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5
607-656

  • If he be wicked, in order that his wickedness might have been less; and if devout, in order that he might have come home sooner.
  • گر بود بد تا بدی کمتر بدی  ** ور تقی تا خانه زوتر آمدی 

  • The wicked man says, ‘I have been heedless, moment by moment I have been adding to the veil (of sin).
  • گوید آن بد بی‌خبر می‌بوده‌ام  ** دم به دم من پرده می‌افزوده‌ام 

  • If my passing (from the world) had taken place sooner, this screen and veil of mine would have been less.’
  • گر ازین زودتر مرا معبر بدی  ** این حجاب و پرده‌ام کمتر بدی 

  • Do not in covetousness rend the face of contentment, and do not in pride rend the visage of humility. 610
  • از حریصی کم دران روی قنوع  ** وز تکبر کم دران چهره‌ی خشوع 

  • Likewise do not in avarice rend the face of munificence, and in devilishness the beauteous countenance of worship.
  • هم‌چنین از بخل کم در روی جود  ** وز بلیسی چهره‌ی خوب سجود 

  • Do not tear out those feathers which are an ornament to Paradise: do not tear out those feathers which (enable thee to) traverse the Way.”
  • بر مکن آن پر خلد آرای را  ** بر مکن آن پر ره‌پیمای را 

  • When he (the peacock) heard this counsel, he looked at him (the Sage) and, after that, began to lament and weep.
  • چون شنید این پند در وی بنگریست  ** بعد از آن در نوحه آمد می‌گریست 

  • The long lamentation and weeping of the sorrowful (peacock) caused every one who was there to fall a-weeping;
  • نوحه و گریه‌ی دراز دردمند  ** هر که آنجا بود بر گریه‌ش فکند 

  • And he who was asking the reason of (the peacock's) tearing out his feathers, (he too being left) without an answer repented (of having asked) and wept, 615
  • وآنک می‌پرسید پر کندن ز چیست  ** بی‌جوابی شد پشیمان می‌گریست 

  • Saying, “Why did I impertinently ask him (that question)? He was full of grief: I made him distraught.”
  • کز فضولی من چرا پرسیدمش  ** او ز غم پر بود شورانیدمش 

  • From his (the peacock's) moist eyes the water (of tears) was trickling to the earth: in every drop were contained a hundred answers.
  • می‌چکید از چشم تر بر خاک آب  ** اندر آن هر قطره مدرج صد جواب 

  • Sincere weeping touches the souls (of all), so that it makes (even) the sky and heaven to weep.
  • گریه‌ی با صدق بر جانها زند  ** تا که چرخ و عرش را گریان کند 

  • Without any doubt, intellects and hearts (spirits) are celestial, (though) they live debarred from the celestial light.
  • عقل و دلها بی‌گمان عرشی‌اند  ** در حجاب از نور عرشی می‌زیند 

  • Explaining that the intellect and spirit are imprisoned in clay, like Hárút and Márút in the pit of Babylon.
  • در بیان آنک عقل و روح در آب و گل محبوس‌اند هم‌چون هاروت و ماروت در چاه بابل 

  • Like Hárút and Márút, those two pure ones (the intellect and spirit) have been confined here (in this world) in a horrible pit. 620
  • هم‌چو هاروت و چو ماروت آن دو پاک  ** بسته‌اند اینجا به چاه سهمناک 

  • They are in the low and sensual world: they have been confined in this pit on account of sin.
  • عالم سفلی و شهوانی درند  ** اندرین چه گشته‌اند از جرم‌بند 

  • The good and the evil (alike) learn magic and the opposite of magic from these twain involuntarily;
  • سحر و ضد سحر را بی‌اختیار  ** زین دو آموزند نیکان و شرار 

  • But first they admonish him, saying, “Beware, do not learn and pick up magic from us:
  • لیک اول پند بدهندش که هین  ** سحر را از ما میاموز و مچین 

  • We teach this magic, O such and such, for the purpose of trial and probation;
  • ما بیاموزیم این سحر ای فلان  ** از برای ابتلا و امتحان 

  • (But thou art free to choose), for probation necessarily involves free-will, and thou canst not have any (effective) free-will without the power (of action).” 625
  • که امتحان را شرط باشد اختیار  ** اختیاری نبودت بی‌اقتدار 

  • Desires are like sleeping dogs: good and evil are hidden in them.
  • میلها هم‌چون سگان خفته‌اند  ** اندریشان خیر و شر بنهفته‌اند 

  • When there is no power (of action), this troop (of desires) are asleep and silent like faggots (smouldering in the fire),
  • چونک قدرت نیست خفتند این رده  ** هم‌چو هیزم‌پاره‌ها و تن‌زده 

  • Until (when) a carcase comes into view, the blast of the trumpet of greed strikes on (suddenly rouses) the dogs.
  • تا که مرداری در آید در میان  ** نفخ صور حرص کوبد بر سگان 

  • When the carcase of a donkey appears in the parish, a hundred sleeping dogs are awakened by it.
  • چون در آن کوچه خری مردار شد  ** صد سگ خفته بدان بیدار شد 

  • The greedy desires that had gone into the concealment of the Unseen rush out and display themselves. 630
  • حرصهای رفته اندر کتم غیب  ** تاختن آورد سر بر زد ز جیب 

  • Every hair on every dog becomes (like) a tooth, though they wag their tails (fawningly) for the sake of gaining their object.
  • موبه موی هر سگی دندان شده  ** وز برای حیله دم جنبان شده 

  • His (the dog's) under-half is cunning, (while) the upper (half) is anger, like a poor fire that gets faggots (fuel);
  • نیم زیرش حیله بالا آن غضب  ** چون ضعیف آتش که یابد او حطب 

  • Flame on flame reaches (it) from (the realm of) non-spatiality: the smoke of its blaze goes up to the sky.
  • شعله شعله می‌رسد از لامکان  ** می‌رود دود لهب تا آسمان 

  • In this body (of ours) a hundred such dogs are sleeping: when they have no prey (in sight), they are hidden.
  • صد چنین سگ اندرین تن خفته‌اند  ** چون شکاری نیستشان بنهفته‌اند 

  • Or they resemble falcons with eyes sealed (covered); (yet) in the veil (hood) consumed with passion for a prey, 635
  • یا چو بازانند و دیده دوخته  ** در حجاب از عشق صیدی سوخته 

  • Till he (the Falconer) lifts the hood and it (the falcon) sees the prey: then it circles the mountains (in pursuit).
  • تا کله بردارد و بیند شکار  ** آنگهان سازد طواف کوهسار 

  • The appetite of the sick man is quiescent: his thoughts are going (are turned) towards health.
  • شهوت رنجور ساکن می‌بود  ** خاطر او سوی صحت می‌رود 

  • When he sees bread and apples and water-melons, his relish and his fear of injury (to himself) come into conflict.
  • چون ببیند نان و سیب و خربزه  ** در مصاف آید مزه و خوف بزه 

  • If he be very self-restrained, the sight (of the food) is a benefit to him: that stimulation (of appetite) is good for his enfeebled constitution;
  • گر بود صبار دیدن سود اوست  ** آن تهیج طبع سستش را نکوست 

  • But if he have not self-restraint, then it were better he had not seen (the food): ’tis better the arrow should be far from the man who is without a coat of mail. 640
  • ور نباشد صبر پس نادیده به  ** تیر دور اولی ز مرد بی‌زره 

  • The answer of the peacock to his interrogator.
  • جواب گفتن طاوس آن سایل را 

  • When he (the peacock) had finished weeping, he said, “Begone, for thou art in pawn (bondage) to colour and perfume.
  • چون ز گریه فارغ آمد گفت رو  ** که تو رنگ و بوی را هستی گرو 

  • Dost not thou perceive that on account of these feathers a hundred afflictions approach me on every side?
  • آن نمی‌بینی که هر سو صد بلا  ** سوی من آید پی این بالها 

  • Oh, many a pitiless fowler always lays a trap for me everywhere for the sake of these feathers.
  • ای بسا صیاد بی‌رحمت مدام  ** بهر این پرها نهد هر سوم دام 

  • How many an archer, for the sake of my plumage, shoots arrows at me (when I am) in the air!
  • چند تیرانداز بهر بالها  ** تیر سوی من کشد اندر هوا 

  • Since I have not strength and self-control (to preserve me) from this destiny and this affliction and these tribulations, 645
  • چون ندارم زور و ضبط خویشتن  ** زین قضا و زین بلا و زین فتن 

  • ’Tis better I should be ugly and hideous, that I may be safe amidst these mountains and deserts.
  • آن به آید که شوم زشت و کریه  ** تا بوم آمن درین کهسار و تیه 

  • These (feathers) are the weapons of my pride, O noble sir: pride brings a hundred afflictions on the proud.
  • این سلاح عجب من شد ای فتی  ** عجب آرد معجبان را صد بلا 

  • Explaining that accomplishments and intellectual abilities and worldly wealth are enemies to (spiritual) life, like the peacock's feathers.
  • بیان آنک هنرها و زیرکیها و مال دنیا هم‌چون پرهای طاوس عدو جانست 

  • Accomplishments, then, are a destruction to the (spiritually) ignorant man, for in his pursuit of the bait he does not see the trap.
  • پس هنر آمد هلاکت خام را  ** کز پی دانه نبیند دام را 

  • Free-will is good for him (alone) who is master of himself in (respect of obeying the command) ‘Fear ye (God).’
  • اختیار آن را نکو باشد که او  ** مالک خود باشد اندر اتقوا 

  • When there is no safeguarding (of one's self) and piety, beware, put far (from thee) the instrument (that serves as a means to sin): drop free-will. 650
  • چون نباشد حفظ و تقوی زینهار  ** دور کن آلت بینداز اختیار 

  • Those feathers are the object of my display (pride) and freewill: I will tear out the feathers, for they are in quest of my head.
  • جلوه‌گاه و اختیارم آن پرست  ** بر کنم پر را که در قصد سرست 

  • The self-restrained man deems his feathers to be naught, in order that his feathers may not cast him into calamity and bale.
  • نیست انگارد پر خود را صبور  ** تا پرش در نفکند در شر و شور 

  • Therefore his feathers are no harm to him: let him not tear them out, (for) if an arrow (of temptation) come (against him) he will present the shield (of self-restraint).
  • پس زیانش نیست پر گو بر مکن  ** گر رسد تیری به پیش آرد مجن 

  • But to me my beauteous feathers are an enemy, since I cannot restrain myself from making a display.
  • لیک بر من پر زیبا دشمنیست  ** چونک از جلوه‌گری صبریم نیست 

  • If self-restraint and safeguarding had been my guide, my (spiritual) conquest would have been increased by (the exercise of) free-will; 655
  • گر بدی صبر و حفاظم راه‌بر  ** بر فزودی ز اختیارم کر و فر 

  • (But) in (the case of) temptations I am like a child or a drunken man: the sword is unsuitable (out of place) in my hand.
  • هم‌چو طفلم یا چو مست اندر فتن  ** نیست لایق تیغ اندر دست من