Rumi's Masnavi - Outward speech and talk is as dust: do thou for a time make a habit of silence. Take heed!

Outward speech and talk is as dust: do thou for a time make a habit of silence. Take heed!

گفت‌‌وگوی ظاهر آمد چون غبار ** مدتی خاموش خو کن هوش دار

How the disciples repeated their request that he should interrupt his seclusion.

مکرر کردن مریدان که خلوت را بشکن

They all said: “O sage who seekest a crevice (means of evasion), say not to us this (word of) guile and harshness.

جمله گفتند ای حکیم رخنه جو ** این فریب و این جفا با ما مگو

Lay on the beast a burden in proportion to its endurance, lay on the weak a task in proportion to their strength.

چار پا را قدر طاقت بار نه ** بر ضعیفان قدر قوت کار نه‌‌

The bait for every bird is according to its (the bird's) measure (capacity): how should a fig be the food (lure) for every bird? 580

دانه‌‌ی هر مرغ اندازه‌‌ی وی است ** طعمه‌‌ی هر مرغ انجیری کی است‌‌

If you give a babe bread instead of milk, take it (for granted) that the poor babe will die of the bread;

طفل را گر نان دهی بر جای شیر ** طفل مسکین را از آن نان مرده گیر

(Yet) afterwards, when it grows teeth, that babe will of its own accord its heart will crave bread.

چون که دندانها بر آرد بعد از آن ** هم بخود گردد دلش جویای نان‌‌

When an unfledged bird begins to fly, it becomes a mouthful for any rapacious cat;

مرغ پر نارسته چون پران شود ** لقمه‌‌ی هر گربه‌‌ی دران شود

(But) when it grows wings, it will fly of itself without trouble and without whistling (prompting), good or bad.

چون بر آرد پر بپرد او به خود ** بی‌‌تکلف بی‌‌صفیر نیک و بد

Thy speech makes the Devil silent, thy words make our ears (full of) intelligence. 585

دیو را نطق تو خامش می‌‌کند ** گوش ما را گفت تو هش می‌‌کند

Our ears are (full of) intelligence when thou art speaking; our dry land is a river when thou art the ocean.

گوش ما هوش است چون گویا تویی ** خشک ما بحر است چون دریا تویی‌‌