Now, at the druggist's, (who was) a crafty vigilant man, in place of the balance-weight there was clay.
پس بر عطار طرار دودل ** موضع سنگ ترازو بود گل
He said, “If you want to buy sugar, my balance-weight is clay.”
گفت گل سنگ ترازوی منست ** گر ترا میل شکر بخریدنست
He (the customer) said, “I am requiring sugar for an urgent affair: let the balance-weight be whatever you wish.”
گفت هستم در مهمی قندجو ** سنگ میزان هر چه خواهی باش گو
To himself he said, “What does the weight matter to one that eats clay? Clay is better than gold.”
گفت با خود پیش آنک گل‌خورست ** سنگ چه بود گل نکوتر از زرست
As the dallála (go-between) who said, “O son, I have found a very beautiful new bride (for you).630
هم‌چو آن دلاله که گفت ای پسر ** نو عروسی یافتم بس خوب‌فر
(She is) exceedingly pretty, but there is just one thing, that the lady is a confectioner's daughter.”
سخت زیبا لیک هم یک چیز هست ** که آن ستیره دختر حلواگرست
“(All the) better,” said he; “if it is indeed so, his daughter will be fatter and sweeter.”
گفت بهتر این چنین خود گر بود ** دختر او چرب و شیرین‌تر بود
“If you have no (proper) weight and your weight is of clay, this is better and better: clay is the fruit (desired) of my heart.”
گر نداری سنگ و سنگت از گلست ** این به و به گل مرا میوه‌ی دلست
He (the druggist) placed the clay, because of its being ready (to his hand), in one scale of the balance instead of the (proper) weight;
اندر آن کفه‌ی ترازو ز اعتداد ** او به جای سنگ آن گل را نهاد
Then, for the other scale, he was breaking with his hand the equivalent amount of sugar.635
پس برای کفه‌ی دیگر به دست ** هم به قدر آن شکر را می‌شکست
Since he had no pick-axe, he took a long time and made the customer sit waiting.
چون نبودش تیشه‌ای او دیر ماند ** مشتری را منتظر آنجا نشاند
(Whilst) his face was (turned) towards that (sugar), the clay-eater, unable to restrain himself, began covertly to steal the clay from him,
رویش آن سو بود گل‌خور ناشکفت ** گل ازو پوشیده دزدیدن گرفت
Terribly frightened lest his (the druggist's) eye should fall upon him of a sudden for the purpose of testing (his honesty).
ترس ترسان که نباید ناگهان ** چشم او بر من فتد از امتحان
The druggist saw it, but made himself busy, saying, “Come, steal more, O pale-faced one!
دید عطار آن و خود مشغول کرد ** که فزون‌تر دزد هین ای روی‌زرد
If you will be a thief and take some of my clay, go on (doing so), for you are eating out of your own side.640
گر بدزدی وز گل من می‌بری ** رو که هم از پهلوی خود می‌خوری
You are afraid of me, but (only) because you are a (stupid) ass: I am afraid you will eat less (too little).
تو همی ترسی ز من لیک از خری ** من همی‌ترسم که تو کمتر خوری
Though I am occupied, I am not such a fool (as to suffer) that you should get too much of my sugar-cane.
گرچه مشغولم چنان احمق نیم ** که شکر افزون کشی تو از نیم
When you see (find) by experience the (amount of) sugar (which you have bought), then you will know who was foolish and careless.”
چون ببینی مر شکر را ز آزمود ** پس بدانی احمق و غافل کی بود
The bird looks pleased at the bait; still, the bait, (though) at a distance (from it), is waylaying it.
مرغ زان دانه نظر خوش می‌کند ** دانه هم از دور راهش می‌زند
If you are deriving some pleasure from the eye's cupidity, are not you eating roast-meat from your own side?645
کز زنای چشم حظی می‌بری ** نه کباب از پهلوی خود می‌خوری
This looking from a distance is like arrows and poison: your fond passion is increased (thereby) and your self-restraint diminished.
این نظر از دور چون تیرست و سم ** عشقت افزون می‌شود صبر تو کم
Worldly riches are a trap for the weak birds; the kingdom of the next world is a trap for the noble birds,
مال دنیا دام مرغان ضعیف ** ملک عقبی دام مرغان شریف
To the end that by means of this kingdom, which is a deep trap, the great birds may be ensnared.
تا بدین ملکی که او دامست ژرف ** در شکار آرند مرغان شگرف
“I, Solomon, do not desire your kingdom; nay, but I will deliver you from every destruction;
من سلیمان می‌نخواهم ملکتان ** بلک من برهانم از هر هلکتان
For at this time ye are indeed slaves to the kingdom; the owner of the kingdom is he that escaped from destruction.”650
کین زمان هستید خود مملوک ملک ** مالک ملک آنک بجهید او ز هلک
Preposterously, O prisoner of this world, thou hast named thyself prince of this world.
بازگونه ای اسیر این جهان ** نام خود کردی امیر این جهان
O thou slave of this world, thou whose spirit is imprisoned, how long wilt thou call thyself lord of the world?
ای تو بنده‌ی این جهان محبوس جان ** چند گویی خویش را خواجه‌ی جهان
How Solomon, on whom be peace, showed affection and kindness to the envoys and removed (feelings of) resentment and injury from their hearts and explained to them the reason for declining the gift.
دلداری کردن و نواختن سلیمان علیه‌السلام مر آن رسولان را و دفع وحشت و آزار از دل ایشان و عذر قبول ناکردن هدیه شرح کردن با ایشان
“O envoys, I will send you as envoys (to Bilqís): my refusal (of the gift) is better for you than acceptance.
ای رسولان می‌فرستمتان رسول ** رد من بهتر شما را از قبول
Relate to Bilqís what marvellous things ye have seen concerning the desert of gold,
پیش بلقیس آنچ دیدیت از عجب ** باز گویید از بیابان ذهب
That she may know we do not covet gold: we have gotten gold from the gold-Creator,655
تا بداند که به زر طامع نه‌ایم ** ما زر از زرآفرین آورده‌ایم
At whose will the whole earth’s soil from end to end would become gold and precious pearls.”
آنک گر خواهد همه خاک زمین ** سر به سر زر گردد و در ثمین
On that account, O thou who choosest gold, God will make this earth silvern on the Day of Resurrection.
حق برای آن کند ای زرگزین ** روز محشر این زمین را نقره گین
“We have no need of gold, for we are very skilful: we make earthly beings entirely golden.
فارغیم از زر که ما بس پر فنیم ** خاکیان را سر به سر زرین کنیم
How shall we beg gold of you? We (can) make you (spiritual) alchemists.
از شما کی کدیه‌ی زر می‌کنیم ** ما شما را کیمیاگر می‌کنیم
Abandon (all) that, (even) if it is the kingdom of Saba, for beyond (this) water and earth there are many kingdoms.”660
ترک آن گیرید گر ملک سباست ** که برون آب و گل بس ملکهاست
That which thou hast called a throne is (really) a splint- bandage: thou deemest (it) the seat of honour, but (in truth) thou hast remained at the door.
تخته‌بندست آن که تختش خوانده‌ای ** صدر پنداری و بر در مانده‌ای
(If) thou hast not sovereignty over thine own beard, how wilt thou exercise sovereignty over good and evil?
پادشاهی نیستت بر ریش خود ** پادشاهی چون کنی بر نیک و بد
Without thy wish, thy beard grows white: be ashamed of thy beard, O thou whose hopes are perverse.
بی‌مراد تو شود ریشت سپید ** شرم دار از ریش خود ای کژ امید
He (God) is the Possessor of the Kingdom: whosoever lays his head before Him, to him He gives a hundred kingdoms without the terrestrial world;
مالک الملک است هر کش سر نهد ** بی‌جهان خاک صد ملکش دهد
But the (inward) savour of a single prostration before God will be more sweet to thee than two hundred empires:665
لیک ذوق سجده‌ای پیش خدا ** خوشتر آید از دو صد دولت ترا
Then thou wilt cry (in humble entreaty), “I desire not kingdoms: commit unto me the kingdom of that prostration.”
پس بنالی که نخواهم ملکها ** ملک آن سجده مسلم کن مرا
The kings of the world, because of their evil nature, got no scent of the wine of service (to God);
پادشاهان جهان از بدرگی ** بو نبردند از شراب بندگی
Otherwise, dizzy and dumbfounded like (Ibráhim son of) Adham, without delay they would have dashed their sovereignty to pieces.
ورنه ادهم‌وار سرگردان و دنگ ** ملک را برهم زدندی بی‌درنگ
But (this they do not inasmuch as), for the maintenance of this world, God set a seal upon their eyes and mouths,
لیک حق بهر ثبات این جهان ** مهرشان بنهاد بر چشم و دهان
To the end that throne and crown should be sweet to them, "for" (they say) "we will exact tribute from the rulers of the world."670
تا شود شیرین بریشان تخت و تاج ** که ستانیم از جهانداران خراج
If by way of tribute thou amass gold as (though it were) sand, at last it will be left behind thee as an inheritance.
از خراج ار جمع آری زر چو ریگ ** آخر آن از تو بماند مردریگ
Sovereignty and gold will not accompany thy spirit on its journey: give thy gold away, get collyrium for thy sight,
همره جانت نگردد ملک و زر ** زر بده سرمه ستان بهر نظر
In order that thou mayst see that this world is a narrow well, and that, like Joseph, thou mayst grasp that rope,
تا ببینی کین جهان چاهیست تنگ ** یوسفانه آن رسن آری به چنگ
So that, when thou comest from the well (up) to the roof, the Soul will say, “Oh, good news for met This is a youth for me.”
تا بگوید چون ز چاه آیی به بام ** جان که یا بشرای هذا لی غلام
In the well (of this world) there are optical inversions, the least (of which is) that stones appear to be gold.675
هست در چاه انعکاسات نظر ** کمترین آنک نماید سنگ زر