When a seeing thief steals from a blind man, can he at all detect (the identity of) the thief (who is) in the act of passing?
چون بدزدد دزد بینایی ز کور ** هیچ یابد دزد را او در عبور
The blind man does not know who it was that robbed him, even though the wicked thief may knock against him.
کور نشناسد که دزد او که بود ** گر چه خود بر وی زند دزد عنود
When a dog bites a blind ragged mendicant, how should he recognise that ferocious dog?
چون گزد سگ کور صاحب ژنده را ** کی شناسد آن سگ درنده را
How the dog attacked the mendicant who was blind.
حمله بردن سگ بر کور گدا
A dog was attacking, as (though it were) a warlike lion, a blind mendicant in a certain street.
یک سگی در کوی بر کور گدا ** حمله میآورد چون شیر وغا
The dog rushes angrily at dervishes; the moon smears her eyes with dust of (the feet of) dervishes.2355
سگ کند آهنگ درویشان به خشم ** در کشد مه خاک درویشان به چشم
The blind man was made helpless by the dog's barking and by (his) fear of the dog; the blind man began to pay honour to the dog.
کور عاجز شد ز بانگ و بیم سگ ** اندر آمد کور در تعظیم سگ
Saying, “O prince of the chase, and O lion of the hunt, thine is the (upper) hand: refrain thy hand from me!”—
کای امیر صید و ای شیر شکار ** دست دست تست دست از من بدار
For, (moved) by necessity, that (renowned) philosopher paid honour to (one vile as) the tail of an ass, and gave him the title of “noble.”
کز ضرورت دم خر را آن حکیم ** کرد تعظیم و لقب دادش کریم
He (the blind man) too, of necessity, said, “O lion, what (good) will come to thee from such a meagre prey as I am?
گفت او هم از ضرورت کای اسد ** از چو من لاغر شکارت چه رسد
Thy friends are catching onagers in the desert; thou art catching a blind man in the street; this is bad.2360
گور میگیرند یارانت به دشت ** کور میگیری تو در کوچه به گشت
Thy friends seek on agers by hunting (them); thou in (mere) malice seekest a blind man in the street.”
گور میجویند یارانت به صید ** کور میجویی تو در کوچه به کید
The knowing dog has made the onager his prey, while this worthless dog has attacked a blind man.
آن سگ عالم شکار گور کرد ** وین سگ بیمایه قصد کور کرد
When the dog has learned the knowledge (imparted to him), he has escaped from error: he hunts lawful prey in the jungles.
علم چون آموخت سگ رست از ضلال ** میکند در بیشهها صید حلال
When the dog has become knowing (‘álim), he marches briskly; when the dog has become a knower of God (‘árif), he becomes (as) the Men of the Cave.
سگ چو عالم گشت شد چالاک زحف ** سگ چو عارف گشت شد ز اصحاب کهف
The dog has come to know who is the Master of the hunt. O God, what is that knowing light?2365
سگ شناسا شد که میر صید کیست ** ای خدا آن نور اشناسنده چیست
(If) the blind man knows it not, ’tis not from (his) having no eye (to see); nay, ’tis because he is drunken with ignorance.
کور نشناسد نه از بیچشمی است ** بلکه این ز آن است کز جهل است مست
Truly, the blind man is not more eyeless than the earth; and this earth, by the grace of God, has become a seer of (God's) enemies.
نیست خود بیچشم تر کور از زمین ** این زمین از فضل حق شد خصم بین
It saw the Light of Moses and showed kindness to Moses; (but) Qárún it engulfed, (for) it knew Qárún.
نور موسی دید و موسی را نواخت ** خسف قارون کرد و قارون را شناخت
It quaked for the destruction of every false pretender: it understood (the words that came) from God, “O earth, swallow (thy water)!”
رجف کرد اندر هلاک هر دعی ** فهم کرد از حق که یا أرض ابلعی
Earth and water and air and sparking fire are unacquainted with us, but acquainted with God.2370
خاک و آب و باد و نار با شرر ** بیخبر با ما و با حق با خبر
Contrariwise, we are aware of (things) other than God, (but) unaware (heedless) of God and of so many warners (prophets).
ما بعکس آن ز غیر حق خبیر ** بیخبر از حق و از چندین نذیر
As a necessary consequence, they (the elements) all shrank from (accepting) it (the trust offered to them): (the edge of) their impulse to partake of life was blunted.
لاجرم أشفقن منها جملهشان ** کند شد ز آمیز حیوان حملهشان
They said, “We all are averse to this life, (namely), that one should be living in relation to created beings and dead in relation to God.”
گفته بیزاریم جمله زین حیات ** کاو بود با خلق حی با حق موات
When he (any one) remains away from created beings, he is orphaned (single): for intimacy with God, the heart must be free (from relations with aught besides).
چون بماند از خلق گردد او یتیم ** انس حق را قلب میباید سلیم
When a thief steals some article of property from a blind man, the blind man is blindly lamenting.2375
چون ز کوری دزد دزدد کالهای ** میکند آن کور عمیا نالهای