He did not slay him to humour the king, (he did not slay him) until the Divine command and inspiration came.
او نکشتش از برای طبع شاه ** تا نیامد امر و الهام اله
As for the boy whose throat was cut by Khadir, the vulgar do not comprehend the mystery thereof.
آن پسر را کش خضر ببرید حلق ** سر آن را درنیابد عام خلق
He that receives from God inspiration and answer (to his prayer), whatsoever he may command is the essence of right.225
آن که از حق یابد او وحی و جواب ** هر چه فرماید بود عین صواب
If one who bestows (spiritual) life should slay, it is allowable: he is the (Divine) vicegerent, and his hand is the hand of God.
آن که جان بخشد اگر بکشد رواست ** نایب است و دست او دست خداست
Like Ismá‘íl (Ishmael), lay your head before him; gladly and laughingly give up your soul before his dagger,
همچو اسماعیل پیشش سر بنه ** شاد و خندان پیش تیغش جان بده
In order that your soul may remain laughing unto eternity, like the pure soul of Ahmad (Mohammed) with the One (God).
تا بماند جانت خندان تا ابد ** همچو جان پاک احمد با احد
Lovers drain the cup of (spiritual) life at the moment when the fair ones slay them with their own hand.
عاشقان جام فرح آن گه کشند ** که به دست خویش خوبانشان کشند
The king did not commit that bloodshed because of lust: cease from thinking evil and disputing.230
شاه آن خون از پی شهوت نکرد ** تو رها کن بد گمانی و نبرد
You thought that he committed a foul crime, (but) in (the state of) purity how should the sublimation leave (any) alloy (behind)?
تو گمان بردی که کرد آلودگی ** در صفا غش کی هلد پالودگی
The purpose of this (severe) discipline and this rough treatment is that the furnace may extract the dross from the silver.
بهر آن است این ریاضت وین جفا ** تا بر آرد کوره از نقره جفا
The testing of good and bad is in order that the gold may boil and bring the scum to the top.
بهر آن است امتحان نیک و بد ** تا بجوشد بر سر آرد زر زبد
If his act were not the inspiration of God, he would have been a dog that rends (its prey), not a king.
گر نبودی کارش الهام اله ** او سگی بودی دراننده نه شاه
He was unstained by lust and covetousness and passion: (what) he did (was) good, but good that wore the aspect of evil.235
پاک بود از شهوت و حرص و هوا ** نیک کرد او لیک نیک بد نما
If Khadir stove the boat in the sea, (yet) in Khadir's staving there are a hundred rightnesses.
گر خضر در بحر کشتی را شکست ** صد درستی در شکست خضر هست
The imagination of Moses, notwithstanding his (spiritual) illumination and excellence, was screened from (the comprehension of) that (act of Khadir). Do not thou fly without wings!
وهم موسی با همه نور و هنر ** شد از آن محجوب، تو بی‌‌پر مپر
That (deed of the king) is a red rose (worthy of praise); do not call it blood (murder). He is intoxicated with Reason; do not call him a madman.
آن گل سرخ است تو خونش مخوان ** مست عقل است او تو مجنونش مخوان
Had it been his desire to shed the blood of a Moslem, I am an infidel if I would have mentioned his name (with praise).
گر بدی خون مسلمان کام او ** کافرم گر بردمی من نام او
The highest heaven trembles at praise of the wicked, and by praise of him the devout man is moved to think evil.240
می‌‌بلرزد عرش از مدح شقی ** بد گمان گردد ز مدحش متقی
He was a king and a very heedful king; he was elect and the elect (favourite) of God.
شاه بود و شاه بس آگاه بود ** خاص بود و خاصه‌‌ی الله بود
One who is slain by a king like this, he (the king) leads him to fortune and to the best (most honourable) estate.
آن کسی را کش چنین شاهی کشد ** سوی بخت و بهترین جاهی کشد
Unless he (the king) had seen advantage to him (the goldsmith) in doing violence to him, how should that absolute Mercy have sought to do violence?
گر ندیدی سود او در قهر او ** کی شدی آن لطف مطلق قهر جو
The child trembles at the barber's scalpel (but) the fond mother is happy at that moment.
بچه می‌‌لرزد از آن نیش حجام ** مادر مشفق در آن غم شاد کام
He takes half a life and gives a hundred lives (in exchange): he gives that which enters not into your imagination.245
نیم جان بستاند و صد جان دهد ** آن چه در وهمت نیاید آن دهد
You are judging (his actions) from (the analogy of) yourself, but you have fallen far, far (away from the truth). Consider well!
تو قیاس از خویش می‌‌گیری و لیک ** دور دور افتاده‌‌ای بنگر تو نیک
The story of the greengrocer and the parrot and the parrot's spilling the oil in the shop.
حکایت بقال و طوطی و روغن ریختن طوطی در دکان
There was a greengrocer who had a parrot, a sweet-voiced green talking parrot.
بود بقالی و وی را طوطیی ** خوش نوایی سبز و گویا طوطیی
(Perched) on the bench, it would watch over the shop (in the owner's absence) and talk finely to all the traders.
بر دکان بودی نگهبان دکان ** نکته گفتی با همه سوداگران
In addressing human beings it would speak (like them); it was (also) skilled in the song of parrots.
در خطاب آدمی ناطق بدی ** در نوای طوطیان حاذق بدی
(Once) it sprang from the bench and flew away; it spilled the bottles of rose-oil.250
جست از سوی دکان سویی گریخت ** شیشه‌‌های روغن گل را بریخت
Its master came from the direction of his house and seated himself on the bench at his ease as a merchant does.
از سوی خانه بیامد خواجه‌‌اش ** بر دکان بنشست فارغ خواجه‌‌وش
(Then) he saw the bench was full of oil and his clothes greasy; he smote the parrot on the head: it was made bald by the blow.
دید پر روغن دکان و جامه چرب ** بر سرش زد گشت طوطی کل ز ضرب
For some few days it refrained from speech; the greengrocer, in repentance, heaved deep sighs,
روزکی چندی سخن کوتاه کرد ** مرد بقال از ندامت آه کرد
Tearing his beard and saying, “Alas! the sun of my prosperity has gone under the clouds.
ریش بر می‌‌کند و می‌‌گفت ای دریغ ** کافتاب نعمتم شد زیر میغ
Would that my hand had been broken (powerless) at the moment when I struck (such a blow) on the head of that sweet-tongued one?”255
دست من بشکسته بودی آن زمان ** که زدم من بر سر آن خوش زبان
He was giving presents to every dervish, that he might get back the speech of his bird.
هدیه‌‌ها می‌‌داد هر درویش را ** تا بیابد نطق مرغ خویش را
After three days and three nights, he was seated on the bench, distraught and sorrowful, like a man in despair,
بعد سه روز و سه شب حیران و زار ** بر دکان بنشسته بد نومید وار
Showing the bird every sort of hidden (unfamiliar) thing (in the hope) that maybe it would begin to speak.
می‌‌نمود آن مرغ را هر گون شگفت ** تا که باشد کاندر آید او بگفت
Meanwhile a bare-headed dervish, clad in a jawlaq (coarse woollen frock), passed by, with a head hairless as the outside of bowl and basin.
جولقیی سر برهنه می‌‌گذشت ** با سر بی‌‌مو چو پشت طاس و طشت
Thereupon the parrot cried to the dervish, as rational persons (might have done).260
طوطی اندر گفت آمد در زمان ** بانگ بر درویش زد که هی فلان
How were you mixed up with the bald, O baldpate? Did you, then, spill oil from the bottle?”
از چه ای کل با کلان آمیختی ** تو مگر از شیشه روغن ریختی
The bystanders laughed at the parrot's inference, because it deemed the wearer of the frock to be like itself.
از قیاسش خنده آمد خلق را ** کو چو خود پنداشت صاحب دلق را
Do not measure the actions of holy men by (the analogy of) yourself, though shér (lion) and shír (milk) are similar in writing.
کار پاکان را قیاس از خود مگیر ** گر چه ماند در نبشتن شیر و شیر
On this account the whole world is gone astray: scarcely any one is cognisant of God's Abdál (Substitutes).
جمله عالم زین سبب گمراه شد ** کم کسی ز ابدال حق آگاه شد
They set up (a claim of) equality with the prophets; they supposed the saints to be like themselves.265
همسری با انبیا برداشتند ** اولیا را همچو خود پنداشتند
“Behold,” they said, “we are men, they are men; both we and they are in bondage to sleep and food.”
گفته اینک ما بشر ایشان بشر ** ما و ایشان بسته‌‌ی خوابیم و خور
In (their) blindness they did not perceive that there is an infinite difference between (them).
این ندانستند ایشان از عمی ** هست فرقی در میان بی‌‌منتها
Both species of zanbúr ate and drank from the (same) place, but from that one (the hornet) came a sting, and from this other (the bee) honey.
هر دو گون زنبور خوردند از محل ** لیک شد ز ان نیش و زین دیگر عسل
Both species of deer ate grass and drank water: from this one came dung, and from that one pure musk.
هر دو گون آهو گیا خوردند و آب ** زین یکی سرگین شد و ز ان مشک ناب
Both reeds drank from the same water-source, (but) this one is empty and that one full of sugar.270
هر دو نی خوردند از یک آب خور ** این یکی خالی و آن پر از شکر
Consider hundreds of thousands of such likenesses and observe that the distance between the two is (as great as) a seventy years' journey.
صد هزاران این چنین اشباه بین ** فرقشان هفتاد ساله راه بین
This one eats, and filth is discharged from him; that one eats, and becomes entirely the light of God.
این خورد گردد پلیدی زو جدا ** آن خورد گردد همه نور خدا