By reason of the readiness with which the camel set out along with him, the mouse was duped into thinking himself a hero.
اشتر از چستی که با او شد روان ** موش غره شد که هستم پهلوان
The ray of his thought struck the camel. He (the camel) said (aside), “I will show thee (presently)! Enjoy thyself!”
بر شتر زد پرتو اندیشهاش ** گفت بنمایم ترا تو باش خوش
(All went well) till he (the mouse) came to the bank of a great river, at which any lion or wolf would have lost heart.
تا بیامد بر لب جوی بزرگ ** کاندر او گشتی زبون پیل سترگ
There the mouse stopped and became paralysed. The camel said, “O my companion o’er hill and plain,3440
موش آن جا ایستاد و خشک گشت ** گفت اشتر ای رفیق کوه و دشت
What is this standing still (for)? Why art thou dismayed? Step (forward) like a man! Go into the river!
این توقف چیست حیرانی چرا ** پا بنه مردانه اندر جو در آ
Thou art my guide and leader: don't halt midway and be dumbfounded!”
تو قلاووزی و پیش آهنگ من ** در میان ره مباش و تن مزن
He (the mouse) said, “This is a huge and deep river: I am afraid of being drowned, O comrade.”
گفت این آب شگرف است و عمیق ** من همیترسم ز غرقاب ای رفیق
Said the camel, “Let me see the limit (depth) of the water,” and he quickly set foot in it.
گفت اشتر تا ببینم حد آب ** پا در او بنهاد آن اشتر شتاب
“The water,” he said, “is (only) up to the knee. O blind mouse, wherefore didst thou become dismayed and lose thy wits?”3445
گفت تا زانوست آب ای کور موش ** از چه حیران گشتی و رفتی ز هوش
He (the mouse) replied, “It is (as) an ant to you, but to me it is a dragon, for there are differences between one knee and another.
گفت مور تست و ما را اژدهاست ** که ز زانو تا به زانو فرقهاست
If it is (only) up to your knee, O excellent one, it is a hundred ells higher than the crown of my head.”
گر ترا تا زانو است ای پر هنر ** مر مرا صد گز گذشت از فرق سر
He (the camel) said, “Another time, do not behave (so) boldly, lest thy body and soul be consumed by these sparks.
گفت گستاخی مکن بار دگر ** تا نسوزد جسم و جانت زین شرر
Contend with mice like thyself: a mouse has nothing to say to a camel.”
تو مری با مثل خود موشان بکن ** با شتر مر موش را نبود سخن
He (the mouse) said, “I repent. For God's sake, get me across this deadly water!”3450
گفت توبه کردم از بهر خدا ** بگذران زین آب مهلک مر مرا
The camel took pity. “Hark,” said he, “jump up and sit on my hump.
رحم آمد مر شتر را گفت هین ** برجه و بر کودبان من نشین
This passage has been vouchsafed to me: I would take across hundreds of thousands like thee.”
این گذشتن شد مسلم مر مرا ** بگذرانم صد هزاران چون ترا
Since you are not a prophet, go on the road (after the prophets), that one day you may come from the pit (of fleshliness) to (spiritual) place and power.
چون پیمبر نیستی پس رو به راه ** تا رسی از چاه روزی سوی جاه
Be a vassal since you are not a lord: do not steer (the boat) yourself, since you are not the boatman.
تو رعیت باش چون سلطان نهای ** خود مران چون مرد کشتیبان نهای
Since you are not (spiritually) perfect, do not take a shop (by yourself) alone. Be pliant to the hand, in order that you may become leavened (like dough).3455
چون نهای کامل دکان تنها مگیر ** دستخوش میباش تا گردی خمیر
Give ear to (the Divine command), “Keep silence,” be mute; since you have not become the tongue (mouthpiece) of God, be an ear.
أنصتوا را گوش کن خاموش باش ** چون زبان حق نگشتی گوش باش
And if you speak, speak in the form of a request for explanation: speak to the (spiritual) emperors as a lowly beggar.
ور بگویی شکل استفسار گو ** با شهنشاهان تو مسکینوار گو
The beginning of pride and hatred is in (worldly) lust, and the rootedness of your lust is from habit.
ابتدای کبر و کین از شهوت است ** راسخی شهوتت از عادت است
When an evil disposition becomes confirmed by habit, you are enraged with any one who restrains you.
چون ز عادت گشت محکم خوی بد ** خشم آید بر کسی کت واکشد
After you have become an eater of clay, any one who restrains you from (eating) clay is your enemy.3460
چون که تو گل خوار گشتی هر که او ** واکشد از گل ترا باشد عدو
Since idolaters are devoted to the idol, they are foes to them that prevent their access (to it).
بت پرستان چون که خو با بت کنند ** مانعان راه بت را دشمنند
Since Iblís had become accustomed to being leader, he in his folly regarded Adam with contempt.
چون که کرد ابلیس خو با سروری ** دید آدم را حقیر او از خری
Saying, “Is there another leader superior to me, so that he should be worshipped by one like me?”
که به از من سروری دیگر بود ** تا که او مسجود چون من کس شود
Leadership is poison, except to the spirit that from the beginning hath (in himself) abundance of the antidote.
سروری زهر است جز آن روح را ** کاو بود تریاق لانی ز ابتدا
If the mountain is full of snakes, have no fear, for it is a mine of antidote within.3465
کوه اگر پر مار شد باکی مدار ** کاو بود در اندرون تریاقزار
When leadership has become a bosom-friend to your brain, any one who breaks (thwarts) you becomes (as) an ancient adversary.
سروری چون شد دماغت را ندیم ** هر که بشکستت شود خصم قدیم
When any one contradicts your disposition (habit of mind), many feelings of hatred against him arise in you.
چون خلاف خوی تو گوید کسی ** کینهها خیزد ترا با او بسی
“He is tearing me (you say) from my (engrained) disposition, he is making himself like a captain over me.”
که مرا از خوی من بر میکند ** خویش را بر من چو سرور میکند
Unless the evil disposition has become headstrong in him, how should the fire (of passion) blaze up in him through being opposed?
چون نباشد خوی بد سرکش در او ** کی فروزد آن خلاف آتش در او
He may show some feigned courtesy to the opponent, he may make a place for himself in his heart,3470
با مخالف او مدارایی کند ** در دل او خویش را جایی کند
(But he really hates him), because the evil disposition has waxed strong: the ant of (worldly) lust has through habit become as a snake.
ز انکه خوی بد بگشته ست استوار ** مور شهوت شد ز عادت همچو مار
Kill the snake of lust in tribulation; else, look you, your snake is become a dragon.
مار شهوت را بکش در ابتدا ** ور نه اینک گشت مارت اژدها
But every one deems his own snake an ant: do you (then) seek the explanation of yourself (your real state) from him that is lord of the heart.
لیک هر کس مور بیند مار خویش ** تو ز صاحب دل کن استفسار خویش
Until copper becomes gold, it does not know itself to be copper: until the heart becomes a king, it does not know itself to be an insolvent.
تا نشد زر مس نداند من مسم ** تا نشد شه دل نداند مفلسم
Do service to the elixir, like copper: endure oppression, O heart, from him that holds the heart in fee.3475
خدمت اکسیر کن مسوار تو ** جور میکش ای دل از دل دار تو
Who is it that holds the heart in fee? Know well, it is the lords of the heart who, like day and night, are recoiling from the world.
کیست دل دار اهل دل نیکو بدان ** که چو روز و شب جهانند از جهان
Do not find fault with the Servant of God: do not suspect the King of being a thief.
عیب کم گو بندهی الله را ** متهم کم کن به دزدی شاه را
The miracles of the dervish who was suspected of theft in a ship.
کرامات آن درویش که در کشتی متهمش کردند
A dervish was in a ship: he had made a bolster (for himself) from the goods of saintly fortitude.
بود درویشی درون کشتیی ** ساخته از رخت مردی پشتیی
A purse of gold was lost. He was asleep (at the time). They searched all (in the ship) and brought him also to view
یاوه شد همیان زر او خفته بود ** جمله را جستند و او را هم نمود
Saying, “Let us search this sleeping mendicant as well.” (So) the owner of the money, (excited) by grief, awakened him.3480
کاین فقیر خفته را جوییم هم ** کرد بیدارش ز غم صاحب درم
“A bag of valuables,” said he, “has been lost in this ship. We have searched the whole company: you cannot escape (suspicion).
که در این کشتی حرمدان گمشدست ** جمله را جستیم نتوانی تو رست
Put off your dervish-cloak, strip yourself of it, in order that the people's suspicions may be cleared away from you.”
دلق بیرون کن برهنه شو ز دلق ** تا ز تو فارغ شود اوهام خلق
He cried, “O Lord, these vile wretches have made an accusation against Thy slave: bring Thy command to pass!”
گفت یا رب مر غلامت را خسان ** متهم کردند فرمان در رسان
When the heart of the dervish was pained by that (suspicion), at once there put forth their heads on every side
چون به درد آمد دل درویش از آن ** سر برون کردند هر سو در زمان
From the deep sea myriads of fishes, and in the mouth of each (was) a superb pearl:3485
صد هزاران ماهی از دریای ژرف ** در دهان هر یکی دری شگرف
Myriads of fishes out of the full sea, each with a pearl in its mouth—and what (marvellous) pearls!—
صد هزاران ماهی از دریای پر ** در دهان هر یکی در و چه در