گفت مور تست و ما را اژدهاست ** که ز زانو تا به زانو فرقهاست
He (the mouse) replied, “It is (as) an ant to you, but to me it is a dragon, for there are differences between one knee and another.
گر ترا تا زانو است ای پر هنر ** مر مرا صد گز گذشت از فرق سر
If it is (only) up to your knee, O excellent one, it is a hundred ells higher than the crown of my head.”
گفت گستاخی مکن بار دگر ** تا نسوزد جسم و جانت زین شرر
He (the camel) said, “Another time, do not behave (so) boldly, lest thy body and soul be consumed by these sparks.
تو مری با مثل خود موشان بکن ** با شتر مر موش را نبود سخن
Contend with mice like thyself: a mouse has nothing to say to a camel.”
گفت توبه کردم از بهر خدا ** بگذران زین آب مهلک مر مرا3450
He (the mouse) said, “I repent. For God's sake, get me across this deadly water!”
رحم آمد مر شتر را گفت هین ** برجه و بر کودبان من نشین
The camel took pity. “Hark,” said he, “jump up and sit on my hump.
این گذشتن شد مسلم مر مرا ** بگذرانم صد هزاران چون ترا
This passage has been vouchsafed to me: I would take across hundreds of thousands like thee.”
چون پیمبر نیستی پس رو به راه ** تا رسی از چاه روزی سوی جاه
Since you are not a prophet, go on the road (after the prophets), that one day you may come from the pit (of fleshliness) to (spiritual) place and power.
تو رعیت باش چون سلطان نهای ** خود مران چون مرد کشتیبان نهای
Be a vassal since you are not a lord: do not steer (the boat) yourself, since you are not the boatman.
چون نهای کامل دکان تنها مگیر ** دستخوش میباش تا گردی خمیر3455
Since you are not (spiritually) perfect, do not take a shop (by yourself) alone. Be pliant to the hand, in order that you may become leavened (like dough).
أنصتوا را گوش کن خاموش باش ** چون زبان حق نگشتی گوش باش
Give ear to (the Divine command), “Keep silence,” be mute; since you have not become the tongue (mouthpiece) of God, be an ear.
ور بگویی شکل استفسار گو ** با شهنشاهان تو مسکینوار گو
And if you speak, speak in the form of a request for explanation: speak to the (spiritual) emperors as a lowly beggar.
ابتدای کبر و کین از شهوت است ** راسخی شهوتت از عادت است
The beginning of pride and hatred is in (worldly) lust, and the rootedness of your lust is from habit.
چون ز عادت گشت محکم خوی بد ** خشم آید بر کسی کت واکشد
When an evil disposition becomes confirmed by habit, you are enraged with any one who restrains you.
چون که تو گل خوار گشتی هر که او ** واکشد از گل ترا باشد عدو3460
After you have become an eater of clay, any one who restrains you from (eating) clay is your enemy.
بت پرستان چون که خو با بت کنند ** مانعان راه بت را دشمنند
Since idolaters are devoted to the idol, they are foes to them that prevent their access (to it).
چون که کرد ابلیس خو با سروری ** دید آدم را حقیر او از خری
Since Iblís had become accustomed to being leader, he in his folly regarded Adam with contempt.
که به از من سروری دیگر بود ** تا که او مسجود چون من کس شود
Saying, “Is there another leader superior to me, so that he should be worshipped by one like me?”
سروری زهر است جز آن روح را ** کاو بود تریاق لانی ز ابتدا
Leadership is poison, except to the spirit that from the beginning hath (in himself) abundance of the antidote.
کوه اگر پر مار شد باکی مدار ** کاو بود در اندرون تریاقزار3465
If the mountain is full of snakes, have no fear, for it is a mine of antidote within.
سروری چون شد دماغت را ندیم ** هر که بشکستت شود خصم قدیم
When leadership has become a bosom-friend to your brain, any one who breaks (thwarts) you becomes (as) an ancient adversary.
چون خلاف خوی تو گوید کسی ** کینهها خیزد ترا با او بسی
When any one contradicts your disposition (habit of mind), many feelings of hatred against him arise in you.
که مرا از خوی من بر میکند ** خویش را بر من چو سرور میکند
“He is tearing me (you say) from my (engrained) disposition, he is making himself like a captain over me.”
چون نباشد خوی بد سرکش در او ** کی فروزد آن خلاف آتش در او
Unless the evil disposition has become headstrong in him, how should the fire (of passion) blaze up in him through being opposed?
با مخالف او مدارایی کند ** در دل او خویش را جایی کند3470
He may show some feigned courtesy to the opponent, he may make a place for himself in his heart,
ز انکه خوی بد بگشته ست استوار ** مور شهوت شد ز عادت همچو مار
(But he really hates him), because the evil disposition has waxed strong: the ant of (worldly) lust has through habit become as a snake.
مار شهوت را بکش در ابتدا ** ور نه اینک گشت مارت اژدها
Kill the snake of lust in tribulation; else, look you, your snake is become a dragon.
لیک هر کس مور بیند مار خویش ** تو ز صاحب دل کن استفسار خویش
But every one deems his own snake an ant: do you (then) seek the explanation of yourself (your real state) from him that is lord of the heart.
تا نشد زر مس نداند من مسم ** تا نشد شه دل نداند مفلسم
Until copper becomes gold, it does not know itself to be copper: until the heart becomes a king, it does not know itself to be an insolvent.
خدمت اکسیر کن مسوار تو ** جور میکش ای دل از دل دار تو3475
Do service to the elixir, like copper: endure oppression, O heart, from him that holds the heart in fee.
کیست دل دار اهل دل نیکو بدان ** که چو روز و شب جهانند از جهان
Who is it that holds the heart in fee? Know well, it is the lords of the heart who, like day and night, are recoiling from the world.
عیب کم گو بندهی الله را ** متهم کم کن به دزدی شاه را
Do not find fault with the Servant of God: do not suspect the King of being a thief.
کرامات آن درویش که در کشتی متهمش کردند
The miracles of the dervish who was suspected of theft in a ship.
بود درویشی درون کشتیی ** ساخته از رخت مردی پشتیی
A dervish was in a ship: he had made a bolster (for himself) from the goods of saintly fortitude.
یاوه شد همیان زر او خفته بود ** جمله را جستند و او را هم نمود
A purse of gold was lost. He was asleep (at the time). They searched all (in the ship) and brought him also to view
کاین فقیر خفته را جوییم هم ** کرد بیدارش ز غم صاحب درم3480
Saying, “Let us search this sleeping mendicant as well.” (So) the owner of the money, (excited) by grief, awakened him.
که در این کشتی حرمدان گمشدست ** جمله را جستیم نتوانی تو رست
“A bag of valuables,” said he, “has been lost in this ship. We have searched the whole company: you cannot escape (suspicion).
دلق بیرون کن برهنه شو ز دلق ** تا ز تو فارغ شود اوهام خلق
Put off your dervish-cloak, strip yourself of it, in order that the people's suspicions may be cleared away from you.”
گفت یا رب مر غلامت را خسان ** متهم کردند فرمان در رسان
He cried, “O Lord, these vile wretches have made an accusation against Thy slave: bring Thy command to pass!”
چون به درد آمد دل درویش از آن ** سر برون کردند هر سو در زمان
When the heart of the dervish was pained by that (suspicion), at once there put forth their heads on every side
صد هزاران ماهی از دریای ژرف ** در دهان هر یکی دری شگرف3485
From the deep sea myriads of fishes, and in the mouth of each (was) a superb pearl:
صد هزاران ماهی از دریای پر ** در دهان هر یکی در و چه در
Myriads of fishes out of the full sea, each with a pearl in its mouth—and what (marvellous) pearls!—
هر یکی دری خراج ملکتی ** کز اله است این ندارد شرکتی
Every pearl the revenue of a kingdom. “These,” they said (to him), “are from God, they have no association (with any one but God).”
در چند انداخت در کشتی و جست ** مر هوا را ساخت کرسی و نشست
He dropped a quantity of pearls on the ship and sprang (aloft): he made the air his high-seat and sate (thereon),
خوش مربع چون شهان بر تخت خویش ** او فراز اوج و کشتیاش به پیش
(Resting) at ease, cross-legged, as kings upon their thrones— he above the zenith, and the ship before him.
گفت رو کشتی شما را حق مرا ** تا نباشد با شما دزد گدا3490
He said, “Begone! The ship for you, God for me, so that a beggarly thief may not be with you!
تا که را باشد خسارت زین فراق ** من خوشم جفت حق و با خلق طاق
Let us see who will be the loser by this separation! I am pleased, (being) paired (united) with God and singled (isolated) from (His) creatures.
نه مرا او تهمت دزدی نهد ** نه مهارم را به غمازی دهد
He does not accuse me of theft, He does not hand me over to (the mercy of) an informer.”
بانگ کردند اهل کشتی کای همام ** از چه دادندت چنین عالی مقام
The people in the ship cried out, “O noble chief, wherefore has such a high estate been given to thee?”
گفت از تهمت نهادن بر فقیر ** و ز حق آزاری پی چیزی حقیر
He answered, “For throwing suspicion on dervishes and offending God on account of a despicable thing (as ye have done)!
حاش لله بل ز تعظیم شهان ** که نبودم در فقیران بد گمان3495
God forbid! Nay, (it was) for showing reverence to (the spiritual) kings, inasmuch as I did not conceive ill thoughts against dervishes—