- There is test upon test, O father: beware, do not (be ready to) buy yourself at the smallest test.
- امتحان در امتحانست ای پدر ** هین به کمتر امتحان خود را مخر
- How Bal‘am the son of Bá‘úr was (felt himself) secure, because the Lord had made (many) tests (of him) and he had come through them honourably.
- آمن بودن بلعم باعور کی امتحانها کرد حضرت او را و از آنها روی سپید آمده بود
- Bal‘am the son of Bá‘úr and the accursed Iblís were disgraced at the ultimate test.
- بلعم باعور و ابلیس لعین ** ز امتحان آخرین گشته مهین
- He (the boastful hypocrite), by his pretension, desires to be (reputed) rich, (but) his belly is execrating his moustache,
- او بدعوی میل دولت میکند ** معدهاش نفرین سبلت میکند
- Crying, “Display that which he is hiding! He has consumed me (with anguish): O God, expose him!”
- کانچ پنهان میکند پیدایش کن ** سوخت ما را ای خدا رسواش کن
- All the members of his body are his adversaries, for he prates of spring (while) they are in December. 750
- جمله اجزای تنش خصم ویند ** کز بهاری لافد ایشان در دیند
- Vain talk repels acts of kindness and tears off the bough of pity from the trunk of the tree.
- لاف وا داد کرمها میکند ** شاخ رحمت را ز بن بر میکند
- Bring forward (practise) honesty, or else be silent, and then behold pity and enjoy it.
- راستی پیش آر یا خاموش کن ** وانگهان رحمت ببین و نوش کن
- That belly became the adversary of his moustache and secretly had recourse to prayer,
- آن شکم خصم سبال او شده ** دست پنهان در دعا اندر زده
- Crying, “O God, expose this idle brag of the base, in order that the pity of the noble may be moved towards me.”
- کای خدا رسوا کن این لاف لام ** تا بجنبد سوی ما رحم کرام
- The belly's prayer was answered: the ardency of need put out a flag. 755
- مستجاب آمد دعای آن شکم ** شورش حاجت بزد بیرون علم
- God hath said, “Though thou be a profligate and idolater, I will answer when thou callest Me.”
- گفت حق گر فاسقی و اهل صنم ** چون مرا خوانی اجابتها کنم
- Do thou cleave fast unto prayer and ever cry out: in the end it will deliver thee from the hands of the ghoul.
- تو دعا را سخت گیر و میشخول ** عاقبت برهاندت از دست غول
- When the belly committed itself to God, the cat came and carried off the skin of that sheep's tail.
- چون شکم خود را به حضرت در سپرد ** گربه آمد پوست آن دنبه ببرد
- They ran after the cat, (but) she fled. The child (of the braggart), from fear of his scolding, changed colour (turned pale).
- از پس گربه دویدند او گریخت ** کودک از ترس عتابش رنگ ریخت
- The little child came into (the midst of) the company and took away the prestige of the boastful man. 760
- آمد اندر انجمن آن طفل خرد ** آب روی مرد لافی را ببرد
- It said, “The sheep's tail with which every morning you greased your lips and moustaches—
- گفت آن دنبه که هر صبحی بدان ** چرب میکردی لبان و سبلتان
- The cat came and suddenly snatched it away: I ran hard, but the effort was of no use.”
- گربه آمد ناگهانش در ربود ** بس دویدیم و نکرد آن جهد سود
- Those who were present laughed from astonishment, and their feelings of pity began to be moved again.
- خنده آمد حاضران را از شگفت ** رحمهاشان باز جنبیدن گرفت
- They invited him (to eat) and kept him full-fed, they sowed the seed of pity in his soil.
- دعوتش کردند و سیرش داشتند ** تخم رحمت در زمینش کاشتند
- When he had tasted honesty from the noble, he without arrogance (humbly) became devoted to honesty. 765
- او چو ذوق راستی دید از کرام ** بی تکبر راستی را شد غلام
- How the jackal which had fallen into the dyer’s vat pretended to be a peacock.
- دعوی طاوسی کردن آن شغال کی در خم صباغ افتاده بود
- (In the fashion) that parti-colored jackal came secretly and tapped on the lobe of the rebuker’s ear.
- و آن شغال رنگرنگ آمد نهفت ** بر بناگوش ملامتگر بکفت
- “Prithee look at me and at my colour: truly the idolater possesses no idol like me.
- بنگر آخر در من و در رنگ من ** یک صنم چون من ندارد خود شمن
- Like the flower-garden I have become many-hued and lovely: bow in homage to me, do not withdraw from me (in aversion).
- چون گلستان گشتهام صد رنگ و خوش ** مر مرا سجده کن از من سر مکش
- Behold my glory and splendour and sheen and radiance and colour! Call me the Pride of the World and the Pillar of the Religion!
- کر و فر و آب و تاب و رنگ بین ** فخر دنیا خوان مرا و رکن دین
- I have become the theatre of the Divine Grace, I have become the tablet on which the Divine Majesty is unfolded. 770
- مظهر لطف خدایی گشتهام ** لوح شرح کبریایی گشتهام
- O jackals, take heed, do not call me a jackal: how should a jackal have so much beauty?”
- ای شغالان هین مخوانیدم شغال ** کی شغالی را بود چندین جمال
- Those jackals came thither en masse, like moths around the candle.
- آن شغالان آمدند آنجا بجمع ** همچو پروانه به گرداگرد شمع
- “Say then, what shall we call thee, O creature of (pure) substance?” He replied, “ A peacock (brilliant) as Jupiter.”
- پس چه خوانیمت بگو ای جوهری ** گفت طاوس نر چون مشتری
- Then they said to him, “The spiritual peacocks have displays (with the Beloved) in the Rose-garden:
- پس بگفتندش که طاوسان جان ** جلوهها دارند اندر گلستان
- Dost thou display thyself like that?” “No,” said he: “not having gone into the desert, how should I tread (the valley of) Mina?” 775
- تو چنان جلوه کنی گفتا که نی ** بادیه نارفته چون کوبم منی
- “Dost thou utter the cry of peacocks?” “Nay,” said he. “Then, Master Bu’l-‘Alam thou art not a peacock.
- بانگ طاووسان کنی گفتا که لا ** پس نهای طاووس خواجه بوالعلا
- The peacock’s garment of honour comes from Heaven: how wilt thou attain thereto by means of colours and pretences?”
- خلعت طاووس آید ز آسمان ** کی رسی از رنگ و دعویها بدان
- Comparison of Pharaoh and his pretence of divinity to the jackal which pretended to be a peacock.
- تشبیه فرعون و دعوی الوهیت او بدان شغال کی دعوی طاوسی میکرد
- Thou art even as Pharaoh, who bejeweled his beard and in his asinine folly soared higher than Jesus.
- همچو فرعونی مرصع کرده ریش ** برتر از عیسی پریده از خریش
- He too was born of the generation of the she-jackal and fell into a vat of riches and power.
- او هم از نسل شغال ماده زاد ** در خم مالی و جاهی در فتاد
- Every one who beheld his power and riches bowed down to him in worship: he swallowed the worship of the idle mockers (worldlings). 780
- هر که دید آن جاه و مالش سجده کرد ** سجدهی افسوسیان را او بخورد
- That beggar in tattered cloak became miserably drunken with the people’s worship and feelings of amazement.
- گشت مستک آن گدای ژندهدلق ** از سجود و از تحیرهای خلق
- Riches are a snake, for therein are poisons; and popular favour and worship is a dragon.
- مال مار آمد که در وی زهرهاست ** و آن قبول و سجدهی خلق اژدهاست
- Ah, do not assume a virtue (which thou dost not possess), O Pharaoh: thou art a jackal, do not in any wise behave as a peacock.
- های ای فرعون ناموسی مکن ** تو شغالی هیچ طاووسی مکن
- If thou appear in the direction of the peacocks, thou art in capable of (their) display and thou wilt be put to shame.
- سوی طاووسان اگر پیدا شوی ** عاجزی از جلوه و رسوا شوی
- Moses and Aaron were as peacocks: they flapped the wings of display upon thy head and face. 785
- موسی و هارون چو طاووسان بدند ** پر جلوه بر سر و رویت زدند
- Thy foulness and disgrace were exposed, thou didst fall head-long from thy height.
- زشتیت پیدا شد و رسواییت ** سرنگون افتادی از بالاییت
- When thou sawest the touchstone, thou becamest black, like adulterated coin: the leonine figure vanished, and the dog was revealed.
- چون محک دیدی سیه گشتی چو قلب ** نقش شیری رفت و پیدا گشت کلب
- O foul mangy dog, through greed and exuberant insolence do not clothe thyself in the lion’s skin.
- ای سگگرگین زشت از حرص و جوش ** پوستین شیر را بر خود مپوش
- The roar of the lion will demand from thee the test (of thy sincerity). The figure of a lion , and then the dispositions of dogs!
- غرهی شیرت بخواهد امتحان ** نقش شیر و آنگه اخلاق سگان
- Explanation of (the text), And thou wilt surely know them in the perversion of their speech.
- تفسیر ولتعرفنهم فی لحن القول
- God said to the Prophet in the course (of the Qur’án), “One sign of the hypocritical is easier (to perceive than other signs): 790
- گفت یزدان مر نبی را در مساق ** یک نشانی سهلتر ز اهل نفاق
- Though the hypocrite be big, handsome, and terrible, thou wilt recognise him in his perverse enunciation and speech.”
- گر منافق زفت باشد نغز و هول ** وا شناسی مر ورا در لحن و قول
- When you are buying earthenware pots, you make a trial, O purchaser.
- چون سفالین کوزهها را میخری ** امتحانی میکنی ای مشتری
- You give the pot a tap with your hand: why? In order that you may know the cracked one by the sound (which it makes).
- میزنی دستی بر آن کوزه چرا ** تا شناسی از طنین اشکسته را
- The voice of the cracked one is different; the voice is a cháwúsh (beadle): it goes in front of it (the pot).
- بانگ اشکسته دگرگون میبود ** بانگ چاووشست پیشش میرود
- The voice comes in order to make it known: it determines (the character of) it, as the verb (determines the form of) the masdar (verbal noun). 795
- بانگ میآید که تعریفش کند ** همچو مصدر فعل تصریفش کند