(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.”
He recited it those words) quickly in the Súra (entitled) Wa’l-Najm, but it was a temptation (of the Devil), it was not (really) part of the Súra.1530
خواندش در سوره‌ی والنجم زود ** لیک آن فتنه بد از سوره نبود
Thereupon all the infidels prostrated themselves (in worship): ‘twas a mystery (of Divine Wisdom), too, that they knocked their heads upon the door.
جمله کفار آن زمان ساجد شدند ** هم سری بود آنک سر بر در زدند
After this there is a perplexing and abstruse argument stay with Solomon and do not stir up the demons!
بعد ازین حرفیست پیچاپیچ و دور ** با سلیمان باش و دیوان را مشور
Hark, relate the story of the Súfí and the Cadi and the offender who was (so) feeble and wretchedly ill.
هین حدیث صوفی و قاضی بیار ** وان ستمکار ضعیف زار زار
The Cadi said (to the Súfí), “Make the roof firm, O son, in order that I may decorate it with good and evil.
گفت قاضی ثبت العرش ای پسر ** تا برو نقشی کنم از خیر و شر
Where is the assailant? Where is that which is subject to vengeance? This man in (consequence of) sickness has become a (mere) phantom.1535
کو زننده کو محل انتقام ** این خیالی گشته است اندر سقام
The law is for the living and self-sufficient: where (how) is the law (binding) upon the occupants of the graveyard?”
شرع بهر زندگان و اغنیاست ** شرع بر اصحاب گورستان کجاست
The class (of men) who are headless (selfless) because of (their spiritual) poverty are in a hundred respects more naughted than those dead (and buried).
آن گروهی کز فقیری بی‌سرند ** صد جهت زان مردگان فانی‌تراند
The dead man is naughted (only) from one point of view, namely), as regards loss (of bodily life); the Súfís have been naughted in a hundred respects.
مرده از یک روست فانی در گزند ** صوفیان از صد جهت فانی شدند
(Bodily) death is a single killing, while this (spiritual death) is three hundred thousand (killings), for each one of which there is a blood-price beyond reckoning.
مرگ یک قتلست و این سیصد هزار ** هر یکی را خونبهایی بی‌شمار
Though God hath killed these folk many a time, (yet) He hath poured forth (infinite) stores (of grace) in payment of the blood-price.1540
گرچه کشت این قوم را حق بارها ** ریخت بهر خونبها انبارها
Every one (of these martyrs) is inwardly like Jirjís (St George): they have been killed and brought to life (again) sixty times.
هم‌چو جرجیس‌اند هر یک در سرار ** کشته گشته زنده گشته شصت بار
From his delight in (being smitten by) the spear-point of the (Divine) Judge, the killed one is ever burning (in rapture) and crying. Strike another blow!”
کشته از ذوق سنان دادگر ** می‌بسوزد که بزن زخمی دگر
(I swear) by God, from love for the existence that fosters the spirit, the killed one longs (still) more passionately to be killed a second time.
والله از عشق وجود جان‌پرست ** کشته بر قتل دوم عاشق‌ترست
The Cadi said, “I am the cadi for the living: how am I the judge of the occupants of the graveyard?
گفت قاضی من قضادار حیم ** حاکم اصحاب گورستان کیم
If to outward seeming this man is not laid low in the grave, (yet) graves have entered into his household.1545
این به صورت گر نه در گورست پست ** گورها در دودمانش آمدست
You have seen many a dead man in the grave: (now), O, blind one, see the grave in a dead man.
بس بدیدی مرده اندر گور تو ** گور را در مرده بین ای کور تو
If bricks from the grave have fallen on you, how should reasonable persons seek redress from the grave?
گر ز گوری خشت بر تو اوفتاد ** عاقلان از گور کی خواهند داد
Do not concern yourself with anger and hatred against a dead man: beware, do not wake war on (one who is as dead as) the pictures in a bath-house.
گرد خشم و کینه‌ی مرده مگرد ** هین مکن با نقش گرمابه نبرد
Give thanks that a living one did not strike you, for he whom the living one rejects is rejected of God.
شکر کن که زنده‌ای بر تو نزد ** کانک زنده رد کند حق کرد رد
The anger of the living ones is God’s anger and His blows for that pure-skinned one is living through God.1550
خشم احیا خشم حق و زخم اوست ** که به حق زنده‌ست آن پاکیزه‌پوست
God killed him and breathed on his trotters and quickly, like a butcher, stripped off his skin.
حق بکشت او را و در پاچه‌ش دمید ** زود قصابانه پوست از وی کشید
The breath remains in him till (he reaches) the final bourn: the breathing of God is not as the breathing of the butcher.
نفخ در وی باقی آمد تا مب ** نفخ حق نبود چو نفخه‌ی آن قصاب
There is a great difference between the two breathings: this is wholly honour, while that (other) side is entirely, shame.
فرق بسیارست بین النفختین ** این همه زینست و آن سر جمله شین
This (the latter) took life away from it (the slaughtered beast) and injured it, while by the breathing of God that (spiritual) life was made perpetual.
این حیات از وی برید و شد مضر ** وان حیات از نفخ حق شد مستمر
This (Divine) breath is not a breath that can be described: hark, come up from the bottom of the pit to the top of the palace.1555
این دم آن دم نیست کاید آن به شرح ** هین بر آ زین قعر چه بالای صرح
‘Tis not a sound legal decision to mount him (the defendant) on an ass (and parade him): does any one lay upon an ass a (mere) picture of firewood?
نیستش بر خر نشاندن مجتهد ** نقش هیزم را کسی بر خر نهد
The back of an ass is not his proper seat: the back of a bier is more fitting for him.
بر نشست او نه پشت خر سزد ** پشت تابوتیش اولیتر سزد
What is injustice? To put (a thing) out of its proper place: beware, do not let it be lost (by putting it) out of its place.”
ظلم چه بود وضع غیر موضعش ** هین مکن در غیر موضع ضایعش
The Súfi said, “Then do you think it right for him to slap me without (my taking) retaliation and without (his paying) a farthing?
گفت صوفی پس روا داری که او ** سیلیم زد بی‌قصاص و بی‌تسو
Is it right that a big rascally bear should inflict slaps on Súfis for nothing?”1560
این روا باشد که خر خرسی قلاش ** صوفیان را صفع اندازد بلاش
The Cadi said (to the defendant), “What (coins) have you, larger or smaller?” He replied, “I have (only) six dirhems in the world.”
گفت قاضی تو چه داری بیش و کم ** گفت دارم در جهان من شش درم
Said the Cadi, “Spend three dirhems (on yourself) and give the other three to him without (any further) words.
گفت قاضی سه درم تو خرج کن ** آن سه دیگر را به او ده بی‌سخن
(For,” he thought to himself), “he (the defendant) is weak and ill and poor and infirm: he will need three dirhems for vegetables and loaves.”
زار و رنجورست و درویش و ضعیف ** سه درم در بایدش تره و رغیف
His (the defendant’s) eye fall on the nape of the Cadi’s neck: it was better (more inviting) than the nape of the Súfi.
بر قفای قاضی افتادش نظر ** از قفای صوفی آن بد خوب‌تر
He raised his hand to slap it, saying (to himself), “The retaliation (penalty) for my slap has been made cheap.”1565
راست می‌کرد از پی سیلیش دست ** که قصاص سیلیم ارزان شدست
He approached the Cadi’s ear (as though) for the purpose of (whispering) a secret, and dealt the Cadi a (severe) blow with his palm.
سوی گوش قاضی آمد بهر راز ** سیلیی آورد قاضی را فراز
“O my two enemies,” he cried, “take all the six dirhems: (then) I shall be free (from care and) without trouble and anxiety.”
گفت هر شش را بگیرید ای دو خصم ** من شوم آزاد بی خرخاش و وصم
How the Cadi was incensed fry the slap of the poor (sick) man and how the Súfi taunted the Cadi.
طیره شدن قاضی از سیلی درویش و سرزنش کردن صوفی قاضی را