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
This one eats, (and of him) is born nothing but avarice and envy; that one eats, (and of him) is born nothing but the Light of the One (God).
این خورد زاید همه بخل و حسد ** و آن خورد زاید همه نور احد
This one is good (fertile) soil and that one brackish and bad; this one is a fair angel and that one a devil and wild beast.
این زمین پاک و ان شوره ست و بد ** این فرشته‌‌ی پاک و ان دیو است و دد
If both resemble each other in aspect, it may well be (so): bitter water and sweet water have (the same) clearness.275
هر دو صورت گر بهم ماند رواست ** آب تلخ و آب شیرین را صفاست
Who knows (the difference) except a man possessed of (spiritual) taste? Find (him): he knows the sweet water from the brine.
جز که صاحب ذوق کی شناسد بیاب ** او شناسد آب خوش از شوره آب
Comparing magic with (prophetic) miracle, he (the ignorant one) fancies that both are founded on deceit.
سحر را با معجزه کرده قیاس ** هر دو را بر مکر پندارد اساس
The magicians (in the time) of Moses, for contention's sake, lifted up (in their hands) a rod like his,
ساحران موسی از استیزه را ** بر گرفته چون عصای او عصا
(But) between this rod and that rod there is a vast difference; from this action (magic) to that action (miracle) is a great way.
زین عصا تا آن عصا فرقی است ژرف ** زین عمل تا آن عمل راهی شگرف
This action is followed by the curse of God, (while) that action receives in payment the mercy (blessing) of God.280
لعنة الله این عمل را در قفا ** رحمه الله آن عمل را در وفا
The infidels in contending (for equality with the prophets and saints) have the nature of an ape: the (evil) nature is a canker within the breast.
Whatever a man does, the ape at every moment does the same thing that he sees done by the man.
هر چه مردم می‌‌کند بوزینه هم ** آن کند کز مرد بیند دم‌‌به‌‌دم
He thinks, “I have acted like him”: how should that quarrelsome-looking one know the difference?
او گمان برده که من کژدم چو او ** فرق را کی داند آن استیزه رو
This one (the holy man) acts by the command (of God), and he (the apish imitator) for the sake of quarrelling (rivalry). Pour dust on the heads of those who have quarrelsome faces!
این کند از امر و او بهر ستیز ** بر سر استیزه رویان خاک ریز
That (religious) hypocrite joins in ritual prayer with the (sincere) conformist (only) for quarrelling's sake, not for supplication.285
آن منافق با موافق در نماز ** از پی استیزه آید نی نیاز
In prayer and fasting and pilgrimage and alms-giving the true believers are (engaged) with the hypocrite in (what brings) victory and defeat.
در نماز و روزه و حج و زکات ** با منافق مومنان در برد و مات