The Súfí said (to himself), “It does not behove me blindly to lose my head by taking retaliation for a single slap on the nape.
گفت صوفی در قصاص یک قفا ** سر نشاید باد دادن از عمی
My putting on the (Súfí’s) mantle of resignation has made it easy for me to suffer blows.”
خرقه‌ی تسلیم اندر گردنم ** بر من آسان کرد سیلی خوردنم
The Súfí observed that his adversary was exceedingly frail: he said (to himself), “If I give him a hostile blow with my fist,1485
دید صوفی خصم خود را سخت زار ** گفت اگر مشتش زنم من خصم‌وار
At my first blow he will crumble like dead, and then the king will punish me and exact retaliation.
او به یک مشتم بریزد چون رصاص ** شاه فرماید مرا زجر و قصاص
The tent is ruined and the tent-pin broken: it (the tent) is seeking (the least) excuse to fall in.
خیمه ویرانست و بشکسته وتد ** او بهانه می‌جود تا در فتد
It would be a pity, a (great) pity, that on account of this (virtually) dead man retaliation should fall upon me under the sword.”
بهر این مرده دریغ آید دریغ ** که قصاصم افتد اندر زیر تیغ
Since he durst not give his adversary a fisticuff, he resolved to take him to the Cadi.
چون نمی‌توانست کف بر خصم زد ** عزمش آن شد کش سوی قاضی برد
Saying (to himself), “He (the cadi) is God’s scales and measure, he is the means of deliverance from the deceit and cunning of the Devil.1490
که ترازوی حق است و کیله‌اش ** مخلص است از مکر دیو و حیله‌اش
He is the scissors for (cutting off) enmities and wranglings, he is the decider of the quarrels and disputes of the two litigants.
هست او مقراض احقاد و جدال ** قاطع جن دو خصم و قیل و قال
His spells put the Devil in the bottle, his legal ruling makes dissensions cease.
دیو در شیشه کند افسون او ** فتنه‌ها ساکن کند قانون او
When the covetous adversary sees the scales (of justice), he abandons rebelliousness and becomes submissive;
چون ترازو دید خصم پر طمع ** سرکشی بگذارد و گردد تبع
But if there are no scales, (even) though you give him more (than his fair share) his shrewdness will never be satisfied with the portion (allotted to him).”
ور ترازو نیست گر افزون دهیش ** از قسم راضی نگردد آگهیش
The cadi is a mercy (bestowed by God) and the means of removing strife: he is a drop from the ocean of the justice of the Resurrection.1495
هست قاضی رحمت و دفع ستیز ** قطره‌ای از بحر عدل رستخیز
Though the drop be small and short of foot, (yet) by it the purity of the ocean’s water is made manifest.
قطره گرچه خرد و کوته‌پا بود ** لطف آب بحر ازو پیدا بود
If you keep the (outer) veil (coat of the inward eye) free from dust, you will see the Tigris in a single drop (of water).
از غبار ار پاک داری کله را ** تو ز یک قطره ببینی دجله را
The parts bear witness to the state of (their) wholes, so that the afterglow of sunset has become an informer concerning the sun.
جزوها بر حال کلها شاهدست ** تا شفق غماز خورشید آمدست
God applied that oath, (namely), His Words Verily (I swear) by the afterglow of sunset, to the body of Ahmad (Mohammad).
آن قسم بر جسم احمد راند حق ** آنچ فرمودست کلا والشفق
Wherefore should the ant have been trembling (in desire) for the grain (of corn), if from that single grain it had known (inferred) the (existence of) the stack?1500
مور بر دانه چرا لرزان بدی ** گر از آن یک دانه خرمن‌دان بدی
Come (now) to the topic (in hand), for the Súfi is distraught (has lost control of his reason) and is making haste to exact redress for the injury (inflicted on him).
بر سر حرف آ که صوفی بی‌دلست ** در مکافات جفا مستعجلست
O thou that has committed deeds of injustice, ho art thou (so) glad at heart? Art thou unaware of the demand (that will be made upon thee) by him who exacts the penalty?
ای تو کرده ظلمها چون خوش‌دلی ** از تقاضای مکافی غافلی
Or hast thou forgotten those deeds of thine, since heedlessness has let down curtains (of oblivion) over thee?
یا فراموشت شدست از کرده‌هات ** که فرو آویخت غفلت پرده‌هات
If there were no litigations pursuing thee the celestial orb would envy thy happiness,
گر نه خصمیهاستی اندر قفات ** جرم گردون رشک بردی بر صفات
But on account of those just claims (against thee) thou art embarrassed. Little by little, (therefore), beg to be excused for thy unrighteousness.1505
لیک محبوسی برای آن حقوق ** اندک اندک عذر می‌خواه از عقوق
Lest the Inspector suddenly arrest thee, now (at once) make thy (turbid) water clear (make full amends and wipe out thy injustice) towards the lover (of God).
تا به یکبارت نگیرد محتسب ** آب خود روشن کن اکنون با محب
The Súfi went to the man who had slapped him, and laid hold of his skirt like a plaintiff.
رفت صوفی سوی آن سیلی‌زنش ** دست زد چون مدعی در دامنش
Haling him along, he brought him to the Cadi, saying, “Mount this asinine miscreant on an ass (and parade him through the streets),
اندر آوردش بر قاضی کشان ** کین خر ادبار را بر خر نشان
Or punish him with blows of the whip, according as thy judgement may deem fitting;
یا به زخم دره او را ده جزا ** آنچنان که رای تو بیند سزا
For (in the case of) one who dies under thy chastisement, no fine is (imposed) on thee in vengeance (for him): that (death) is unpenalised.”1510
کانک از زجر تو میرد در دمار ** بر تو تاوان نیست آن باشد جبار
When any one has died under the punishment and flagellation of the cadi no responsibility lies on the cadi, for he (the cadi) is not a person of small account.
در حد و تعزیر قاضی هر که مرد ** نیست بر قاضی ضمان کو نیست خرد
He is God’s deputy and the shadow of God’s justice, the mirror (that displays the real nature) of every plaintiff and defendant;
نایب حقست و سایه‌ی عدل حق ** آینه‌ی هر مستحق و مستحق
For he inflicts correction for the sake of one who has been wronged, not for the sake of his honour or his anger or his income (profit).
کو ادب از بهر مظلومی کند ** نه برای عرض و خشم و دخل خود
Since it is (done) for the sake of God and the Day (of Judgement) hereafter, if a mistake is made (by him) the blood-wit falls upon the (dead man’s) kinsmen on the father’s side.
چون برای حق و روز آجله‌ست ** گر خطایی شد دیت بر عاقله‌ست
He who strikes (and kills) for his own sake is (held) responsible, while he who strikes (and kills) for God’s sake is secure.1515
آنک بهر خود زند او ضامنست ** وآنک بهر حق زند او آمنست
If a father strikes his son and he (the son) dies, the father must pay the blood-price,
گر پدر زد مر پسر را و بمرد ** آن پدر را خونبها باید شمرد
Because he struck him for his own benefit, (since) it is the duty of the son to serve him (the father).
زانک او را بهر کار خویش زد ** خدمت او هست واجب بر ولد
(But) when a teacher strikes a boy and he (the boy) perishes (is killed by the blows), nothing (in the way of penalty) is (imposed) on the teacher; no fear’
چون معلم زد صبی را شد تلف ** بر معلم نیست چیزی لا تخف
For the teacher is a deputy (of God) and a trustee; and the ease of every trustee is the same as this
کان معلم نایب افتاد و امین ** هر امین را هست حکمش همچنین
It is not his (the boy’s) duty to serve his master (teacher) therefore in chastising him the master was not seeking benefit (for himself),1520
نیست واجب خدمت استا برو ** پس نبود استا به زجرش کارجو
But if his father struck him, he struck for his own sake: consequently he was not freed from (responsibility for) paying the blood-price.
ور پدر زد او برای خود زدست ** لاجرم از خونبها دادن نرست
Behead (your) selfhood, then, O (you who resemble the sword) Dhu ‘l-faqár: become a selfless naughted one like the dervish.
پس خودی را سر ببر ای ذوالفقار ** بی‌خودی شو فانیی درویش‌وار
When you have become selfless, everything that you do (is a case of) thou didst not throw when thou threwest, (and) you are safe.
چون شدی بی‌خود هر آنچ تو کنی ** ما رمیت اذ رمیتی آمنی
The responsibility lies on God, not on the trustee: ‘tis set forth plainly in (books of) jurisprudence.
آن ضمان بر حق بود نه بر امین ** هست تفصیلش به فقه اندر مبین
Every shop has a different (kind of) merchandise: the Mathnawi is the shop for (spiritual) poverty, O son.1525
هر دکانی راست سودایی دگر ** مثنوی دکان فقرست ای پسر
In the shoemaker’s shop there is fine leather: if you see wood (there), it is (only) the mould for the shoe.
در دکان کفشگر چرمست خوب ** قالب کفش است اگر بینی تو چوب
The drapers have (in their shops) silk and dun-coloured cloth: if iron be (there), it is (only to serve) for a yard-measure.
پیش بزازان قز و ادکن بود ** بهر گز باشد اگر آهن بود
Our Mathnawi is the shop for Unity: anything that you see (there) except the One God) is (only) an idol.
مثنوی ما دکان وحدتست ** غیر واحد هرچه بینی آن بتست
Know that to praise an idol for the purpose of ensnaring the vulgar is just like (the Prophet’s reference to) “the most exalted Cranes.”