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
The counsel of that boy prevailed over all (the others), his intellect was going in front of the (whole) flock.
رای آن کودک بچربید از همه ** عقل او در پیش می‌رفت از رمه
There is the same difference in human intellect as (there is) amongst loved ones in (their outward) forms.
آن تفاوت هست در عقل بشر ** که میان شاهدان اندر صور
From this point of view, Ahmad (Mohammed) said in talk, “The excellence of men is hidden in the tongue.”
زین قبل فرمود احمد در مقال ** در زبان پنهان بود حسن رجال
People's intellects differ in their original nature, (though) according to the Mu‘tazilites they are (originally) equal and the difference in intellects arises from the acquisition of knowledge.
عقول خلق متفاوتست در اصل فطرت و نزد معتزله متساویست تفاوت عقول از تحصیل علم است
You must hear (and believe) in accordance with the Sunnís (that) the difference in (people's) intellects was original,
اختلاف عقلها در اصل بود ** بر وفاق سنیان باید شنود
In contradiction to the doctrine of the Mu‘tazilites, who hold that (all) intellects were originally equal,1540
بر خلاف قول اهل اعتزال ** که عقول از اصل دارند اعتدال
(And who maintain that) experience and teaching makes them more or less, so that it makes one person more knowing than another.
تجربه و تعلیم بیش و کم کند ** تا یکی را از یکی اعلم کند
This is false, because the counsel of a boy who has not experience in any course of action—
باطلست این زانک رای کودکی ** که ندارد تجربه در مسلکی
From that small child sprang up a thought (which) the old man with a hundred experiences did not smell out (detect and apprehend) at all.
بر دمید اندیشه‌ای زان طفل خرد ** پیر با صد تجربه بویی نبرد
Truly, the superiority that is from (any one's) nature is even better than the superiority that is (the result of) endeavour and reflection.
خود فزون آن به که آن از فطرتست ** تا ز افزونی که جهد و فکرتست
Tell (me), is the gift of God better, or (is it better) that a lame person should (learn to) walk smoothly (without stumbling)?1545
تو بگو داده‌ی خدا بهتر بود ** یاکه لنگی راهوارانه رود
How the boys made the teacher imagine (that he was ill).
در وهم افکندن کودکان اوستاد را
Day broke, and those boys, (intent) on this thought, came from their homes to the shop (school).
روز گشت و آمدند آن کودکان ** بر همین فکرت ز خانه تا دکان
They all stood outside, waiting for that resolute fellow to go in first,
جمله استادند بیرون منتظر ** تا درآید اول آن یار مصر
Because he was the source of this plan: the head is always an Imám (leader and guide) to the foot.
زانک منبع او بدست این رای را ** سر امام آید همیشه پای را
O imitator (follower of convention and tradition), do not thou seek precedence over one who is a source of the heavenly light.
ای مقلد تو مجو بیشی بر آن ** کو بود منبع ز نور آسمان
He (the boy) came in and said to the master “Salaam! I hope you are well. Your face is yellow in colour.”1550
او در آمد گفت استا را سلام ** خیر باشد رنگ رویت زردفام
The master said, “I have no ailment. Go and sit down and don't talk nonsense, hey!”
گفت استا نیست رنجی مر مرا ** تو برو بنشین مگو یاوه هلا
He denied (it), but the dust of evil imagination suddenly struck a little (made a slight impression) upon his heart.
نفی کرد اما غبار وهم بد ** اندکی اندر دلش ناگاه زد
Another (boy) came in and said the like: by this (second suggestion) that imagination was a little increased.
اندر آمد دیگری گفت این چنین ** اندکی آن وهم افزون شد بدین
(They continued) in like manner, until his imagination gained strength and he was left marvelling exceedingly as to his state (of health).
همچنین تا وهم او قوت گرفت ** ماند اندر حال خود بس در شگفت
How Pharaoh was made (spiritually) ill by vain imagination arising from the people's reverence (for him).
بیمار شدن فرعون هم به وهم از تعظیم خلقان
The people's prostrating themselves—women, children, and men—smote the heart of Pharaoh and made him ill.1555
سجده‌ی خلق از زن و از طفل و مرد ** زد دل فرعون را رنجور کرد
Every one's calling him lord and king made him so tattered (infamous) from a vain imagination,
گفتن هریک خداوند و ملک ** آنچنان کردش ز وهمی منهتک
That he dared to pretend to divinity: he became a dragon and would never be sated.
که به دعوی الهی شد دلیر ** اژدها گشت و نمی‌شد هیچ سیر
Imagination and opinion are the bane of the particular (discursive) reason, because its dwelling-place is in the darkness.
عقل جزوی آفتش وهمست و ظن ** زانک در ظلمات شد او را وطن
If there be a path half an ell wide on the ground, a man will walk safely without imagining;
بر زمین گر نیم گز راهی بود ** آدمی بی وهم آمن می‌رود
(But) if you walk on the top of a high wall, you will stagger even if its width be two ells;1560
بر سر دیوار عالی گر روی ** گر دو گز عرضش بود کژ می‌شوی
Nay, through (the force of) imagination and from trembling of heart, you will be (on the point of) falling. Consider well and understand the fear that is due to imagination.
بلک می‌افتی ز لرزه‌ی دل به وهم ** ترس وهمی را نکو بنگر بفهم
How the teacher was made ill by imagination.
رنجور شدن اوستاد به وهم
The master became unnerved by imagination and dread; he sprang up and began to drag his cloak along,
گشت استا سست از وهم و ز بیم ** بر جهید و می‌کشانید او گلیم
Angry with his wife and saying, “Her love is weak: I am in this state (of health), and she did not ask and inquire.
خشمگین با زن که مهر اوست سست ** من بدین حالم نپرسید و نجست
She did not even inform me about my colour: she intends to be freed from my disgrace.
خود مرا آگه نکرد از رنگ من ** قصد دارد تا رهد از ننگ من
She has become intoxicated with her beauty and the display (of her charms) and is unaware that I have fallen from the roof, like a bowl.”1565
او به حسن و جلوه‌ی خود مست گشت ** بی‌خبر کز بام افتادم چو طشت