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6
2920-2969

  • هر که او یک‌بار خود بدنام شد  ** خود نباید نام جست و خام شد  2920
  • Whoever has once got a bad name must not seek (to win) a (good) name and (thereby) become half-baked.

  • ای بسا زر که سیه‌تابش کنند  ** تا شود آمن ز تاراج و گزند 
  • Oh, many a (piece of) gold is made (like) black polished iron in order that it may be saved from pillage and calamity.

  • قصه‌ی آنک گاو بحری گوهر کاویان از قعر دریا بر آورد شب بر ساحل دریا نهد در درخش و تاب آن می‌چرد بازرگان از کمین برون آید چون گاو از گوهر دورتر رفته باشد بازرگان به لجم و گل تیره گوهر را بپوشاند و بر درخت گریزد الی آخر القصه و التقریب 
  • Story of the sea-cow: how it brings up the royal pearl from the depths of the ocean and at night lays it on the seashore and feeds in the resplendence and lustre thereof; and how the trader comes forth from his hiding-place and, when the cow has gone some distance away from the pearl, covers the pearl with loam and black clay and runs off and climbs a tree; and so on to the end of the story and exposition.

  • گاو آبی گوهر از بحر آورد  ** بنهد اندر مرج و گردش می‌چرد 
  • The water-cow fetches a pearl out of the sea, lays it on the meadow, and grazes around it.

  • در شعاع نور گوهر گاو آب  ** می‌چرد از سنبل و سوسن شتاب 
  • In the radiance of the light of the pearl the water-cow feeds hurriedly on hyacinths and lilies.

  • زان فکنده‌ی گاو آبی عنبرست  ** که غذااش نرگس و نیلوفرست 
  • The excrement of the water-cow is ambergris because its food is narcissus and nenuphar.

  • هرکه باشد قوت او نور جلال  ** چون نزاید از لبش سحر حلال  2925
  • Any one whose food is the Light of (Divine) Majesty, how should not lawful magic (wondrous eloquence) spring from his lips?

  • هرکه چون زنبور وحیستش نفل  ** چون نباشد خانه‌ی او پر عسل 
  • Any one who, like the bee, has been given (Divine) inspiration as a prize, how should not his house be full of honey?

  • می‌چرد در نور گوهر آن بقر  ** ناگهان گردد ز گوهر دورتر 
  • The cow grazes in the light of the pearl; (then) suddenly it moves some distance away from the pearl.

  • تاجری بر در نهد لجم سیاه  ** تا شود تاریک مرج و سبزه‌گاه 
  • A trader (appears and) puts black loam on the pearl, so that the meadow and verdant ground becomes dark.

  • پس گریزد مرد تاجر بر درخت  ** گاوجویان مرد را با شاخ سخت 
  • Then the trader takes refuge on a tree, while the cow seeks the man with its hard horn.

  • بیست بار آن گاو تازد گرد مرج  ** تا کند آن خصم را در شاخ درج  2930
  • Twenty times the cow runs about the meadow, in order to impale its enemy on its horn.

  • چون ازو نومید گردد گاو نر  ** آید آنجا که نهاده بد گهر 
  • When the fierce cow despairs of (finding) him, it comes to the place where the pearl was laid

  • لجم بیند فوق در شاه‌وار  ** پس ز طین بگریزد او ابلیس‌وار 
  • And sees the loam (spread) over the royal pearl; then it runs away from the clay, like Iblís.

  • کان بلیس از متن طین کور و کرست  ** گاو کی داند که در گل گوهرست 
  • (Since) Iblís is blind and deaf to the gist (spiritual content) of the clay (of Adam), how should the cow know that the pearl is in the clay?

  • اهبطوا افکند جان را در حضیض  ** از نمازش کرد محروم این محیض 
  • (The Divine command) fall ye cast the spirit into abasement: this menstruation excluded it from prayer (communion with God).

  • ای رفیقان زین مقیل و زان مقال  ** اتقوا ان الهوی حیض الرجال  2935
  • O comrades, beware of this resting-place and of that (idle) talk: verily, sensuality is the menstruation of men.

  • اهبطوا افکند جان را در بدن  ** تا به گل پنهان بود در عدن 
  • (The Divine command) fall ye cast the spirit into the body, that the pearl of Aden might be hidden in clay.

  • تاجرش داند ولیکن گاو نی  ** اهل دل دانند و هر گل‌کاو نی 
  • The trader knows it, but the cow does not: the spiritual know, but not any clay-digger.

  • هر گلی که اندر دل او گوهریست  ** گوهرش غماز طین دیگریست 
  • Every piece of clay in the heart of which there is a pearl—its pearl can tell the secrets of another (piece of) clay;

  • وان گلی کز رش حق نوری نیافت  ** صحبت گلهای پر در بر نتافت 
  • While the clay that has not been illumined by God's sprinkling (of light) cannot bear the companionship of the pieces of clay that are filled with pearls.

  • این سخن پایان ندارد موش ما  ** هست بر لبهای جو بر گوش ما  2940
  • This topic is endless, (and meanwhile) our mouse on the bank of the river is (waiting) on our ear (attention).

  • رجوع کردن به قصه‌ی طلب کردن آن موش آن چغز را لب‌لب جو و کشیدن سر رشته تا چغز را در آب خبر شود از طلب او 
  • Return to the Story of the mouse seeking the frog on the river-bank and pulling the string in order that the frog in the water might become aware of his seeking him.

  • آن سرشته‌ی عشق رشته می‌کشد  ** بر امید وصل چغز با رشد 
  • That (creature) moulded of love is pulling the string in hope of being united with the righteous frog.

  • می‌تند بر رشته‌ی دل دم به دم  ** که سر رشته به دست آورده‌ام 
  • He is perpetually harping on the heart-string, saying, “I have got the end of the string in my paw.

  • هم‌چو تاری شد دل و جان در شهود  ** تا سر رشته به من رویی نمود 
  • My heart and soul have become as (frail as) a thread in contemplation, ever since the end of the string (the prospect of success) showed itself to me.”

  • خود غراب البین آمد ناگهان  ** بر شکار موش و بردش زان مکان 
  • But suddenly the raven of separation came to chase the mouse and carried it off from that spot.

  • چون بر آمد بر هوا موش از غراب  ** منسحب شد چغز نیز از قعر آب  2945
  • When the mouse was taken up into the air by the raven, the frog too was dragged from the bottom of the water.

  • موش در منقار زاغ و چغز هم  ** در هوا آویخته پا در رتم 
  • The mouse (was) in the raven's beak, and the frog likewise (was) suspended in the air, (with) its foot (entangled) in the string.

  • خلق می‌گفتند زاغ از مکر و کید  ** چغز آبی را چگونه کرد صید 
  • The people were saying, “How could the raven make the water-frog its prey by craft and cunning?

  • چون شد اندر آب و چونش در ربود  ** چغز آبی کی شکار زاغ بود 
  • How could it go into the water, and how could it carry him off? When was the water-frog (ever) the raven's prey?”

  • چغز گفتا این سزای آن کسی  ** کو چو بی‌آبان شود جفت خسی 
  • “This,” said the frog, “is the fit punishment for that one who, like persons devoid of honour, consorts with a rascal.”

  • ای فغان از یار ناجنس ای فغان  ** هم‌نشین نیک جویید ای مهان  2950
  • Oh, alas, alas for the sorrow caused by a base friend! O sirs, seek ye a good companion.

  • عقل را افغان ز نفس پر عیوب  ** هم‌چو بینی بدی بر روی خوب 
  • Reason complains bitterly of the vicious carnal soul: (they are as discordant) as an ugly nose on a beautiful face.

  • عقل می‌گفتش که جنسیت یقین  ** از ره معنیست نی از آب و طین 
  • Reason was saying to him (the frog), “’Tis certain that congeniality is spiritual in origin and is not (derived) from water and clay (the outward form).”

  • هین مشو صورت‌پرست و این مگو  ** سر جنسیت به صورت در مجو 
  • Take heed, do not become a worshipper of form and do not say this. Do not seek (to discover) the secret of congeniality in the (outward) form.

  • صورت آمد چون جماد و چون حجر  ** نیست جامد را ز جنسیت خبر 
  • Form resembles the mineral and the stone: an inorganic thing has no knowledge of congeniality.

  • جان چو مور و تن چو دانه‌ی گندمی  ** می‌کشاند سو به سویش هر دمی  2955
  • The spirit is like an ant, and the body like a grain of wheat which it (the ant) carries to and fro continually.

  • مور داند کان حبوب مرتهن  ** مستحیل و جنس من خواهد شدن 
  • The ant knows that the grains of which it has taken charge will be changed and become homogeneous with it.

  • آن یکی موری گرفت از راه جو  ** مور دیگر گندمی بگرفت و دو 
  • One ant picks up (a grain of) barley on the road, another ant picks up a grain of wheat and runs away.

  • جو سوی گندم نمی‌تازد ولی  ** مور سوی مور می‌آید بلی 
  • The barley does not hurry to the wheat, but the ant comes to the ant; yes (it does).

  • رفتن جو سوی گندم تابعست  ** مور را بین که به جنسش راجعست 
  • The going of the barley to the wheat is (merely) consequential: (’tis) the ant, mark you, (that) returns to its congener.

  • تو مگو گندم چرا شد سوی جو  ** چشم را بر خصم نه نی بر گرو  2960
  • Do not say, “Why did the wheat go to the barley?” Fix your eye on the holder, not on that which he holds in pawn.

  • مور اسود بر سر لبد سیاه  ** مور پنهان دانه پیدا پیش راه 
  • (As when) a black ant (moves along) on a black felt cloth: the ant is hidden (from view), (only) the grain is visible on its way,

  • عقل گوید چشم را نیکو نگر  ** دانه هرگز کی رود بی دانه‌بر 
  • (But) Reason says, “Look well to your eye: when does a grain ever go along without a grain-bearer?”

  • زین سبب آمد سوی اصحاب کلب  ** هست صورتها حبوب و مور قلب 
  • (’Twas) on this account (that) the dog came to the Companions (of the Cave): the (outward) forms are (like) the grains, while the heart (spirit) is (like) the ant.

  • زان شود عیسی سوی پاکان چرخ  ** بد قفس‌ها مختلف یک جنس فرخ 
  • Hence Jesus goes (ascends) to the holy ones of Heaven: the cages (bodies) were diverse, (but) the young birds (spirits) were of the same kind.

  • این قفس پیدا و آن فرخش نهان  ** بی‌قفس کش کی قفس باشد روان  2965
  • This cage is visible, but the young bird in it is hidden (from sight): how should the cage be moving without a cage-carrier?

  • ای خنک چشمی که عقلستش امیر  ** عاقبت‌بین باشد و حبر و قریر 
  • Oh, blessed is the eye that is ruled by reason, (the eye) that discerns the end and is wise and cool.

  • فرق زشت و نغز از عقل آورید  ** نی ز چشمی کز سیه گفت و سپید 
  • Get (learn) the distinction between evil and good from reason, not from the eye that tells (only) of black and white.

  • چشم غره شد به خضرای دمن  ** عقل گوید بر محک ماش زن 
  • The eye is beguiled by the verdure on dunghills, (but) reason says, “Put it to my touchstone.”

  • آفت مرغست چشم کام‌بین  ** مخلص مرغست عقل دام‌بین 
  • The eye that sees (only) its (object of) desire is the bird's bane; reason, which sees the trap, is the bird's means of deliverance.