اشتر و گاو و قجی در پیش راه ** یافتند اندر روش بندی گیاه

Whilst a camel, ox, and ram were going along, they found a bunch of grass in front of (them on) the road.

گفت قج بخش ار کنیم این را یقین ** هیچ کس از ما نگردد سیر ازین

The ram said, “If we divide this, certainly none of us will get his fill of it;

لیک عمر هرکه باشد بیشتر ** این علف اوراست اولی گو بخور

But whichever of us has lived longest has the best right to this fodder: let him eat;

که اکابر را مقدم داشتن ** آمدست از مصطفی اندر سنن 2460

For (the injunction) to give the foremost place to the seniors has come from Mustafá (Mohammed) among the practices observed by him,

گرچه پیران را درین دور لام ** در دو موضع پیش می‌دارند عام

Although, at this time when vile men hold sway, the vulgar put forward the elders on two occasions (only),

یا در آن لوتی که آن سوزان بود ** یا بر آن پل کز خلل ویران بود

Either in (tasting) food that is burning hot, or on a bridge that is (damaged) by cracks (and) in a state of ruin.

خدمت شیخی بزرگی قایدی ** عام نارد بی‌قرینه‌ی فاسدی

The vulgar do not pay homage to a venerable Shaykh and leader without some mischievous idea associated (with their homage).

خیرشان اینست چه بود شرشان ** قبحشان را باز دان از فرشان

This is their good: what must their evil be? Distinguish their (inward) foulness from their (outward) fairness.”

مثل

Parable.

سوی جامع می‌شد آن یک شهریار ** خلق را می‌زد نقیب و چوبدار 2465

A king was going to the congregational mosque, and the marshals and mace-bearers were beating the people off.

آن یکی را سر شکستی چوب‌زن ** و آن دگر را بر دریدی پیرهن

The wielder of the stick would break the head of one and tear to bits the shirt of another.

در میانه بی‌دلی ده چوب خورد ** بی‌گناهی که برو از راه برد

A poor wretch amidst the throng received ten blows with the stick without (having committed) any offence. “Begone,” they cried, “get out of the way!”

خون چکان رو کرد با شاه و بگفت ** ظلم ظاهر بین چه پرسی از نهفت

Dripping blood, he turned his face to the king and said, “Behold the manifest iniquity: why ask of that which is hidden?

خیر تو این است جامع می‌روی ** تا چه باشد شر و وزرت ای غوی

This is thy good: (thou doest this whilst) thou art going to the mosque; what must thy evil and burden (of sin) be, O misguided one?”

یک سلامی نشنود پیر از خسی ** تا نپیچد عاقبت از وی بسی 2470

The Pír (Elder) never hears a salaam from a base fellow without being exceedingly tormented by him in the end.

گرگ دریابد ولی را به بود ** زانک دریابد ولی را نفس بد

(If) a wolf catch a saint, it is better than that the saint should be caught by the wicked carnal soul,

زانک گرگ ارچه که بس استمگریست ** لیکش آن فرهنگ و کید و مکر نیست

Because, though the wolf does great violence, yet it has not the same knowledge and craft and cunning;

ورنه کی اندر فتادی او به دام ** مکر اندر آدمی باشد تمام

Else how should it fall into the trap? Cunning is complete (attains to perfection) in man.

گفت قج با گاو و اشتر ای رفاق ** چون چنین افتاد ما را اتفاق

The ram said to the ox and the camel, “O comrades, since such a (lucky) chance has come to us,

هر یکی تاریخ عمر ابدا کنید ** پیرتر اولیست باقی تن زنید 2475

Let each (of us) declare the date (antiquity) of his life: the oldest has the best right, let the others suffer (disappointment) in silence.

گفت قج مرج من اندر آن عهود ** با قج قربان اسمعیل بود

In those times,” said the ram, “my pasturage was (shared) with the ram that was sacrificed for Ismá‘íl (Ishmael).”

گاو گفتا بوده‌ام من سال‌خورد ** جفت آن گاوی کش آدم جفت کرد

The ox said, “I am the (most) advanced in years, (I was) coupled with the ox that Adam yoked.

جفت آن گاوم که آدم جد خلق ** در زراعت بر زمین می‌کرد فلق

I am the yoke-fellow of the ox with which Adam, the forefather of mankind, used to plough the earth in sowing.”

چون شنید از گاو و قج اشتر شگفت ** سر فرود آورد و آن را برگرفت

When the camel heard the ox and the ram (make these assertions) he was amazed: he lowered his head and picked up that (bunch of grass).

در هوا بر داشت آن بند قصیل ** اشتر بختی سبک بی‌قال و قیل 2480

Promptly, without any palaver, the Bactrian camel raised the bunch of fresh barley in the air,

که مرا خود حاجت تاریخ نیست ** کین چنین جسمی و عالی گردنیست

Saying, “I, in sooth, need no (support from) chronology, since I have such a (stout) body and high neck.

خود همه کس داند ای جان پدر ** که نباشم از شما من خردتر

Indeed every one knows, O father's darling, that I am not smaller than you.

داند این را هرکه ز اصحاب نهاست ** که نهاد من فزون‌تر از شماست

Whoever is one of those possessed of intelligence knows this, that my nature is superior to yours.”

جملگان دانند کین چرخ بلند ** هست صد چندان که این خاک نژند

(The Christian said), “All know that this lofty heaven is a hundred times as great as this low earth.

کو گشاد رقعه‌های آسمان ** کو نهاد بقعه‌های خاکدان 2485

How can the wide expanse of the celestial domains be compared with the (limited) character of the terrestrial regions?”

جواب گفتن مسلمان آنچ دید به یارانش جهود و ترسا و حسرت خوردن ایشان

How the Moslem in reply told his companions, the Jew and the Christian, what he had seen (in his dream), and how they were disappointed.

پس مسلمان گفت ای یاران من ** پیشم آمد مصطفی سلطان من

Then the Moslem said, “O my friends, to me came Mustafá (Mohammed), my sovereign,

پس مرا گفت آن یکی بر طور تاخت ** با کلیم حق و نرد عشق باخت

And said to me, ‘That one (the Jew) has sped to Sinai with him (Moses) to whom God spake, and has played the game of love (with God);

وان دگر را عیسی صاحب‌قران ** برد بر اوج چهارم آسمان

And the other (the Christian) has been carried by Jesus, the Lord of happy star, to the zenith of the Fourth Heaven.

خیز ای پس مانده‌ی دیده ضرر ** باری آن حلوا و یخنی را بخور

Arise, O thou who hast been left behind and hast suffered injury, at least eat up the sweetmeat and comfit!

آن هنرمندان پر فن راندند ** نامه‌ی اقبال و منصب خواندند 2490

Those (two) talented and accomplished men have pushed forward and have read the book of fortune and honour.

آن دو فاضل فضل خود در یافتند ** با ملایک از هنر در بافتند

Those two eminent men have attained to their (proper) eminence and because of their talents have mingled with the angels.

ای سلیم گول واپس مانده هین ** بر جه و بر کاسه‌ی حلوا نشین

Hark, O foolish simpleton who hast been left behind, jump up and seat thyself beside the bowl of halwá!’”

پس بگفتندش که آنگه تو حریص ** ای عجیب خوردی ز حلوا و خبیص

Thereupon they said to him, “Then, you greedy fellow, have you made a meal of the halwá and khabís? Oh, (what) an astonishing thing!”

گفت چون فرمود آن شاه مطاع ** من کی بودم تا کنم زان امتناع

He replied, “When that sovereign who is obeyed (by all) gave the order, who was I that I should resist it?

تو جهود از امر موسی سر کشی ** گر بخواند در خوشی یا ناخوشی 2495

Will you, Jew, rebel against the command of Moses if he summon you (either) in a fair cause or a foul?

تو مسیحی هیچ از امر مسیح ** سر توانی تافت در خیر و قبیح

Can you, Christian, ever spurn the command of Christ (whether) for good or evil?

من ز فخر انبیا سر چون کشم ** خورده‌ام حلوا و این دم سرخوشم

How, (then), should I rebel against the Glory of the prophets? I have eaten the halwá and now I am happy.”

پس بگفتندش که والله خواب راست ** تو بدیدی وین به از صد خواب ماست

Then they said to him, “By God, you have dreamed a true dream, and ’tis better than a hundred dreams of ours.

خواب تو بیداریست ای بو بطر ** که به بیداری عیانستش اثر

Your dreaming is waking, O gleeful one, for its effect (reality) is made evident by (your) waking (and eating the sweetmeat).”

در گذر از فضل و از جهدی و فن ** کار خدمت دارد و خلق حسن 2500

Abandon eminence and (worldly) energy and skill: what matters is service (rendered to God) and a goodly disposition.

بهر این آوردمان یزدان برون ** ما خلقت الانس الا یعبدون

For this (object) God brought us forth (from non-existence): “I did not create mankind except to serve Me.”

سامری را آن هنر چه سود کرد ** کان فن از باب اللهش مردود کرد

How did that knowledge (of his) profit Sámirí, whom the skill (shown in making the golden Calf) banished from God's door?

چه کشید از کیمیا قارون ببین ** که فرو بردش به قعر خود زمین

What did Qárún gain by his alchemy? See how the earth bore him down to its abyss.

بوالحکم آخر چه بر بست از هنر ** سرنگون رفت او ز کفران در سقر

What, after all, did Bu ’l-Hakam (Abú Jahl) get from (intellectual) knowledge? On account of his unbelief he went headlong into Hell.

خود هنر آن داد که دید آتش عیان ** نه کپ دل علی النار الدخان 2505

Know that (true) knowledge consists in seeing fire plainly, not in prating that smoke is evidence of fire.

ای دلیلت گنده‌تر پیش لبیب ** در حقیقت از دلیل آن طبیب

O you whose evidence in the eyes of the Sage is really more stinking than the evidence of the physician,