Poem

دفتر چهارم - بخش ۱۱ - قصهٔ آن دباغ کی در بازار عطاران از بوی عطر و مشک بیهوش و رنجور شد / Book Four - Section 11 - The Tale of the Tanner Who Fell Unconscious and Sick in the Perfumers' Bazaar from the Smell of Perfume and Musk

Original content

آن یکی افتاد بیهوش و خمید
چونک در بازار عطاران رسید

بوی عطرش زد ز عطاران راد
تا بگردیدش سر و بر جا فتاد

هم‌چو مردار اوفتاد او بی‌خبر
نیم روز اندر میان ره‌گذر

جمع آمد خلق بر وی آن زمان
جملگان لاحول‌گو درمان کنان

آن یکی کف بر دل او می براند
وز گلاب آن دیگری بر وی فشاند

او نمی‌دانست کاندر مرتعه
از گلاب آمد ورا آن واقعه

آن یکی دستش همی‌مالید و سر
وآن دگر کهگل همی آورد تر

آن بخور عود و شکر زد به هم
وآن دگر از پوششش می‌کرد کم

وآن دگر نبضش که تا چون می‌جهد
وان دگر بوی از دهانش می‌ستد

تا که می خوردست و یا بنگ و حشیش
خلق درماندند اندر بیهشیش

پس خبر بردند خویشان را شتاب
که فلان افتاده است آن‌جا خراب

کس نمی‌داند که چون مصروع گشت
یا چه شد کور افتاد از بام طشت

یک برادر داشت آن دباغ زفت
گربز و دانا بیامد زود تفت

اندکی سرگین سگ در آستین
خلق را بشکافت و آمد با حنین

گفت من رنجش همی دانم ز چیست
چون سبب دانی دوا کردن جلیست

چون سبب معلوم نبود مشکلست
داروی رنج و در آن صد محملست

چون بدانستی سبب را سهل شد
دانش اسباب دفع جهل شد

گفت با خود هستش اندر مغز و رگ
توی بر تو بوی آن سرگین سگ

تا میان اندر حدث او تا به شب
غرق دباغیست او روزی‌طلب

پس چنین گفتست جالینوس مه
آنچ عادت داشت بیمار آنش ده

کز خلاف عادتست آن رنج او
پس دوای رنجش از معتاد جو

چون جعل گشتست از سرگین‌کشی
از گلاب آید جعل را بیهشی

هم از آن سرگین سگ داروی اوست
که بدان او را همی معتاد و خوست

الخبیثات الخبیثین را بخوان
رو و پشت این سخن را باز دان

ناصحان او را به عنبر یا گلاب
می دوا سازند بهر فتح باب

مر خبیثان را نسازد طیبات
درخور و لایق نباشد ای ثقات

چون ز عطر وحی کر گشتند و گم
بد فغانشان که تطیرنا بکم

رنج و بیماریست ما را این مقال
نیست نیکو وعظتان ما را به فال

گر بیاغازید نصحی آشکار
ما کنیم آن دم شما را سنگسار

ما بلغو و لهو فربه گشته‌ایم
در نصیحت خویش را نسرشته‌ایم

هست قوت ما دروغ و لاف و لاغ
شورش معده‌ست ما را زین بلاغ

رنج را صدتو و افزون می‌کنید
عقل را دارو به افیون می‌کنید

English translation

A certain man fell unconscious and bent double when he arrived at the perfumers' bazaar. The fragrance struck him from the generous perfumers till his head spun and he fell on the spot. Like a corpse he lay senseless at midday in the midst of the thoroughfare. The crowd gathered around him at that moment, all reciting lā ḥawl, attempting remedies. One rubbed his palm across the man's chest, and another sprinkled rosewater over him. He did not know that in that field it was the rosewater that had caused his swoon. One kept rubbing his hands and head, and another brought wet clay plaster. One burned aloeswood and sugar together as incense, and another was removing his garments. And another felt his pulse to see how it beat, and another took the smell of his breath— to see whether he had drunk wine, or bhang or hashish. The people were confounded by his unconsciousness. Then they swiftly brought the news to his kinsmen that so-and-so had fallen there in ruin. No one knows how he was struck with a fit, or what happened—did he fall sightless from the rooftop trough? That stout tanner had one brother, clever and wise, who came swiftly and in haste. With a little dog dung in his sleeve he parted the crowd and came with yearning. He said: I know well what his illness is from; when you know the cause, applying the cure is plain. When the cause is not known, it is difficult; the remedy for the pain has a hundred interpretations. When you have known the cause, it becomes easy; knowledge of causes drives away ignorance. He said to himself: in his brain and veins layer upon layer is the smell of that dog dung. From morning until night he is immersed in filth; he is drowned in tanning, seeking his daily bread. Thus great Galen has said: give the patient what he was accustomed to— for his suffering is from going against his habit; so seek the remedy of his pain from what he is used to. Since the dung-beetle has become such through hauling dung, rosewater brings the dung-beetle to unconsciousness. That same dog dung is his remedy, for he is accustomed to it and fond of it. Recite al-khabīthātu lil-khabīthīn; go and understand the front and back of this saying. His well-wishers treat him with ambergris or rosewater, making medicine in hope of opening the way. Pure things do not suit the impure; they are not fitting and appropriate, O trustworthy ones. When they became deaf and lost from the perfume of revelation, their cry was: tatayyarnā bikum. This discourse is pain and illness to us; your sermons are not a good omen for us. If you begin any open counsel, we will at that instant stone you. We have grown fat on idle talk and frivolity; we have not kneaded ourselves in counsel. Our nourishment is lies, boasting, and mockery; this eloquence churns our stomach. You increase the pain a hundredfold and more; you drug the intellect with opium.

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Updated 2026-05-10

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