Seven Lean Kine That Devoured Seven Fat
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 5, section 41 of 175: Commentary on “Verily I saw seven fat kine which seven lean kine devoured.” God had created those lean kine with the qualities of hungry lions (تفسیر انی اری سبع بقرات سمان یاکلهن سبع عجاف آن گاوان لاغر را خدا به صفت شیران گرسنه). Below, each of its 16 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
Commentary on “Verily I saw seven fat kine which seven lean kine devoured.” God had created those lean kine with the qualities of hungry lions, to the end that they might devour the seven fat ones with avidity. Although (only) the forms of those kine were shown as phantoms in the mirror of dream, do thou regard the reality! تفسیر انی اری سبع بقرات سمان یاکلهن سبع عجاف آن گاوان لاغر را خدا به صفت شیران گرسنه آفریده بود تا آن هفت گاو فربه را به اشتها می‌خوردند اگر چه آن خیالات صور گاوان در آینه‌ی خواب نمودند تو معنی بگیر
آن عزیز مصر می‌دیدی به خواب
چونک چشم غیب را شد فتح باب
The Lord of Egypt saw in dream, when the door of his inward eye was opened,
هفت گاو فربه بس پروری
خوردشان آن هفت گاو لاغری
Seven fat kine, exceedingly well-nourished: the seven lean kine devoured them.
در درون شیران بدند آن لاغران
ورنه گاوان را نبودندی خوران
The lean ones were lions within; else they would not have been devouring the (fat) kine.
پس بشر آمد به صورت مرد کار
لیک در وی شیر پنهان مردخوار
The man of (holy) works, then, is human in appearance, but in him is concealed a man-eating lion.
مرد را خوش وا خورد فردش کند
صاف گردد دردش ار دردش کند
He (the lion) heartily devours the (carnal) man and makes him single: his dregs become pure if he (the lion) inflict pain upon him.
زان یکی درد او ز جمله دردها
وا رهد پا بر نهد او بر سها
By that one pain he is delivered from all dregs: he sets his foot upon Suhá.
چند گویی هم‌چو زاغ پر نحوس
ای خلیل از بهر چه کشتی خروس
How long wilt thou speak (caw) like the ill-omened crow? (Let me return to the parable and ask), “O Khalíl, wherefore didst thou kill the cock?”
گفت فرمان حکمت فرمان بگو
تا مسبح گردم آن را مو به مو
He replied, “(Because of) the (Divine) command.” “Tell (me) the wisdom of the (Divine) command, that I may glorify that (wisdom) punctiliously.”
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by: Reza about (category: Masnavi, Persian Poetry)
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