The King Asks Ayaz a Second Time
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 5, section 151 of 175: How the King (Mahmud) requested Ayáz for the second time, saying, “Explain thy case and solve the difficulty felt by the incredulous and censorious (دگربار استدعاء شاه از ایاز کی تاویل کار خود بگو و مشکل منکران را و طاعنان را حل کن کی). Below, each of its 9 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
How the King (Mahmud) requested Ayáz for the second time, saying, “Explain thy case and solve the difficulty felt by the incredulous and censorious; for it is not (like thy) generosity to leave them in perplexity.” دگربار استدعاء شاه از ایاز کی تاویل کار خود بگو و مشکل منکران را و طاعنان را حل کن کی ایشان را در آن التباس رها کردن مروت نیست
این سخن از حد و اندازه‌ست بیش ای ایاز اکنون بگو احوال خویش
This topic is beyond limit and measure. “Now, O Ayáz, tell of thy ‘states.’
هست احوال تو از کان نوی ** تو بدین احوال کی راضی شوی
Thy states’ are from the mine of novelty” how shouldst thou be satisfied with these (vulgar) ‘states’?
هین حکایت کن از آن احوال خوش خاک بر احوال و درس پنج و شش
Hark, tell the story of those goodly ‘states’- dust (be thrown) upon the ‘states’ and lessons of the five (elements) and the six (directions)!”
حال باطن گر نمی‌آید بگفت حال ظاهر گویمت در طاق وجفت
If the inward “state” is not to be told, (yet) I will tell thee the outward “state” in a word or two,
که ز لطف یار تلخیهای مات گشت بر جان خوشتر از شکرنبات
(Namely), that by grace of the Beloved the bitternesses of death were made sweeter than sugar-cane to the soul.
زان نبات ار گرد در دریا رود تلخی دریا همه شیرین شود
If the dust from that sugar-cane should enter the sea, all the bitterness of the sea would become sweet.
صدهزار احوال آمد هم‌چنین باز سوی غیب رفتند ای امین
Even so a hundred thousand “states” came (hither) and went back to the Unseen, O trusted one.
حال هر روزی بدی مانند نی هم‌چو جو اندر روش کش بند نی
Each day’s “state” is not like (that of) the day before: (they are passing) as a rive that hath no obstacle in its course.
شادی هر روز از نوعی دگر فکرت هر روز را دیگر اثر
Each day’s joy is of a different kind, each day’s thought makes a different impression.
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by: Reza about (category: Masnavi, Persian Poetry)
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