رفت صوفی سوی آن سیلی‌زنش ** دست زد چون مدعی در دامنش
The Súfi went to the man who had slapped him, and laid hold of his skirt like a plaintiff.
اندر آوردش بر قاضی کشان ** کین خر ادبار را بر خر نشان
Haling him along, he brought him to the Cadi, saying, “Mount this asinine miscreant on an ass (and parade him through the streets),
یا به زخم دره او را ده جزا ** آنچنان که رای تو بیند سزا
Or punish him with blows of the whip, according as thy judgement may deem fitting;
کانک از زجر تو میرد در دمار ** بر تو تاوان نیست آن باشد جبار 1510
For (in the case of) one who dies under thy chastisement, no fine is (imposed) on thee in vengeance (for him): that (death) is unpenalised.”
در حد و تعزیر قاضی هر که مرد ** نیست بر قاضی ضمان کو نیست خرد
When any one has died under the punishment and flagellation of the cadi no responsibility lies on the cadi, for he (the cadi) is not a person of small account.
نایب حقست و سایه‌ی عدل حق ** آینه‌ی هر مستحق و مستحق
He is God’s deputy and the shadow of God’s justice, the mirror (that displays the real nature) of every plaintiff and defendant;
کو ادب از بهر مظلومی کند ** نه برای عرض و خشم و دخل خود
For he inflicts correction for the sake of one who has been wronged, not for the sake of his honour or his anger or his income (profit).
چون برای حق و روز آجله‌ست ** گر خطایی شد دیت بر عاقله‌ست
Since it is (done) for the sake of God and the Day (of Judgement) hereafter, if a mistake is made (by him) the blood-wit falls upon the (dead man’s) kinsmen on the father’s side.
آنک بهر خود زند او ضامنست ** وآنک بهر حق زند او آمنست 1515
He who strikes (and kills) for his own sake is (held) responsible, while he who strikes (and kills) for God’s sake is secure.
گر پدر زد مر پسر را و بمرد ** آن پدر را خونبها باید شمرد
If a father strikes his son and he (the son) dies, the father must pay the blood-price,
زانک او را بهر کار خویش زد ** خدمت او هست واجب بر ولد
Because he struck him for his own benefit, (since) it is the duty of the son to serve him (the father).
چون معلم زد صبی را شد تلف ** بر معلم نیست چیزی لا تخف
(But) when a teacher strikes a boy and he (the boy) perishes (is killed by the blows), nothing (in the way of penalty) is (imposed) on the teacher; no fear’
کان معلم نایب افتاد و امین ** هر امین را هست حکمش همچنین
For the teacher is a deputy (of God) and a trustee; and the ease of every trustee is the same as this
نیست واجب خدمت استا برو ** پس نبود استا به زجرش کارجو 1520
It is not his (the boy’s) duty to serve his master (teacher) therefore in chastising him the master was not seeking benefit (for himself),
ور پدر زد او برای خود زدست ** لاجرم از خونبها دادن نرست
But if his father struck him, he struck for his own sake: consequently he was not freed from (responsibility for) paying the blood-price.
پس خودی را سر ببر ای ذوالفقار ** بی‌خودی شو فانیی درویش‌وار
Behead (your) selfhood, then, O (you who resemble the sword) Dhu ‘l-faqár: become a selfless naughted one like the dervish.
چون شدی بی‌خود هر آنچ تو کنی ** ما رمیت اذ رمیتی آمنی
When you have become selfless, everything that you do (is a case of) thou didst not throw when thou threwest, (and) you are safe.
آن ضمان بر حق بود نه بر امین ** هست تفصیلش به فقه اندر مبین
The responsibility lies on God, not on the trustee: ‘tis set forth plainly in (books of) jurisprudence.
هر دکانی راست سودایی دگر ** مثنوی دکان فقرست ای پسر 1525
Every shop has a different (kind of) merchandise: the Mathnawi is the shop for (spiritual) poverty, O son.
در دکان کفشگر چرمست خوب ** قالب کفش است اگر بینی تو چوب
In the shoemaker’s shop there is fine leather: if you see wood (there), it is (only) the mould for the shoe.
پیش بزازان قز و ادکن بود ** بهر گز باشد اگر آهن بود
The drapers have (in their shops) silk and dun-coloured cloth: if iron be (there), it is (only to serve) for a yard-measure.
مثنوی ما دکان وحدتست ** غیر واحد هرچه بینی آن بتست
Our Mathnawi is the shop for Unity: anything that you see (there) except the One God) is (only) an idol.
Know that to praise an idol for the purpose of ensnaring the vulgar is just like (the Prophet’s reference to) “the most exalted Cranes.”
خواندش در سوره‌ی والنجم زود ** لیک آن فتنه بد از سوره نبود 1530
He recited it those words) quickly in the Súra (entitled) Wa’l-Najm, but it was a temptation (of the Devil), it was not (really) part of the Súra.
جمله کفار آن زمان ساجد شدند ** هم سری بود آنک سر بر در زدند
Thereupon all the infidels prostrated themselves (in worship): ‘twas a mystery (of Divine Wisdom), too, that they knocked their heads upon the door.
بعد ازین حرفیست پیچاپیچ و دور ** با سلیمان باش و دیوان را مشور
After this there is a perplexing and abstruse argument stay with Solomon and do not stir up the demons!
هین حدیث صوفی و قاضی بیار ** وان ستمکار ضعیف زار زار
Hark, relate the story of the Súfí and the Cadi and the offender who was (so) feeble and wretchedly ill.
گفت قاضی ثبت العرش ای پسر ** تا برو نقشی کنم از خیر و شر
The Cadi said (to the Súfí), “Make the roof firm, O son, in order that I may decorate it with good and evil.
کو زننده کو محل انتقام ** این خیالی گشته است اندر سقام 1535
Where is the assailant? Where is that which is subject to vengeance? This man in (consequence of) sickness has become a (mere) phantom.
شرع بهر زندگان و اغنیاست ** شرع بر اصحاب گورستان کجاست
The law is for the living and self-sufficient: where (how) is the law (binding) upon the occupants of the graveyard?”
آن گروهی کز فقیری بی‌سرند ** صد جهت زان مردگان فانی‌تراند
The class (of men) who are headless (selfless) because of (their spiritual) poverty are in a hundred respects more naughted than those dead (and buried).
مرده از یک روست فانی در گزند ** صوفیان از صد جهت فانی شدند
The dead man is naughted (only) from one point of view, namely), as regards loss (of bodily life); the Súfís have been naughted in a hundred respects.
مرگ یک قتلست و این سیصد هزار ** هر یکی را خونبهایی بی‌شمار
(Bodily) death is a single killing, while this (spiritual death) is three hundred thousand (killings), for each one of which there is a blood-price beyond reckoning.
گرچه کشت این قوم را حق بارها ** ریخت بهر خونبها انبارها 1540
Though God hath killed these folk many a time, (yet) He hath poured forth (infinite) stores (of grace) in payment of the blood-price.
هم‌چو جرجیس‌اند هر یک در سرار ** کشته گشته زنده گشته شصت بار
Every one (of these martyrs) is inwardly like Jirjís (St George): they have been killed and brought to life (again) sixty times.
کشته از ذوق سنان دادگر ** می‌بسوزد که بزن زخمی دگر
From his delight in (being smitten by) the spear-point of the (Divine) Judge, the killed one is ever burning (in rapture) and crying. Strike another blow!”
والله از عشق وجود جان‌پرست ** کشته بر قتل دوم عاشق‌ترست
(I swear) by God, from love for the existence that fosters the spirit, the killed one longs (still) more passionately to be killed a second time.
گفت قاضی من قضادار حیم ** حاکم اصحاب گورستان کیم
The Cadi said, “I am the cadi for the living: how am I the judge of the occupants of the graveyard?
این به صورت گر نه در گورست پست ** گورها در دودمانش آمدست 1545
If to outward seeming this man is not laid low in the grave, (yet) graves have entered into his household.
بس بدیدی مرده اندر گور تو ** گور را در مرده بین ای کور تو
You have seen many a dead man in the grave: (now), O, blind one, see the grave in a dead man.
گر ز گوری خشت بر تو اوفتاد ** عاقلان از گور کی خواهند داد
If bricks from the grave have fallen on you, how should reasonable persons seek redress from the grave?
گرد خشم و کینه‌ی مرده مگرد ** هین مکن با نقش گرمابه نبرد
Do not concern yourself with anger and hatred against a dead man: beware, do not wake war on (one who is as dead as) the pictures in a bath-house.
شکر کن که زنده‌ای بر تو نزد ** کانک زنده رد کند حق کرد رد
Give thanks that a living one did not strike you, for he whom the living one rejects is rejected of God.
خشم احیا خشم حق و زخم اوست ** که به حق زنده‌ست آن پاکیزه‌پوست 1550
The anger of the living ones is God’s anger and His blows for that pure-skinned one is living through God.
حق بکشت او را و در پاچه‌ش دمید ** زود قصابانه پوست از وی کشید
God killed him and breathed on his trotters and quickly, like a butcher, stripped off his skin.
نفخ در وی باقی آمد تا مب ** نفخ حق نبود چو نفخه‌ی آن قصاب
The breath remains in him till (he reaches) the final bourn: the breathing of God is not as the breathing of the butcher.
فرق بسیارست بین النفختین ** این همه زینست و آن سر جمله شین
There is a great difference between the two breathings: this is wholly honour, while that (other) side is entirely, shame.
این حیات از وی برید و شد مضر ** وان حیات از نفخ حق شد مستمر
This (the latter) took life away from it (the slaughtered beast) and injured it, while by the breathing of God that (spiritual) life was made perpetual.
این دم آن دم نیست کاید آن به شرح ** هین بر آ زین قعر چه بالای صرح 1555
This (Divine) breath is not a breath that can be described: hark, come up from the bottom of the pit to the top of the palace.
نیستش بر خر نشاندن مجتهد ** نقش هیزم را کسی بر خر نهد
‘Tis not a sound legal decision to mount him (the defendant) on an ass (and parade him): does any one lay upon an ass a (mere) picture of firewood?