Story ON ADVANCING AGE حکایت بالا رفتن سن
Story on Advancing Age (حکایت بالا رفتن سن) is from Chapter IX, On Penitence (در توبه و راه صواب) 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
| A man, full of years, to a doctor came nigh, From his weeping he looked as if ready to die. He said, “Feel my pulse! oh intelligent man! For to step from this spot is much more than I can. | کهن سالی آمد به نزد طبیب ز نالیدنش تا به مردن قریب که دستم به رگ برنه، ای نیک رای که پایم همی بر نیاید ز جای |
| My motionless body just looks, you would say, As if I had mingled again with the clay.” He answered, ” Your hands from the World you should tear, For your feet from the clay resurrection will bear.” | بدین ماند این قامت خفتهام که گویی به گل در فرو رفتهام برو، گفت دست از جهان برگسل که پایت قیامت برآید ز گل نشاط جوانی ز پیران مجوی که آب روان باز ناید به جوی |
| If you used hands and feet in your juvenile years, Be wise and discreet when your old age appears! When your life has exceeded two score years in length, Do not dance and clap hands for impaired is your strength. | اگر در جوانی زدی دست و پای در ایام پیری به هش باش و رای چو دوران عمر از چهل درگذشت مزن دست و پا کآبت از سر گذشت |
| When my hair black as night, first began to get grey, My enjoyment of pleasure departed away. | نشاط از من آنگه رمیدن گرفت که شامم سپیده دمیدن گرفت |
| It is proper that lust from your heart you should send, When the time to enjoy it has come to an end. When will greenness refresh my old heart, become sear, For verdure will soon from my ashes appear? | بباید هوس کردن از سر به در که دور هوسبازی آمد به سر به سبزی کجا تازه گردد دلم که سبزی بخواهد دمید از گلم؟ |
| Amusing ourselves with excesses and lust, We have passed over many a dead person’s dust; | تفرج کنان در هوای و هوس گذشتیم بر خاک بسیار کس |
| Those who still in the womb of Futurity lie, Will arrive and pass over our dust, when we die. Alas! that the season of youth slipped away! And that life has been squandered in amorous play! | کسانی که دیگر به غیب اندرند بیایند و بر خاک ما بگذرند دریغا که فصل جوانی برفت به لهو و لعب زندگانی برفت |
| Alas! that the soul-nursing time did not last! Like the lightning of Yemen it over us passed. In desire to eat ” this” and in love “that” to wear, I so lived that the Faith did not give me a care. | دریغا چنان روح پرور زمان که بگذشت بر ما چو برق یمان ز سودای آن پوشم و این خورم نپرداختم تا غم دین خورم |
| Alas! that with falsehood our life has been spent; From the Truth we stood far, and in negligence went! How well to a stripling the schoolmaster said: “Our work is not done and the season has fled.,, | دریغا که مشغول باطل شدیم ز حق دور ماندیم وغافل شدیم چه خوش گفت با کودک آموزگار که کاری نکریدم و شد روزگار |
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by: Reza about (category: Bustan Saadi)
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