No one can recognise him by means of wisdom when he has feigned to be mad.2350
کس نداند از خرد او را شناخت ** چون که او مر خویش را دیوانه ساخت
When a seeing thief steals from a blind man, can he at all detect (the identity of) the thief (who is) in the act of passing?
چون بدزدد دزد بینایی ز کور ** هیچ یابد دزد را او در عبور
The blind man does not know who it was that robbed him, even though the wicked thief may knock against him.
کور نشناسد که دزد او که بود ** گر چه خود بر وی زند دزد عنود
When a dog bites a blind ragged mendicant, how should he recognise that ferocious dog?
چون گزد سگ کور صاحب ژنده را ** کی شناسد آن سگ درنده را
How the dog attacked the mendicant who was blind.
حمله بردن سگ بر کور گدا
A dog was attacking, as (though it were) a warlike lion, a blind mendicant in a certain street.
یک سگی در کوی بر کور گدا ** حمله میآورد چون شیر وغا
The dog rushes angrily at dervishes; the moon smears her eyes with dust of (the feet of) dervishes.2355
سگ کند آهنگ درویشان به خشم ** در کشد مه خاک درویشان به چشم
The blind man was made helpless by the dog's barking and by (his) fear of the dog; the blind man began to pay honour to the dog.
کور عاجز شد ز بانگ و بیم سگ ** اندر آمد کور در تعظیم سگ
Saying, “O prince of the chase, and O lion of the hunt, thine is the (upper) hand: refrain thy hand from me!”—
کای امیر صید و ای شیر شکار ** دست دست تست دست از من بدار
For, (moved) by necessity, that (renowned) philosopher paid honour to (one vile as) the tail of an ass, and gave him the title of “noble.”
کز ضرورت دم خر را آن حکیم ** کرد تعظیم و لقب دادش کریم
He (the blind man) too, of necessity, said, “O lion, what (good) will come to thee from such a meagre prey as I am?
گفت او هم از ضرورت کای اسد ** از چو من لاغر شکارت چه رسد
Thy friends are catching onagers in the desert; thou art catching a blind man in the street; this is bad.2360
گور میگیرند یارانت به دشت ** کور میگیری تو در کوچه به گشت
Thy friends seek on agers by hunting (them); thou in (mere) malice seekest a blind man in the street.”
گور میجویند یارانت به صید ** کور میجویی تو در کوچه به کید
The knowing dog has made the onager his prey, while this worthless dog has attacked a blind man.
آن سگ عالم شکار گور کرد ** وین سگ بیمایه قصد کور کرد
When the dog has learned the knowledge (imparted to him), he has escaped from error: he hunts lawful prey in the jungles.
علم چون آموخت سگ رست از ضلال ** میکند در بیشهها صید حلال
When the dog has become knowing (‘álim), he marches briskly; when the dog has become a knower of God (‘árif), he becomes (as) the Men of the Cave.
سگ چو عالم گشت شد چالاک زحف ** سگ چو عارف گشت شد ز اصحاب کهف
The dog has come to know who is the Master of the hunt. O God, what is that knowing light?2365
سگ شناسا شد که میر صید کیست ** ای خدا آن نور اشناسنده چیست
(If) the blind man knows it not, ’tis not from (his) having no eye (to see); nay, ’tis because he is drunken with ignorance.
کور نشناسد نه از بیچشمی است ** بلکه این ز آن است کز جهل است مست
Truly, the blind man is not more eyeless than the earth; and this earth, by the grace of God, has become a seer of (God's) enemies.
نیست خود بیچشم تر کور از زمین ** این زمین از فضل حق شد خصم بین
It saw the Light of Moses and showed kindness to Moses; (but) Qárún it engulfed, (for) it knew Qárún.
نور موسی دید و موسی را نواخت ** خسف قارون کرد و قارون را شناخت
It quaked for the destruction of every false pretender: it understood (the words that came) from God, “O earth, swallow (thy water)!”
رجف کرد اندر هلاک هر دعی ** فهم کرد از حق که یا أرض ابلعی
Earth and water and air and sparking fire are unacquainted with us, but acquainted with God.2370
خاک و آب و باد و نار با شرر ** بیخبر با ما و با حق با خبر
Contrariwise, we are aware of (things) other than God, (but) unaware (heedless) of God and of so many warners (prophets).
ما بعکس آن ز غیر حق خبیر ** بیخبر از حق و از چندین نذیر
As a necessary consequence, they (the elements) all shrank from (accepting) it (the trust offered to them): (the edge of) their impulse to partake of life was blunted.
لاجرم أشفقن منها جملهشان ** کند شد ز آمیز حیوان حملهشان
They said, “We all are averse to this life, (namely), that one should be living in relation to created beings and dead in relation to God.”
گفته بیزاریم جمله زین حیات ** کاو بود با خلق حی با حق موات
When he (any one) remains away from created beings, he is orphaned (single): for intimacy with God, the heart must be free (from relations with aught besides).
چون بماند از خلق گردد او یتیم ** انس حق را قلب میباید سلیم
When a thief steals some article of property from a blind man, the blind man is blindly lamenting.2375
چون ز کوری دزد دزدد کالهای ** میکند آن کور عمیا نالهای
Until the thief say to him, “’Tis I that stole from thee, for I am an artful thief,”
تا نگوید دزد او را کان منم ** کز تو دزدیدم که دزد پر فنم
How should the blind man know his thief, since he hath not the eye's light and that radiance (of vision)?
کی شناسد کور دزد خویش را ** چون ندارد نور چشم و آن ضیا
When he (the thief) speaks (and confesses), at once take tight hold of him, that he may tell the marks (descriptive) of the (stolen) goods.
چون بگوید هم بگیر او را تو سخت ** تا بگوید او علامتهای رخت
The Greater Jihád (Holy War), then, consists in squeezing the thief, in order that he may tell what he has stolen and what he has carried off.
پس جهاد اکبر آمد عصر دزد ** تا بگوید که چه دزدیده است مزد
First, he has stolen your eye-salve; when you take it (from him), you will regain (your) insight.2380
اولا دزدید کحل دیدهات ** چون ستانی باز یابی تبصرت
The goods of wisdom, which have been lost by (your) heart, are certainly to be found with the man of heart (the saint).
کالهی حکمت که گم کردهی دل است ** پیش اهل دل یقین آن حاصل است
The blind of heart, notwithstanding (his possession of) life and hearing and sight, is never knowing the devilish thief by the traces (which he leaves).
کوردل با جان و با سمع و بصر ** مینداند دزد شیطان را ز اثر
Seek (that knowledge) from the man of heart; do not seek it from the inanimate, for (all other) people are inanimate beside (in comparison with) him.
ز اهل دل جو از جماد آن را مجو ** که جماد آمد خلایق پیش او
The seeker of counsel approached him (the saint who was feigning madness), saying, “O father who hast become (as) a child, tell (me) a secret.”
مشورت جوینده آمد نزد او ** کای اب کودک شده رازی بگو
He answered, “Begone from this door-ring, for this door is not open. Turn back: to-day is not the day for secrets.2385
گفت رو زین حلقه کاین در باز نیست ** باز گرد امروز روز راز نیست
If the spatial had (any) access to the non-spatial, I should be (seated) on the bench, (giving instruction) like the Shaykhs (spiritual directors).”
گر مکان را ره بدی در لامکان ** همچو شیخان بودمی من بر دکان
How the Police Inspector summoned the man who had fallen dead-drunk (on the ground) to (go to) prison.
خواندن محتسب مست خراب افتاده را به زندان
The Inspector came at midnight to a certain place: he saw a drunken man lying at the bottom of a wall.
محتسب در نیم شب جایی رسید ** در بن دیوار مستی خفته دید
He cried, “Hey, you are drunk: tell (me), what have you been drinking?” Said the man, “I have drunk of this which is in the jar.”
گفت هی مستی چه خورده ستی بگو ** گفت از این خوردم که هست اندر سبو
“Pray,” said he, “explain what is in the jar.” He replied, “Some of what I have drunk.” “(But),” said the Inspector, “this is hidden (from sight).”
گفت آخر در سبو واگو که چیست ** گفت از آن که خوردهام گفت این خفی است
He asked (again), “What is it that you have drunk?” He rejoined, “That which is hidden in the jar.”2390
گفت آن چه خوردهای آن چیست آن ** گفت آن که در سبو مخفی است آن
These questions and answers were becoming a (vicious) circle. The Inspector was left (stuck) in the mud, like an ass.
دور میشد این سؤال و این جواب ** ماند چون خر محتسب اندر خلاب
The Inspector said to him, “Come now, say ‘Ah’”; (but) the drunken man, at the moment of utterance, said “Hú, Hú.”
گفت او را محتسب هین آه کن ** مست هو هو کرد هنگام سخن
“I told you to say ‘Ah’,” said he; “you are saying ‘Hú’.” “(Because) I am glad,” he replied, “while you are bent with grief.
گفت گفتم آه کن هو میکنی ** گفت من شاد و تو از غم دم زنی
‘Ah’ is (uttered) on account of pain and grief and injustice; the ‘Hú, Hú’ of the wine-drinkers is from joy.”
آه از درد و غم و بیدادی است ** هوی هوی می خوران از شادی است
The Inspector said, “I know nothing about this. Get up, get up! Don't retail mystic lore, and leave off this wrangling.”2395
محتسب گفت این ندانم خیز خیز ** معرفت متراش و بگذار این ستیز
“Go away,” said the man; “what have you to do with me?” “You are drunk,” the Inspector said. “Get up and come to prison.”
گفت رو تو از کجا من از کجا ** گفت مستی خیز تا زندان بیا
Said the drunken man, “O Inspector, let me alone and go away. How is it possible to carry off pledges from one that is naked?
گفت مست ای محتسب بگذار و رو ** از برهنه کی توان بردن گرو
If indeed I had had the power to walk, I should have gone to my house—and (then) how would this (affair between us) have occurred?
گر مرا خود قوت رفتن بدی ** خانهی خود رفتمی وین کی شدی
Were I (still) possessed of understanding and of contingent (unreal) existence, I should be on the bench, (giving instruction) like the Shaykhs.”
من اگر با عقل و با امکانمی ** همچو شیخان بر سر دکانمی
How the inquirer, for the second time, drew that eminent (saint) into conversation, in order that his condition might be made better known (to the inquirer).
دوم بار در سخن کشیدن سایل آن بزرگ را تا حال او معلوم تر گردد