از خطر پرهیز آمد مفترض ** بشنوید از من حدیث بی‌غرض
’Tis a bounden duty to abstain from peril: hear disinterested advice from me.
در فرج جویی خرد سر تیز به ** از کمین‌گاه بلا پرهیز به
In seeking relief (from sorrow) ’tis better that one's wits should be sharp: ’tis better to abstain from (falling into) the ambuscade of tribulation.”
گر نمی‌گفت این سخن را آن پدر ** ور نمی‌فرمود زان قلعه حذر
If their father had not spoken these words and had not warned them against that fortress,
خود بدان قلعه نمی‌شد خیلشان ** خود نمی‌افتاد آن سو میلشان 3655
Their party would never have approached the fortress, their desire would never have inclined towards it;
کان نبد معروف بس مهجور بود ** از قلاع و از مناهج دور بود
For it was not well-known: it was exceedingly remote and aloof from the (other) fortresses and the highways.
چون بکرد آن منع دلشان زان مقال ** در هوس افتاد و در کوی خیال
(But) when he (the King) uttered that prohibition, their hearts were thrown by his speech into vain desire and into the quarter of phantasy,
رغبتی زین منع در دلشان برست ** که بباید سر آن را باز جست
And, because of this prohibition, a craving arose in their hearts to investigate the secret of that (fortress).
کیست کز ممنوع گردد ممتنع ** چونک الانسان حریص ما منع
Who is (to be found) that will refrain from the forbidden thing, since man longs eagerly for what is forbidden?
نهی بر اهل تقی تبغیض شد ** نهی بر اهل هوا تحریض شد 3660
The veto causes the devout to hate (that which is vetoed); the veto incites the sensual to covet it.
پس ازین یغوی به قوما کثیر ** هم ازین یهدی به قلبا خبیر
Therefore He (God) leads many folk astray by this means, and by the same means He guides aright (many) a knowing heart.
کی رمد از نی حمام آشنا ** بل رمد زان نی حمامات هوا
How should the friendly dove be scared by the (fowler's) pipe? Nay, (only) the (wild) doves in the air are scared by that pipe.
پس بگفتندش که خدمتها کنیم ** بر سمعنا و اطعناها تنیم
Then they (the princes) said to him (the King), “We will perform the services (required of us), we will be intent on hearing and obeying (thy commands).
رو نگردانیم از فرمان تو ** کفر باشد غفلت از احسان تو
We will not turn aside from thy commands: ’twould be ingratitude to forget thy kindness”;
لیک استثنا و تسبیح خدا ** ز اعتماد خود بد از ایشان جدا 3665
But, because of their reliance upon themselves, ’twas far from them to pronounce the saving clause and glorify God.
ذکر استثنا و حزم ملتوی ** گفته شد در ابتدای مثنوی
Mention of the saving clause and (of the need for) manifold precaution was made at the beginning of the Mathnawí.
صد کتاب ار هست جز یک باب نیست ** صد جهت را قصد جز محراب نیست
If there are a hundred (religious) books, (yet) they are but one chapter: a hundred (different) regions seek but one place of worship.
این طرق را مخلصی یک خانه است ** این هزاران سنبل از یک دانه است
(All) these roads end in one House: (all) these thousand ears of corn are from one Seed.
گونه‌گونه خوردنیها صد هزار ** جمله یک چیزست اندر اعتبار
All the hundred thousand sorts of food and drink are (only) one thing in respect (of their final cause).
از یکی چون سیر گشتی تو تمام ** سرد شد اندر دلت پنجه طعام 3670
When you are entirely satiated with one (kind of food), fifty (other) foods become cold (displeasing) to your heart.
در مجاعت پس تو احول دیده‌ای ** که یکی را صد هزاران دیده‌ای
In hunger, then, you are seeing double, for you have regarded a single one as a hundred thousand.
گفته بودیم از سقام آن کنیز ** وز طبیبان و قصور فهم نیز
We had (previously) told of the sickness of the handmaiden and (the story) of the physicians and also their lack of understanding—
کان طبیبان هم‌چو اسپ بی‌عذار ** غافل و بی‌بهره بودند از سوار
How those physicians were like an unbridled horse, heedless of the rider and having no profit (of him).
کامشان پر زخم از قرع لگام ** سمشان مجروح از تحویل گام
(Though) their palates were covered with sores made by the impact of the bit, and their hooves wounded by (continually) changing step,
ناشده واقف که نک بر پشت ما ** رایض و چستیست استادی‌نما 3675
They had not become aware (of the truth and never said to themselves), “Lo, on our back is a nimble Trainer who displays masterly skill.
Although he whose eye it (the Divine decree) has bandaged is clever, (yet) because of his seeing double, in his eyes the ass is a goat.
چون مقلب حق بود ابصار را ** که بگرداند دل و افکار را
Since God is the Turner of eyes, who (else) should turn the heart and the thoughts?
چاه را تو خانه‌ای بینی لطیف ** دام را تو دانه‌ای بینی ظریف 3695
(Hence) you deem a pit to be a pleasant house, you deem a trap to be a dainty bait.
این تفسطط نیست تقلیب خداست ** می‌نماید که حقیقتها کجاست
This is not sophistry (scepticism), it is God's turning: it shows where the realities are.
آنک انکار حقایق می‌کند ** جملگی او بر خیالی می‌تند
He who denies the realities is wholly involved in a phantasy.
او نمی‌گوید که حسبان خیال ** هم خیالی باشدت چشمی به مال
He does not say (to himself), “Thy thinking (that all is) phantasy (illusion) is also a phantasy: rub an eye (and see)!”
رفتن پسران سلطان به حکم آنک الانسان حریص علی ما منع ما بندگی خویش نمودیم ولیکن خوی بد تو بنده ندانست خریدن به سوی آن قلعه‌ی ممنوع عنه آن همه وصیت‌ها و اندرزهای پدر را زیر پا نهادند تا در چاه بلا افتادند و می‌گفتند ایشان را نفوس لوامه الم یاتکم نذیر ایشان می‌گفتند گریان و پشیمان لوکنا نسمع او نعقل ماکنا فی اصحاب السعیر
How the Sultan's sons went to the forbidden fortress, inasmuch as man eagerly covets that which he is refused—“We rendered our service, but thy evil nature could not buy the servant (could not profit by the service that we rendered).” They trod all their father's injunctions and counsels underfoot, so that they fell into the pit of tribulation, and their reproachful souls (consciences) were saying to them, “Did not a warner come to you?” while they, weeping and contrite, replied, “If we had been wont to hearken or understand we should not have been among those who dwell in the flaming Fire.”
این سخن پایان ندارد آن فریق ** بر گرفتند از پی آن دز طریق
This discourse hath no end. The party (of travellers) took their way to seek that castle.
بر درخت گندم منهی زدند ** از طویله‌ی مخلصان بیرون شدند 3700
They approached the tree of the forbidden fruit, they went forth from the file of the sincere.
چون شدند از منع و نهیش گرم‌تر ** سوی آن قلعه بر آوردند سر
Since they were made more ardent by their father's prohibition and veto, they raised their heads (rebelliously) towards that fortress.