One may see a friend (even) with eyes shut, when one has made the skin (the bodily envelope) a lattice (to let in spiritual ideas).
دیدهها بسته ببیند دوست را ** چون مشبک کرده باشد پوست را
And if she saw her neither from without nor from within, take the (essential) meaning of the story, O imbecile!3615
ور ندیدش نه از برون نز اندرون ** از حکایت گیر معنی ای زبون
Not like him who had heard (some) fables, and like sh stuck to the (literal) shape of them,
نه چنان کافسانهها بشنیده بود ** همچو شین بر نقش آن چسبیده بود
So that he would say, “How should Kalíla, having no language, hear words from Dimna who had no power of expression?
تا همیگفت آن کلیله بیزبان ** چون سخن نوشد ز دمنه بیبیان
And (even) if they knew each other's accents, how should man understand it (their talk), (since it was) without any articulation?
ور بدانستند لحن همدگر ** فهم آن چون کرد بینطقی بشر
How did Dimna become a messenger between the lion and the ox, and cajole them both with his palaver?
در میان شیر و گاو آن دمنه چون ** شد رسول و خواند بر هر دو فسون
How did the noble ox become the vizier of the lion? How was the elephant terrified by the reflection of the moon?3620
چون وزیر شیر شد گاو نبیل ** چون ز عکس ماه ترسان گشت پیل
This Kalíla and Dimna is entirely fiction, or else how has the stork a quarrel with the crow?”
این کلیله و دمنه جمله افتری است ** ور نه کی با زاغ لکلک را مری است
O brother, the story is like a measure: the real meaning in it resembles grain (in the measure).
ای برادر قصه چون پیمانهای است ** معنی اندر وی مثال دانهای است
The man of intelligence will take the grain of meaning: he will not pay any regard to the measure, (even) if it is removed (altogether).
دانهی معنی بگیرد مرد عقل ** ننگرد پیمانه را گر گشت نقل
Listen to what passes between the rose and the nightingale, though in that case there is no overt speech.
ماجرای بلبل و گل گوش دار ** گر چه گفتی نیست آن جا آشکار
On mute eloquence and the understanding of it.
سخن گفتن به زبان حال و فهم کردن آن
Listen to what passes between the moth and the candle, and pick out the meaning from the tale.3625
ماجرای شمع با پروانه نیز ** بشنو و معنی گزین کن ای عزیز
Albeit there is no speech, there is the inmost soul of speech. Come, fly aloft, do not fly low, like the owl.
گر چه گفتی نیست سر گفت هست ** هین ببالا پر مپر چون جغد پست
He (the player) at chess said, “This is the house of the rook.” “By what way,” said he (the literalist), “did the house come into its hands?
گفت در شطرنج کاین خانهی رخ است ** گفت خانه از کجاش آمد بدست
Did it buy the house, or inherit it?”—Happy is he that sped towards the (real) meaning!
خانه را بخرید یا میراث یافت ** فرخ آن کس کاو سوی معنی شتافت
A grammarian said, “Zayd has struck ‘Amr.” Said (the fool), “How did he chastise him without any offence (on his part)?
گفت نحوی زید عمرا قد ضرب ** گفت چونش کرد بیجرمی ادب
What was ‘Amr's offence, that that rude Zayd struck him, innocent (though he was), as (if he were) a slave?”3630
عمرو را جرمش چه بد کان زید خام ** بیگنه او را بزد همچون غلام
He (the grammarian) replied, “This (form of words) is (only) the measure (container) of the meaning signified: take some wheat, for the measure is (to be) rejected.
گفت این پیمانهی معنی بود ** گندمی بستان که پیمانه است رد
Zayd and ‘Amr are for the purpose of (showing) the declension and (grammatical) construction: if that (statement that Zayd struck ‘Amr) is untrue, make up with the declension.”
زید و عمرو از بهر اعراب است و ساز ** گر دروغ است آن تو با اعراب ساز
“Nay,” said he, “I don't know about that. How did Zayd strike ‘Amr without (his committing any) crime or fault?”
گفت نه من آن ندانم عمرو را ** زید چون زد بیگناه و بیخطا
He (the grammarian) in desperation started a joke and said, “‘Amr had stolen a superfluous wáw.
گفت از ناچار و لاغی بر گشود ** عمرو یک واو فزون دزدیده بود
Zayd became aware, and struck the stealer of it: since he (‘Amr) carried it beyond bounds (transgressed the law), the punishment serves him right.”3635
زید واقف گشت دزدش را بزد ** چون که از حد برد او را حد سزد
How worthless sayings find acceptance in the minds of worthless folk.
پذیرا آمدن سخن باطل در دل باطلان
He (the fool) said, “Here you are, this is the truth! I accept (it) with (all) my soul.” Wrong seems right to the wrong-minded.
گفت اینک راست پذرفتم به جان ** کج نماید راست در پیش کجان
If you say to a squinting man, “The moon is one,” he will say to you, “These are two (moons); and there is a (great) doubt as to (the moon's) being one”;
گر بگویی احولی را مه یکی است ** گویدت این دوست و در وحدت شکی است
And if somebody laughs at him and says, “There are two,” he deems it the truth. This (mockery) is what the ill-natured (ignorant and contumacious) fellow deserves.
ور بر او خندد کسی گوید دو است ** راست دارد این سزای بد خو است