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2
196-245

  • Hear what has interfered (hindered my exposition) at the present time: methinks the hearer's mind has wandered elsewhere.
  • این زمان بشنو چه مانع شد مگر ** مستمع را رفت دل جای دگر

  • His thoughts have turned to the Súfí guest: he is sunk up to the neck (wholly absorbed) in that business.
  • خاطرش شد سوی صوفی قنق ** اندر آن سودا فرو شد تا عنق‏

  • (Therefore) it behoves me to go back from this discourse to that story in order to describe what happened (to him).
  • لازم آمد باز رفتن زین مقال ** سوی آن افسانه بهر وصف حال‏

  • O dear friend, do not fancy the Súfí is the (external) form (which you behold): how long, like children, (will you be content) with walnuts and raisins?
  • صوفی آن صورت مپندار ای عزیز ** همچو طفلان تا کی از جوز و مویز

  • Our body is (as) walnuts and raisins, O son; if you are a man, relinquish these two things; 200
  • جسم ما جوز و مویز است ای پسر ** گر تو مردی زین دو چیز اندر گذر

  • And (even) if you do not relinquish them (by your own act), the grace of God will enable you to pass beyond the nine tiers (of Heaven).
  • ور تو اندر نگذری اکرام حق ** بگذراند مر ترا از نه طبق‏

  • Now listen to the outward form of the tale, but take heed to separate the grain from the chaff.
  • بشنو اکنون صورت افسانه را ** لیک هین از که جدا کن دانه را

  • .
  • .

  • When at last (the meditation of) that circle of Súfís who were seeking (spiritual) profit came to an end (culminated) in ecstasy and enthusiasm,
  • حلقه‌ای آن صوفیان مستفید ** چون که در وجد و طرب آخر رسید

  • They brought dishes of food for the guest, and he then bethought him of his beast.
  • خوان بیاوردند بهر میهمان ** از بهیمه یاد آورد آن زمان‏

  • He said to the famulus (the servant of the Súfís), “Go into the stable and make the straw and barley all right for the animal.” 205
  • گفت خادم را که در آخر برو ** راست کن بهر بهیمه کاه و جو

  • “Good gracious!” he replied, “why this saying overmuch? These things have been my care since long ago.”
  • گفت لا حول این چه افزون گفتن است ** از قدیم این کارها کار من است‏

  • The Súfí said, “First wet his barley, for ’tis an old ass, and his teeth are shaky.”
  • گفت تر کن آن جوش را از نخست ** کان خر پیر است و دندانهاش سست‏

  • “Good gracious!” said he, “why are you telling (me) this, Sir? They are taught by me (to make) these arrangements.”
  • گفت لاحول این چه می‏گویی مها ** از من آموزند این ترتیبها

  • The Súfí said, “First of all take off his saddle and (then) put the salve of manbal on his sore back.”
  • گفت پالانش فرو نه پیش پیش ** داروی منبل بنه بر پشت ریش‏

  • “Good gracious!” exclaimed the servant. “Why, O purveyor of wisdom, I have had a thousand guests of your sort, 210
  • گفت لاحول آخر ای حکمت گزار ** جنس تو مهمانم آمد صد هزار

  • And all have departed from us well-pleased: the guest is (dear to us as) our life and our kinsman.”
  • جمله راضی رفته‏اند از پیش ما ** هست مهمان جان ما و خویش ما

  • The Súfí said, “Give him water, but (let it be) lukewarm.” “Good gracious!” cried the other, “I am ashamed of you.”
  • گفت آبش ده و لیکن شیر گرم ** گفت لاحول از توام بگرفت شرم‏

  • The Súfí said, “Put (only) a little straw in his barley.” “Good gracious! Cut short this speech,” he replied.
  • گفت اندر جو تو کمتر کاه کن ** گفت لاحول این سخن کوتاه کن‏

  • The Súfí said, “Sweep his place (clear) of stones and dung, and if it is wet, sprinkle dry earth on it.”
  • گفت جایش را بروب از سنگ و پشک ** ور بود تر ریز بر وی خاک خشک‏

  • “Good gracious!” cried he, “implore God's grace, O father and say little (give few instructions) to a messenger who knows his business.” 215
  • گفت لاحول ای پدر لاحول کن ** با رسول اهل کمتر گو سخن‏

  • The Súfí said, “Take the comb and curry the ass's back.” “Good gracious! do have some shame, O father,” said he.
  • گفت بستان شانه پشت خر بخار ** گفت لاحول ای پدر شرمی بدار

  • The servant said this and briskly girded up his loins. “I go,” said he; “first I will fetch the straw and barley.”
  • خادم این گفت و میان را بست چست ** گفت رفتم کاه و جو آرم نخست‏

  • Off he went and never thought of the stable at all: he gave that Súfí (a pretence like) the sleep of the hare.
  • رفت و از آخر نکرد او هیچ یاد ** خواب خرگوشی بدان صوفی بداد

  • The servant went off to (join) some rascals and made a mockery of the Súfí's admonition.
  • رفت خادم جانب اوباش چند ** کرد بر اندرز صوفی ریش‏خند

  • The Súfí was fatigued by his journey and stretched his limbs (lay down to sleep): with his eyes closed he was dreaming 220
  • صوفی از ره مانده بود و شد دراز ** خوابها می‏دید با چشم فراز

  • That his ass was left (helpless) in the clutch of a wolf, (which) was tearing pieces (of flesh) from its back and thighs.
  • کان خرش در چنگ گرگی مانده بود ** پاره‏ها از پشت و رانش می‏ربود

  • “Good gracious!” he exclaimed, “what melancholy (madness) is this? Oh, where is that kindly servant?”
  • گفت لاحول این چه مالیخولیاست ** ای عجب آن خادم مشفق کجاست‏

  • Again he would see his ass going along the road and falling now into a well and now into a ditch.
  • باز می‏دید آن خرش در راه رو ** گه به چاهی می‏فتاد و گه به گو

  • He was dreaming various unpleasant dreams; he was reciting the Fátiha and the Qári‘a.
  • گونه‏گون می‏دید ناخوش واقعه ** فاتحه می‏خواند او و القارعه‏

  • He said (to himself), “What can be done to help? My friends have hurried out: they have departed and made all the doors fast.” 225
  • گفت چاره چیست یاران جسته‏اند ** رفته‏اند و جمله درها بسته‏اند

  • Again he would say, “Oh, I wonder—that wretched servant! Did not he partake of bread and salt with us?
  • باز می‏گفت ای عجب آن خادمک ** نه که با ما گشت هم نان و نمک‏

  • I showed him nothing but courtesy and mildness: why should he on the contrary show hatred towards me?
  • من نکردم با وی الا لطف و لین ** او چرا با من کند بر عکس کین‏

  • Every enmity must rest on some cause; otherwise, our common humanity would dictate faithfulness (in friendship).”
  • هر عداوت را سبب باید سند ** ور نه جنسیت وفا تلقین کند

  • Then he would say again, “When had Adam, the kind and generous, done an injury to Iblís?
  • باز می‏گفت آدم با لطف وجود ** کی بر آن ابلیس جوری کرده بود

  • What was done by man to snake and scorpion that they wish (to inflict) death and pain upon him? 230
  • آدمی مر مار و کژدم را چه کرد ** کاو همی‏خواهد مر او را مرگ و درد

  • To rend is the instinct of the wolf: after all, this envy is conspicuous in mankind.”
  • گرگ را خود خاصیت بدریدن است ** این حسد در خلق آخر روشن است‏

  • Again he would say, “It is wrong thus to think evil: why have I such thoughts against my brother?”
  • باز می‏گفت این گمان بد خطاست ** بر برادر این چنین ظنم چراست‏

  • Then he would say, “Prudence consists in your thinking evil: how shall he that thinks no evil remain unhurt?”
  • باز گفتی حزم سوء الظن تست ** هر که بد ظن نیست کی ماند درست‏

  • The Súfí was in (this) anxiety, and (meanwhile) the ass was in such a plight that—may it befall our enemies!
  • صوفی اندر وسوسه و آن خر چنان ** که چنین بادا جز ای دشمنان‏

  • That poor ass was amidst earth and stones, with his saddle crooked and his halter torn, 235
  • آن خر مسکین میان خاک و سنگ ** کژ شده پالان دریده پالهنگ‏

  • Killed (exhausted) by the journey, without fodder all the night long, now at the last gasp and now perishing.
  • خسته از ره جمله‏ی شب بی‏علف ** گاه در جان کندن و گه در تلف‏

  • All night the ass was repeating, “O God, I give up the barley; (but am I to have) less than one handful of straw?”
  • خر همه شب ذکر می‏کرد ای اله ** جو رها کردم کم از یک مشت کاه‏

  • With mute eloquence he was saying, “O Shaykhs, (have) some pity, for I am consumed (with anguish) because of this raw impudent rogue.”
  • با زبان حال می‏گفت ای شیوخ ** رحمتی که سوختم زین خام شوخ‏

  • What that ass suffered of pain and torment, the land-bird suffers (the same) in a flood of water.
  • آن چه آن خر دید از رنج و عذاب ** مرغ خاکی بیند اندر سیل آب‏

  • (All) that night till dawn the wretched ass, from exceeding hunger, rolled frequently on his side. 240
  • بس به پهلو گشت آن شب تا سحر ** آن خر بی‏چاره از جوع البقر

  • Day rose. The servant came at morn and at once laid the saddle firmly on the ass's back.
  • روز شد خادم بیامد بامداد ** زود پالان جست بر پشتش نهاد

  • After the fashion of ass-dealers he gave him two or three blows (with a goad): he did to the ass what is befitting from such a cur (as he was).
  • خر فروشانه دو سه زخمش بزد ** کرد با خر آن چه ز آن سگ می‏سزد

  • The sharpness of the sting set the ass jumping; where is the tongue (has an ass such a tongue) that he may describe his own state (feelings)?
  • خر جهنده گشت از تیزی نیش ** کو زبان تا خر بگوید حال خویش‏

  • How the people of the caravan supposed the Sufi's beast was ill
  • گمان بردن کاروانیان که بهمیه‌ای صوفی رنجور است

  • When the Súfí mounted and got going, he (the ass) began to fall on his face every time,
  • چون که صوفی بر نشست و شد روان ** رو در افتادن گرفت او هر زمان‏

  • (And) every time the people (the travellers) lifted him up: they all thought he was ill. 245
  • هر زمانش خلق بر می‏داشتند ** جمله رنجورش همی‏پنداشتند