Suddenly a cow ran into his house; she butted with her horns and broke the bolt and key.
ناگهان در خانه‌اش گاوی دوید ** شاخ زد بشکست دربند و کلید
The bold cow jumped into the house; the man sprang forward and bound her legs.
گاو گستاخ اندر آن خانه بجست ** مرد در جست و قوایمهاش بست
Then he at once cut the throat of the cow without pause, without consideration, and without mercy.
پس گلوی گاو ببرید آن زمان ** بی توقف بی تامل بی امان
After he had cut off her head, he went to the butcher, in order that he might quickly rip off her hide forthwith.
چون سرش ببرید شد سوی قصاب ** تا اهابش بر کند در دم شتاب
The Poet's excusing himself and asking help.
عذر گفتن نظم کننده و مدد خواستن
O Thou that makest demands within (me), like the embryo— since Thou art making a demand, make easy1490
ای تقاضاگر درون همچون جنین ** چون تقاضا می‌کنی اتمام این
The fulfilment of this (task), show the way, give aidance, or (else) relinquish the demand and do not lay (the burden) upon me!
سهل گردان ره نما توفیق ده ** یا تقاضا را بهل بر ما منه
Since Thou art demanding gold from an insolvent, give him gold in secret, O rich King!
چون ز مفلس زر تقاضا می‌کنی ** زر ببخشش در سر ای شاه غنی
Without Thee, how should poesy and rhyme dare to come into sight at eve or morn?
بی تو نظم و قافیه شام و سحر ** زهره کی دارد که آید در نظر
Poesy and homonymy and rhymes, O Knowing One, are the slaves of Thy Command from fear and dread,
نظم و تجنیس و قوافی ای علیم ** بنده‌ی امر توند از ترس و بیم
Inasmuch as Thou hast made everything a glorifier (of Thee) —the undiscerning entity and the discerning (alike).1495
چون مسبح کرده‌ای هر چیز را ** ذات بی تمییز و با تمییز را
Each glorifies (Thee) in a different fashion, and that one is unaware of the state of this one.
هر یکی تسبیح بر نوعی دگر ** گوید و از حال آن این بی‌خبر
Man disbelieves in the glorification uttered by inanimate things, but those inanimate things are masters in (performing) worship.
آدمی منکر ز تسبیح جماد ** و آن جماد اندر عبادت اوستاد
Nay, the two-and-seventy sects, every one, are unaware of (the real state of) each other and in a (great) doubt.
بلک هفتاد و دو ملت هر یکی ** بی‌خبر از یکدگر واندر شکی
Since two speakers have no knowledge of each other's state, how will (it) be (with) wall and door?
چون دو ناطق را ز حال همدگر ** نیست آگه چون بود دیوار و در
Since I am heedless of the glorification uttered by one who speaks, how should my heart know the glorification performed by that which is mute?1500
چون من از تسبیح ناطق غافلم ** چون بداند سبحه‌ی صامت دلم
The Sunní is unaware of the Jabrí's (mode of) glorification; the Jabrí is unaffected by the Sunní's (mode of) glorification.
هست سنی را یکی تسبیح خاص ** هست جبری را ضد آن در مناص
The Sunní has a particular (mode of) glorification; the Jabrí has the opposite thereof in (taking) refuge (with God).
سنی از تسبیح جبری بی‌خبر ** جبری از تسبیح سنی بی اثر
This one (the Jabrí) says, “He (the Sunní) is astray and lost,” (being) unaware of his (real) state and of the (Divine) command, “Arise (and preach)!”
این همی‌گوید که آن ضالست و گم ** بی‌خبر از حال او وز امر قم
And that one (the Sunní) says, “What awareness has this one (the Jabrí)?” God, by fore-ordainment, hath cast them into strife.
و آن همی گوید که این را چه خبر ** جنگشان افکند یزدان از قدر
He maketh manifest the real nature of each, He displays the congener by (contrast with) the uncongenial.1505
گوهر هر یک هویدا می‌کند ** جنس از ناجنس پیدا می‌کند
Every one knows (can distinguish) mercy from vengeance, whether he be wise or ignorant or vile,
قهر را از لطف داند هر کسی ** خواه دانا خواه نادان یا خسی
But a mercy that has become hidden in vengeance, or a vengeance that has sunk into the heart of mercy,
لیک لطفی قهر در پنهان شده ** یا که قهری در دل لطف آمده
No one knows except the divine (deified) man in whose heart is a spiritual touchstone.
کم کسی داند مگر ربانیی ** کش بود در دل محک جانیی
The rest hold (only) an opinion of these two (qualities): they fly to their nest with a single wing.
باقیان زین دو گمانی می‌برند ** سوی لانه‌ی خود به یک پر می‌پرند
Explaining that Knowledge has two wings, and Opinion (only) one: “Opinion is defective and curtailed in flight”; and a comparison illustrating opinion and certainty in knowledge.
بیان آنک علم را دو پرست و گمان را یک پرست ناقص آمد ظن به پرواز ابترست مثال ظن و یقین در علم
Knowledge has two wings, Opinion one wing: Opinion is defective and curtailed in flight.1510
علم را دو پر گمان را یک پرست ** ناقص آمد ظن به پرواز ابترست
The one-winged bird soon falls headlong; then again it flies up some two paces or (a little) more.
مرغ یک‌پر زود افتد سرنگون ** باز بر پرد دو گامی یا فزون
The bird, Opinion, falling and rising, goes on with one wing in hope of (reaching) the nest.
افت خیزان می‌رود مرغ گمان ** با یکی پر بر امید آشیان
(But) when he has been delivered from Opinion, Knowledge shows its face to him: that one-winged bird becomes two-winged and spreads his wings.
چون ز ظن وا رست علمش رو نمود ** شد دو پر آن مرغ یک‌پر پر گشود
After that, he walks erect and straight, not falling flat on his face or ailing.
بعد از آن یمشی سویا مستقیم ** نه علی وجهه مکبا او سقیم
He flies aloft with two wings, like Gabriel, without opinion and without peradventure and without disputation.1515
با دو پر بر می‌پرد چون جبرئیل ** بی گمان و بی مگر بی قال و قیل
If all the world should say to him, “You are on the Way of God and (are following) the right religion,”
گر همه عالم بگویندش توی ** بر ره یزدان و دین مستوی
He will not be made hotter by their words: his lonely soul will not mate with them;
او نگردد گرم‌تر از گفتشان ** جان طاق او نگردد جفتشان
And if they all should say to him, “You are astray: you think (you are) a mountain, and (in reality) you are a blade of straw,”
ور همه گویند او را گم‌رهی ** کوه پنداری و تو برگ کهی
He will not fall into opinion (doubt) because of their taunts, he will not be grieved by their departure (estrangement from him).
او نیفتد در گمان از طعنشان ** او نگردد دردمند از ظعنشان
Nay, if seas and mountains should come to speech and should say to him, “You are wedded to perdition,”1520
بلک گر دریا و کوه آید بگفت ** گویدش با گم‌رهی گشتی تو جفت
Not the least jot will he fall into phantasy or sickness on account of the taunts of the scoffers.
هیچ یک ذره نیفتد در خیال ** یا به طعن طاعنان رنجورحال
Parable of a man's being made (spiritually) ill by vain conceit of the veneration in which he is held by the people and of the supplication addressed to him by those seeking his favour; and the (following) story of the Teacher.
مثال رنجور شدن آدمی بوهم تعظیم خلق و رغبت مشتریان بوی و حکایت معلم
The boys in a certain school suffered at the hands of their master from weariness and toil.
کودکان مکتبی از اوستاد ** رنج دیدند از ملال و اجتهاد
They consulted about (the means of) stopping (his) work, so that the teacher should be reduced to the necessity (of letting them go),
مشورت کردند در تعویق کار ** تا معلم در فتد در اضطرار
(Saying), “Since no illness befalls him, which would cause him to take absence for several days,
چون نمی‌آید ورا رنجوریی ** که بگیرد چند روز او دوریی
So that we might escape from (this) imprisonment and confinement and work, (what can we do?). He is fixed (here), like a solid rock.”1525
تا رهیم از حبس و تنگی و ز کار ** هست او چون سنگ خارا بر قرار
One, the cleverest (of them all), planned that he should say, “Master, how are you (so) pale?
آن یکی زیرکتر این تدبیر کرد ** که بگوید اوستا چونی تو زرد
May it be well (with you)! Your colour is changed: this is the effect either of (bad) air or of a fever.”
خیر باشد رنگ تو بر جای نیست ** این اثر یا از هوا یا از تبیست
(He continued), “At this he (the master) will begin to fancy a little (that he is ill): do you too, brother, help (me) in like manner.
اندکی اندر خیال افتد ازین ** تو برادر هم مدد کن این‌چنین
When you come in through the door of the school, say (to him), ‘Master, is your state (of health) good?’
چون درآیی از در مکتب بگو ** خیر باشد اوستا احوال تو
(Then) that fancy of his will increase a little, for by a fancy a sensible man is driven mad.1530
آن خیالش اندکی افزون شود ** کز خیالی عاقلی مجنون شود
After us let the third (boy) and the fourth and the fifth show sympathy and sorrow likewise,
آن سوم و آن چارم و پنجم چنین ** در پی ما غم نمایند و حنین
So that, when with one consent thirty boys successively tell this story, it may find lodgement (in his mind).”
تا چو سی کودک تواتر این خبر ** متفق گویند یابد مستقر
Each (of the boys) said to him (the ringleader), “Bravo, O sagacious one! May your fortune rest on the favour (of God)!”
هر یکی گفتش که شاباش ای ذکی ** باد بختت بر عنایت متکی
They agreed, in firm covenant, that no fellow should alter the words;
متفق گشتند در عهد وثیق ** که نگرداند سخن را یک رفیق
And afterwards he administered an oath to them all, lest any tell-tale should reveal the plot.1535
بعد از آن سوگند داد او جمله را ** تا که غمازی نگوید ماجرا