The Neighbours Entreat the Amir Again
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 5, section 148 of 175: How the neighbours of the ascetic, who were interceding for him, kissed the hands and feet of the Amír and humbly entreated him a second time (دو بار دست و پای امیر را بوسیدن و لابه کردن شفیعان و همسایگان زاهد). Below, each of its 20 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
How the neighbours of the ascetic, who were interceding for him, kissed the hands and feet of the Amír and humbly entreated him a second time. دو بار دست و پای امیر را بوسیدن و لابه کردن شفیعان و همسایگان زاهد
آن شفیعان از دم هیهای او چند بوسیدند دست و پای او
At the breath of his clamour those intercessors kissed his hands and feet several times,
کای امیر از تو نشاید کین کشی گر بشد باده تو بی‌باده خوشی
Saying, “O Amír, it does not beseem thee to exact vengeance: if the wine is gone, (yet) thou art delicious without wine.
باده سرمایه ز لطف تو برد لطف آب از لطف تو حسرت خورد
Wine derives its original substance from thy goodliness; the goodliness of water regrets (its lack of) thy goodliness.
پادشاهی کن ببخشش ای رحیم ای کریم ابن الکریم ابن الکریم
Act royally, forgive him, O merciful one, O generous son of a generous sire and grandsire.
هر شرابی بنده‌ی این قد و خد جمله مستان را بود بر تو حسد
Every wine is the slave of this (comely) figure and (fair) cheek (of thine): all the drunken feel envy of thee.
هیچ محتاج می گلگون نه‌ای ترک کن گلگونه تو گلگونه‌ای
Thou hast no need of rosy wine: take leave of (its) rosiness, thou (thyself) art (its) rosiness.
ای رخ چون زهره‌ات شمس الضحی ای گدای رنگ تو گلگونه‌ها
O thou whose Venus-like countenance is (bright as) the morning sun, O thou of whose colour (all) rosinesses are beggars,
باده کاندر خنب می‌جوشد نهان ز اشتیاق روی تو جوشد چنان
The wine that is bubbling invisibly in the jar bubbles thus from longing for thy face.
ای همه دریا چه خواهی کرد نم وی همه هستی چه می‌جویی عدم
O thou who art the whole sea, what wilt thou do with dew? And O thou who art the whole of existence, why art thou seeking non-existence?
ای مه تابان چه خواهی کرد گرد ای که مه در پیش رویت روی‌زرد
O resplendent Moon, what wilt thou do with the dust, O thou beside whose face the moon is pallid?
تاج کرمناست بر فرق سرت طوق اعطیناک آویز برت
Thou art lovely and beautiful and the mine (source) of every loveliness: why indeed shouldst thou lay thyself under obligations to wine?
تو خوش و خوبی و کان هر خوشی تو چرا خود منت باده کشی
The tiara of We have honoured (the sons of Adam) is on the crown of thy head; the collar of We have given thee hangs on thy breast.
جوهرست انسان و چرخ او را عرض جمله فرع و پایه‌اند و او غرض
Man is the substance, and the celestial sphere is his accident; all things are (like) a branch or the step of a ladder: he is the object.
ای غلامت عقل و تدبیرات و هوش چون چنینی خویش را ارزان فروش
O thou to whom reason and foresight and intelligence are slaves, how art thou selling thyself so cheaply?
خدمتت بر جمله هستی مفترض جوهری چون نجده خواهد از عرض
Service to thee is imposed on all existence as a duty: how should a substance beg for help from an accident?
علم جویی از کتبها ای فسوس ذوق جویی تو ز حلوا ای فسوس
Thou seekest knowledge from books oh, ridiculous! Thou seekest pleasure from halwá (sweetmeats) oh, ridiculous!
بحر علمی در نمی پنهان شده در سه گز تن عالمی پنهان شده
Thou art the sea of knowledge hidden in a dewdrop; thou art the universe hidden in a body three ells long.
می چه باشد یا سماع و یا جماع تا بجویی زو نشاط و انتفاع
What is wine or music or sexual intercourse that thou shouldst seek delight and profit there from?
آفتاب از ذره‌ای شد وام خواه زهره‌ای از خمره‌ای شد جام‌خواه
(’Tis as though) the sun sought to borrow (light) from a mote, (or) a Zuhra begged for a cup (of wine) from a small jar.
جان بی‌کیفی شده محبوس کیف آفتابی حبس عقده اینت حیف
Thou art the unconditional spirit imprisoned in conditionality, thou art the sun imprisoned in the (descending) node: here’s a pity!”
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by: Reza about (category: Masnavi, Persian Poetry)
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