Every one knows (can distinguish) mercy from vengeance, whether he be wise or ignorant or vile,
قهر را از لطف داند هر کسی ** خواه دانا خواه نادان یا خسی
But a mercy that has become hidden in vengeance, or a vengeance that has sunk into the heart of mercy,
لیک لطفی قهر در پنهان شده ** یا که قهری در دل لطف آمده
No one knows except the divine (deified) man in whose heart is a spiritual touchstone.
کم کسی داند مگر ربانیی ** کش بود در دل محک جانیی
The rest hold (only) an opinion of these two (qualities): they fly to their nest with a single wing.
باقیان زین دو گمانی می‌برند ** سوی لانه‌ی خود به یک پر می‌پرند
Explaining that Knowledge has two wings, and Opinion (only) one: “Opinion is defective and curtailed in flight”; and a comparison illustrating opinion and certainty in knowledge.
بیان آنک علم را دو پرست و گمان را یک پرست ناقص آمد ظن به پرواز ابترست مثال ظن و یقین در علم
Knowledge has two wings, Opinion one wing: Opinion is defective and curtailed in flight.1510
علم را دو پر گمان را یک پرست ** ناقص آمد ظن به پرواز ابترست
The one-winged bird soon falls headlong; then again it flies up some two paces or (a little) more.
مرغ یک‌پر زود افتد سرنگون ** باز بر پرد دو گامی یا فزون
The bird, Opinion, falling and rising, goes on with one wing in hope of (reaching) the nest.
افت خیزان می‌رود مرغ گمان ** با یکی پر بر امید آشیان
(But) when he has been delivered from Opinion, Knowledge shows its face to him: that one-winged bird becomes two-winged and spreads his wings.
چون ز ظن وا رست علمش رو نمود ** شد دو پر آن مرغ یک‌پر پر گشود
After that, he walks erect and straight, not falling flat on his face or ailing.
بعد از آن یمشی سویا مستقیم ** نه علی وجهه مکبا او سقیم
He flies aloft with two wings, like Gabriel, without opinion and without peradventure and without disputation.1515
با دو پر بر می‌پرد چون جبرئیل ** بی گمان و بی مگر بی قال و قیل
If all the world should say to him, “You are on the Way of God and (are following) the right religion,”
گر همه عالم بگویندش توی ** بر ره یزدان و دین مستوی
He will not be made hotter by their words: his lonely soul will not mate with them;
او نگردد گرم‌تر از گفتشان ** جان طاق او نگردد جفتشان
And if they all should say to him, “You are astray: you think (you are) a mountain, and (in reality) you are a blade of straw,”
ور همه گویند او را گم‌رهی ** کوه پنداری و تو برگ کهی
He will not fall into opinion (doubt) because of their taunts, he will not be grieved by their departure (estrangement from him).
او نیفتد در گمان از طعنشان ** او نگردد دردمند از ظعنشان
Nay, if seas and mountains should come to speech and should say to him, “You are wedded to perdition,”1520
بلک گر دریا و کوه آید بگفت ** گویدش با گم‌رهی گشتی تو جفت
Not the least jot will he fall into phantasy or sickness on account of the taunts of the scoffers.
هیچ یک ذره نیفتد در خیال ** یا به طعن طاعنان رنجورحال
Parable of a man's being made (spiritually) ill by vain conceit of the veneration in which he is held by the people and of the supplication addressed to him by those seeking his favour; and the (following) story of the Teacher.
مثال رنجور شدن آدمی بوهم تعظیم خلق و رغبت مشتریان بوی و حکایت معلم
The boys in a certain school suffered at the hands of their master from weariness and toil.
کودکان مکتبی از اوستاد ** رنج دیدند از ملال و اجتهاد
They consulted about (the means of) stopping (his) work, so that the teacher should be reduced to the necessity (of letting them go),
مشورت کردند در تعویق کار ** تا معلم در فتد در اضطرار
(Saying), “Since no illness befalls him, which would cause him to take absence for several days,
چون نمی‌آید ورا رنجوریی ** که بگیرد چند روز او دوریی
So that we might escape from (this) imprisonment and confinement and work, (what can we do?). He is fixed (here), like a solid rock.”1525
تا رهیم از حبس و تنگی و ز کار ** هست او چون سنگ خارا بر قرار
One, the cleverest (of them all), planned that he should say, “Master, how are you (so) pale?
آن یکی زیرکتر این تدبیر کرد ** که بگوید اوستا چونی تو زرد
May it be well (with you)! Your colour is changed: this is the effect either of (bad) air or of a fever.”
خیر باشد رنگ تو بر جای نیست ** این اثر یا از هوا یا از تبیست
(He continued), “At this he (the master) will begin to fancy a little (that he is ill): do you too, brother, help (me) in like manner.
اندکی اندر خیال افتد ازین ** تو برادر هم مدد کن این‌چنین
When you come in through the door of the school, say (to him), ‘Master, is your state (of health) good?’
چون درآیی از در مکتب بگو ** خیر باشد اوستا احوال تو
(Then) that fancy of his will increase a little, for by a fancy a sensible man is driven mad.1530
آن خیالش اندکی افزون شود ** کز خیالی عاقلی مجنون شود