باقیان زین دو گمانی می‌برند ** سوی لانه‌ی خود به یک پر می‌پرند
The rest hold (only) an opinion of these two (qualities): they fly to their nest with a single wing.
بیان آنک علم را دو پرست و گمان را یک پرست ناقص آمد ظن به پرواز ابترست مثال ظن و یقین در علم
Explaining that Knowledge has two wings, and Opinion (only) one: “Opinion is defective and curtailed in flight”; and a comparison illustrating opinion and certainty in knowledge.
علم را دو پر گمان را یک پرست ** ناقص آمد ظن به پرواز ابترست1510
Knowledge has two wings, Opinion one wing: Opinion is defective and curtailed in flight.
مرغ یک‌پر زود افتد سرنگون ** باز بر پرد دو گامی یا فزون
The one-winged bird soon falls headlong; then again it flies up some two paces or (a little) more.
افت خیزان می‌رود مرغ گمان ** با یکی پر بر امید آشیان
The bird, Opinion, falling and rising, goes on with one wing in hope of (reaching) the nest.
چون ز ظن وا رست علمش رو نمود ** شد دو پر آن مرغ یک‌پر پر گشود
(But) when he has been delivered from Opinion, Knowledge shows its face to him: that one-winged bird becomes two-winged and spreads his wings.
بعد از آن یمشی سویا مستقیم ** نه علی وجهه مکبا او سقیم
After that, he walks erect and straight, not falling flat on his face or ailing.
با دو پر بر می‌پرد چون جبرئیل ** بی گمان و بی مگر بی قال و قیل1515
He flies aloft with two wings, like Gabriel, without opinion and without peradventure and without disputation.
گر همه عالم بگویندش توی ** بر ره یزدان و دین مستوی
If all the world should say to him, “You are on the Way of God and (are following) the right religion,”
او نگردد گرم‌تر از گفتشان ** جان طاق او نگردد جفتشان
He will not be made hotter by their words: his lonely soul will not mate with them;
ور همه گویند او را گم‌رهی ** کوه پنداری و تو برگ کهی
And if they all should say to him, “You are astray: you think (you are) a mountain, and (in reality) you are a blade of straw,”
او نیفتد در گمان از طعنشان ** او نگردد دردمند از ظعنشان
He will not fall into opinion (doubt) because of their taunts, he will not be grieved by their departure (estrangement from him).
بلک گر دریا و کوه آید بگفت ** گویدش با گم‌رهی گشتی تو جفت1520
Nay, if seas and mountains should come to speech and should say to him, “You are wedded to perdition,”
هیچ یک ذره نیفتد در خیال ** یا به طعن طاعنان رنجورحال
Not the least jot will he fall into phantasy or sickness on account of the taunts of the scoffers.
مثال رنجور شدن آدمی بوهم تعظیم خلق و رغبت مشتریان بوی و حکایت معلم
Parable of a man's being made (spiritually) ill by vain conceit of the veneration in which he is held by the people and of the supplication addressed to him by those seeking his favour; and the (following) story of the Teacher.
کودکان مکتبی از اوستاد ** رنج دیدند از ملال و اجتهاد
The boys in a certain school suffered at the hands of their master from weariness and toil.
مشورت کردند در تعویق کار ** تا معلم در فتد در اضطرار
They consulted about (the means of) stopping (his) work, so that the teacher should be reduced to the necessity (of letting them go),
چون نمی‌آید ورا رنجوریی ** که بگیرد چند روز او دوریی
(Saying), “Since no illness befalls him, which would cause him to take absence for several days,
تا رهیم از حبس و تنگی و ز کار ** هست او چون سنگ خارا بر قرار1525
So that we might escape from (this) imprisonment and confinement and work, (what can we do?). He is fixed (here), like a solid rock.”
آن یکی زیرکتر این تدبیر کرد ** که بگوید اوستا چونی تو زرد
One, the cleverest (of them all), planned that he should say, “Master, how are you (so) pale?
خیر باشد رنگ تو بر جای نیست ** این اثر یا از هوا یا از تبیست
May it be well (with you)! Your colour is changed: this is the effect either of (bad) air or of a fever.”
اندکی اندر خیال افتد ازین ** تو برادر هم مدد کن این‌چنین
(He continued), “At this he (the master) will begin to fancy a little (that he is ill): do you too, brother, help (me) in like manner.
چون درآیی از در مکتب بگو ** خیر باشد اوستا احوال تو
When you come in through the door of the school, say (to him), ‘Master, is your state (of health) good?’
آن خیالش اندکی افزون شود ** کز خیالی عاقلی مجنون شود1530
(Then) that fancy of his will increase a little, for by a fancy a sensible man is driven mad.
آن سوم و آن چارم و پنجم چنین ** در پی ما غم نمایند و حنین
After us let the third (boy) and the fourth and the fifth show sympathy and sorrow likewise,
تا چو سی کودک تواتر این خبر ** متفق گویند یابد مستقر
So that, when with one consent thirty boys successively tell this story, it may find lodgement (in his mind).”
هر یکی گفتش که شاباش ای ذکی ** باد بختت بر عنایت متکی
Each (of the boys) said to him (the ringleader), “Bravo, O sagacious one! May your fortune rest on the favour (of God)!”
متفق گشتند در عهد وثیق ** که نگرداند سخن را یک رفیق
They agreed, in firm covenant, that no fellow should alter the words;
بعد از آن سوگند داد او جمله را ** تا که غمازی نگوید ماجرا1535
And afterwards he administered an oath to them all, lest any tell-tale should reveal the plot.
رای آن کودک بچربید از همه ** عقل او در پیش می‌رفت از رمه
The counsel of that boy prevailed over all (the others), his intellect was going in front of the (whole) flock.
آن تفاوت هست در عقل بشر ** که میان شاهدان اندر صور
There is the same difference in human intellect as (there is) amongst loved ones in (their outward) forms.
زین قبل فرمود احمد در مقال ** در زبان پنهان بود حسن رجال
From this point of view, Ahmad (Mohammed) said in talk, “The excellence of men is hidden in the tongue.”
عقول خلق متفاوتست در اصل فطرت و نزد معتزله متساویست تفاوت عقول از تحصیل علم است
People's intellects differ in their original nature, (though) according to the Mu‘tazilites they are (originally) equal and the difference in intellects arises from the acquisition of knowledge.
اختلاف عقلها در اصل بود ** بر وفاق سنیان باید شنود
You must hear (and believe) in accordance with the Sunnís (that) the difference in (people's) intellects was original,
بر خلاف قول اهل اعتزال ** که عقول از اصل دارند اعتدال1540
In contradiction to the doctrine of the Mu‘tazilites, who hold that (all) intellects were originally equal,
تجربه و تعلیم بیش و کم کند ** تا یکی را از یکی اعلم کند
(And who maintain that) experience and teaching makes them more or less, so that it makes one person more knowing than another.
باطلست این زانک رای کودکی ** که ندارد تجربه در مسلکی
This is false, because the counsel of a boy who has not experience in any course of action—
بر دمید اندیشه‌ای زان طفل خرد ** پیر با صد تجربه بویی نبرد
From that small child sprang up a thought (which) the old man with a hundred experiences did not smell out (detect and apprehend) at all.
خود فزون آن به که آن از فطرتست ** تا ز افزونی که جهد و فکرتست
Truly, the superiority that is from (any one's) nature is even better than the superiority that is (the result of) endeavour and reflection.
تو بگو داده‌ی خدا بهتر بود ** یاکه لنگی راهوارانه رود1545
Tell (me), is the gift of God better, or (is it better) that a lame person should (learn to) walk smoothly (without stumbling)?
در وهم افکندن کودکان اوستاد را
How the boys made the teacher imagine (that he was ill).
روز گشت و آمدند آن کودکان ** بر همین فکرت ز خانه تا دکان
Day broke, and those boys, (intent) on this thought, came from their homes to the shop (school).
جمله استادند بیرون منتظر ** تا درآید اول آن یار مصر
They all stood outside, waiting for that resolute fellow to go in first,
زانک منبع او بدست این رای را ** سر امام آید همیشه پای را
Because he was the source of this plan: the head is always an Imám (leader and guide) to the foot.
ای مقلد تو مجو بیشی بر آن ** کو بود منبع ز نور آسمان
O imitator (follower of convention and tradition), do not thou seek precedence over one who is a source of the heavenly light.
او در آمد گفت استا را سلام ** خیر باشد رنگ رویت زردفام1550
He (the boy) came in and said to the master “Salaam! I hope you are well. Your face is yellow in colour.”
گفت استا نیست رنجی مر مرا ** تو برو بنشین مگو یاوه هلا
The master said, “I have no ailment. Go and sit down and don't talk nonsense, hey!”
نفی کرد اما غبار وهم بد ** اندکی اندر دلش ناگاه زد
He denied (it), but the dust of evil imagination suddenly struck a little (made a slight impression) upon his heart.
اندر آمد دیگری گفت این چنین ** اندکی آن وهم افزون شد بدین
Another (boy) came in and said the like: by this (second suggestion) that imagination was a little increased.
همچنین تا وهم او قوت گرفت ** ماند اندر حال خود بس در شگفت
(They continued) in like manner, until his imagination gained strength and he was left marvelling exceedingly as to his state (of health).
بیمار شدن فرعون هم به وهم از تعظیم خلقان
How Pharaoh was made (spiritually) ill by vain imagination arising from the people's reverence (for him).
سجده‌ی خلق از زن و از طفل و مرد ** زد دل فرعون را رنجور کرد1555
The people's prostrating themselves—women, children, and men—smote the heart of Pharaoh and made him ill.
گفتن هریک خداوند و ملک ** آنچنان کردش ز وهمی منهتک
Every one's calling him lord and king made him so tattered (infamous) from a vain imagination,
که به دعوی الهی شد دلیر ** اژدها گشت و نمی‌شد هیچ سیر
That he dared to pretend to divinity: he became a dragon and would never be sated.
عقل جزوی آفتش وهمست و ظن ** زانک در ظلمات شد او را وطن
Imagination and opinion are the bane of the particular (discursive) reason, because its dwelling-place is in the darkness.