Let each (of us) declare the date (antiquity) of his life: the oldest has the best right, let the others suffer (disappointment) in silence.2475
هر یکی تاریخ عمر ابدا کنید ** پیرتر اولیست باقی تن زنید
In those times,” said the ram, “my pasturage was (shared) with the ram that was sacrificed for Ismá‘íl (Ishmael).”
گفت قج مرج من اندر آن عهود ** با قج قربان اسمعیل بود
The ox said, “I am the (most) advanced in years, (I was) coupled with the ox that Adam yoked.
گاو گفتا بوده‌ام من سال‌خورد ** جفت آن گاوی کش آدم جفت کرد
I am the yoke-fellow of the ox with which Adam, the forefather of mankind, used to plough the earth in sowing.”
جفت آن گاوم که آدم جد خلق ** در زراعت بر زمین می‌کرد فلق
When the camel heard the ox and the ram (make these assertions) he was amazed: he lowered his head and picked up that (bunch of grass).
چون شنید از گاو و قج اشتر شگفت ** سر فرود آورد و آن را برگرفت
Promptly, without any palaver, the Bactrian camel raised the bunch of fresh barley in the air,2480
در هوا بر داشت آن بند قصیل ** اشتر بختی سبک بی‌قال و قیل
Saying, “I, in sooth, need no (support from) chronology, since I have such a (stout) body and high neck.
که مرا خود حاجت تاریخ نیست ** کین چنین جسمی و عالی گردنیست
Indeed every one knows, O father's darling, that I am not smaller than you.
خود همه کس داند ای جان پدر ** که نباشم از شما من خردتر
Whoever is one of those possessed of intelligence knows this, that my nature is superior to yours.”
داند این را هرکه ز اصحاب نهاست ** که نهاد من فزون‌تر از شماست
(The Christian said), “All know that this lofty heaven is a hundred times as great as this low earth.
جملگان دانند کین چرخ بلند ** هست صد چندان که این خاک نژند
How can the wide expanse of the celestial domains be compared with the (limited) character of the terrestrial regions?”2485
کو گشاد رقعه‌های آسمان ** کو نهاد بقعه‌های خاکدان
How the Moslem in reply told his companions, the Jew and the Christian, what he had seen (in his dream), and how they were disappointed.
جواب گفتن مسلمان آنچ دید به یارانش جهود و ترسا و حسرت خوردن ایشان
Then the Moslem said, “O my friends, to me came Mustafá (Mohammed), my sovereign,
پس مسلمان گفت ای یاران من ** پیشم آمد مصطفی سلطان من
And said to me, ‘That one (the Jew) has sped to Sinai with him (Moses) to whom God spake, and has played the game of love (with God);
پس مرا گفت آن یکی بر طور تاخت ** با کلیم حق و نرد عشق باخت
And the other (the Christian) has been carried by Jesus, the Lord of happy star, to the zenith of the Fourth Heaven.
وان دگر را عیسی صاحب‌قران ** برد بر اوج چهارم آسمان
Arise, O thou who hast been left behind and hast suffered injury, at least eat up the sweetmeat and comfit!
خیز ای پس مانده‌ی دیده ضرر ** باری آن حلوا و یخنی را بخور
Those (two) talented and accomplished men have pushed forward and have read the book of fortune and honour.2490
آن هنرمندان پر فن راندند ** نامه‌ی اقبال و منصب خواندند
Those two eminent men have attained to their (proper) eminence and because of their talents have mingled with the angels.
آن دو فاضل فضل خود در یافتند ** با ملایک از هنر در بافتند
Hark, O foolish simpleton who hast been left behind, jump up and seat thyself beside the bowl of halwá!’”
ای سلیم گول واپس مانده هین ** بر جه و بر کاسه‌ی حلوا نشین
Thereupon they said to him, “Then, you greedy fellow, have you made a meal of the halwá and khabís? Oh, (what) an astonishing thing!”
پس بگفتندش که آنگه تو حریص ** ای عجیب خوردی ز حلوا و خبیص
He replied, “When that sovereign who is obeyed (by all) gave the order, who was I that I should resist it?
گفت چون فرمود آن شاه مطاع ** من کی بودم تا کنم زان امتناع
Will you, Jew, rebel against the command of Moses if he summon you (either) in a fair cause or a foul?2495
تو جهود از امر موسی سر کشی ** گر بخواند در خوشی یا ناخوشی
Can you, Christian, ever spurn the command of Christ (whether) for good or evil?
تو مسیحی هیچ از امر مسیح ** سر توانی تافت در خیر و قبیح
How, (then), should I rebel against the Glory of the prophets? I have eaten the halwá and now I am happy.”
من ز فخر انبیا سر چون کشم ** خورده‌ام حلوا و این دم سرخوشم
Then they said to him, “By God, you have dreamed a true dream, and ’tis better than a hundred dreams of ours.
پس بگفتندش که والله خواب راست ** تو بدیدی وین به از صد خواب ماست
Your dreaming is waking, O gleeful one, for its effect (reality) is made evident by (your) waking (and eating the sweetmeat).”
خواب تو بیداریست ای بو بطر ** که به بیداری عیانستش اثر
Abandon eminence and (worldly) energy and skill: what matters is service (rendered to God) and a goodly disposition.2500
در گذر از فضل و از جهدی و فن ** کار خدمت دارد و خلق حسن
For this (object) God brought us forth (from non-existence): “I did not create mankind except to serve Me.”
بهر این آوردمان یزدان برون ** ما خلقت الانس الا یعبدون
How did that knowledge (of his) profit Sámirí, whom the skill (shown in making the golden Calf) banished from God's door?
سامری را آن هنر چه سود کرد ** کان فن از باب اللهش مردود کرد
What did Qárún gain by his alchemy? See how the earth bore him down to its abyss.
چه کشید از کیمیا قارون ببین ** که فرو بردش به قعر خود زمین
What, after all, did Bu ’l-Hakam (Abú Jahl) get from (intellectual) knowledge? On account of his unbelief he went headlong into Hell.
بوالحکم آخر چه بر بست از هنر ** سرنگون رفت او ز کفران در سقر
Know that (true) knowledge consists in seeing fire plainly, not in prating that smoke is evidence of fire.2505
خود هنر آن داد که دید آتش عیان ** نه کپ دل علی النار الدخان
O you whose evidence in the eyes of the Sage is really more stinking than the evidence of the physician,
ای دلیلت گنده‌تر پیش لبیب ** در حقیقت از دلیل آن طبیب
Since you have no evidence but this, O son, eat dung and inspect urine!
چون دلیلت نیست جز این ای پسر ** گوه می‌خور در کمیزی می‌نگر
O you whose evidence is like the staff in your hand (which) indicates that you suffer from blindness,
ای دلیل تو مثال آن عصا ** در کفت دل علی عیب العمی
(All this) noise and pompous talk and assumption of authority (only means), “I cannot see: (kindly) excuse me.”
غلغل و طاق و طرنب و گیر و دار ** که نمی‌بینم مرا معذور دار
How the Sayyid, the King of Tirmid, proclaimed that he would give robes of honour and horses and slave-boys and slave-girls and a large sum in gold to any one who would go on urgent business to Samarcand (and complete the journey) in three or four days; and how Dalqak, having heard the news of this proclamation in the country (where he then was), came post-haste to the king, saying, “I, at all events, cannot go.”
منادی کردن سید ملک ترمد کی هر کی در سه یا چهار روز به سمرقند رود به فلان مهم خلعت و اسپ و غلام و کنیزک و چندین زر دهم و شنیدن دلقک خبر این منادی در ده و آمدن به اولاقی نزد شاه کی من باری نتوانم رفتن
The sagacious Dalqak was the buffoon (court-jester) of the Sayyid of Tirmid, who reigned in that place (city).2510
سید ترمد که آنجا شاه بود ** مسخره‌ی او دلقک آگاه بود
He (the king) had an urgent affair in Samarcand, and wanted a courier in order that he might conclude it.
داشت کاری در سمرقند او مهم ** جست‌الاقی تا شود او مستتم
(Therefore) he proclaimed that he would bestow (his) treasures on any one who should bring him news from there in five days.
زد منادی هر که اندر پنج روز ** آردم زانجا خبر بدهم کنوز
Dalqak was in the country and heard of that (proclamation): he mounted (a horse) and galloped to Tirmid.
دلقک اندر ده بد و آن را شنید ** بر نشست و تا بترمد می‌دوید
Two horses dropped (dead) on the way because of his galloping in that (furious) manner.
مرکبی دو اندر آن ره شد سقط ** از دوانیدن فرس را زان نمط
Then, (fresh) from the dust of the road, he ran into the council-chamber and demanded admission to the king at an untimely hour.2515
پس به دیوان در دوید از گرد راه ** وقت ناهنگام ره جست او به شاه
A whispered rumour arose in the council, and a (feeling of) agitation came into the mind of the Sultan.
فجفجی در جمله‌ی دیوان فتاد ** شورشی در وهم آن سلطان فتاد
The hearts of the nobles and populace of the city were stricken with panic, (for they wondered) what disturbance and calamity had occurred,
خاص و عام شهر را دل شد ز دست ** تا چه تشویش و بلا حادث شدست
(Saying), “Either a conquering enemy is about to attack us or a deadly calamity has emerged from the Unseen,
یا عدوی قاهری در قصد ماست ** یا بلایی مهلکی از غیب خاست
For Dalqak, riding hard from the country, has killed several Arab horses on the way.”
که ز ده دلقک به سیران درشت ** چند اسپی تازی اندر راه کشت
The people gathered at the king's palace, wondering why Dalqak had come in such a hurry.2520
جمع گشته بر سرای شاه خلق ** تا چرا آمد چنین اشتاب دلق
Because of his (hot) haste and the enormity of his exertions, tumult and commotion arose in Tirmid;
از شتاب او و فحش اجتهاد ** غلغل و تشویش در ترمد فتاد
One man (was) beating both hands against his knee, while another, from presentiment of evil, was uttering woeful cries.
آن یکی دو دست بر زانوزنان ** وآن دگر از وهم واویلی‌کنان
On account of the hubbub and distraction and the dread of punishment every heart went to (wander in) a hundred streets (haunts) of phantasy.
از نفیر و فتنه و خوف نکال ** هر دلی رفته به صد کوی خیال
Every one was taking an omen (predicting) by conjecture (and trying to guess) what had set the rug on fire.
هر کسی فالی همی‌زد از قیاس ** تا چه آتش اوفتاد اندر پلاس