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1
1827-1876

  • The merchant was amazed at the action of the bird: without understanding he suddenly beheld the mysteries of the bird.
  • خواجه حیران گشت اندر کار مرغ ** بی‌‌خبر ناگه بدید اسرار مرغ‌‌

  • He lifted up his face and said, “O nightingale, give us profit (instruction) by explaining thy case.
  • روی بالا کرد و گفت ای عندلیب ** از بیان حال خودمان ده نصیب‌‌

  • What did she (the parrot) do there (in India), that thou didst learn, devise a trick, and burn us (with grief)”?
  • او چه کرد آن جا که تو آموختی ** ساختی مکری و ما را سوختی‌‌

  • The parrot said, “She by her act counselled me—‘Abandon thy charm of voice and thy affection (for thy master), 1830
  • گفت طوطی کاو به فعلم پند داد ** که رها کن لطف آواز و وداد

  • Because thy voice has brought thee into bondage’: she feigned herself dead for the sake of (giving me) this counsel,
  • ز آن که آوازت ترا در بند کرد ** خویشتن مرده پی این پند کرد

  • Meaning (to say), ‘O thou who hast become a singer to high and low, become dead like me, that thou mayst gain release.’”
  • یعنی ای مطرب شده با عام و خاص ** مرده شو چون من که تا یابی خلاص‌‌

  • If you are a grain, the little birds will peck you up; if you are a bud, the children will pluck you off.
  • دانه باشی مرغکانت بر چنند ** غنچه باشی کودکانت بر کنند

  • Hide the grain (bait), become wholly a snare; hide the bud, become the grass on the roof.
  • دانه پنهان کن بکلی دام شو ** غنچه پنهان کن گیاه بام شو

  • Any one who offers his beauty to auction, a hundred evil fates set out towards him (and overtake him). 1835
  • هر که داد او حسن خود را در مزاد ** صد قضای بد سوی او رو نهاد

  • (Evil) eyes and angers and envies pour upon his head, like water from waterskins.
  • چشمها و خشمها و رشکها ** بر سرش ریزد چو آب از مشکها

  • Foes tear him to pieces from jealousy; even friends take his lifetime away.
  • دشمنان او را ز غیرت می‌‌درند ** دوستان هم روزگارش می‌‌برند

  • He that was heedless of the sowing and the springtide, how should he know the value of this lifetime?
  • آن که غافل بود از کشت بهار ** او چه داند قیمت این روزگار

  • You must flee to the shelter of God's grace, who shed thousand fold grace upon (our) spirits,
  • در پناه لطف حق باید گریخت ** کاو هزاران لطف بر ارواح ریخت‌‌

  • That you may find a shelter. Then how (will you lack) shelter? Water and fire will become your army. 1840
  • تا پناهی یابی آن گه چون پناه ** آب و آتش مر ترا گردد سپاه‌‌

  • Did not the sea become a friend to Noah and Moses? Did it not become overbearing in vengeance against their enemies?
  • نوح و موسی را نه دریا یار شد ** نه بر اعداشان به کین قهار شد

  • Was not the fire a fortress for Abraham, so that it raised smoke (sighs of despair) from the heart of Nimrod?
  • آتش ابراهیم را نی قلعه بود ** تا بر آورد از دل نمرود دود

  • Did not the mountain call Yahyá (John the Baptist) to itself and drive off his pursuers with blows of stone?
  • کوه یحیی را نه سوی خویش خواند ** قاصدانش را به زخم سنگ راند

  • “O Yahyá,” it said, “come, take refuge in me, that I may be thy shelter from the sharp sword.”
  • گفت ای یحیی بیا در من گریز ** تا پناهت باشم از شمشیر تیز

  • How the parrot bade farewell to the merchant and flew away.
  • وداع کردن طوطی خواجه را و پریدن‌‌

  • The parrot gave him one or two counsels devoid of hypocrisy and after that bade him the farewell of parting. 1845
  • یک دو پندش داد طوطی بی‌‌نفاق ** بعد از آن گفتش سلام الفراق‌‌

  • The merchant said to her, “Go, God protect thee! Just now thou hast shown to me a new Way.”
  • خواجه گفتش فی أمان الله برو ** مر مرا اکنون نمودی راه نو

  • Said the merchant to himself, “This is the counsel for me; I will take her Way, for this Way is shining with light.
  • خواجه با خود گفت کاین پند من است ** راه او گیرم که این ره روشن است‌‌

  • How should my soul be meaner than the parrot? The soul ought to follow a good track like this.”
  • جان من کمتر ز طوطی کی بود ** جان چنین باید که نیکو پی بود

  • The harmfulness of being honoured by the people and of becoming conspicuous.
  • مضرت تعظیم خلق و انگشت نمای شدن‌‌

  • The body is cage-like: the body, amidst the cajoleries of those who come in and go out, became a thorn to the soul.
  • تن قفس شکل است تن شد خار جان ** در فریب داخلان و خارجان‌‌

  • This one says to him, “I will be thy confidant,” and that one says, “Nay, I am thy partner.” 1850
  • اینش گوید من شوم هم راز تو ** و آنش گوید نی منم انباز تو

  • This one says to him, “There is none in existence like thee for beauty and eminence and for kindness and liberality.”
  • اینش گوید نیست چون تو در وجود ** در جمال و فضل و در احسان و جود

  • That one says to him, “Both the worlds are thine, all our souls are thy soul's parasites.”
  • آنش گوید هر دو عالم آن تست ** جمله جانهامان طفیل جان تست‌‌

  • When he sees the people intoxicated with (desire for) him, because of arrogance he loses self-control.
  • او چو بیند خلق را سر مست خویش ** از تکبر می‌‌رود از دست خویش‌‌

  • He does not know that the Devil has cast thousands like him into the water of the river (of destruction).
  • او نداند که هزاران را چو او ** دیو افکنده ست اندر آب جو

  • The world's flattery and hypocrisy is a sweet morsel: eat less of it (eat it not), for it is a morsel full of fire. 1855
  • لطف و سالوس جهان خوش لقمه‌‌ای است ** کمترش خور کان پر آتش لقمه‌‌ای است‌‌

  • Its fire is hidden and its taste is manifest: its smoke becomes visible in the end.
  • آتشش پنهان و ذوقش آشکار ** دود او ظاهر شود پایان کار

  • Do not say, “How should I swallow that praise? He is speaking from desire (for reward): I am on his track (and see quite well what he is after).”
  • تو مگو آن مدح را من کی خورم ** از طمع می‌‌گوید او پی می‌‌برم‌‌

  • If your belauder should satirise you in public, your heart would burn for (many) days on account of those scorches (of vituperation).
  • مادحت گر هجو گوید بر ملا ** روزها سوزد دلت ز آن سوزها

  • Although you know that he (only) said it in disappointment because the hopes he had of you brought him no gain,
  • گر چه دانی کاو ز حرمان گفت آن ** کان طمع که داشت از تو شد زیان‌‌

  • (Yet) the effect thereof is remaining within you. The same experience happens to you in the case of praise. 1860
  • آن اثر می‌‌ماندت در اندرون ** در مدیح این حالتت هست آزمون‌‌

  • The effect of that too lasts for many days and becomes a source of arrogance and deception of the soul,
  • آن اثر هم روزها باقی بود ** مایه‌‌ی کبر و خداع جان شود

  • But it does not show itself, because praise is sweet; (in the case of blame) the evil shows itself, because blame is bitter.
  • لیک ننماید چو شیرین است مدح ** بد نماید ز آن که تلخ افتاد قدح‌‌

  • It (blame) is like (bitter) decoctions and pills which you swallow and for a long time you are in disturbance and pain,
  • همچو مطبوخ است و حب کان را خوری ** تا به دیری شورش و رنج اندری‌‌

  • Whereas, if you eat halwá (sweetmeat), its taste is momentary: this effect, like the other, is not enduring for ever.
  • ور خوری حلوا بود ذوقش دمی ** این اثر چون آن نمی‌‌پاید همی‌‌

  • Since it does not endure (perceptibly), it endures imperceptibly: recognise every opposite by means of its opposite. 1865
  • چون نمی‌‌پاید همی‌‌پاید نهان ** هر ضدی را تو به ضد او بدان‌‌

  • When the effect of sugar endures (remains latent), after a while it produces boils that call for the lancet.
  • چون شکر پاید نهان تاثیر او ** بعد حینی دمل آرد نیش جو

  • The fleshly soul was made a Pharaoh by (receiving) many praises: be lowly of spirit through meekness, do not domineer.
  • نفس از بس مدحها فرعون شد ** کن ذلیل النفس هونا لا تسد

  • So far as you can, become a slave, do not be a monarch. Suffer blows: become like the ball, do not be the bat.
  • تا توانی بنده شو سلطان مباش ** زخم کش چون گوی شو چوگان مباش‌‌

  • Otherwise, when this elegance and beauty remains with you no more, you will be loathed by those companions.
  • ور نه چون لطفت نماند وین جمال ** از تو آید آن حریفان را ملال‌‌

  • The set of people who used to flatter you deceitfully, when they behold you will call you a devil. 1870
  • آن جماعت کت همی‌‌دادند ریو ** چون ببینندت بگویندت که دیو

  • When they see you at their doors, they all will cry, “Truly a dead man has risen from the grave.”
  • جمله گویندت چو بینندت به در ** مرده‌‌ای از گور خود بر کرد سر

  • (You will be) like the beardless youth whom they address as “Lord” that by this hypocrisy they may make entrap him.
  • همچو امرد که خدا نامش کنند ** تا بدین سالوس در دامش کنند

  • As soon as he has grown a beard in infamy, the Devil is ashamed to search after him.
  • چون که در بد نامی آمد ریش او ** دیو را ننگ آید از تفتیش او

  • The Devil approaches Man for the sake of wickedness: he does not approach you because you are worse than the Devil.
  • دیو سوی آدمی شد بهر شر ** سوی تو ناید که از دیوی بتر

  • So long as you were a man the Devil was running at your heels and bidding you taste (his) wine. 1875
  • تا تو بودی آدمی دیو از پی‌‌ات ** می‌‌دوید و می‌‌چشانید او می‌‌ات‌‌

  • Since you have become confirmed in devilry, the good-for-nothing Devil is fleeing from you!
  • چون شدی در خوی دیوی استوار ** می‌‌گریزد از تو دیو نابکار