Again, the uninspired fool who in his ignorance does not know a stranger's voice from a kinsman's—
پیش او دعوی بود گفتار او ** جهل او شد مایهی انکار او3580
To him his (the speaker's) words are (mere) assertion: his ignorance has become the source of his disbelief;
پیش زیرک کاندرونش نورهاست ** عین این آواز معنی بود راست
(But) to him of keen insight, within whom are the (spiritual) lights, the very nature of this voice was just the (immediate evidence of its) reality.
یا به تازی گفت یک تازی زبان ** که همیدانم زبان تازیان
Or (for example) one whose mother-tongue is Arabic says in Arabic, “I know the language of the Arabs.”
عین تازی گفتنش معنی بود ** گر چه تازی گفتنش دعوی بود
The very fact of his speaking in Arabic is (evidence of) the reality (of his assertion), although his saying (that he knows) Arabic is (only) an assertion.
یا نویسد کاتبی بر کاغذی ** کاتب و خط خوانم و من ابجدی
Or a writer may write on a piece of paper, “I am a writer and a reader, and I am a most accomplished person.”
این نوشته گر چه خود دعوی بود ** هم نوشته شاهد معنی بود3585
Although this written (statement) itself is a (mere) assertion, still the script is evidence of the reality (of the assertion).
یا بگوید صوفیی دیدی تو دوش ** در میان خواب سجاده به دوش
Or a Súfí may say, “Last night, while asleep, you saw some one with a prayer carpet on his shoulder.
من بدم آن و آن چه گفتم خواب در ** با تو اندر خواب در شرح نظر
That was I; and what I said to you in the dream, whilst you slumbered, in explanation of clairvoyance—
گوش کن چون حلقه اندر گوش کن ** آن سخن را پیشوای هوش کن
Give ear (to it), put it in your ear like an ear-ring: make those words (of mine) your mind's guide.”
چون ترا یاد آید آن خواب این سخن ** معجز نو باشد و زر کهن
When you recollect the dream, these words (of his) are (as real to you as) a new miracle or old gold.
گر چه دعوی مینماید این ولی ** جان صاحب واقعه گوید بلی3590
Although this seems to be (mere) assertion (on his part), yet the soul of the dreamer says, “Yes, (it is true).”
پس چو حکمت ضالهی مومن بود ** آن ز هر که بشنود موقن بود
Therefore, since Wisdom is the faithful believer's stray camel, he knows it with certainty, from whomsoever he has heard it;
چون که خود را پیش او یابد فقط ** چون بود شک چون کند او را غلط
And when he finds himself absolutely in front of it, how should there be doubt? How should he mistake it?
تشنهای را چون بگویی تو شتاب ** در قدح آب است بستان زود آب
When you say to a thirsty man, “Make haste! there is water in the cup: take the water at once,”
هیچ گوید تشنه کاین دعوی است رو ** از برم ای مدعی مهجور شو
Will the thirsty man say in any event?—“This is (mere) assertion: go from my side, O pretender! Get thee far away!
یا گواه و حجتی بنما که این ** جنس آب است و از آن ماء معین3595
Or (else) produce some testimony and proof that this is of aqueous kind and consists of the water that runs from a spring.
یا به طفل شیر مادر بانگ زد ** که بیا من مادرم هان ای ولد
Or (suppose that) a mother cries to her suckling babe, “Come, I am mother: hark, my child!”—
طفل گوید مادرا حجت بیار ** تا که با شیرت بگیرم من قرار
Will the babe say?—“O mother, bring the proof (of it), so that I may take comfort in thy milk.”
در دل هر امتی کز حق مزه ست ** روی و آواز پیمبر معجزه ست
When in the heart of any community there is savour (spiritual perception) from God, the face and voice of the prophet are (as) an evidentiary miracle.
چون پیمبر از برون بانگی زند ** جان امت در درون سجده کند
When the prophet utters a cry from without, the soul of the community falls to worship within,
ز انکه جنس بانگ او اندر جهان ** از کسی نشنیده باشد گوش جان3600
Because never in the world will the soul's ear have heard from any one a cry of the same kind as his.
آن غریب از ذوق آواز غریب ** از زبان حق شنود انی قریب
That stranger (the soul), by immediate perception of the strange (wondrous) voice, has heard from God's tongue (the words), “Verily I am near.”
سجده کردن یحیی علیه السلام در شکم مادر مسیح را علیه السلام
How Yahyá, on whom be peace, in his mother's womb bowed in worship to the Messiah (Jesus), on whom be peace.
مادر یحیی به مریم در نهفت ** پیشتر از وضع حمل خویش گفت
The mother of Yahyá, before disburdening herself (of him), said in secret to Mary,
که یقین دیدم درون تو شهی است ** کاو اولو العزم و رسول آگهی است
“I see (it) with certainty, within thee is a King who is possessed of firm purpose and is an Apostle endowed with knowledge (of God).
چون برابر اوفتادم با تو من ** کرد سجده حمل من اندر زمن
When I happened to meet thee, my burden (the unborn child) bowed in worship, O intelligent one.
این جنین مر آن جنین را سجده کرد ** کز سجودش در تنم افتاد درد3605
This embryo bowed in worship to that embryo, so that pain arose in my body from its bowing.”
گفت مریم من درون خویش هم ** سجدهای دیدم از این طفل شکم
Mary said, “I also felt within me a bowing performed by this babe in the womb.”
اشکال آوردن بر این قصه
On raising a difficulty as to this story.
ابلهان گویند کاین افسانه را ** خط بکش زیرا دروغ است و خطا
The foolish say, “Cancel this tale, because it is false and erroneous.
ز انکه مریم وقت وضع حمل خویش ** بود از بیگانه دور و هم ز خویش
Because Mary at the time of her delivery was far away both from strangers and kinfolk.
از برون شهر آن شیرین فسون ** تا نشد فارغ نیامد خود درون
Until that woman of sweet address was delivered outside of the town, she indeed came not into it.
چون بزادش آن گهانش بر کنار ** بر گرفت و برد تا پیش تبار3610
When she had given birth to him, she then took him up in her lap and carried him to her kinsfolk.
مادر یحیی کجا دیدش که تا ** گوید او را این سخن در ماجرا
Where did the mother of Yahyá see her to speak these words to her about what had happened?”
جواب اشکال
The answer to the difficulty.
این بداند کان که اهل خاطر است ** غایب آفاق او را حاضر است
Let him (the objector) know that to one who receives ideas (from God) all that is absent in the world is present.
پیش مریم حاضر آید در نظر ** مادر یحیی که دور است از بصر
To Mary, the mother of Yahyá would appear present, though she was far from her (bodily) sight.
دیدهها بسته ببیند دوست را ** چون مشبک کرده باشد پوست را
One may see a friend (even) with eyes shut, when one has made the skin (the bodily envelope) a lattice (to let in spiritual ideas).
ور ندیدش نه از برون نز اندرون ** از حکایت گیر معنی ای زبون3615
And if she saw her neither from without nor from within, take the (essential) meaning of the story, O imbecile!
نه چنان کافسانهها بشنیده بود ** همچو شین بر نقش آن چسبیده بود
Not like him who had heard (some) fables, and like sh stuck to the (literal) shape of them,
تا همیگفت آن کلیله بیزبان ** چون سخن نوشد ز دمنه بیبیان
So that he would say, “How should Kalíla, having no language, hear words from Dimna who had no power of expression?
ور بدانستند لحن همدگر ** فهم آن چون کرد بینطقی بشر
And (even) if they knew each other's accents, how should man understand it (their talk), (since it was) without any articulation?
در میان شیر و گاو آن دمنه چون ** شد رسول و خواند بر هر دو فسون
How did Dimna become a messenger between the lion and the ox, and cajole them both with his palaver?