1Cademy - بخش ۳۵ - خردنامه اسکندر / Section 35 - Kheradnama-ye Eskandar (The Book of Alexanders Wisdom)

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بخش ۳۵ - خردنامه اسکندر / Section 35 - Kheradnama-ye Eskandar (The Book of Alexander's Wisdom)

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سکندر که گنجینه راز بود
در گنج حکمت بدو باز بود

ز حکمت بسی گوهر شب فروز
کزو مانده پیداست بر روی روز

بیا گوش را قاید هوش کن
وز آن گوهر آویزه گوش کن

چو داری دل و هوش حکمت گرو
بکش پنبه از گوش حکمت شنو

ارسطو کش استاد تعلیم بود
بدو نقد خود کرده تسلیم بود

بدو گفت روزی که ای خرده جوی
به دانش ز اقران خود برده گوی

چو ملک جهانت مسلم شود
در آن پایه پای تو محکم شود

چه باشد به پیش تو مقدار من
چه رونق پذیرد ز تو کار من

بگفتا که باشد تو را برتری
بر من به مقدار فرمانبری

به طاعت تو را تا قدم پیشتر
بود قدر تو پیش من بیشتر

ارسطو چو از وی شنید این جواب
به معیار حکمت نمودش صواب

بگفتا شد اکنون یقینم درست
که این جامه بر قامت توست چست

به تاج کیانی شوی سربلند
ز تخت جم و ملک او بهره مند

همی بود دایم به فرهنگ و رای
به تعظیم استاد کوشش نمای

کسی گفت چونی چنین رنجبر
به تعظیم استاد بیش از پدر

بگفتا زد این نقش آب و گلم
وز آن تربیت یافت جان و دلم

ازین شد تن من پذیرای جان
وز آن آمدم زنده جاودان

ازین یافتم یک دو روزه وجود
وز آن یک شدم بحر افضال و جود

ازین بهر گفتن زبان ور شدم
وز آن در سخن کان گوهر شدم

ز شهوت شد این یک زمان کامیاب
پی تخم من ریخت یک قطره آب

ز فکرت شد آن سالها سحر کار
که در علم و حکمت شدم نامدار

ازین پا گشادم ز قید عدم
وز آن رو نهادم به ملک قدم

یکی روز بر تخت شاهی بسی
به سر برد و بیگانه نامد کسی

بگفتا که امروز را کز درم
نیامد کس از عمر خود نشمرم

در آن روز شه را چه آسایش است
که از وی نه بخشش نه بخشایش است

نریزد به دامان خواهنده سیم
نشوید ز جان پناهنده بیم

عنایت نبیند نکوکار ازو
سیاست نبیند دل آزار ازو

چه خوش گفت روزی که قول حکیم
بود آینه پیش مرد کریم

که بیند در او سیرت و خوی را
بدانسان که در آینه روی را

خرد را اثر در دل عاقلان
فزون باشد از تیغ بر جاهلان

بماند مدام آن اثر در ضمیر
شود این به یکچند درمان پذیر

کمان اجل گر خدنگ افکن است
میازار کآزار آن بر تن است

چو سالم زید مرغ شیرین نفس
چه غم گر شکستی رسد بر قفس

چو مجرم شود از گنه عذرخواه
گنه دان تغافل ز عذر گناه

بترس از عقاب شدیدالعقاب
مکن در عقوبتگرایی شتاب

توان زندگان را فکندن ز پای
ولی کشته هرگز نخیزد ز جای

فراوان همی بخش و کم می شمار
ز منت نهادن همی کن کنار

همی گیر کم لیک می بین بسی
کزین شکر پیوند گردد کسی

چو دارا به آن رای و فرهنگ خویش
شد آزرده تیغ سرهنگ خویش

ازان زخم در خاک و خون اوفتاد
ز ملک سلامت برون اوفتاد

پس پرده پوش یکی طرفه دخت
ز پاکیزگی میوه سایه پخت

وصیت چنین کرد کان در پاک
ز فر سکندر شود تابناک

نگردد جز او هیچ کس جفت او
گشاینده درج ناسفت او

سکندر چو کرد آن وصیت قبول
ولی از قبول وصیت ملول

بدو گفت کس کین ملالت ز چیست
ازو بهترت در جهان جفت کیست

بگفتا ازان باشد اندیشه ام
که بر پا زند عشق او تیشه ام

ز سودای عشقش در افتم ز پای
شود بر سرم شاه فرمانروای

نیارم ز کس کردن آن را نهان
بگویند فرزانگان جهان

سکندر ز دارا جهان را گرفت
ولی دخترش از وی آن را گرفت

زبون ساز مردان صاحب نگین
زبون شد زنی را نه عقل و نه دین

English translation

Alexander, who was a treasury of secrets, to him the treasure of wisdom lay open. From wisdom he had many a night-illuming jewel, whose light still shines plainly upon the face of day. Come, make your ear the guide of your understanding, and hang that jewel as a pendant on your ear. Since you have pledged your heart and mind to wisdom, draw the cotton from your ear and hear wisdom. Aristotle, who was his teacher and instructor, to whom he had surrendered his very self. One day he said to him, O seeker of subtleties, you who in knowledge have surpassed your peers, when the kingdom of the world becomes yours, and your foot stands firm upon that rank, what will my worth be in your eyes, what luster shall my affairs gain from you? He replied, You shall have superiority over me in the measure of my obedience. The further forward your step in service, the greater your worth shall be before me. When Aristotle heard this answer from him, by the measure of wisdom he found it sound. He said, Now my certainty is confirmed, that this robe is fitted trim to your stature. With the crown of the Kayanids you shall be exalted, and share in Jamshid's throne and his kingdom. Be ever constant in culture and counsel, and strive to honor your teacher. Someone asked, Why, O painstaking one, do you honor your teacher more than your father? He replied, My father shaped this figure of water and clay, but from the teacher's nurture my soul and heart found life. From my father my body became a receptacle for the soul, but from the teacher I became eternally alive. From my father I gained a day or two of existence, but from the teacher I became a sea of grace and bounty. From my father I gained a speaking tongue, but from the teacher I became a mine of jewels in speech. From lust this one gained a moment's pleasure, and for my seed poured out a single drop of water, but from thought that one wrought years of magic by which in knowledge and wisdom I became renowned. From my father I loosed my foot from the bond of nonexistence, but toward the teacher I turned my face to the realm of permanence. One day he sat long upon the royal throne, and no stranger came before him. He said, This day, since none came to my door, I shall not count it among the days of my life. What ease has a king on such a day, from whom comes neither giving nor forgiving? Who pours no silver into the petitioner's lap, nor washes away the fear from the soul of the refuge-seeker. The doer of good sees no favor from him, the heart-grieving one sees no chastisement from him. How well one said, The word of the sage is a mirror before the noble man, wherein he sees his conduct and his nature, just as one sees the face in a mirror. The effect of wisdom in the hearts of the wise is greater than the effect of the sword upon the ignorant. That effect abides ever in the mind, while the sword's wound after a while may be healed. Even if the bow of death is the shooter of the arrow, do not torment, for its torment falls upon the body. Since the sweet-breathed bird lives on unharmed, what grief if some breaking befalls the cage? When the guilty one begs pardon for his sin, count it a sin to be heedless of the plea for the sin. Fear the Severe in punishment, and make no haste in inflicting chastisement. The living can be struck down to their feet, but the slain never rise from their place. Give abundantly and reckon it little, and keep far from laying obligation upon others. Take little, yet regard it as much, for by this thankfulness one is bound to you. When Dara, with all his counsel and culture, was wounded by the sword of his own commander, from that wound he fell into dust and blood, and fell out from the safety of the kingdom, then a wondrous veiled maiden, from purity a fruit ripened in the shade, made this his testament: that this pure pearl shall shine radiant by the splendor of Alexander; let none but him be her spouse, the opener of her unpierced casket. Though Alexander accepted that testament, yet he was troubled by accepting the testament. Someone said to him, Whence this sorrow, what spouse in the world is better for you than she? He said, My apprehension comes from this, that her love may swing its axe against me; from the passion of her love I may fall to my feet, and the king become ruler over my head. I could not hide it from anyone, and the wise of the world would say: Alexander seized the world from Dara, but his daughter seized it from Alexander. The subduer of men, lords of the signet ring, was subdued by a woman—neither reason nor faith.

Updated 2026-07-20

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