He (the fool) said, “Here you are, this is the truth! I accept (it) with (all) my soul.” Wrong seems right to the wrong-minded.
گفت اینک راست پذرفتم به جان ** کج نماید راست در پیش کجان
If you say to a squinting man, “The moon is one,” he will say to you, “These are two (moons); and there is a (great) doubt as to (the moon's) being one”;
گر بگویی احولی را مه یکی است ** گویدت این دوست و در وحدت شکی است
And if somebody laughs at him and says, “There are two,” he deems it the truth. This (mockery) is what the ill-natured (ignorant and contumacious) fellow deserves.
ور بر او خندد کسی گوید دو است ** راست دارد این سزای بد خو است
Lies muster round (those who are living) lies: (the text) the wicked men for the wicked women has thrown light (upon this point).
بر دروغان جمع میآید دروغ ** الخبیثات الخبیثین زد فروغ
They whose hearts are (opened) wide (to receive spiritual truths) have wide (far-reaching) hands; they whose (spiritual) eyes are blind have to stumble on stony ground.3640
دل فراخان را بود دست فراخ ** چشم کوران را عثار سنگلاخ
On seeking the tree whereof none that eats the fruit shall die.
جستن آن درخت که هر که میوهی آن درخت خورد نمیرد
A learned man (once) said, for the sake of (telling) a story, “In India there is a certain tree:
گفت دانایی برای داستان ** که درختی هست در هندوستان
Whoso takes and eats of its fruit, he grows not old nor ever dies.”
هر کسی کز میوهی او خورد و برد ** نه شود او پیر نه هرگز بمرد
A king heard this (tale) from a veracious person: he became a lover of the tree and its fruit.
پادشاهی این شنید از صادقی ** بر درخت و میوهاش شد عاشقی
From the Divan of culture he sent an intelligent envoy to India in search (of it).
قاصدی دانا ز دیوان ادب ** سوی هندستان روان کرد از طلب
For (many) years his envoy wandered about India in quest (of the tree).3645
سالها میگشت آن قاصد از او ** گرد هندستان برای جستجو
He roamed from town to town for this object: neither island nor mountain nor plain was left (unvisited).
شهر شهر از بهر این مطلوب گشت ** نه جزیره ماند و نه کوه و نه دشت
Every one whom he asked made a mock of him, saying, “Who would search after this, unless perhaps a madman in confinement?”
هر که را پرسید کردش ریشخند ** کاین که جوید جز مگر مجنون بند
Many slapped him jocosely; many said, “O fortunate man,
بس کسان صفعش زدند اندر مزاح ** بس کسان گفتند ای صاحب فلاح
How should the enquiry of a clever and clear-minded person like you be devoid (of result)? How should it be vain?”
جستجوی چون تو زیرک سینه صاف ** کی تهی باشد کجا باشد گزاف
And this (ironical) respect was to him another slap, and it was harder (to bear) than the visible slap.3650
They extolled him sarcastically, saying, “O great sir, in such and such a very tremendous and huge country,
میستودندش به تسخر کای بزرگ ** در فلان اقلیم بس هول و سترگ
In such and such a forest there is a green tree, very tall and broad, and every branch of it is big.”
در فلان بیشه درختی هست سبز ** بس بلند و پهن و هر شاخیش گبز
The king's envoy, who had braced his belt for the quest, was hearing a different kind of report from every one;
قاصد شه بسته در جستن کمر ** میشنید از هر کسی نوعی خبر
There for years he travelled much, (whilst) the king kept sending money to him.
بس سیاحت کرد آن جا سالها ** میفرستادش شهنشه مالها
After he had suffered much fatigue in that foreign land, at last he became too exhausted to seek (any longer).3655
چون بسی دید اندر آن غربت تعب ** عاجز آمد آخر الامر از طلب
No trace of the object of pursuit was discovered: of what he wanted nothing appeared but the report.
هیچ از مقصود اثر پیدا نشد ** ز آن غرض غیر خبر پیدا نشد
The thread of his hope snapped, the thing he had sought became unsought in the end.
رشتهی امید او بگسسته شد ** جستهی او عاقبت ناجسته شد
He resolved to return to the king, (and set out) shedding tears and traversing the way.
کرد عزم باز گشتن سوی شاه ** اشک میبارید و میبرید راه
How the Shaykh explained the hidden meaning of the tree to the seeker who was in the bondage of formalism.
شرح کردن شیخ سر آن درخت را با آن طالب مقلد
There was a wise Shaykh, a noble Qutb, at the halting-place where the king's intimate fell into despair.
بود شیخی عالمی قطبی کریم ** اندر آن منزل که آیس شد ندیم
He (the envoy) said, “Being without hope, I will go to him, and set out on the road (again) from his threshold,3660
گفت من نومید پیش او روم ** ز آستان او به راه اندر شوم
In order that his prayer (blessing) may accompany me, since I have no hope of (winning) my heart's desire.”
تا دعای او بود همراه من ** چون که نومیدم من از دل خواه من
With tearful eyes he went to the Shaykh: he was raining tears, like a cloud.
رفت پیش شیخ با چشم پر آب ** اشک میبارید مانند سحاب
“O Shaykh,” he cried, “it is the time for mercy and pity; I am in despair: now is the time for kindness.”
گفت شیخا وقت رحم و رقت است ** ناامیدم وقت لطف این ساعت است
He (the Shaykh) said, “Say plainly what is the cause of thy despair: what is thy object? what hast thou in view?”
گفت وا گو کز چه نومیدیستت ** چیست مطلوب تو رو با چیستت
He answered, “The Emperor chose me out to seek a certain branching tree,3665
گفت شاهنشاه کردم اختیار ** از برای جستن یک شاخسار
For there is a tree, unique in (all) the quarters (of the world): its fruit is (of) the substance of the Water of Life.
که درختی هست نادر در جهات ** میوهی او مایهی آب حیات
I have sought (it) for years and seen no sign (of it) except the gibes and ridicule of these merry men.”
سالها جستم ندیدم یک نشان ** جز که طنز و تسخر این سر خوشان
The Shaykh laughed and said to him, “O simpleton, this is the tree of knowledge in the sage—
شیخ خندید و بگفتش ای سلیم ** این درخت علم باشد در علیم
Very high and very grand and very far-spreading: (it is) a Water of Life from the all-encompassing Sea (of God).
بس بلند و بس شگرف و بس بسیط ** آب حیوانی ز دریای محیط
Thou hast gone after the form, O ignorant man: hence thou art without fruit and produce from the bough of reality.3670
تو به صورت رفتهای ای بیخبر ** ز آن ز شاخ معنیی بیبار و بر
Sometimes it is named ‘tree,’ sometimes ‘sun’; sometimes it is named ‘sea,’ sometimes ‘cloud.’
گه درختش نام شد گه آفتاب ** گاه بحرش نام گشت و گه سحاب
(It is) that one (thing) from which a hundred thousand effects arise: its least effects are everlasting life.
آن یکی کش صد هزار آثار خاست ** کمترین آثار او عمر بقاست
Although (in essence) it is single, it hath a thousand effects: innumerable names befit (may be properly applied to) that one (thing).
گر چه فرد است او اثر دارد هزار ** این یکی را نام شاید بیشمار
One person may be father in relation to thee; in regard to another individual he may be son.
آن یکی شخص ترا باشد پدر ** در حق شخصی دگر باشد پسر
In regard to another he may be wrath and a foe; in regard to another he may be graciousness and a friend.3675
در حق دیگر بود قهر و عدو ** در حق دیگر بود لطف و نکو
(He hath) hundreds of thousands of names, (but) he is one man: the owner of every quality belonging to him is blind to (incapable of) giving any (true) description (of him).
صد هزاران نام و او یک آدمی ** صاحب هر وصفش از وصفی عمی
Whoever seeks the (mere) name, if he is entrusted (with a confidential mission) he is hopeless and in distraction, even as thou art.
هر که جوید نام اگر صاحب ثقه است ** همچو تو نومید و اندر تفرقه است
Why dost thou stick to the name ‘tree,’ so that thou art left bitterly disappointed and ill-fortuned?
تو چه بر چفسی بر این نام درخت ** تا بمانی تلخ کام و شور بخت
Pass on from the name and look at the attributes, in order that the attributes may show thee the way to the essence.”
در گذر از نام و بنگر در صفات ** تا صفاتت ره نماید سوی ذات
The disagreement of mankind is caused by names: peace ensues when they advance to the reality (denoted by the name).3680
اختلاف خلق از نام اوفتاد ** چون به معنی رفت آرام اوفتاد
How four persons quarrelled about grapes, which were known to each of them by a different name.
منازعت چهار کس جهت انگور که هر یکی به نام دیگر فهم کرده بود آن را
A certain man gave a dirhem to four persons: one of them (a Persian) said, “I will spend this on angúr.”
چار کس را داد مردی یک درم ** آن یکی گفت این به انگوری دهم
The second one was an Arab: he said, “No, I want ‘inab, not angúr, O rascal!”
آن یکی دیگر عرب بد گفت لا ** من عنب خواهم نه انگور ای دغا
The third was a Turk; and he said, “This (money) is mine: I don't want ‘inab, I want uzum.”
آن یکی ترکی بدو گفت ای گزم ** من نمیخواهم عنب خواهم ازم
The fourth, a Greek, said, “Stop this talk: I want istáfíl.”
آن یکی رومی بگفت این قیل را ** ترک کن خواهیم استافیل را
These people began fighting in contention with one another, because they were unaware of the hidden meaning of the names.3685
در تنازع آن نفر جنگی شدند ** که ز سر نامها غافل بدند