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”;
ور بر او خندد کسی گوید دو است ** راست دارد این سزای بد خو است
And if somebody laughs at him and says, “There are two,” he deems it the truth. This (mockery) is what the ill-natured (ignorant and contumacious) fellow deserves.
بر دروغان جمع میآید دروغ ** الخبیثات الخبیثین زد فروغ
Lies muster round (those who are living) lies: (the text) the wicked men for the wicked women has thrown light (upon this point).
دل فراخان را بود دست فراخ ** چشم کوران را عثار سنگلاخ3640
They whose hearts are (opened) wide (to receive spiritual truths) have wide (far-reaching) hands; they whose (spiritual) eyes are blind have to stumble on stony ground.
جستن آن درخت که هر که میوهی آن درخت خورد نمیرد
On seeking the tree whereof none that eats the fruit shall die.
گفت دانایی برای داستان ** که درختی هست در هندوستان
A learned man (once) said, for the sake of (telling) a story, “In India there is a certain tree:
هر کسی کز میوهی او خورد و برد ** نه شود او پیر نه هرگز بمرد
Whoso takes and eats of its fruit, he grows not old nor ever dies.”
پادشاهی این شنید از صادقی ** بر درخت و میوهاش شد عاشقی
A king heard this (tale) from a veracious person: he became a lover of the tree and its fruit.
قاصدی دانا ز دیوان ادب ** سوی هندستان روان کرد از طلب
From the Divan of culture he sent an intelligent envoy to India in search (of it).
سالها میگشت آن قاصد از او ** گرد هندستان برای جستجو3645
For (many) years his envoy wandered about India in quest (of the tree).
شهر شهر از بهر این مطلوب گشت ** نه جزیره ماند و نه کوه و نه دشت
He roamed from town to town for this object: neither island nor mountain nor plain was left (unvisited).
هر که را پرسید کردش ریشخند ** کاین که جوید جز مگر مجنون بند
Every one whom he asked made a mock of him, saying, “Who would search after this, unless perhaps a madman in confinement?”
بس کسان صفعش زدند اندر مزاح ** بس کسان گفتند ای صاحب فلاح
Many slapped him jocosely; many said, “O fortunate man,
جستجوی چون تو زیرک سینه صاف ** کی تهی باشد کجا باشد گزاف
How should the enquiry of a clever and clear-minded person like you be devoid (of result)? How should it be vain?”
And this (ironical) respect was to him another slap, and it was harder (to bear) than the visible slap.
میستودندش به تسخر کای بزرگ ** در فلان اقلیم بس هول و سترگ
They extolled him sarcastically, saying, “O great sir, in such and such a very tremendous and huge country,
در فلان بیشه درختی هست سبز ** بس بلند و پهن و هر شاخیش گبز
In such and such a forest there is a green tree, very tall and broad, and every branch of it is big.”
قاصد شه بسته در جستن کمر ** میشنید از هر کسی نوعی خبر
The king's envoy, who had braced his belt for the quest, was hearing a different kind of report from every one;
بس سیاحت کرد آن جا سالها ** میفرستادش شهنشه مالها
There for years he travelled much, (whilst) the king kept sending money to him.
چون بسی دید اندر آن غربت تعب ** عاجز آمد آخر الامر از طلب3655
After he had suffered much fatigue in that foreign land, at last he became too exhausted to seek (any longer).
هیچ از مقصود اثر پیدا نشد ** ز آن غرض غیر خبر پیدا نشد
No trace of the object of pursuit was discovered: of what he wanted nothing appeared but the report.
رشتهی امید او بگسسته شد ** جستهی او عاقبت ناجسته شد
The thread of his hope snapped, the thing he had sought became unsought in the end.
کرد عزم باز گشتن سوی شاه ** اشک میبارید و میبرید راه
He resolved to return to the king, (and set out) shedding tears and traversing the way.
شرح کردن شیخ سر آن درخت را با آن طالب مقلد
How the Shaykh explained the hidden meaning of the tree to the seeker who was in the bondage of formalism.
بود شیخی عالمی قطبی کریم ** اندر آن منزل که آیس شد ندیم
There was a wise Shaykh, a noble Qutb, at the halting-place where the king's intimate fell into despair.
گفت من نومید پیش او روم ** ز آستان او به راه اندر شوم3660
He (the envoy) said, “Being without hope, I will go to him, and set out on the road (again) from his threshold,
تا دعای او بود همراه من ** چون که نومیدم من از دل خواه من
In order that his prayer (blessing) may accompany me, since I have no hope of (winning) my heart's desire.”
رفت پیش شیخ با چشم پر آب ** اشک میبارید مانند سحاب
With tearful eyes he went to the Shaykh: he was raining tears, like a cloud.
گفت شیخا وقت رحم و رقت است ** ناامیدم وقت لطف این ساعت است
“O Shaykh,” he cried, “it is the time for mercy and pity; I am in despair: now is the time for kindness.”
گفت وا گو کز چه نومیدیستت ** چیست مطلوب تو رو با چیستت
He (the Shaykh) said, “Say plainly what is the cause of thy despair: what is thy object? what hast thou in view?”
گفت شاهنشاه کردم اختیار ** از برای جستن یک شاخسار3665
He answered, “The Emperor chose me out to seek a certain branching tree,
که درختی هست نادر در جهات ** میوهی او مایهی آب حیات
For there is a tree, unique in (all) the quarters (of the world): its fruit is (of) the substance of the Water of Life.
سالها جستم ندیدم یک نشان ** جز که طنز و تسخر این سر خوشان
I have sought (it) for years and seen no sign (of it) except the gibes and ridicule of these merry men.”
شیخ خندید و بگفتش ای سلیم ** این درخت علم باشد در علیم
The Shaykh laughed and said to him, “O simpleton, this is the tree of knowledge in the sage—
بس بلند و بس شگرف و بس بسیط ** آب حیوانی ز دریای محیط
Very high and very grand and very far-spreading: (it is) a Water of Life from the all-encompassing Sea (of God).
تو به صورت رفتهای ای بیخبر ** ز آن ز شاخ معنیی بیبار و بر3670
Thou hast gone after the form, O ignorant man: hence thou art without fruit and produce from the bough of reality.
گه درختش نام شد گه آفتاب ** گاه بحرش نام گشت و گه سحاب
Sometimes it is named ‘tree,’ sometimes ‘sun’; sometimes it is named ‘sea,’ sometimes ‘cloud.’
آن یکی کش صد هزار آثار خاست ** کمترین آثار او عمر بقاست
(It is) that one (thing) from which a hundred thousand effects arise: its least effects are everlasting life.
گر چه فرد است او اثر دارد هزار ** این یکی را نام شاید بیشمار
Although (in essence) it is single, it hath a thousand effects: innumerable names befit (may be properly applied to) that one (thing).
آن یکی شخص ترا باشد پدر ** در حق شخصی دگر باشد پسر
One person may be father in relation to thee; in regard to another individual he may be son.
در حق دیگر بود قهر و عدو ** در حق دیگر بود لطف و نکو3675
In regard to another he may be wrath and a foe; in regard to another he may be graciousness and a friend.
صد هزاران نام و او یک آدمی ** صاحب هر وصفش از وصفی عمی
(He hath) hundreds of thousands of names, (but) he is one man: the owner of every quality belonging to him is blind to (incapable of) giving any (true) description (of him).