What is justice? To put (a thing) in its (right) place. What is injustice? To put it in its wrong place.
عدل چه بود وضع اندر موضعش ** ظلم چه بود وضع در ناموقعش
Nothing is vain that God created, (whether it be) anger or forbearance or sincere counsel or guile.
نیست باطل هر چه یزدان آفرید ** از غضب وز حلم وز نصح و مکید
None of these things is absolutely good, nor is any of them absolutely evil.
خیر مطلق نیست زینها هیچ چیز ** شر مطلق نیست زینها هیچ نیز
The usefulness and harm of each depend on the place (occasion): for this reason knowledge is necessary and useful.
نفع و ضر هر یکی از موضعست ** علم ازین رو واجبست و نافعست
Oh, many a punishment inflicted on a poor fellow is more meritorious than (a gift of) bread and sweetmeat,2600
ای بسا زجری که بر مسکین رود ** در ثواب از نان و حلوا به بود
For sweetmeat (when eaten) unseasonably causes yellow bile, (whereas) slaps purge him of wickedness.
زانک حلوا بی‌اوان صفرا کند ** سیلیش از خبث مستنقا کند
Give the poor fellow a slap in season: it will save him from beheading (afterwards).
سیلیی در وقت بر مسکین بزن ** که رهاند آنش از گردن زدن
The blow is really inflicted because of (his) evil disposition: the stick falls on the dust (in the garment of felt), not on the felt (itself).
زخم در معنی فتد از خوی بد ** چوب بر گرد اوفتد نه بر نمد
Every Bahrám (emperor) has a banquet(-hall) and a prison: the banquet is for the sincere (friend) and the prison for the half-baked (churl).
بزم و زندن هست هر بهرام را ** بزم مخلص را و زندان خام را
(If) a sore wants lancing and you apply a poultice to it, you will (only) establish the pus in the sore,2605
شق باید ریش را مرهم کنی ** چرک را در ریش مستحکم کنی
So that it will eat away the flesh underneath: (the result) will be a half (a mere fraction) of profit and fifty losses.”
تا خورد مر گوشت را در زیر آن ** نیم سودی باشد و پنجه زیان
Dalqak said, “I am not saying, ‘Let (my offence) pass’; I am saying, ‘Take some care to investigate.’
گفت دلقک من نمی‌گویم گذار ** من همی‌گویم تحریی بیار
Hark, do not bar the road of patience and deliberation: be patient, reflect for a few days.
هین ره صبر و تانی در مبند ** صبر کن اندیشه می‌کن روز چند
In (the course of) deliberation thou wilt hit upon a certainty, (and then) thou wilt chastise me with a sure conviction (of knowing the truth).”
در تانی بر یقینی بر زنی ** گوش‌مال من بایقانی کنی
Why, indeed, (be one who) walks falling (on his face) in wayfaring, when it behoves him to walk in an upright posture?2610
در روش یمشی مکبا خود چرا ** چون همی‌شاید شدن در استوا
Take counsel with the company of the righteous: note the (Divine) command (given) to the Prophet, “Consult them.”
مشورت کن با گروه صالحان ** بر پیمبر امر شاورهم بدان
(The words) their affair is (a matter for) consultation are to this (the same) purpose, for owing to consultation mistakes and errors occur less (frequently).
امرهم شوری برای این بود ** کز تشاور سهو و کژ کمتر رود
These (human) intellects are luminous like lamps: twenty lamps are brighter than one.
این خردها چون مصابیح انورست ** بیست مصباح از یک روشن‌ترست
There may happen to be amongst them a lamp that has become aflame with the light of Heaven,
بوک مصباحی فتد اندر میان ** مشتعل گشته ز نور آسمان
(For) the jealousy of God has produced a veil (of concealment) and has mingled the low and the lofty together.2615
غیرت حق پرده‌ای انگیختست ** سفلی و علوی به هم آمیختست
He hath said, “Travel”: always be seeking in the world and trying your fortune and (destined) lot.
گفت سیروا می‌طلب اندر جهان ** بخت و روزی را همی‌کن امتحان
In (all) assembly-places always be seeking amidst the intellects such an intellect as is (found) in the Prophet,
در مجالس می‌طلب اندر عقول ** آن چنان عقلی که بود اندر رسول
For the only heritage from the Prophet is that (intellect) which perceives the unseen things before and behind (future and past).
زانک میراث از رسول آنست و بس ** که ببیند غیبها از پیش و پس
Amidst the (inward) eyes, too, always be seeking that (inward) eye which this epitome has not the power to describe.
در بصرها می‌طلب هم آن بصر ** که نتابد شرح آن این مختصر
Hence the majestic (Prophet) has forbidden monkery and going to live as a hermit in the mountains,2620
بهر این کردست منع آن با شکوه ** از ترهب وز شدن خلوت به کوه
In order that this kind of meeting (with saints) should not be lost; for to be looked on by them is fortune and an elixir of immortality.
تا نگردد فوت این نوع التقا ** کان نظر بختست و اکسیر بقا
Amongst the righteous there is one (who is) the most righteous: on his diploma (is inscribed) by the Sultan's hand a sahh,
در میان صالحان یک اصلحیست ** بر سر توقیعش از سلطان صحیست
(Indicating) that the prayer (uttered by him) is (inseparably) linked with acceptance, (and that) the greatest of men and Jinn are not his peers.
کان دعا شد با اجابت مقترن ** کفو او نبود کبار انس و جن
(When) those who are sweet or sour (engage) in contention with him, in God's sight their argument is null,
در مری‌اش آنک حلو و حامض است ** حجت ایشان بر حق داحض است
For (God says), “As We have exalted him by (grace of) Ourselves, We have done away with (every) plea and argument (against him).”2625
که چو ما او را به خود افراشتیم ** عذر و حجت از میان بر داشتیم
Since the Hand of God has made the Qibla manifest, henceforth deem searching to be disallowed.
قبله را چون کرد دست حق عیان ** پس تحری بعد ازین مردود دان
Hark, avert your face and head from searching, now that the Destination and Dwelling-place has come into view.
هین بگردان از تحری رو و سر ** که پدید آمد معاد و مستقر
If you forget this Qibla for one moment, you will become in thrall to every worthless qibla (object of desire).
یک زمان زین قبله گر ذاهل شوی ** سخره‌ی هر قبله‌ی باطل شوی
When you show ingratitude to him that gives you discernment, the thought that recognises the Qibla will dart away from you.
چون شوی تمییزده را ناسپاس ** بجهد از تو خطرت قبله‌شناس
If you desire benefit and (spiritual) wheat from this Barn, do not part, even for half an hour, from those who sympathise,2630
گر ازین انبار خواهی بر و بر ** نیم‌ساعت هم ز همدردان مبر
For at the moment when you part from this helper you will be afflicted with an evil comrade
که در آن دم که ببری زین معین ** مبتلی گردی تو با بس القرین
Story of the attachment between the mouse and the frog: how they tied their legs together with a long string, and how a raven carried off the mouse, and how the frog was suspended (in the air) and lamented and repented of having attached himself to an animal of a different species instead of sorting with one of his own kind.
حکایت تعلق موش با چغز و بستن پای هر دو به رشته‌ای دراز و بر کشیدن زاغ موش را و معلق شدن چغز و نالیدن و پشیمانی او از تعلق با غیر جنس و با جنس خود ناساختن
As it happened, a mouse and a faithful frog had become friends on the bank of a river.
از قضا موشی و چغزی با وفا ** بر لب جو گشته بودند آشنا
Both of them were bound to (keep) a (daily) tryst: every morning they would come into a nook,
هر دو تن مربوط میقاتی شدند ** هر صباحی گوشه‌ای می‌آمدند
(Where) they played heart-and-soul with one another and emptied their breasts of evil (suspicious) thoughts.
نرد دل با هم‌دگر می‌باختند ** از وساوس سینه می‌پرداختند
The hearts of both swelled (with joy) from meeting: they recited stories and listened to each other,2635
هر دو را دل از تلاقی متسع ** هم‌دگر را قصه‌خوان و مستمع
Telling secrets with and without tongue, knowing how to interpret (the Tradition), “A united party is a (Divine) mercy.”
رازگویان با زبان و بی‌زبان ** الجماعه رحمه را تاویل دان
Whenever the exultant (mouse) consorted with the merry (frog), a five years' tale would come into his mind.
آن اشر چون جفت آن شاد آمدی ** پنج ساله قصه‌اش یاد آمدی
Flow of speech from the heart is a sign of (intimate) friendship; obstruction of speech arises from lack of intimacy.
جوش نطق از دل نشان دوستیست ** بستگی نطق از بی‌الفتیست
The heart that has seen the sweetheart, how should it remain bitter? (When) a nightingale has seen the rose, how should he remain silent?
دل که دلبر دید کی ماند ترش ** بلبلی گل دید کی ماند خمش
At the touch of Khadir the roasted fish came to life and took its abode in the sea.2640
ماهی بریان ز آسیب خضر ** زنده شد در بحر گشت او مستقر
To the friend, when he is seated beside his Friend, a hundred thousand tablets of mystery are made known.
یار را با یار چون بنشسته شد ** صد هزاران لوح سر دانسته شد
The brow of the Friend is a Guarded Tablet: to him (his friend) it reveals plainly the secret of the two worlds.
لوح محفوظ است پیشانی یار ** راز کونینش نماید آشکار
The Friend is the guide on the way during (his friend's) advance: hence Mustafá (Mohammed) said, “My Companions are (like) the stars.”