Whenever an answer comes to the heart through the ear, the eye says, “Hear it from me; let that (answer given through the ear) alone!”
هر جوابی کان ز گوش آید به دل ** چشم گفت از من شنو آن را بهل
The ear is a go-between, while the eye is possessed of union (immediate vision); the eye has direct experience (of reality), while the ear has (only) words (doctrine).
گوش دلاله ست و چشم اهل وصال ** چشم صاحب حال و گوش اصحاب قال
In the ear's hearing there is a transformation of qualities; in the eyes' seeing there is a transformation of essence.
در شنود گوش تبدیل صفات ** در عیان دیدها تبدیل ذات
If your knowledge of fire has been turned to certainty by words (alone), seek to be cooked (by the fire itself), and do not abide in the certainty (of knowledge derived from others).860
ز آتش ار علمت یقین شد از سخن ** پختگی جو در یقین منزل مکن
There is no intuitive (actual) certainty until you burn; (if) you desire this certainty, sit down in the fire.
تا نسوزی نیست آن عین الیقین ** این یقین خواهی در آتش در نشین
When the ear is penetrating, it becomes an eye; otherwise, the word (of God) becomes entangled in the ear (and does not reach the heart).
گوش چون نافذ بود دیده شود ** ور نه قل در گوش پیچیده شود
This discourse hath no end. Turn back, that (we may see) what the King did to those slaves of his.
این سخن پایان ندارد باز گرد ** تا که شه با آن غلامانش چه کرد
How the King sent away one of the two slaves and interrogated the other.
به راه کردن شاه یکی را از آن دو غلام و از این دیگر پرسیدن
When he saw that that laddie was possessed of keen intelligence, he made a sign to the other to come (to him).
آن غلامک را چو دید اهل ذکا ** آن دگر را کرد اشارت که بیا
(If) I have called him by (a word which has) the suffix of pity (tenderness), ’tis not to belittle him: if a grandfather say “my sonny,” it is not (in) contempt.865
When the second (slave) came before the King, he had a stinking mouth and black teeth.
چون بیامد آن دوم در پیش شاه ** بود او گنده دهان دندان سیاه
Although the King was displeased by his speech, still he made some inquiry concerning his hidden thoughts.
گر چه شه ناخوش شد از گفتار او ** جستجویی کرد هم ز اسرار او
He said, “With this aspect and this foul smell of the mouth, sit at a distance, but do not move too far off—
گفت با این شکل و این گند دهان ** دور بنشین لیک آن سو تر مران
For (hitherto) you have been (with regard to me in the position of) a writer of letters and notes; you have not been a companion and friend and comrade—
که تو اهل نامه و رقعه بدی ** نه جلیس و یار و هم بقعه بدی
That we may treat (and cure) that mouth of yours: you are (now) the beloved (patient), and we are the skilful physician.870
تا علاج آن دهان تو کنیم ** تو حبیب و ما طبیب پر فنیم
’Tis not fitting to burn a new blanket on account of one flea; (nor would it become me) to shut my eyes to (turn my back on) you (because of superficial faults).
بهر کیکی نو گلیمی سوختن ** نیست لایق از تو دیده دوختن
Notwithstanding all (this), sit down and talk on a few topics, that I may well see the form of your mind.”
با همه بنشین دو سه دستان بگو ** تا ببینم صورت عقلت نکو
Then he sent that keen-witted one away to do (his behest): (he sent him) to a bathhouse, saying, “Go, scrub yourself.”
آن ذکی را پس فرستاد او به کار ** سوی حمامی که رو خود را بخار
And to this other one he said, “Good! you are a clever lad: in truth you are a hundred slaves, not one.
وین دگر را گفت خه تو زیرکی ** صد غلامی در حقیقت نه یکی
You are not such as your fellow-servant declared: that envious one would (fain) have made me cold to (disgusted with) you,875
آن نهای که خواجهتاش تو نمود ** از تو ما را سرد میکرد آن حسود
(For) he said that you are thievish and dishonest and ill-behaved, immoral and infamous and so forth.”
گفت او دزد و کژ است و کژنشین ** حیز و نامرد و چنان است و چنین
The slave said, “He (my fellow-servant) has always been veracious; I have not seen any one so truthful as he is.
گفت پیوسته بده ست او راست گو ** راست گویی من ندیده ستم چو او
Veracity is inborn in his nature; whatever he says, I do not say it is void (of truth).
راست گویی در نهادش خلقتی است ** هر چه گوید من نگویم تهمتی است
I deem not that good-minded one malicious: I (rather) suspect my own person.
کژ ندانم آن نکو اندیش را ** متهم دارم وجود خویش را
Maybe, he sees in me faults I do not see in myself, O King.”880
باشد او در من ببیند عیبها ** من نبینم در وجود خود شها
Any one saw his own faults before (seeing those of others) —how should he be unconcerned with correcting himself?
هر کسی گر عیب خود دیدی ز پیش ** کی بدی فارغ خود از اصلاح خویش