1Cademy - دفتر سوم - بخش ۱۲۸ - حکایت آن دزد کی پرسیدند چه می‌کنی نیم‌شب در بن این دیوار گفت دهل می‌زنم / Book Three — Section 128 — The Story of the Thief Who Was Asked: What Are You Doing at Midnight at the Foot of This Wall? He Said: I Am Beating a Drum.

Learn Before

مثنوی معنوی: دفتر سوم / Masnavi: Book Three

Poem

دفتر سوم - بخش ۱۲۸ - حکایت آن دزد کی پرسیدند چه می‌کنی نیم‌شب در بن این دیوار گفت دهل می‌زنم / Book Three — Section 128 — The Story of the Thief Who Was Asked: 'What Are You Doing at Midnight at the Foot of This Wall?' He Said: 'I Am Beating a Drum.'

Original content

این مثل بشنو که شب دزدی عنید
در بن دیوار حفره می برید

نیم بیداری که او رنجور بود
طقطق آهسته اش را می شنود

رفت بر بام و فرو آویخت سر
گفت او را در چه کاری ای پدر

خیر باشد نیمشب چه می کنی
تو کیی گفتا دهل زن ای سنی

در چه کاری گفت می کوبم دهل
گفت کو بانگ دهل ای بوسبل

گفت فردا بشنوی این بانگ را
نعره یا حسرتا وا ویلتا

آن دروغست و کژ و بر ساخته
سر آن کژ را تو هم نشناخته

English translation

Book Three — Section 128 — The Story of the Thief Who Was Asked: "What Are You Doing at Midnight at the Foot of This Wall?" He Said: "I Am Beating a Drum."

Hear this parable: one night a stubborn thief was boring a hole at the foot of a wall. A half-awake man who was ailing was hearing the soft tap-tap of him. He went up on the roof and hung his head down and said to him: "In what work are you, O father? All well, I hope — what are you doing at midnight? Who are you?" He said: "A drum-beater, O worthy man." "In what work are you?" "I am striking a drum." He said: "Where is the sound of the drum, O Bū-Sabal?" He said: "Tomorrow you will hear this sound — the cry of: 'Yā ḥasratā! Wā waylā!'" That is a lie, crooked and fabricated — and you too have not grasped the secret of that crookedness.

Updated 2026-07-04

Contributors are: