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3
2600-2649

  • یادم آمد قصه‌ی اهل سبا ** کز دم احمق صباشان شد وبا 2600
  • I am reminded of the story of the people of Sabá—how their (balmy) zephyr (sabá) was turned into pestilence (wabá) by the words of the foolish.

  • آن سبا ماند به شهر بس کلان ** در فسانه بشنوی از کودکان
  • That (kingdom of) Sabá resembles the great big city (which) you may hear of from children in (their) tales.

  • کودکان افسانه‌ها می‌آورند ** درج در افسانه‌شان بس سر و پند
  • The children relate tales, (but) in their tales there is enfolded many a mystery and (moral) lesson.

  • هزلها گویند در افسانه‌ها ** گنج می‌جو در همه ویرانه‌ها
  • (Though) in (their) tales they say (many) ridiculous things, (yet) in all ruined places do thou ever seek the treasure.

  • بود شهری بس عظیم و مه ولی ** قدر او قدر سکره بیش نی
  • (Once) there was a city very huge and great, but its size was the size of a saucer, no more (than that).

  • بس عظیم و بس فراخ و بس دراز ** سخت زفت زفت اندازه‌ی پیاز 2605
  • (It was) very huge and very broad and very long, ever so big, as big as an onion.

  • مردم ده شهر مجموع اندرو ** لیک جمله سه تن ناشسته‌رو
  • The people of ten cities were assembled within it, but the whole (amounted to) three fellows with unwashed (dirty) faces.

  • اندرو خلق و خلایق بی‌شمار ** لیک آن جمله سه خام پخته‌خوار
  • Within it there were numberless people and folk, but the whole of them (amounted to) three beggarly fools.

  • جان ناکرده به جانان تاختن ** گر هزارانست باشد نیم تن
  • The soul that has not made haste towards the Beloved— (even) if it is thousands, (yet) it is (only) half a body.

  • آن یکی بس دور بین و دیده‌کور ** از سلیمان کور و دیده پای مور
  • One (of the three) was very far-sighted and blind-eyed— blind to Solomon and seeing the leg of the ant;

  • و آن دگر بس تیزگوش و سخت کر ** گنج و در وی نیست یک جو سنگ زر 2610
  • And the second was very sharp of hearing and extremely deaf—a treasure in which there is not a barleycorn's weight of gold;

  • وآن دگر عور و برهنه لاشه‌باز ** لیک دامنهای جامه‌ی او دراز
  • And the other (the third) was naked and bare, pudendo patefacto, but the skirts of his raiment were long. [And the other (the third) was naked and bare, (the private parts of his) body exposed, but the skirts of his raiment were long.]

  • گفت کور اینک سپاهی می‌رسند ** من همی‌بینم که چه قومند و چند
  • The blind man said, “Look, an army is approaching: I see what people they are and how many.”

  • گفت کر آری شنودم بانگشان ** که چه می‌گویند پیدا و نهان
  • The deaf man said, “Yes; I heard their voices (and know) what they are saying openly and secretly.”

  • آن برهنه گفت ترسان زین منم ** که ببرند از درازی دامنم
  • The naked man said, “I am afraid they will cut off (something) from the length of my skirt.”

  • کور گفت اینک به نزدیک آمدند ** خیز بگریزیم پیش از زخم و بند 2615
  • The blind man said, “Look, they have come near! Arise and let us flee before (we suffer) blows and chains.”

  • کر همی‌گوید که آری مشغله ** می‌شود نزدیکتر یاران هله
  • “Yes,” says the deaf man, “the noise is getting nearer. Come on, my friends!”

  • آن برهنه گفت آوه دامنم ** از طمع برند و من ناآمنم
  • The naked man said, “Alas, from covetousness they will cut off my skirt, and I am unprotected.”

  • شهر را هشتند و بیرون آمدند ** در هزیمت در دهی اندر شدند
  • They (the three) left the city and came forth and in their flight entered a village.

  • اندر آن ده مرغ فربه یافتند ** لیک ذره‌ی گوشت بر وی نه نژند
  • In that village they found a fat fowl, but not a mite of flesh on it: (’twas) abject—

  • مرغ مرده‌ی خشک وز زخم کلاغ ** استخوانها زار گشته چون پناغ 2620
  • A dried-up dead fowl, and its bones through being pecked at by crows had become bare like threads.

  • زان همی‌خوردند چون از صید شیر ** هر یکی از خوردنش چون پیل سیر
  • They were eating thereof as a lion (eats) of his prey: each of them (became) surfeited, like an elephant, with eating it.

  • هر سه زان خوردند و بس فربه شدند ** چون سه پیل بس بزرگ و مه شدند
  • All the three ate thereof and grew exceedingly fat: they became like three very great and big elephants,

  • آنچنان کز فربهی هر یک جوان ** در نگنجیدی ز زفتی در جهان
  • In such wise that each young man, because of fatness, was too stout to be contained in the world.

  • با چنین گبزی و هفت اندام زفت ** از شکاف در برون جستند و رفت
  • Notwithstanding such bigness and seven stout limbs, they sprang forth through a chink in the door and departed.

  • راه مرگ خلق ناپیدا رهیست ** در نظر ناید که آن بی‌جا رهیست 2625
  • The way of creaturely death is an invisible way: it comes not into sight, for it is a way without locality.

  • نک پیاپی کاروانها مقتفی ** زین شکاف در که هست آن مختفی
  • Lo, the caravans are following one after another through this chink which is hidden (from view) in the door.

  • بر در ار جویی نیابی آن شکاف ** سخت ناپیدا و زو چندین زفاف
  • If you look on the door for that chink, you will not find it: (it is) extremely unapparent, though (there are) so many processions through it.

  • شرح آن کور دوربین و آن کر تیزشنو و آن برهنه دراز دامن
  • Explaining (what is signified by) the far-sighted blind man, the deaf man who is sharp of hearing, and the naked man with the long skirts.

  • کر امل را دان که مرگ ما شنید ** مرگ خود نشنید و نقل خود ندید
  • Know that Hope is the deaf man who has (often) heard of our dying, (but) has not heard of his own death or regarded his own decease.

  • حرص نابیناست بیند مو بمو ** عیب خلقان و بگوید کو بکو
  • The blind man is Greed: he sees other people's faults, hair by hair, and tells them from street to street,

  • عیب خود یک ذره چشم کور او ** می‌نبیند گرچه هست او عیب‌جو 2630
  • (But) his blind eyes do not perceive one mote of his own faults, albeit he is a fault-finder.

  • عور می‌ترسد که دامانش برند ** دامن مرد برهنه چون درند
  • The naked man is afraid that his skirt will be cut off: how should they (any one) cut off the skirt of a naked man?

  • مرد دنیا مفلس است و ترسناک ** هیچ او را نیست از دزدانش باک
  • The worldly man is destitute and terrified: he possesses nothing, (yet) he has dread of thieves.

  • او برهنه آمد و عریان رود ** وز غم دزدش جگر خون می‌شود
  • Bare he came and naked he goes, and (all the while) his heart is bleeding with anxiety on account of the thief

  • وقت مرگش که بود صد نوحه بیش ** خنده آید جانش را زین ترس خویش
  • At the hour of death when a hundred lamentations are (being made) beside him, his spirit begins to laugh at its own fear.

  • آن زمان داند غنی کش نیست زر ** هم ذکی داند که او بد بی‌هنر 2635
  • At that moment the rich man knows that he has no gold; the keen-witted man, too, knows that he is devoid of talent.

  • چون کنار کودکی پر از سفال ** کو بر آن لرزان بود چون رب مال
  • (’Tis) like (as when) a child's lap (is) filled with potsherds, for he (the child) is trembling for them, like the owner of riches.

  • گر ستانی پاره‌ای گریان شود ** پاره گر بازش دهی خندان شود
  • If you take a piece away, he begins to weep; and if you give the piece back to him, he begins to laugh.

  • چون نباشد طفل را دانش دثار ** گریه و خنده‌ش ندارد اعتبار
  • Since the child is not endued with knowledge, his weeping and laughter have no importance.

  • محتشم چون عاریت را ملک دید ** پس بر آن مال دروغین می‌طپید
  • Inasmuch as the magnate regarded that which is (only) a loan as (his) property, he was quivering (with anxiety) for that false wealth.

  • خواب می‌بیند که او را هست مال ** ترسد از دزدی که برباید جوال 2640
  • He dreams that he has wealth and is afraid of the thief who may carry off his sack (of gold).

  • چون ز خوابش بر جهاند گوش‌کش ** پس ز ترس خویش تسخر آیدش
  • When Death pulls his ear and makes him start up from slumber, then he falls to mocking at his fears.

  • همچنان لرزانی این عالمان ** که بودشان عقل و علم این جهان
  • Even such (is) the trembling of these learned scholars who have the intelligence and knowledge of this world.

  • از پی این عاقلان ذو فنون ** گفت ایزد در نبی لا یعلمون
  • On account of these accomplished (and) intelligent men, God said in the Qur’án, They do not know.

  • هر یکی ترسان ز دزدی کسی ** خویشتن را علم پندارد بسی
  • Each (of them) is afraid of some one's stealing (his time): he fancies that he possesses a great deal of knowledge.

  • گوید او که روزگارم می‌برند ** خود ندارد روزگار سودمند 2645
  • He says, “They are wasting my time,” (but) in truth he has no time that is profitable.

  • گوید از کارم بر آوردند خلق ** غرق بی‌کاریست جانش تابه حلق
  • He says, “The people have taken me away from my work,” (but) his soul is plunged in idleness up to the throat.

  • عور ترسان که منم دامن کشان ** چون رهانم دامن از چنگالشان
  • (Like) the naked man (he) is frightened and says, “I am trailing a (long) skirt: how shall I save my skirt from their clutches?”

  • صد هزاران فضل داند از علوم ** جان خود را می‌نداند آن ظلوم
  • He knows a hundred thousand superfluous matters connected with the (various) sciences, (but) that unjust man does not know his own soul.

  • داند او خاصیت هر جوهری ** در بیان جوهر خود چون خری
  • He knows the special properties of every substance, (but) in elucidating his own substance (essence) he is (as ignorant) as an ass,