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.”
گفت گفتم آه کن هو میکنی ** گفت من شاد و تو از غم دم زنی
“I told you to say ‘Ah’,” said he; “you are saying ‘Hú’.” “(Because) I am glad,” he replied, “while you are bent with grief.
آه از درد و غم و بیدادی است ** هوی هوی می خوران از شادی است
‘Ah’ is (uttered) on account of pain and grief and injustice; the ‘Hú, Hú’ of the wine-drinkers is from joy.”
محتسب گفت این ندانم خیز خیز ** معرفت متراش و بگذار این ستیز2395
The Inspector said, “I know nothing about this. Get up, get up! Don't retail mystic lore, and leave off this wrangling.”
گفت رو تو از کجا من از کجا ** گفت مستی خیز تا زندان بیا
“Go away,” said the man; “what have you to do with me?” “You are drunk,” the Inspector said. “Get up and come to prison.”
گفت مست ای محتسب بگذار و رو ** از برهنه کی توان بردن گرو
Said the drunken man, “O Inspector, let me alone and go away. How is it possible to carry off pledges from one that is naked?
گر مرا خود قوت رفتن بدی ** خانهی خود رفتمی وین کی شدی
If indeed I had had the power to walk, I should have gone to my house—and (then) how would this (affair between us) have occurred?
من اگر با عقل و با امکانمی ** همچو شیخان بر سر دکانمی
Were I (still) possessed of understanding and of contingent (unreal) existence, I should be on the bench, (giving instruction) like the Shaykhs.”
دوم بار در سخن کشیدن سایل آن بزرگ را تا حال او معلوم تر گردد
How the inquirer, for the second time, drew that eminent (saint) into conversation, in order that his condition might be made better known (to the inquirer).
گفت آن طالب که آخر یک نفس ** ای سواره بر نی این سو ران فرس2400
That seeker said, “O thou mounted on the cane, pray, ride thy horse this way for one moment.”
راند سوی او که هین زوتر بگو ** کاسب من بس توسن است و تند خو
He rode towards him, crying, “Hark, say as quick as you can (what you want), for my horse is very restive and fierce-tempered.
تا لگد بر تو نکوبد زود باش ** از چه میپرسی بیانش کن تو فاش
Be quick, lest he kick you: explain clearly what you are asking about.”