Story of Zunun of Egypt (on him be MERCY) حکایت ذوالنون مصری
Story of Zunun of Egypt (on Him be MERCY) (حکایت ذوالنون مصری) is from Chapter IV, On Humility (در تواضع) 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
| I thus recollect that the clouds did not deign For the space of a year upon Egypt to rain. To the mountainous regions a multitude fled; Lamenting and praying for showers they sped | چنین یاد دارم که سقای نیل نکرد آب بر مصر سالی سبیل گروهی سوی کوهساران شدند به فریاد خواهان باران شدند |
| They wept, and from weeping the tears, flood-like, fell, In the hope that the sky would perchance weep, as well One of these, to Zunun1 the intelligence bore, That the people were grieved and distressed very sore. | گرستند و از گریه جویی روان بیاید مگر گریه آسمان به ذوالنون خبر برد از ایشان کسی که بر خلق رنج است و زحمت بسی |
| “For those in affliction, do thou intercede, Since the words of the righteous avail when there’s need.” I have heard that Zunun to Medain quickly ran, And very soon after the raining began. | فرو ماندگان را دعائی بکن که مقبول را رد نباشد سخن شنیدم که ذوالنون به مدین گریخت بسی برنیامد که باران بریخت |
| The news to Medaina in twenty days crept, That the black-hearted clouds on the people had wept. The old man soon resolved to return back again, For the pools were all filled by the torrents of rain. | خبر شد به مدین پس از روز بیست که ابر سیه دل برایشان گریست سبک عزم باز آمدن کرد پیر که پر شد به سیل بهاران غدیر |
| A pious man, privately, asked on this head: “In your going, what virtue existed? ” He said: “I had heard that on birds, ants and animals, all, Through the deeds of the wicked, great hardships, would fall | بپرسید از او عارفی در نهفت چه حکمت در این رفتنت بود؟ گفت شنیدم که بر مرغ و مور و ددان شود تنگ روزی ز فعل بدان |
| In this land, I have thought of it well in my mind, And a man more distressed than myself, could not find. I hurried away, lest through my sinful state, On the face of the crowd had been shut welfare’s gate.” | در این کشور اندیشه کردم بسی پریشانتر از خود ندیدم کسی برفتم مبادا که از شر من ببندد در خیر بر انجمن |
| بهی بایدت لطف کن کان بهان ندیدندی از خود بتر در جهان | |
| By your own fellow men you’ll be highly esteemed, When yourself as of little account you have deemed To the great man who reckoned his merits as small, In this world and the next will supremacy fall. | تو آنگه شوی پیش مردم عزیز که مر خویشتن را نگیری به چیز بزرگی که خود را نه مردم شمرد به دنیا و عقبی بزرگی ببرد |
| From this Earth went the Slave in a sanctified state, Who before his inferiors was humble in gait. Oh thou wandering over my ashes, take care! By the dust of the holy, in memory bear! | از این خاکدان بندهای پاک شد که در پای کمتر کسی خاک شد الا ای که بر خاک ما بگذری به جان عزیزان که یادآوری |
| That if changed into dust why should Sadi be sad, Since in life he abundant humility had? Unresisting his body to dust he resigned, Although he had circled the world, like the wind. | که گر خاک شد سعدی، او را چه غم؟ که در زندگی خاک بودهست هم به بیچارگی تن فرا خاک داد وگر گرد عالم برآمد چو باد |
| In a very short time, Earth will make him its own, And then by the wind through the world he’ll be blown. | بسی برنیاید که خاکش خورد دگر باره بادش به عالم برد |
| Observe: Since the garden of meaning upsprung, So sweetly as this, not a Bulbul has sung! | مگر تا گلستان معنی شکفت بر او هیچ بلبل چنین خوش نگفت |
| ‘Twould be strange were a nightingale such to take wing, And a rose from the bones of his corpse not to spring. | عجب گر بمیرد چنین بلبلی که بر استخوانش نروید گلی |
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by: Reza about (category: Bustan Saadi)
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