Poem

دفتر چهارم - بخش ۵۳ - بیان آنک حصول علم و مال و جاه بدگوهران را فضیحت اوست و چون شمشیریست کی افتادست به دست راه‌زن / Book Four – Section 53 – On the fact that the acquisition of knowledge, wealth, and rank by the base-natured is his own disgrace, and is like a sword that has fallen into the hand of a highway robber

Original content

بدگهر را علم و فن آموختن
دادن تیغی به دست راه‌زن

تیغ دادن در کف زنگی مست
به که آید علم ناکس را به دست

علم و مال و منصب و جاه و قران
فتنه آمد در کف بدگوهران

پس غزا زین فرض شد بر مؤمنان
تا ستانند از کف مجنون سنان

جان او مجنون تنش شمشیر او
واستان شمشیر را زان زشت‌خو

آنچ منصب می‌کند با جاهلان
از فضیحت کی کند صد ارسلان

عیب او مخفیست چون آلت بیافت
مارش از سوراخ بر صحرا شتافت

جمله صحرا مار و کزدم پر شود
چونک جاهل شاه حکم مر شود

مال و منصب ناکسی که آرد به دست
طالب رسوایی خویش او شدست

یا کند بخل و عطاها کم دهد
یا سخا آرد بنا موضع نهد

شاه را در خانهٔ بیذق نهد
این چنین باشد عطا که احمق دهد

حکم چون در دست گمراهی فتاد
جاه پندارید در چاهی فتاد

ره نمی‌داند قلاووزی کند
جان زشت او جهان‌سوزی کند

طفل راه فقر چون پیری گرفت
پی‌روان را غول ادباری گرفت

که بیا تا ماه بنمایم ترا
ماه را هرگز ندید آن بی‌صفا

چون نمایی چون ندیدستی به عمر
عکس مه در آب هم ای خام غمر

احمقان سرور شدستند و ز بیم
عاقلان سرها کشیده در گلیم

English translation

Teaching knowledge and craft to the base-natured Is giving a sword into the hand of a highway robber.

Placing a sword in the hand of a drunken Zangi Is better than knowledge coming into the hand of the ignoble.

Knowledge and wealth and office and rank and qirān Become sedition in the hands of the base-natured.

So holy war became obligatory upon the believers That they might wrest the lance from the hand of the madman.

His soul is mad, his body is his sword— Take the sword away from that ugly-natured one.

What office does to the ignorant in the way of disgrace, A hundred Arslans could not do.

His fault was hidden; once he found the instrument, His serpent rushed from its hole out onto the open plain.

The whole plain becomes filled with snakes and scorpions When the ignorant becomes the sovereign ruler.

The ignoble one who brings wealth and office into his hand Has sought his own disgrace.

Either he acts miserly and gives little in gifts, Or he brings generosity but places it in the wrong spot.

He places the king in the square of the pawn— Such is the gift the fool gives.

When authority fell into the hand of the misguided, Know that rank has fallen into a pit.

He does not know the way, yet he acts as a guide; His ugly soul sets the world ablaze.

When a child on the path of faqr took on the role of an elder, The ghoul of misfortune seized his followers—

Saying, "Come, that I may show you the moon!" That faithless one never saw the moon himself.

How will you show it when you have never seen it in your life? The reflection of the moon in water is still something, O raw and ignorant one!

Fools have become masters, and out of fear The wise have pulled their heads under the blanket.

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Updated 2026-05-09

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Humanities

Literature

Islam

Religion

Science

Philosophy

Social Science

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course

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