با سلیمان یک به یک وامی‌‌نمود ** از برای عرضه خود را می‌‌ستود1210
Were revealing, one by one, to Solomon, and were praising themselves by way of submitting a request (for his consideration),
از تکبر نی و از هستی خویش ** بهر آن تا ره دهد او را به پیش
Not from pride and self-conceit, (but) in order that he might give them access to him.
چون بباید برده‌‌ای را خواجه‌‌ای ** عرضه دارد از هنر دیباجه‌‌ای
When a captive wants a lord (to buy him as a slave), he offers a preface (summary account) of his talent;
چون که دارد از خریداریش ننگ ** خود کند بیمار و کر و شل و لنگ
(But) when he is ashamed (disgusted) at his buying him, he makes himself out to be sick and deaf and palsied and lame.
نوبت هدهد رسید و پیشه‌‌اش ** و آن بیان صنعت و اندیشه‌‌اش
The turn came for the hoopoe and his craft and the explanation of his skill and thoughtfulness.
گفت ای شه یک هنر کان کهتر است ** باز گویم گفت کوته بهتر است1215
“O king,” said he, “I will declare (only) one talent, which is an inferior one; ’tis better to speak briefly.”
گفت بر گو تا کدام است آن هنر ** گفت من آن گه که باشم اوج بر
“Tell on,” said Solomon; “let me hear what talent that is.” The hoopoe said, “At the time when I am at the zenith,
بنگرم از اوج با چشم یقین ** من ببینم آب در قعر زمین
I gaze from the zenith with the eye of certainty and I see the water at the bottom of the earth,
تا کجایست و چه عمق استش چه رنگ ** از چه می‌‌جوشد ز خاکی یا ز سنگ
So that (I know) where it is and what is its depth; what its colour is, whence it gushes forth—from clay or from rock.
ای سلیمان بهر لشکرگاه را ** در سفر می‌‌دار این آگاه را
O Solomon, for the sake of thine army's camping-place keep this wise one (beside thee) on thy expeditions.”
پس سلیمان گفت ای نیکو رفیق ** در بیابانهای بی‌‌آب عمیق1220
Then said Solomon, “O good companion in waterless far-stretching wastes!”
طعنه‌‌ی زاغ در دعوی هدهد
How the crow impugned the claim of the hoopoe.
زاغ چون بشنود آمد از حسد ** با سلیمان گفت کاو کژ گفت و بد
When the crow heard (this), from envy he came and said to Solomon, “He has spoken false and ill.
از ادب نبود به پیش شه مقال ** خاصه خود لاف دروغین و محال
It is not respectful to speak in the king's presence, in particular (to utter) lying and absurd self-praise.
گر مر او را این نظر بودی مدام ** چون ندیدی زیر مشتی خاک دام
If he had always had this (keen) sight, how would not he have seen the snare beneath a handful of earth?
چون گرفتار آمدی در دام او ** چون قفس اندر شدی ناکام او
How would he have been caught in the snare? How would he have gone into the cage willy-nilly?”
پس سلیمان گفت ای هدهد رواست ** کز تو در اول قدح این درد خاست1225
Then Solomon said: “O hoopoe, is it right that these dregs have risen from thee at the first cup?
چون نمایی مستی ای خورده تو دوغ ** پیش من لافی زنی آن گه دروغ
O thou who hast drunk buttermilk, how dost thou pretend intoxication and brag in my presence and tell lies besides?”
جواب گفتن هدهد طعنه‌‌ی زاغ را
The hoopoe's answer to the attack of the crow.
گفت ای شه بر من عور گدای ** قول دشمن مشنو از بهر خدای
He said, “O king, for God's sake do not listen to the enemy's words against me, bare beggar as I am.
گر به بطلان است دعوی کردنم ** من نهادم سر ببر این گردنم
If my claim is (made) with falsehood, I lay my head (before thee): sever this neck of mine.
زاغ کاو حکم قضا را منکر است ** گر هزاران عقل دارد کافر است
The crow, who disbelieves in the (absolute) authority of the Divine destiny, is an infidel, though he have thousands of wits.
در تو تا کافی بود از کافران ** جای گند و شهوتی چون کاف ران1230
Whilst there is in you a single k (derived) from the káfirán (infidels), you are the seat of stench and lust, velut rima femoris. [Whilst there is in you a single k (derived) from the káfirán (infidels), you are the seat of stench and lust, like the slit (vulva) between the thighs (of a woman).]
من ببینم دام را اندر هوا ** گر نپوشد چشم عقلم را قضا
I see the snare (when I am) in the air, if the Divine destiny do not muffle the eye of my intelligence.
چون قضا آید شود دانش به خواب ** مه سیه گردد بگیرد آفتاب
When the Divine destiny comes, wisdom goes to sleep, the moon becomes black, the sun is stopped (from shining).
از قضا این تعبیه کی نادر است ** از قضا دان کاو قضا را منکر است
How is this disposal (of things) by the Divine destiny (to be called) singular? Know that it is by the Divine destiny that he (the infidel) disbelieves in the Divine destiny.
قصه‌‌ی آدم علیه السلام و بستن قضا نظر او را از مراعات صریح نهی و ترک تاویل
The story of Adam, on whom be peace, and how the Divine destiny sealed up his sight so that he failed to observe the plain meaning of the prohibition and to refrain from interpreting it.
بو البشر کاو علم الاسما بگ است ** صد هزاران علمش اندر هر رگ است
The father of mankind, who is the lord of He (God) taught (Adam) the Names, hath hundreds of thousands of sciences in every vein.
اسم هر چیزی چنان کان چیز هست ** تا به پایان جان او را داد دست1235
To his soul accrued (knowledge of) the name of every thing, even as that thing exists (in its real nature) unto the end (of the world).
هر لقب کاو داد آن مبدل نشد ** آن که چستش خواند او کاهل نشد
No title that he gave became changed: that one whom he called ‘brisk’ did not become ‘lazy.’
هر که آخر مومن است اول بدید ** هر که آخر کافر او را شد پدید
Whoso is (to be) a believer at the last, he saw at the first; whoso is (to be) an infidel at the last, to him it became manifest.
اسم هر چیزی تو از دانا شنو ** سر رمز علم الاسما شنو
Do thou hear the name of every thing from the knower: hear the inmost meaning of the mystery of He taught the Names.
اسم هر چیزی بر ما ظاهرش ** اسم هر چیزی بر خالق سرش
With us, the name of every thing is its outward (appearance); with the Creator, the name of every thing is its inward (reality).
نزد موسی نام چوبش بد عصا ** نزد خالق بود نامش اژدها1240
In the eyes of Moses the name of his rod was ‘staff’; in the eyes of the Creator its name was ‘dragon.’
بد عمر را نام اینجا بت پرست ** لیک مومن بود نامش در الست
Here the name of ‘Umar was ‘idolater,’ but in Alast. his name was ‘believer.’
آن که بد نزدیک ما نامش منی ** پیش حق این نقش بد که با منی
That of which the name, with us, was ‘seed’ was, in the sight of God, this figure (of thee) who art (now) with me.
صورتی بود این منی اندر عدم ** پیش حق موجود نه بیش و نه کم
This ‘seed’ was a form (idea) in non-existence (potentiality), existent with God, neither more nor less (than the form in which it appeared externally).
حاصل آن آمد حقیقت نام ما ** پیش حضرت کان بود انجام ما
In brief, that which is our end is really our name with God.
مرد را بر عاقبت نامی نهد ** نه بر آن کاو عاریت نامی نهد1245
He bestows on a man a name according to his final state, not according to that (state) to which He gives the name of ‘a loan.’
چشم آدم چون به نور پاک دید ** جان و سر نامها گشتش پدید
Inasmuch as the eye of Adam saw by means of the Pure Light, the soul and inmost sense of the names became evident to him.
چون ملک انوار حق در وی بیافت ** در سجود افتاد و در خدمت شتافت
Since the angels perceived in him the rays of God, they fell in worship and hastened to do homage.
مدح این آدم که نامش می‌‌برم ** قاصرم گر تا قیامت بشمرم
If until the Resurrection I reckon up the praise of this Adam whose name I am celebrating, I fall short (of what is due).
این همه دانست و چون آمد قضا ** دانش یک نهی شد بر وی خطا
All this he knew; (yet) when the Divine destiny came, he was at fault in the knowledge of a single prohibition,
کای عجب نهی از پی تحریم بود ** یا به تاویلی بد و توهیم بود1250
Wondering whether the prohibition was for the purpose of making unlawful (the thing prohibited), or whether it admitted of an interpretation and was a cause of perplexity.
در دلش تاویل چون ترجیح یافت ** طبع در حیرت سوی گندم شتافت
When (the view that it admitted of) interpretation prevailed in his mind, his nature hastened in bewilderment towards the wheat.
باغبان را خار چون در پای رفت ** دزد فرصت یافت، کالا برد تفت
When the thorn went into the foot of the gardener (Adam), the thief (Satan) found an opportunity and quickly carried off the goods.
چون ز حیرت رست باز آمد به راه ** دید برده دزد رخت از کارگاه
As soon as he escaped from bewilderment, he returned into the (right) road; (then) he saw that the thief had carried off the wares from the shop.
ربنا إنا ظلمنا گفت و آه ** یعنی آمد ظلمت و گم گشت راه
He cried, ‘O Lord, we have done wrong,’ and ‘Alas,’ that is to say, ‘darkness came and the way was lost.’
پس قضا ابری بود خورشید پوش ** شیر و اژدرها شود زو همچو موش1255
Divine destiny, then, is a cloud that covers the sun: thereby lions and dragons become as mice.
من اگر دامی نبینم گاه حکم ** من نه تنها جاهلم در راه حکم
If I (the hoopoe) do not see a snare in the hour of Divine ordainment, ’tis not I alone who am ignorant in the course of Divine ordainment.”
ای خنک آن کاو نکو کاری گرفت ** زور را بگذاشت او زاری گرفت
Oh, happy he that clave to righteousness, he (that) let (his own) strength go and took to supplication!