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بخش ۲۹ - خردنامه اسقلینوس / Section 29 - The Book of Wisdom of Asclepius

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خرد جمله لب شد زمین بوس را
زمین بوسی اسقلینوس را

حکیمی که چون لب به حکمت گشاد
ز طبع گهربارش این نکته زاد

که ای غرقه نعمت ایزدی
گرفتار کفران ز نابخردی

ببین نعمت و شکر نعمت بگوی
ببین زلت و دل ز زلت بشوی

ز شکر است نعمت فزایش پذیر
اگر مرد راهی ره شکر گیر

مبادا رود پای نعمت ز جای
فروبندش از رشته شکر پای

عبادتگران خدا ناشناس
چو گردنده گاوند گرد خراس

که هر چند خالی ز گردش نزیست
نمی داند آن گردش از بهر چیست

به صد وایه محتاج جان کاستن
به از حاجت از ناکسان خواستن

به خواهش ازیشان مریز آبروی
مدار آبرو را کم از آب جوی

نه زر ده به گستاخ فاجر نه زور
مددگاری او مکن در فجور

می و شاهدش را که آمادگیست
ز تو می فروشی و قوادگیست

مکن ضایع انعام خود زینهار
به حق ناشناسان حق ناگزار

به بحر اندرون به گهر ریختن
که در کیسه سفله زر ریختن

به تعلیم ناکس زبان کم گشای
که تعلیم او نیست دانش فزای

ز دانش دلش کی منور شود
به سگ آب ریزی نجس تر شود

سلامت اگر بایدت گوش باش
ز گفتار بیهوده خاموش باش

وگر زانکه گویی سخن راست گوی
به جز راستی زیور آن مجوی

نداند دل هیچ دانشوری
سخن را به از راستی زیوری

به صنعت سخن را که آراستی
چه حاصل چو خالیست از راستی

نه تنها شعار زبان است صدق
حصار تن و حرز جان است صدق

درین کهنه بیشه دورنگی مکن
ز شیری زنی دم، پلنگی مکن

درون و برون را به هم راست ساز
ز کج باز بهتر بود راست باز

درون را بیارای همچون برون
و یا کن برون را به رنگ درون

English translation

Wisdom became all lips to kiss the ground, to kiss the ground before Asclepius, a sage who, when he opened his lips to wisdom, from his jewel-scattering nature this point was born: O you who are drowned in the bounty of God, yet trapped in ingratitude through folly, behold the bounty, and speak thanks for the bounty; behold your fault, and wash your heart of the fault. Bounty grows through gratitude and multiplies; if you are a traveler of the path, take the path of thanks. Lest the foot of bounty depart from its place, bind its foot fast with the cord of thankfulness. Worshippers who do not know God are like an ox turning round the mill, which, though it never ceased from turning, knows not for what that turning is. To waste your soul away with a hundred hardships is better than to beg from the base. By begging from them do not spill your honor; hold your honor no less than the water of the stream. Give neither gold nor strength to the insolent transgressor, nor be his helper in his wickedness. His wine and his beauty that are made ready come, through you, to wine-selling and pandering. Beware, do not squander your generous gifts, discharging no true claim upon the ingrate. To pour pearls into the sea, or gold into the purse of the mean, loose not your tongue in teaching the unworthy, for teaching him increases no knowledge. How could his heart be illumined by knowledge? Pour water on a dog and it grows more foul. If you wish for safety, be all ears, and be silent from idle speech. And if you do speak, speak the truth; seek no ornament for it but truthfulness. The heart of no learned man has ever known an ornament for speech better than truth. What you have adorned with the craft of speech, what profit is it, when it is void of truth? Truthfulness is not only the garment of the tongue; truthfulness is the fortress of the body and the charm of the soul. In this ancient thicket do not play two colors; boast not of being a lion while you are a leopard. Make your inside and outside straight together; a straight hawk is better than a crooked one. Adorn your inside like your outside, or make your outside the color of your inside.

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Updated 2026-07-19

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Humanities

Literature

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course

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