امردی و کوسه‌ای در انجمن ** آمدند و مجمعی بد در وطن
A beardless boy and a youth with a few hairs on his chin came to a festive gathering, for there was an assembly-place in the town.
مشتغل ماندند قوم منتجب ** روز رفت و شد زمانه ثلث شب
The select party remained busy (enjoying themselves) till the day was gone and a third of the night had passed.
زان عزب‌خانه نرفتند آن دو کس ** هم بخفتند آن سو از بیم عسس 3845
The two (brothers) did not leave that house for celibates: they lay down to sleep there for fear of (meeting) the night-patrol.
کوسه را بد بر زنخدان چار مو ** لیک هم‌چون ماه بدرش بود رو
The youth had four hairs on his chin, but his face was like the full-moon (in beauty).
کودک امرد به صورت بود زشت ** هم نهاد اندر پس کون بیست خشت
The beardless boy was ugly in appearance: post culum tamen viginti lateres posuit. [The beardless boy was ugly in appearance: yet he placed twenty bricks behind (his) buttocks.]
لوطیی دب برد شب در انبهی ** خشتها را نقل کرد آن مشتهی
Paedicator quidam noctu in frequentia hominum adrepsit: lateres amovit vir libidinosus. [A pederast crept through a crowd (of sleepers) at night; the lustful man moved the bricks.]
دست چون بر وی زد او از جا بجست ** گفت هی تو کیستی ای سگ‌پرست
Cum manum ei injiceret exsiluit puer: “eho,” inquit, “tu quis homo es, O canis cultor?” [When his hand touched him, he jumped up from his place: “hey,” he asked, “who are you, O worshipper of dogs?”]
گفت این سی خشت چون انباشتی ** گفت تو سی خشت چون بر داشتی 3850
Respondit: “Cur hos triginta lateres congessisti?” “Tu,” inquit, “cur triginta lateris sustulisti? [He replied, “Why did you heap up these thirty bricks?” “Why,” he asked, “did you take off the thirty bricks?]
کودک بیمارم و از ضعف خود ** کردم اینجا احتیاط و مرتقد
I am a sick boy and because of my weakness I took precautions and made here a place to lie down.”
گفت اگر داری ز رنجوری تفی ** چون نرفتی جانب دار الشفا
He replied, “If you are ill with a fever, why didn't you go to the hospital
یا به خانه‌ی یک طبیبی مشفقی ** که گشادی از سقامت مغلقی
Or to the house of a kindly physician, in order that he might relieve you of your malady?”
گفت آخر من کجا دانم شدن ** که بهرجا می‌روم من ممتحن
“Why,” said he, “where can I go? for wherever I go, persecuted (as I am),
چون تو زندیقی پلیدی ملحدی ** می بر آرد سر به پیشم چون ددی 3855
Some foul ungodly miscreant like you springs up before me like a wild beast.
خانقاهی که بود بهتر مکان ** من ندیدم یک دمی در وی امان
The dervish-convent, which is the best place—not (even) there do I find safety for one moment.
رو به من آرند مشتی حمزه‌خوار ** چشم‌ها پر نطفه کف خایه‌فشار
A handful of (greedy) pottage-eaters direct their looks at me: oculi semine impleti dum pressant manibus testiculos; [A handful of (greedy) pottage-eaters direct their looks at me: (their) eyes full of sperm (while their) hands (are) squeezing their testicles;]
وانک ناموسیست خود از زیر زیر ** غمزه دزدد می‌دهد مالش به کیر
And even he that has regard for decorum steals covert glances et penem fricat. [And even he that has regard for decorum steals covert glances (while) rubbing (his) penis.]
خانقه چون این بود بازار عام ** چون بود خر گله و دیوان خام
Since the convent is (like) this, what must the public market be like? A herd of asses and boorish devils!
خر کجا ناموس و تقوی از کجا ** خر چه داند خشیت و خوف و رجا 3860
What has an ass to do with decorum and piety? How should an ass know (anything about) reverence and fear and hope?
عقل باشد آمنی و عدل‌جو ** بر زن و بر مرد اما عقل کو
(Real) intelligence consists in being safe (from temptation) and in the desire to act justly towards (every) woman and towards (every) man; but where is (such) intelligence (to be found)?
ور گریزم من روم سوی زنان ** هم‌چو یوسف افتم اندر افتتان
And if I run away and go to the women, I should fall into tribulation like Joseph.
یوسف از زن یافت زندان و فشار ** من شوم توزیع بر پنجاه دار
Joseph suffered imprisonment and torment at the hands of a woman: I should be divided amongst fifty gibbets.
آن زنان از جاهلی بر من تنند ** اولیاشان قصد جان من کنند
Those women in their foolishness would attach themselves to me, and (then) their nearest and dearest (relatives by blood or marriage) would seek my life.
نه ز مردان چاره دارم نه از زنان ** چون کنم که نی ازینم نه از آن 3865
I have no means of escape either from men or women: what can I do, since I belong neither to these nor to those?”
بعد از آن کودک به کوسه بنگریست ** گفت او با آن دو مو از غم بریست
After (making) that (complaint) the boy looked at the youth and said, “He is quit of trouble by reason of the two (or three) hairs (on his chin).
فارغست از خشت و از پیکار خشت ** وز چو تو مادرفروش کنک زشت
He is independent of the bricks and of quarrelling over the bricks and of a wicked young ruffian like you who would sell (prostitute) his own mother.
بر زنخ سه چار مو بهر نمون ** بهتر از سی خشت گرداگرد کون
Three or four hairs on the chin as a notice are better than triginta lateres circa culum.” [Three or four hairs on the chin as a notice are better than thirty bricks around the buttocks.”]
ذره‌ای سایه‌ی عنایت بهترست ** از هزاران کوشش طاعت‌پرست
One atom of the shade (protection) of (Divine) favour is better than a thousand endeavours of the devout pietist,
زانک شیطان خشت طاعت بر کند ** گر دو صد خشتست خود را ره کند 3870
Because the Devil will remove the bricks of piety: (even) if there are two hundred bricks he will make a way for himself.
خشت اگر پرست بنهاده‌ی توست ** آن دو سه مو از عطای آن سوست
If the bricks are numerous, (yet) they are laid by you, (while) those two or three hairs are a gift from Yonder.
در حقیقت هر یکی مو زان کهیست ** کان امان‌نامه‌ی صله‌ی شاهنشهیست
In reality each one of those (hairs) is (firm) as a mountain, for it is a safe conduct bestowed by an Emperor.
تو اگر صد قفل بنهی بر دری ** بر کند آن جمله را خیره‌سری
If you put a hundred locks on a door, some reckless fellow may remove them all;
شحنه‌ای از موم اگر مهری نهد ** پهلوانان را از آن دل بشکهد
(But) if a police magistrate put a wax seal (on it), at (the sight of) that (even) the hearts of doughty champions will quail.
آن دو سه تار عنایت هم‌چو کوه ** سد شد چون فر سیما در وجوه 3875
Those two or three hair-threads of (Divine) favour form a barrier (strong) as a mountain (against evil), like majesty of aspect in the faces (of potentates).
خشت را مگذار ای نیکوسرشت ** لیک هم آمن مخسپ از دیو زشت
Do not neglect (to lay) the bricks, O man of goodly nature; but at the same time do not sleep (as though you were) safe from the wicked Devil.
رو دو تا مو زان کرم با دست آر ** وانگهان آمن بخسپ و غم مدار
Go and get two hairs of that (Divine) grace, and then sleep safe (sound) and have no anxiety.
نوم عالم از عبادت به بود ** آنچنان علمی که مستنبه بود
The sleep of the wise (‘álim) is better than worship (performed by the ignorant), (if it be) such a wisdom (‘ilm) as brings (spiritual) awakening.
آن سکون سابح اندر آشنا ** به ز جهد اعجمی با دست و پا
The quiet of the (expert) swimmer in swimming is better than the exertion (violent movements) with hands and feet of one who is unable (to swim).
اعجمی زد دست و پا و غرق شد ** می‌رود سباح ساکن چون عمد 3880
He that cannot swim throws out his hands and feet (desperately) and drowns, (while) the (practised) swimmer moves quietly (with a steadiness) like (that of) pillars.
علم دریاییست بی‌حد و کنار ** طالب علمست غواص بحار
Knowledge (‘ilm) is an ocean without bound or shore: the seeker of knowledge is (like) the diver in (those) seas.
گر هزاران سال باشد عمر او ** او نگردد سیر خود از جست و جو
Though his life be a thousand years, never will he become weary of seeking,
کان رسول حق بگفت اندر بیان ** اینک منهومان هما لا یشبعان
For the Messenger of God said in explanation (thereof) this (saying)—“There are two greedy ones who are never satisfied.”
در تفسیر این خبر کی مصطفی صلوات‌الله علیه فرمود منهومان لا یشبعان طالب الدنیا و طالب العلم کی این علم غیر علم دنیا باید تا دو قسم باشد اما علم دنیا هم دنیا باشد الی آخره و اگر هم‌چنین شود کی طالب الدنیا و طالب الدنیا تکرار بود نه تقسیم مع تقریره
Commentary on the Tradition that Mustafá (Mohammed)—the blessings of God be upon him!—said, “There are two greedy ones who will never be satisfied: the seeker of the present world and the seeker of knowledge.” This “knowledge” must be different from “knowledge of the present world,” in order that there may be the two (separate) classes (mentioned in the Tradition); but “knowledge of the present world” is just the same (in effect) as “the present world,” etc.; and if it (the double phrase used above) be equivalent to “the seeker of the present world and the seeker of the present world,” that would be repetition, not division (into two categories). With the exposition thereof.
طالب الدنیا و توفیراتها ** طالب العلم و تدبیراتها
(The two classes mentioned are) the seeker of the present world and its abundant opportunities for acquisition, and the seeker of knowledge and the considerations proper to it.
پس درین قسمت چو بگماری نظر ** غیر دنیا باشد این علم ای پدر 3885
Now, when you fix your attention on this division, (you will see that) this knowledge must be other than the present world, O father.
غیر دنیا پس چه باشد آخرت ** کت کند زینجا و باشد رهبرت
What, then, is other than the present world? The next world, (the knowledge of) which will take you away from here and be your guide (to God).
بحث کردن آن سه شه‌زاده در تدبیر آن واقعه
How the three princes discussed the (best) plan to adopt in view of what had occurred.
رو به هم کردند هر سه مفتتن ** هر سه را یک رنج و یک درد و حزن
The three afflicted ones put their heads together: all three felt the same grief and pain and sorrow.
هر سه در یک فکر و یک سودا ندیم ** هر سه از یک رنج و یک علت سقیم
All three were comrades in one meditation and one passion; all three were sick with one disease and one malady.
در خموشی هر سه را خطرت یکی ** در سخن هم هر سه را حجت یکی
At the time of silence all three had one thought; at the time of speech, too, all three had one argument.
یک زمانی اشک‌ریزان جمله‌شان ** بر سر خوان مصیبت خون‌فشان 3890
At one moment they all were shedding tears and weeping blood on the dining-table of calamity;
یک زمان از آتش دل هر سه کس ** بر زده با سوز چون مجمر نفس
At another moment all three, from the fire in their hearts, heaved burning sighs as (hot as) a chafing-pan.
مقالت برادر بزرگین
The discourse of the eldest brother.
آن بزرگین گفت ای اخوان خیر ** ما نه نر بودیم اندر نصح غیر
The eldest said, “O men of probity, were not we masculine (vigorous and bold) in giving counsel to others?