1Cademy - بخش ۱۹ - خردنامه ارسطاطالیس / Section 19 - The Kheradnama-ye Arestatalis (The Book of Aristotles Wisdom)

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بخش ۱۹ - خردنامه ارسطاطالیس / Section 19 - The Kheradnama-ye Arestatalis (The Book of Aristotle's Wisdom)

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دبیر خردمند دانش پژوه
نویسنده قصه هر گروه

نوشت از سکندر شه نامدار
که چون سلطنت یافت بر وی قرار

چو نور خرد بودش اندر سرشت
خردنامه های حکیمان نوشت

ز هر حرف حکمت که شد بهره یاب
نوشتش به حل یافته زر ناب

بلی نقد بحر خرد گوهر است
به زر نظم سلک گهر خوشتر است

به هر لحظه کردی در آنجا نظر
شدی از سوادش مکحل بصر

گرفتی به دستور آن کار پیش
به آن راست کردی همه کار خویش

نخست از ارسطو کش استاد بود
به شاگردی او دلش شاد بود

خردنامه ای نغز عنوان گرفت
که مغز از قبول دل و جان گرفت

ز نام خدایش سر آغاز کرد
وز آن پس نوای دعا ساز کرد

که شاها دلت چشمه راز باد
به روی تو چشم رضا باز باد

زبانی که باشد به فرمان گرو
نباشد به از گوش فرمان شنو

فضیلت بود در قبول سخن
نه اندر فضولی کن یا مکن

ز سوسن گل باغ ازان بهتر است
که این جمله گوش آن زبان آور است

خدای آنچه با بندگان می کند
ازیشان توقع همان می کند

کند لطف تا لطف خویی کنند
کند نیکویی تا نکویی کنند

بپرورد در لجه جودشان
به جودی که پرورد فرمودشان

گناه همه از نم عفو شست
به جرم کسان از همه عفو جست

ازان با همه زد دم از راستی
که تابد عنانشان ز کم کاستی

به هر کس ز داد و ستد ره گشاد
نمی خواهد از وی به جز آنچه داد

میفکن به کار رعیت گره
خدا آنچه دادت به ایشان بده

ترحم کن و عفو و بخشش نمای
که اینها رسیدت ز فضل خدای

جهان کوه و فعل تو آمد ندا
جزای تو بر فعل باشد صدا

ازین کوه کز فعل تو پر نداست
صدا جز به وفق ندا برنخاست

به کوه آنچه گویی جز آن نشنوی
به خاک آنچه کاری جز آن ندروی

نهالی که کاری درین تیره خاک
چنان کار کز وایه طبع پاک

دهد نام نیکوت امروز بار
به فردات خشنودی کردگار

اگر واگذاری به او کار خویش
نیاید تو را هیچ دشوار پیش

ز کار تو دشمن هراسان شود
همه کارها بر تو آسان شود

وگر جز بدو افکنی کار را
نشانه شوی تیر ادبار را

بماند تو را کار ناساخته
دل از نقد اقبال پرداخته

نیاورده روی دل اندر صلاح
ز تو قصد اصلاح نبود مباح

ز گم کرده ره رهنمایی که یافت
ز دود سیه روشنایی که یافت

ز سرچشمه چون تلخ و شور آید آب
ز لب تشنگان کی برد تف و تاب

گر اصلاح خلق جهان بایدت
دل از هر بدی بر کران بایدت

نشسته ز خود حرف عیب از نخست
ز تو عیب شویی نیاید درست

چو ناپاک آید به تو آب جوی
مجو پاکی جامه از شست و شوی

مشو غره حسن گفتار خویش
نکو کن چو گفتار کردار خویش

چو کردار ناصح بود ناپسند
نصیحت کی افتد ز وی سودند

خرد عیب آن بی خرد می کند
که منع کس از کار خود می کند

نشد مانع طفل قول پدر
که خود خورد حلوا و گفتش مخور

پی زجر نادان بی باک کیش
بود قوت فعل از قول بیش

ودیعت نهادت فلک در سرشت
بسی خوی نیک و بسی خوی زشت

هلاک تو در خوی زشت است لیک
نجات تو بخشد ازان خوی نیک

چو غالب شود خوی بد بر مزاج
نباشد به جز خوی نیکش علاج

بزن شیشه خشم را سنگ حلم
بشو ظلمت جهل را زآب علم

به فکرت ز دل زنگ نسیان ببر
به شکر از درون داغ کفران ببر

چو باری ز گردونت آید به دوش
در افکندن آن مشو حیله کوش

به پشت تحمل کش آن بار را
مکن حیله گر نفس مکار را

مبادا شود سخت تر کار تو
به پشت تو گردد فزون بار تو

English translation

The wise scribe, seeker of knowledge, the writer of the tale of every group, Wrote of Alexander, the renowned king, that when sovereignty settled firmly upon him, Since the light of wisdom was in his nature, he wrote the books of wisdom of the sages. From every letter of wisdom by which he was enriched, he wrote it out in dissolved pure gold. Yes, the coin of the sea of wisdom is a jewel, and a string of pearls set in gold is finer still. Each moment he would gaze therein, and his sight grew kohl-adorned by its very script. He would take up his work by that guide, and by it he set right all his affairs. First from Aristotle, who was his teacher, his heart was glad to be his pupil. He gave it the title of a fine book of wisdom, whose essence heart and soul accepted. He began it with the name of God, and thereafter set the melody of prayer: 'O king, may your heart be a spring of mystery, may the eye of favor be open upon you. A tongue pledged in bondage to command is no better than an ear that hearkens to command. Virtue lies in the acceptance of words, not in the meddling of "do this" or "do not." The rose of the garden is better than the lily, for this is all ear, while that is an eloquent tongue. Whatever God does with His servants, He expects the very same from them. He shows kindness so they cultivate kindness, He does good so they may do good. He nurtures them in the depths of His generosity, with a bounty by which He commanded them to nurture others. He washed away every sin with the moisture of pardon, and for people's crimes He sought pardon from all. He spoke of righteousness with everyone, that their reins might turn away from falling short. He opened a way of give and take to each, seeking from him nothing but what He had given. Do not tie a knot in the affairs of the subjects; give to them what God has given you. Show mercy, pardon, and forgiveness, for these reached you through the grace of God. The world is a mountain, and your deed is the call; your recompense for the deed is its echo. From this mountain, filled with the call of your deed, no echo arises but in accord with the call. Whatever you say to the mountain, you hear only that; whatever you sow in the soil, you reap only that. The sapling you plant in this dark soil, plant it such that, from the hope of a pure nature, It yields you a good name as fruit today, and tomorrow the satisfaction of the Creator. If you entrust your affair to Him, no difficulty will ever come before you. The enemy will grow fearful of your affairs, and all matters will become easy for you. But if you cast your affair to any other than Him, you become the target of misfortune's arrow. Your affair remains unaccomplished, your heart emptied of the coin of good fortune. Having not turned the heart's face toward righteousness, your aim to reform others is not permitted you. Who ever found guidance from one who lost the way? Who ever found light from black smoke? When water comes bitter and salty from the source, how can it quench the thirsty's fever and burning? If you wish to reform the people of the world, you must keep your heart clear of every evil. With the mark of fault seated in you from the first, the washing away of fault does not come right from you. When the stream's water comes impure to you, do not seek a garment's purity from its washing. Be not deceived by the beauty of your speech; make your deeds as good as your words. When the counselor's conduct is displeasing, when does his counsel ever prove of profit? Wisdom faults that witless one who forbids another from what he himself does. The father's word did not restrain the child, for he himself ate the sweets and said, "Do not eat." For curbing the reckless, faithless fool, the force of deed is greater than of word. The heaven deposited within your nature many a fair trait and many an ugly one. Your destruction lies in the ugly trait, yet that good trait bestows your salvation. When the bad trait overpowers the temperament, there is no cure for it but the good trait. Strike the glass of anger with the stone of forbearance; wash the darkness of ignorance with the water of knowledge. With thought, remove the rust of forgetfulness from the heart; with gratitude, remove the brand of ingratitude from within. When a burden from fortune falls upon your shoulder, do not strive with wiles to cast it off. Carry that burden upon the back of endurance; do not indulge the cunning, scheming self, Lest your affair grow harder still, and your burden grow the greater on your back.'

Updated 2026-07-20

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