) it knew Qárún.
رجف کرد اندر هلاک هر دعی ** فهم کرد از حق که یا أرض ابلعی
It quaked for the destruction of every false pretender: it understood (the words that came) from God, “O earth, swallow (thy water)!”
خاک و آب و باد و نار با شرر ** بیخبر با ما و با حق با خبر2370
Earth and water and air and sparking fire are unacquainted with us, but acquainted with God.
ما بعکس آن ز غیر حق خبیر ** بیخبر از حق و از چندین نذیر
Contrariwise, we are aware of (things) other than God, (but) unaware (heedless) of God and of so many warners (prophets).
لاجرم أشفقن منها جملهشان ** کند شد ز آمیز حیوان حملهشان
As a necessary consequence, they (the elements) all shrank from (accepting) it (the trust offered to them): (the edge of) their impulse to partake of life was blunted.
گفته بیزاریم جمله زین حیات ** کاو بود با خلق حی با حق موات
They said, “We all are averse to this life, (namely), that one should be living in relation to created beings and dead in relation to God.”
چون بماند از خلق گردد او یتیم ** انس حق را قلب میباید سلیم
When he (any one) remains away from created beings, he is orphaned (single): for intimacy with God, the heart must be free (from relations with aught besides).
چون ز کوری دزد دزدد کالهای ** میکند آن کور عمیا نالهای2375
When a thief steals some article of property from a blind man, the blind man is blindly lamenting.
تا نگوید دزد او را کان منم ** کز تو دزدیدم که دزد پر فنم
Until the thief say to him, “’Tis I that stole from thee, for I am an artful thief,”
کی شناسد کور دزد خویش را ** چون ندارد نور چشم و آن ضیا
How should the blind man know his thief, since he hath not the eye's light and that radiance (of vision)?
چون بگوید هم بگیر او را تو سخت ** تا بگوید او علامتهای رخت
When he (the thief) speaks (and confesses), at once take tight hold of him, that he may tell the marks (descriptive) of the (stolen) goods.
پس جهاد اکبر آمد عصر دزد ** تا بگوید که چه دزدیده است مزد
The Greater Jihád (Holy War), then, consists in squeezing the thief, in order that he may tell what he has stolen and what he has carried off.
اولا دزدید کحل دیدهات ** چون ستانی باز یابی تبصرت2380
First, he has stolen your eye-salve; when you take it (from him), you will regain (your) insight.
کالهی حکمت که گم کردهی دل است ** پیش اهل دل یقین آن حاصل است
The goods of wisdom, which have been lost by (your) heart, are certainly to be found with the man of heart (the saint).
کوردل با جان و با سمع و بصر ** مینداند دزد شیطان را ز اثر
The blind of heart, notwithstanding (his possession of) life and hearing and sight, is never knowing the devilish thief by the traces (which he leaves).
ز اهل دل جو از جماد آن را مجو ** که جماد آمد خلایق پیش او
Seek (that knowledge) from the man of heart; do not seek it from the inanimate, for (all other) people are inanimate beside (in comparison with) him.
مشورت جوینده آمد نزد او ** کای اب کودک شده رازی بگو
The seeker of counsel approached him (the saint who was feigning madness), saying, “O father who hast become (as) a child, tell (me) a secret.”
گفت رو زین حلقه کاین در باز نیست ** باز گرد امروز روز راز نیست2385
He answered, “Begone from this door-ring, for this door is not open. Turn back: to-day is not the day for secrets.
گر مکان را ره بدی در لامکان ** همچو شیخان بودمی من بر دکان
If the spatial had (any) access to the non-spatial, I should be (seated) on the bench, (giving instruction) like the Shaykhs (spiritual directors).”
خواندن محتسب مست خراب افتاده را به زندان
How the Police Inspector summoned the man who had fallen dead-drunk (on the ground) to (go to) prison.
محتسب در نیم شب جایی رسید ** در بن دیوار مستی خفته دید
The Inspector came at midnight to a certain place: he saw a drunken man lying at the bottom of a wall.
گفت هی مستی چه خورده ستی بگو ** گفت از این خوردم که هست اندر سبو
He cried, “Hey, you are drunk: tell (me), what have you been drinking?” Said the man, “I have drunk of this which is in the jar.”
گفت آخر در سبو واگو که چیست ** گفت از آن که خوردهام گفت این خفی است
“Pray,” said he, “explain what is in the jar.” He replied, “Some of what I have drunk.” “(But),” said the Inspector, “this is hidden (from sight).”
گفت آن چه خوردهای آن چیست آن ** گفت آن که در سبو مخفی است آن2390
He asked (again), “What is it that you have drunk?” He rejoined, “That which is hidden in the jar.”
دور میشد این سؤال و این جواب ** ماند چون خر محتسب اندر خلاب
These questions and answers were becoming a (vicious) circle. The Inspector was left (stuck) in the mud, like an ass.
گفت او را محتسب هین آه کن ** مست هو هو کرد هنگام سخن
The Inspector said to him, “Come now, say ‘Ah’”; (but) the drunken man, at the moment of utterance, said “Hú, Hú.”