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هر که در روز أ لست آن شیر خورد ** همچو موسی شیر را تمییز کرد 2970
- Whoever drank that milk on the Day of Alast distinguishes the milk (in this world), even as Moses (distinguished and knew his mother's milk).
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گر تو بر تمییز طفلت مولعی ** این زمان یا ام موسی ارضعی
- If thou wishest fondly for thy child's discrimination (and recognition), suckle (him) now, O mother of Moses,
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تا ببیند طعم شیر مادرش ** تا فرو ناید بدایهی بد سرش
- That he may know the taste of his mother's milk, and that his head may not sink to (desire and accept the milk of) a bad nurse.
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شرح فایدهی حکایت آن شخص شتر جوینده
- Explaining the moral of the story of the person seeking (the lost) camel.
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اشتری گم کردهای ای معتمد ** هر کسی ز اشتر نشانت میدهد
- You have lost a camel, O trusty (friend), and every one is giving you a clue to the camel.
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تو نمیدانی که آن اشتر کجاست ** لیک دانی کاین نشانیها خطاست
- You know not where the camel is, but you know that these clues are wrong.
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و انکه اشتر گم نکرد او از مری ** همچو آن گم کرده جوید اشتری 2975
- And he that has not lost a camel—he (too) in contention seeks a camel, just like him who has (really) lost it,
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که بلی من هم شتر گم کردهام ** هر که یابد اجرتش آوردهام
- Saying, “Yes; I too have lost a camel: I have brought a reward for any one who may find it.”
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تا در اشتر با تو انبازی کند ** بهر طمع اشتر این بازی کند
- (He says this) that he may take a partner's share with you in the camel: he plays this trick because of coveting the camel.
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هر چه را گویی خطا بود آن نشان ** او به تقلید تو میگوید همان
- If you say to any one, “That clue was false,” he (the pretender), in imitation of you, says the same.
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او نشان کژ بنشناسد ز راست ** لیک گفتت آن مقلد را عصاست
- He does not know wrong clues from right, but your words are a cue to that imitator.
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چون نشان راست گویند و شبیه ** پس یقین گردد ترا لا ریب فیه 2980
- When they mention right and likely clues, then comes to you the certainty in which there is no doubt.
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آن شفای جان رنجورت شود ** رنگ روی و صحت و زورت شود
- That (clue) becomes balm to your sick soul; it becomes (brings) colour to your face and health and strength to you.
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چشم تو روشن شود پایت دوان ** جسم تو جان گردد و جانت روان
- Your eye becomes bright, your foot nimble; your body becomes (the vital) soul, and your (vital) soul (the rational) spirit.
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پس بگویی راست گفتی ای امین ** این نشانیها بلاغ آمد مبین
- Then you will say, “O trusted (friend), you have spoken the truth: these clues are a clear deliverance (communication and message).
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فیه آیات ثقات بینات ** این براتی باشد و قدر نجات
- Therein are (manifest) signs, sure informations, (distinct) evidences: this is a title-deed and an ordainment of salvation.”
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این نشان چون داد گویی پیش رو ** وقت آهنگ است پیش آهنگ شو 2985
- When he has given this clue, you will say, “Go before (me)! It is time for (setting out on) the enterprise: be thou the leader!
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پی روی تو کنم ای راست گو ** بوی بردی ز اشترم بنما که کو
- I will follow thee, O truth-teller: thou hast got scent of my camel: show (me) where (it is).”
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پیش آن کس که نه صاحب اشتری ست ** کاو در این جست شتر بهر مری ست
- (But) to that person who is not the owner of a camel, and who is (engaged) in this quest of the camel for contention's sake—
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زین نشان راست نفزودش یقین ** جز ز عکس ناقه جوی راستین
- His certainty is not increased by this right clue, save through reflexion from the true camel-seeker.
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بوی برد از جد و گرمیهای او ** که گزافه نیست این هیهای او
- From his (the latter's) earnestness and ardour he (the imitator) gets a scent (inkling) that these wild outcries of his are not (mere) babble.
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اندر این اشتر نبودش حق ولی ** اشتری گم کرده است او هم بلی 2990
- He (the imitator) had no just claim to this camel, but he too has lost a camel; yes, (he has).
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طمع ناقهی غیر رو پوشش شده ** آنچ ازو گم شد فراموشش شده
- Desire for another's camel has become a veil to him, (so that) he has forgotten what he (himself) has lost.
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هر کجا او میدود این میدود ** از طمع هم درد صاحب میشود
- Wherever he (the owner) runs, this one (the imitator) runs: from cupidity, he becomes a partner in the owner's pain.
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کاذبی یا صادقی چون شد روان ** آن دروغش راستی شد ناگهان
- When a liar sets out (to journey) with a truthful man, his falsehood turns to truth of a sudden.
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اندر آن صحرا که آن اشتر شتافت ** اشتر خود نیز آن دیگر بیافت
- In the desert whither that camel had hastened, the other one (the imitator) also found his own camel.
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چون بدیدش یاد آورد آن خویش ** بیطمع شد ز اشتر آن یار و خویش 2995
- As soon as he saw it, he remembered his own, and ceased to covet the camel of that friend and kinsman.
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آن مقلد شد محقق چون بدید ** اشتر خود را که آن جا میچرید
- That imitator became a true searcher when he saw his camel browsing there.
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او طلب کار شتر آن لحظه گشت ** مینجستش تا ندید او را به دشت
- (Only) at that moment did he become a seeker of the camel: he was never (truly) seeking it till he saw it in the desert.
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بعد از آن تنها روی آغاز کرد ** چشم سوی ناقهی خود باز کرد
- After that, he began to go alone: he opened his eyes (and went) towards his own camel.
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گفت آن صادق مرا بگذاشتی ** تا به اکنون پاس من میداشتی
- The sincere one said, “You have left me, (although) till now you were paying regard to me.”
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گفت تا اکنون فسوسی بودهام ** وز طمع در چاپلوسی بودهام 3000
- He replied, “Hitherto I have been an idle scoffer and, from cupidity, have been (engaged) in flattering (thee);
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این زمان هم درد تو گشتم که من ** در طلب از تو جدا گشتم به تن
- (But) now, when corporeally I have become parted from thee in the search, I have become sympathetic with thee (in spirit).
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از تو میدزدیدمی وصف شتر ** جان من دید آن خود شد چشم پر
- I was stealing the camel's description from thee; (but when) my spirit saw its own camel, it had its eye filled (with seeing).
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تا نیابیدم نبودم طالبش ** مس کنون مغلوب شد زر غالبش
- Till I found it, I was not seeking it; now the copper is overcome, the gold overpowers it.
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سیئاتم شد همه طاعات شکر ** هزل شد فانی و جد اثبات شکر
- My evil deeds have become pious acts entirely—thanks (to God)! Jest is vanished and earnest is realised—thanks (to God)!
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سیئاتم چون وسیلت شد به حق ** پس مزن بر سیئاتم هیچ دق 3005
- Since my evil deeds have become the means of (my) attaining unto God, do not, then, throw any blame on my evil deeds.
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مر ترا صدق تو طالب کرده بود ** مر مرا جد و طلب صدقی گشود
- Thee thy sincerity had made a seeker; for me, toil and search opened (the way to) a sincere feeling.
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صدق تو آورد در جستن ترا ** جستنم آورد در صدقی مرا
- Thy sincerity led thee to seek; my seeking led me to a feeling of sincerity.
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تخم دولت در زمین میکاشتم ** سخره و بیگار میپنداشتم
- I was sowing the seed of fortune in the earth, (though) I fancied it was labour without wages and hire.
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آن نبد بیگار کسبی بود چست ** هر یکی دانه که کشتم صد برست
- ’Twas not labour without hire; ’twas an excellent earning: (for) every grain that I sowed, a hundred grew.
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دزد سوی خانهای شد زیر دست ** چون در آمد دید کان خانهی خود است 3010
- The thief went underhand (by stealth) to a certain house: when he entered, he saw that it was his own house.”
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گرم باش ای سرد تا گرمی رسد ** با درشتی ساز تا نرمی رسد
- Be hot, O cold one, that heat may come: put up with roughness, that ease may come.
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آن دو اشتر نیست آن یک اشتر است ** تنگ آمد لفظ معنی بس پر است
- That (subject of my discourse) is not two camels; it is a single camel. Verbal expression is confined, the meaning (to be expressed) is very full.
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لفظ در معنی همیشه نارسان ** ز آن پیمبر گفت قد کل لسان
- The expression always fails to reach the meaning; hence the Prophet said, “(Whoso knows God), his tongue falters.”
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نطق اصطرلاب باشد در حساب ** چه قدر داند ز چرخ و آفتاب
- Speech is (like) an astrolabe in (its) reckoning: how much does it know of the sky and the sun?—
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خاصه چرخی کاین فلک زو پرهای است ** آفتاب از آفتابش ذرهای است 3015
- Especially, of that Sky whereof this heaven is (no more than) a blade of straw; (that Sky) of whose Sun the (terrestrial) sun is (but) a mote?
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بیان آن که در هر نفسی فتنهی مسجد ضرار است
- Showing that there is in every soul the mischief of the Mosque of Opposition.
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چون پدید آمد که آن مسجد نبود ** خانهی حیلت بد و دام جهود
- When it appeared that that was not a mosque, (but) was a house of intrigue and a trap laid by the Jews,
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پس نبی فرمود کان را بر کنید ** مطرحهی خاشاک و خاکستر کنید
- The Prophet then gave the command (and said), “Rase it and make it a dumping-place for rubbish and ashes.”
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صاحب مسجد چو مسجد قلب بود ** دانهها بر دام ریزی نیست جود
- The founder of the Mosque was false, like the Mosque (itself): ‘tis not munificence if you sprinkle grain upon a snare.
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گوشت کاندر شست تو ماهی رباست ** آن چنان لقمه نه بخشش نه سخاست
- The meat that catches the fish on the hook––such a morsel is neither bounty nor generosity.