Solomon’s Plan to Bring Bilqis’s Throne
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 4, section 36 of 137: How Solomon, devised a plan for bringing the throne of Bilqís from Sabá (چاره کردن سلیمان علیه‌السلام در احضار تخت بلقیس از سبا). Below, each of its 24 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
How Solomon, on whom be peace, devised a plan for bringing the throne of Bilqís from Sabá. چاره کردن سلیمان علیه‌السلام در احضار تخت بلقیس از سبا
گفت عفریتی که تختش را به فن
حاضر آرم تا تو زین مجلس شدن
A certain ‘Ifrít (demon) said, “By (my) art I will bring her throne here before thy departure from this council.”
گفت آصف من به اسم اعظمش
حاضر آرم پیش تو در یک دمش
Ásaf said, “By means of the greatest Name (of God) I will bring it here into thy presence in a single moment.”
گرچه عفریت اوستاد سحر بود
لیک آن از نفخ آصف رو نمود
Though the ‘Ifrít was a master of magic, yet that (miracle) was displayed by the breath (spiritual power) of Ásaf.
حاضر آمد تخت بلقیس آن زمان
لیک ز آصف نه از فن عفریتیان
The throne of Bilqís came into the presence instantly, but through Ásaf, not through the art of them that have the (malignant) nature of ‘Ifríts.
گفت حمدالله برین و صد چنین
که بدیدستم ز رب العالمین
He (Solomon) said, “Praise to God for this and a hundred such (favours) which I have seen (received) from the Lord of created beings.”
پس نظر کرد آن سلیمان سوی تخت
گفت آری گول‌گیری ای درخت
Then Solomon turned his eyes towards the throne. “Yes,” he said, “thou art one that catches fools, O tree!”
پیش چوب و پیش سنگ نقش کند
ای بسا گولان که سرها می‌نهند
Oh, many are the fools that lay down their heads before wood and graven stone.
ساجد و مسجود از جان بی‌خبر
دیده از جان جنبشی واندک اثر
(Both) the worshipper and the object of worship are ignorant of the spirit; (but) he (the worshipper) has felt a movement and a slight effect of the spirit.
دیده در وقتی که شد حیران و دنگ
که سخن گفت و اشارت کرد سنگ
He has felt, at the moment when he became rapt (in devotion) and bewildered, that the stone spoke and made signs.
نرد خدمت چون بنا موضع بباخت
شیر سنگین را شقی شیری شناخت
When the wretched man bestowed his devotion in the wrong place and deemed the lion of stone to be a (real) lion,
از کرم شیر حقیقی کرد جود
استخوانی سوی سگ انداخت زود
The real Lion, from kindness, showed munificence and at once threw a bone to the dog,
گفت گرچه نیست آن سگ بر قوام
لیک ما را استخوان لطفیست عام
And said, “Although the dog is not in (due) order, yet as regards me the bone is a bounty of which all partake.”
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by: Reza about (category: Masnavi, Persian Poetry)
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