Remarks ON DEALING WITH ENEMIES گفتار اندر رای و تدبیر ملک و لشکر کشی
Remarks on Dealing with Enemies (گفتار اندر رای و تدبیر ملک و لشکر کشی) is from Chapter I, On Justice, Wisdom and Government (در عدل و تدبیر و رای) of Saadi’s Bustan (بوستان, “The Orchard”), written in 1257. The Persian verses are given with a rhymed English translation, couplet by couplet.
Bustan Saadi بوستان سعدی
| Until your diplomacy terminates right, It is better to natter your foe, than to fight. When, by force, you’re unable to vanquish your foes, By favours, the portal of strife you must close! | همی تا برآید به تدبیر کار مدارای دشمن به از کارزار چو نتوان عدو را به قوت شکست به نعمت بباید در فتنه بست |
| If you fear lest you be by an enemy stung, With the charm of munificence, tie up his tongue ! Give your enemy money! not thorns from a hedge ! For munificence blunts all the teeth that have edge. | گر اندیشه باشد ز خصمت گزند به تعویذ احسان زبانش ببند عدو را بجای خسک در بریز که احسان کند کند، دندان تیز |
| The hand you can’t bite, it is proper to kiss ! By skill, you can coax and enjoy earthly bliss ; By management, Rustam will come to the noose, From whose coil, Asfandydr could not cast himself loose. | چو دستی نشاید گزیدن، ببوس که با غالبان چاره زرق است و لوس به تدبیر رستم درآید به بند که اسفندیارش نجست از کمند |
| You can find the occasion your foe’s skin to rend ; Take care of him! then, as you would of a friend. Be cautious in fighting with one you despise! From a drop, I have oft seen a torrent arise. | عدو را به فرصت توان کند پوست پس او را مدارا چنان کن که دوست حذر کن ز پیکار کمتر کسی که از قطره سیلاب دیدم بسی |
| While you can, let not knots on your eyebrows be seen! An opponent is best as a friend, although mean. His foe shows delight, and his friend shows distress, Whose friends are, in count, than his enemies less. | مزن تا توانی بر ابرو گره که دشمن اگرچه زبون، دوست به بود دشمنش تازه و دوست ریش کسی کش بود دشمن از دوست بیش |
| With an army exceeding your own, do not fight! For you can’t with your finger a lancet’s point smite. And should you be stronger in war than your foe; To the weak, ’tis unmanly oppression to show! | مزن با سپاهی ز خود بیشتر که نتوان زد انگشت با نیشتر وگر زو تواناتری در نبرد نه مردی است بر ناتوان زور کرد |
| Though you’ve lion-like hands and an elephant’s force, Peace is better than war, as a matter of course. When the hand has by ev’ry deception been torn, The hand to the sword may be lawfully borne. | اگر پیل زوری وگر شیر چنگ به نزدیک من صلح بهتر که جنگ چو دست از همه حیلتی در گسست حلال است بردن به شمشیر دست |
| Should your foe wish for peace, his request do not spurn! And should he seek battle, the reins do not turn! For should he resolve to resist in the field, The strength and the awe of a thousand you’ll wield. | اگر صلح خواهد عدو سر مپیچ وگر جنگ جوید عنان بر مپیچ که گروی ببندد در کارزار تو را قدر و هیبت شود یک، هزار |
| If his foot he has placed in the stirrup of war, You won’t be arraigned at the Great Judgment Bar. Be prepared, too, for war, should sedition awake! For kindness to blackguards is quite a mistake. | ور او پای جنگ آورد در رکاب نخواهد به حشر از تو داور حساب تو هم جنگ را باش چون کینه خاست که با کینه ور مهربانی خطاست |
| If you talk in an affable way to a wretch, His presumption and arrogance higher will stretch. When your enemy, vanquished, approaches your gate; Cast revenge from your heart and cast ire from your pate! | چو با سفله گویی به لطف و خوشی فزون گرددش کبر و گردن کشی به اسبان تازی و مردان مرد برآر از نهاد بداندیش گرد |
| You should kindness bestow when he asks for your care; Be gracious! and of his deceptions, beware! From an aged man’s counselling turn not away! For he knows his work well who has lived to be grey! | و گر می برآید به نرمی و هوش به تندی و خشم و درشتی مکوش چو دشمن به عجز اندر آمد ز در نباید که پرخاش جویی دگر |
| چو زنهار خواهد کرم پیشه کن ببخشای و از مکرش اندیشه کن | |
| And should they remove from its site the strong-hold The youth with the sword and with wisdom the old | ز تدبیر پیر کهن بر مگرد که کارآزموده بود سالخورد |
| در آرند بنیاد رویین ز پای جوانان به نیروی و پیران به رای | |
| In the thick of the fight, bear a refuge in mind! What know you which side will the victory find? | بیندیش در قلب هیجا مفر چه دانی کران را که باشد ظفر؟ |
| When you see that your army has lost in the strife, Alone, do not cast to the wind your sweet life! Should your place be the border, make running your care! And if in the middle, the foe’s raiment wear! | چو بینی که لشکر ز هم دست داد به تنها مده جان شیرین به باد اگر بر کناری به رفتن بکوش وگر در میان لبس دشمن بپوش |
| If you number two thousand two hundred your foe, When night has arrived from his clime you should go! At night, Fifty horsemen from lying in wait, Like Five Hundred, a noise on the ground will create. | وگر خود هزاری و دشمن دویست چو شب شد در اقلیم دشمن مایست شب تیره پنجه سوار از کمین چو پانصد به هیبت بدرد زمین |
| When you wish to accomplish some marches by night, First, look for the ambushes, hidden from sight! When one of two armies has marched for a day, The strength from his hands will have dwindled away; | چو خواهی بریدن به شب راهها حذر کن نخست از کمینگاهها میان دو لشکر چو یک روزه راه بماند، بزن خیمه بر جایگاه |
| گر او پیشدستی کند غم مدار ور افراسیاب است مغزش برآر ندانی که لشکر چو یک روزه راند سر پنجه زورمندش نماند | |
| At your leisure the army exhausted attack! For the fool has himself placed a load on his back. When you’ve vanquished your foe, do not lower your flag! Lest again he should gather his forces, and brag. | تو آسوده بر لشکر مانده زن که نادان ستم کرد بر خویشتن چو دشمن شکستی بیفگن علم که بازش نیاید جراحت به هم |
| In pursuit of the fugitives, go not too far! For you should not lose sight of your comrades in war. When the air, from war’s dust, like a cloud to you shows, Around you, with spears and with swords, they will close. | بسی در قفای هزیمت مران نباید که دور افتی از یاوران هوابینی از گرد هیجا چو میغ بگیرند گردت به زوبین و تیغ |
| From searching for plunder, the soldier refrains, Who, alone, at the back of the monarch remains. | به دنبال غارت نراند سپاه که خالی بماند پس پشت شاه |
| To an army, the duty of guarding the king, Is better than fight in the battle-field’s ring. | سپه را نگهبانی شهریار به از جنگ در حلقه کارزار |
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by: Reza about (category: Bustan Saadi)
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