بعد از آن گفتند کای خرگوش چست ** در میان آر آن چه در ادراک تست
Afterwards they said, “O nimble hare, communicate what is in thy apprehension.
ای که با شیری تو در پیچیدهای ** باز گو رایی که اندیشیدهای
O thou who hast grappled with a lion, declare the plan which thou hast thought of.
مشورت ادراک و هشیاری دهد ** عقلها مر عقل را یاری دهد
Counsel gives perception and understanding: the mind is helped by (other) minds.
گفت پیغمبر بکن ای رایزن ** مشورت کالمستشار موتمن
The Prophet said, ‘O adviser, take counsel (with the trustworthy), for he whose counsel is sought is trusted.’”
منع کردن خرگوش راز را از ایشان
How the hare withheld the secret from them.
گفت هر رازی نشاید باز گفت ** جفت طاق آید گهی گه طاق جفت1045
He said, “One ought not to say forth every secret: sometimes the even number turns out to be odd, and sometimes the odd number to be even.”
از صفا گر دم زنی با آینه ** تیره گردد زود با ما آینه
If from guilelessness you breathe words to a mirror, the mirror at once becomes dim to us.
در بیان این سه کم جنبان لبت ** از ذهاب و از ذهب وز مذهبت
Do not move your lip in explanation of these three things, (namely) concerning your departure and your gold and your religion;
کین سه را خصم است بسیار و عدو ** در کمینت ایستد چون داند او
For to these three there is many an adversary and foe standing in wait for you when he knows (about any of them).
ور بگویی با یکی دو الوداع ** کل سر جاوز الاثنین شاع
And if you tell (only) one or two (a few people), farewell (to your secret): every secret that goes beyond the twain (who share it) is published abroad.
گر دو سه پرنده را بندی به هم ** بر زمین مانند محبوس از الم1050
If you tie two or three birds together, they will remain on the ground, imprisoned by grief;
مشورت دارند سرپوشیده خوب ** در کنایت با غلط افکن مشوب
(But in truth) they hold a consultation well-disguised and mingled, in its (apparent) significance, with that which casts error (into the mind of any one who observes them).
مشورت کردی پیمبر بسته سر ** گفته ایشانش جواب و بیخبر
(Similarly) the Prophet used to take counsel, (speaking) cryptically, and they (his companions) would answer him and (would be) without knowledge (of his real meaning).
در مثالی بسته گفتی رای را ** تا نداند خصم از سر پای را
He would speak his opinion in a covert parable, in order that the adversary might not know foot from head.
او جواب خویش بگرفتی از او ** وز سؤالش مینبردی غیر بو
He (the Prophet) would receive his answer from him (the adversary), while the other would not catch the smell (drift) of his question.
قصهی مکر خرگوش
The story of the hare's stratagem.
ساعتی تاخیر کرد اندر شدن ** بعد از آن شد پیش شیر پنجه زن1055
He delayed awhile in going, then he went before the lion who rends (his prey) with claws.
ز آن سبب کاندر شدن او ماند دیر ** خاک را میکند و میغرید شیر
Because he tarried late in going, the lion was tearing up the earth and roaring.
گفت من گفتم که عهد آن خسان ** خام باشد خام و سست و نارسان
“I said,” cried the lion, “that the promise of those vile ones would be vain—vain and frail and unfulfilled.
دمدمهی ایشان مرا از خر فگند ** چند بفریبد مرا این دهر چند
Their palaver has duped me: how long will this Time deceive me, how long?”
سخت درماند امیر سست ریش ** چون نه پس بیند نه پیش از احمقیش
The prince that hath no strength in his beard is left sorely in the lurch when by reason of his folly he looks neither backwards nor forwards.
راه هموار است و زیرش دامها ** قحط معنی در میان نامها1060
The road is smooth, and under it are pitfalls: amidst the names there is a dearth of meaning.
لفظها و نامها چون دامهاست ** لفظ شیرین ریگ آب عمر ماست
Words and names are like pitfalls: the sweet (flattering) word is the sand for (the sand that sucks up) the water of our life.
آن یکی ریگی که جوشد آب ازو ** سخت کمیاب است رو آن را بجو
The one sand whence water gushes is seldom to be found: go, seek it.
منبع حکمت شود حکمت طلب ** فارغ آید او ز تحصیل و سبب
He that searches after wisdom becomes a fountain of wisdom; he becomes independent of acquisition and (ways and) means.
لوح حافظ لوح محفوظی شود ** عقل او از روح محظوظی شود
The guarding tablet becomes a Guarded Tablet; his understanding becomes enriched by the Spirit.
چون معلم بود عقلش ز ابتدا ** بعد از این شد عقل شاگردی و را1065
When his understanding has been his teacher at the beginning, after this the understanding becomes his pupil.
عقل چون جبریل گوید احمدا ** گر یکی گامی نهم سوزد مرا
The understanding says, like Gabriel, “O Ahmad (Mohammed), if I take one (more) step, it will burn me;
تو مرا بگذار زین پس پیش ران ** حد من این بود ای سلطان جان
Do thou leave me, henceforth advance (alone): this is my limit, O sultan of the soul!”
هر که ماند از کاهلی بیشکر و صبر ** او همین داند که گیرد پای جبر
Whoever, through heedlessness, remains without thanksgiving and patience (selfcontrol), knows (no resource) but this, that he should follow in the heels of necessity (jabr).
هر که جبر آورد خود رنجور کرد ** تا همان رنجوریاش در گور کرد
Any one who pleads necessity (as an excuse) feigns himself to be ill, with the result that the (feigned) illness brings him to the grave.
گفت پیغمبر که رنجوری به لاغ ** رنج آرد تا بمیرد چون چراغ1070
The Prophet said, “Illness (assumed) in jest brings (real) disease, so that he (the jester) dies like a lamp.”
جبر چه بود بستن اشکسته را ** یا بپیوستن رگی بگسسته را
What is (the meaning of) jabr? To bind up a broken (limb) or tie a severed vein.
چون در این ره پای خود نشکستهای ** بر که میخندی چه پا را بستهای
Inasmuch as you have not broken your foot in this path, whom are you mocking? Why have you bandaged your foot?
و آن که پایش در ره کوشش شکست ** در رسید او را براق و بر نشست
But as for him who broke his foot in the path of exertion, Buráq came up to him, and he mounted (and rode).
حامل دین بود او محمول شد ** قابل فرمان بد او مقبول شد
He was a bearer of the (true) religion, and he became one who is borne; he was an accepter of the (Divine) command, and he became accepted.
تا کنون فرمان پذیرفتی ز شاه ** بعد از این فرمان رساند بر سپاه1075
Until now, he was receiving commands from the King; henceforth he delivers the (King's) commands to the people.
تا کنون اختر اثر کردی در او ** بعد از این باشد امیر اختر او
Until now, the stars were influencing him; henceforth he is the ruler of the stars.
گر ترا اشکال آید در نظر ** پس تو شک داری در انشق القمر
If (on this account) perplexity arise in thy sight (mind), then thou wilt have doubts concerning The moon was cloven asunder.
تازه کن ایمان نه از گفت زبان ** ای هوا را تازه کرده در نهان
Refresh thy faith, (but) not with talk of the tongue, O thou who hast secretly refreshed thy (evil) desire.
تا هوا تازه ست ایمان تازه نیست ** کاین هوا جز قفل آن دروازه نیست
So long as desire is fresh, faith is not fresh, for ’tis this desire that locks (against thee) that gate.
کردهای تاویل حرف بکر را ** خویش را تاویل کن نی ذکر را1080
Thou hast interpreted (and altered the meaning of) the virgin (uncorrupted) Word: interpret (alter) thyself, not the (Divine) Book.
بر هوا تاویل قرآن میکنی ** پست و کژ شد از تو معنی سنی
Thou interpretest the Qur’án according to thy desire: by thee the sublime meaning is degraded and perverted.
زیافت تاویل رکیک مگس
The baseness of the foul interpretation given by the fly.
آن مگس بر برگ کاه و بول خر ** همچو کشتیبان همیافراشت سر
The fly was lifting up his head, like a pilot, on a blade of straw and (a pool of) ass's urine.
گفت من دریا و کشتی خواندهام ** مدتی در فکر آن میماندهام
“I have called (them) sea and ship,” said he; “I have been pondering over that (interpretation) for a long while.
اینک این دریا و این کشتی و من ** مرد کشتیبان و اهل و رایزن
Look! here is this sea and this ship, and I am the pilot and skilled (in navigation) and judicious.”
بر سر دریا همیراند او عمد ** مینمودش آن قدر بیرون ز حد1085
He was propelling the raft on the “sea”: that (small) quantity appeared to him illimitable.
بود بیحد آن چمین نسبت بدو ** آن نظر که بیند آن را راست کو
That urine was boundless in relation to him: where was the vision that should see it truly?
عالمش چندان بود کش بینش است ** چشم چندین بحر هم چندینش است
His world extends (just) as far as his sight reaches; his eye is so big, his “sea” is big in the same proportion.
صاحب تاویل باطل چون مگس ** وهم او بول خر و تصویر خس
So with the false interpreter (of the Qur’án): like the fly, his imagination is (foul as) ass's urine and his conception (worthless as) a straw.
گر مگس تاویل بگذارد به رای ** آن مگس را بخت گرداند همای
If the fly leave off interpreting by (following his own) opinion, Fortune will turn that fly into a humáy.
آن مگس نبود کش این عبرت بود ** روح او نی در خور صورت بود1090
One who possesses this (Divine) indication (of the true meaning) is not a fly: his spirit is not analogous to his (outward) form.
تولیدن شیر از دیر آمدن خرگوش
How the lion roared wrathfully because the hare was late in coming.