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4
1197-1246

  • But if he (the recipient of praise) be not worthy, the bag is rent by that wind of falsehood: how should it receive lustre?
  • ور نباشد اهل زان باد دروغ ** خیک بدریدست کی گیرد فروغ

  • I have not invented this parable, O comrade: do not hear it (as though it were) silly, if thou art worthy and restored to thy senses.
  • این مثل از خود نگفتم ای رفیق ** سرسری مشنو چو اهلی و مفیق

  • The Prophet (Mohammed) said (something like) this, when he heard vituperation (from the infidels who asked), “Why is Ahmad (Mohammed) made fat (happy) by praise?”
  • این پیمبر گفت چون بشنید قدح ** که چرا فربه شود احمد به مدح

  • The poet went to the king and brought a poem in thanks (and praise) for (his) beneficence, saying that it (beneficence) never died. 1200
  • رفت شاعر پیش آن شاه و ببرد ** شعر اندر شکر احسان کان نمرد

  • The beneficent died, and (their) acts of beneficence remained: oh, blest is he that rode this steed!
  • محسنان مردند و احسانها بماند ** ای خنک آن را که این مرکب براند

  • The unjust died, and those acts of injustice remained: alas for the soul that practises deceit and fraud!
  • ظالمان مردند و ماند آن ظلمها ** وای جانی کو کند مکر و دها

  • The Prophet said, “Blest is he who departed from this world and left good deeds behind him.”
  • گفت پیغامبر خنک آن را که او ** شد ز دنیا ماند ازو فعل نکو

  • The beneficent man died, but his beneficence died not: with God, religion (piety) and beneficence are not of small account.
  • مرد محسن لیک احسانش نمرد ** نزد یزدان دین و احسان نیست خرد

  • Alas for him who died and whose disobedience (to God) died not: beware of thinking that by death he saved his soul (from punishment). 1205
  • وای آنکو مرد و عصیانش نمود ** تا نپنداری به مرگ او جان ببرد

  • Dismiss this (topic), for the poet is on the way—in debt and mightily in need of gold.
  • این رها کن زانک شاعر بر گذر ** وام‌دارست و قوی محتاج زر

  • The poet brought the poem to the king in hope of (receiving) last year's donation and benefit—
  • برد شاعر شعر سوی شهریار ** بر امید بخشش و احسان پار

  • A charming poem full of flawless pearls, in hope and expectation of the first (former) munificence.
  • نازنین شعری پر از در درست ** بر امید و بوی اکرام نخست

  • The Sháh indeed, according to his habit, ordered a thousand (dinars to be paid) to him, since such was the custom of that monarch;
  • شاه هم بر خوی خود گفتش هزار ** چون چنین بد عادت آن شهریار

  • But, on this occasion, the bountiful vizier had departed from the present life, (mounted) on the Buráq of glory, 1210
  • لیک این بار آن وزیر پر ز جود ** بر براق عز ز دنیا رفته بود

  • And in his place a new vizier had assumed authority; but (he was) very pitiless and mean.
  • بر مقام او وزیر نو رئیس ** گشته لیکن سخت بی‌رحم و خسیس

  • He said, “O king, we have (great) outlays: this donation is not the (fitting) reward for a poet.
  • گفت ای شه خرجها داریم ما ** شاعری را نبود این بخشش جزا

  • With a fortieth part of this (sum), O thou (whose favour is) eagerly sought, I will make the poet man happy and content.”
  • من به ربع عشر این ای مغتنم ** مرد شاعر را خوش و راضی کنم

  • The people said to him, “He carried away a sum of ten thousand (dinars) in ready money from this valiant (king).
  • خلق گفتندش که او از پیش‌دست ** ده هزاران زین دلاور برده است

  • After (having eaten) sugar, how should he chew (the empty) cane? After having been a sultan, how should he practise beggary?” 1215
  • بعد شکر کلک خایی چون کند ** بعد سلطانی گدایی چون کند

  • He (the vizier) replied, “I will squeeze him in torment, that he may be made wretched and worn out by waiting;
  • گفت بفشارم ورا اندر فشار ** تا شود زار و نزار از انتظار

  • Then, if I give him earth from the road, he will snatch it as (though it were) rose-leaves from the garden.
  • آنگه ار خاکش دهم از راه من ** در رباید هم‌چو گلبرگ از چمن

  • Leave this to me, for I am expert in this, even if the claimant be fiery (hot and fierce).
  • این به من بگذار که استادم درین ** گر تقاضاگر بود هر آتشین

  • Though he (be able to) fly from the Pleiades to the earth, he will become meek when he sees me.”
  • از ثریا گر بپرد تا ثری ** نرم گردد چون ببیند او مرا

  • The king said to him, “Go: ’tis for thee to command; but make him happy, for he is my eulogist.” 1220
  • گفت سلطانش برو فرمان تراست ** لیک شادش کن که نیکوگوی ماست

  • He (the vizier) said, “Leave him and two hundred (other) lickers-up of hope to me, and write this (down) against me.”
  • گفت او را و دو صد اومیدلیس ** تو به من بگذار این بر من نویس

  • Then the minister threw him into (the pains of) expectation: winter and December passed and spring came.
  • پس فکندش صاحب اندر انتظار ** شد زمستان و دی و آمد بهار

  • In expectation of it (the reward) the poet grew old; then he was crushed by this anxiety and making shift to provide (the means of livelihood),
  • شاعر اندر انتظارش پیر شد ** پس زبون این غم و تدبیر شد

  • And said (to the vizier), “If there is no gold (for me), please give me abuse, so that my soul may be delivered (from expectation) (and that) I may be thy (devoted) slave.
  • گفت اگر زر نه که دشنامم دهی ** تا رهد جانم ترا باشم رهی

  • Expectation has killed me: at least bid me go, that this wretched soul may be delivered from bondage.” 1225
  • انتظارم کشت باری گو برو ** تا رهد این جان مسکین از گرو

  • After that, he (the vizier) gave him the fortieth part of that (gift): the poet remained in heavy thought,
  • بعد از آنش داد ربع عشر آن ** ماند شاعر اندر اندیشه‌ی گران

  • (Thinking), “That (former gift) was so promptly paid and was so much: this one that blossomed late was (only) a handful of thorns.”
  • کانچنان نقد و چنان بسیار بود ** این که دیر اشکفت دسته‌ی خار بود

  • Then they (the courtiers) said to him, “That generous vizier has departed from this life: may God reward thee!
  • پس بگفتندش که آن دستور راد ** رفت از دنیا خدا مزدت دهاد

  • For those gifts were always multiplied (increased in amount) by him: there was no fault to be found with the donations (then);
  • که مضاعف زو همی‌شد آن عطا ** کم همی‌افتاد بخشش را خطا

  • (But) now, he is gone and has taken beneficence away (with him): he is not dead, (but) beneficence is dead (in this world), yea, verily. 1230
  • این زمان او رفت و احسان را ببرد ** او نمرد الحق بلی احسان بمرد

  • The generous and upright minister is gone from us; the minister who is a flayer of the poor has arrived.
  • رفت از ما صاحب راد و رشید ** صاحب سلاخ درویشان رسید

  • Go, take this (money) and flee from here by night, lest this minister pick a quarrel with thee.
  • رو بگیر این را و زینجا شب گریز ** تا نگیرد با تو این صاحب‌ستیز

  • We have obtained this gift from him by a hundred devices, O thou who art ignorant of our exertions.”
  • ما به صد حیلت ازو این هدیه را ** بستدیم ای بی‌خبر از جهد ما

  • He turned his face to them and said, “O kindly men, tell (me), whence came this myrmidon (ruffian)?
  • رو بایشان کرد و گفت ای مشفقان ** از کجا آمد بگویید این عوان

  • What is the name of this vizier who tears off the clothes (of the poor)?” The company (of courtiers) said to him, “His name too is Hasan.” 1235
  • چیست نام این وزیر جامه‌کن ** قوم گفتندش که نامش هم حسن

  • He (the poet) cried, “O Lord, how are the names of that one and this one the same? Alas, O Lord of the Judgement!
  • گفت یا رب نام آن و نام این ** چون یکی آمد دریغ ای رب دین

  • That Hasan by name (was such) that by a single pen of his a hundred viziers and ministers are disposed to liberality.
  • آن حسن نامی که از یک کلک او ** صد وزیر و صاحب آید جودخو

  • This Hasan (is such) that from the ugly beard of this Hasan thou canst weave, O (dear) soul, a hundred ropes.”
  • این حسن کز ریش زشت این حسن ** می‌توان بافید ای جان صد رسن

  • When a king listens to such a minister, he (the minister) disgraces the king and his kingdom unto everlasting.
  • بر چنین صاحب چو شه اصغا کند ** شاه و ملکش را ابد رسوا کند

  • The resemblance of the bad judgement of this base vizier in corrupting the king's generosity to (that of) the vizier of Pharaoh, namely, Hámán, in corrupting the readiness of Pharaoh to receive (the true Faith).
  • مانستن بدرایی این وزیر دون در افساد مروت شاه به وزیر فرعون یعنی هامان در افساد قابلیت فرعون

  • How many a time did Pharaoh soften and become submissive when he was hearing that Word from Moses!— 1240
  • چند آن فرعون می‌شد نرم و رام ** چون شنیدی او ز موسی آن کلام

  • That Word (which was such) that from the sweetness of that incomparable Word the rock would have yielded milk.
  • آن کلامی که بدادی سنگ شیر ** از خوشی آن کلام بی‌نظیر

  • Whenever he took counsel with Hámán, who was his vizier and whose nature it was to hate,
  • چون بهامان که وزیرش بود او ** مشورت کردی که کینش بود خو

  • Then he (Hámán) would say, “Until now thou hast been the Khedive: wilt thou become, through deception, the slave to a wearer of rags?”
  • پس بگفتی تا کنون بودی خدیو ** بنده گردی ژنده‌پوشی را بریو

  • Those words would come like a stone shot by a mangonel (ballista) and strike upon his glass house.
  • هم‌چو سنگ منجنیقی آمدی ** آن سخن بر شیشه خانه‌ی او زدی

  • All that the Kalím of sweet address built up in a hundred days he (Hámán) would destroy in one moment. 1245
  • هر چه صد روز آن کلیم خوش‌خطاب ** ساختی در یک‌دم او کردی خراب

  • Thy intellect is the vizier and is overcome by sensuality: in (the realm of) thy being it is a brigand (that attacks thee) on the Way to God.
  • عقل تو دستور و مغلوب هواست ** در وجودت ره‌زن راه خداست