An Arabic Proverb on Stealing a Pearl
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 1, section 133 of 171: The Arabic proverb, “If you commit fornication, commit it with a free woman, and if you steal, steal a pearl" (مثل عرب إذا زنیت فازن بالحرة و إذا سرقت فاسرق الدرة). Below, each of its 20 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
The Arabic proverb, “If you commit fornication, commit it with a free woman, and if you steal, steal a pearl” مثل عرب إذا زنیت فازن بالحرة و إذا سرقت فاسرق الدرة
فازن بالحرة پی این شد مثل
فاسرق الدرة بدین شد منتقل
Hence (the saying), “Commit fornication with a free woman,” became proverbial; (and the words) “steal a pearl” were transferred (metaphorically) to this (meaning).
بنده سوی خواجه شد او ماند زار
بوی گل شد سوی گل او ماند خار
The slave (the loved one) went away to his master: he (the lover) was left in misery. The scent of the rose went (back) to the rose: he remained as the thorn.
او بمانده دور از مطلوب خویش
سعی ضایع رنج باطل پای ریش
He was left far from the object of his desire—his labour lost, his toil useless, his foot wounded,
همچو صیادی که گیرد سایه‌‌ای
سایه کی گردد و را سرمایه‌‌ای
Like the hunter who catches a shadow—how should the shadow become his property?
سایه‌‌ی مرغی گرفته مرد سخت
مرغ حیران گشته بر شاخ درخت
The man has grasped tightly the shadow of a bird, (while) the bird on the branch of the tree is fallen into amazement,
کاین مدمغ بر که می‌‌خندد عجب
اینت باطل اینت پوسیده سبب
(Thinking), “I wonder who this crack-brained fellow is laughing at? Here’s folly for you, here’s a rotten cause!”
ور تو گویی جزو پیوسته‌‌ی کل است
خار می‌‌خور خار مقرون گل است
And if you say that the part is connected with the whole, (then) eat thorns: the thorn is connected with the rose.
جز ز یک رو نیست پیوسته به کل
ور نه خود باطل بدی بعث رسل
Except from one point of view, it (the part) is not connected with the whole: otherwise, indeed, the mission of the prophets would be vain,
چون رسولان از پی پیوستن‌‌اند
پس چه پیوندندشان چون یک تن‌‌اند
Inasmuch as the prophets are (sent) in order to connect (the part with the whole): how, then, should they (the prophets) connect them when they are (already) one body?
این سخن پایان ندارد ای غلام
روز بی‌‌گه شد حکایت کن تمام
This discourse hath no end. O lad, the day is late: conclude the tale.
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by: Reza about (category: Masnavi)
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