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?
چون وزیر شیر شد گاو نبیل ** چون ز عکس ماه ترسان گشت پیل3620
How did the noble ox become the vizier of the lion? How was the elephant terrified by the reflection of the moon?
این کلیله و دمنه جمله افتری است ** ور نه کی با زاغ لکلک را مری است
This Kalíla and Dimna is entirely fiction, or else how has the stork a quarrel with the crow?”
ای برادر قصه چون پیمانهای است ** معنی اندر وی مثال دانهای است
O brother, the story is like a measure: the real meaning in it resembles grain (in the measure).
دانهی معنی بگیرد مرد عقل ** ننگرد پیمانه را گر گشت نقل
The man of intelligence will take the grain of meaning: he will not pay any regard to the measure, (even) if it is removed (altogether).
ماجرای بلبل و گل گوش دار ** گر چه گفتی نیست آن جا آشکار
Listen to what passes between the rose and the nightingale, though in that case there is no overt speech.
سخن گفتن به زبان حال و فهم کردن آن
On mute eloquence and the understanding of it.
ماجرای شمع با پروانه نیز ** بشنو و معنی گزین کن ای عزیز3625
Listen to what passes between the moth and the candle, and pick out the meaning from the tale.
گر چه گفتی نیست سر گفت هست ** هین ببالا پر مپر چون جغد پست
Albeit there is no speech, there is the inmost soul of speech. Come, fly aloft, do not fly low, like the owl.
گفت در شطرنج کاین خانهی رخ است ** گفت خانه از کجاش آمد بدست
He (the player) at chess said, “This is the house of the rook.” “By what way,” said he (the literalist), “did the house come into its hands?
خانه را بخرید یا میراث یافت ** فرخ آن کس کاو سوی معنی شتافت
Did it buy the house, or inherit it?”—Happy is he that sped towards the (real) meaning!
گفت نحوی زید عمرا قد ضرب ** گفت چونش کرد بیجرمی ادب
A grammarian said, “Zayd has struck ‘Amr.” Said (the fool), “How did he chastise him without any offence (on his part)?
عمرو را جرمش چه بد کان زید خام ** بیگنه او را بزد همچون غلام3630
What was ‘Amr's offence, that that rude Zayd struck him, innocent (though he was), as (if he were) a slave?”
گفت این پیمانهی معنی بود ** گندمی بستان که پیمانه است رد
He (the grammarian) replied, “This (form of words) is (only) the measure (container) of the meaning signified: take some wheat, for the measure is (to be) rejected.
زید و عمرو از بهر اعراب است و ساز ** گر دروغ است آن تو با اعراب ساز
Zayd and ‘Amr are for the purpose of (showing) the declension and (grammatical) construction: if that (statement that Zayd struck ‘Amr) is untrue, make up with the declension.”
گفت نه من آن ندانم عمرو را ** زید چون زد بیگناه و بیخطا
“Nay,” said he, “I don't know about that. How did Zayd strike ‘Amr without (his committing any) crime or fault?”
گفت از ناچار و لاغی بر گشود ** عمرو یک واو فزون دزدیده بود
He (the grammarian) in desperation started a joke and said, “‘Amr had stolen a superfluous wáw.
زید واقف گشت دزدش را بزد ** چون که از حد برد او را حد سزد3635
Zayd became aware, and struck the stealer of it: since he (‘Amr) carried it beyond bounds (transgressed the law), the punishment serves him right.”
پذیرا آمدن سخن باطل در دل باطلان
How worthless sayings find acceptance in the minds of worthless folk.
گفت اینک راست پذرفتم به جان ** کج نماید راست در پیش کجان
He (the fool) said, “Here you are, this is the truth! I accept (it) with (all) my soul.” Wrong seems right to the wrong-minded.
گر بگویی احولی را مه یکی است ** گویدت این دوست و در وحدت شکی است
If you say to a squinting man, “The moon is one,” he will say to you, “These are two (moons); and there is a (great) doubt as to (the moon's) being one”;