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بخش ۴۵ - داستان نکته های حکمت راندن شاگردان ارسطو و خبر یافتن اسکندر از آن و عقدهای گوهر بر ایشان نثار کردن / Section 45 - The Tale of Aristotle's Students Expounding Points of Wisdom, Alexander Learning of It, and Scattering Strings of Jewels Upon Them

Original content

ارسطو که در حکمت استاد بود
و زو کشور حکمت آباد بود

پی طالبان بود دور از حرم
یکی خانه اش نام بیت الحکم

بدان خانه هر گه برون آمدی
ز هر سو دو صد ذوالفنون آمدی

به شاگردیش صف کشیدی همه
می صرف حکمت چشیدی همه

یکی روز نامد برون تا به دیر
شد از انتظارش دل جمله سیر

بیایید گفتند تا یک به یک
زنیم از سخن نقد خود بر محک

دو سه نکته از حکمت آریم پیش
نماییم ازان حاصل کار خویش

یکی گفت کای گم به راه هوس
همین گمرهیت اندرین راه بس

که نبود امید تو در هیچ کار
به فضل خداوندگار استوار

به کار آر علمی که آموختی
مکش مشعلی را که افروختی

چو دانش به سوی کنش رهبر است
کنش مایه دانش دیگر است

بکش بر جهان عطف دامان ناز
که پیش تو افتد به خاک نیاز

بود این جهان زاغ مردارخوار
جهان دگر رشک باغ بهار

به تن مایه قوت این زاغ باش
به جان طایر شاخ آن باغ باش

دوم گفت گیتی یکی گلشن است
خدا جوی را دیده روشن است

خدا را به او بین و او را مبین
به بی رنگ شو رنگ و بو را مبین

بود خانه دل حریم خدای
مکن جز خدا را در آن خانه جای

چه لایق به قانون فرزانگی
که با حق کند خلق همخانگی

سیم گفت کین چند روز حیات
بود نقد گنجینه کاینات

خوش آن کس که راه خرد را گزید
بداد آن و عمر ابد را خرید

چهارم بدین نکته لب را گشود
که آینده آید چه دیر و چه زود

خوش آن کس که آب رخ خود نریخت
به نیکش رخ آورد و از بد گریخت

گذشته چو مرغیست جسته ز دام
ازو نیست در دست تو غیر نام

برایش نه غمگین و نی شاد باش
به کلی ز فکر وی آزاد باش

ز جان و دل پنجم این نکته خاست
که هر کس به حق راست با خلق راست

چو با حق کند بنده ناراستی
نیاید ازو هیچ جا راستی

مساق سخن چون بدینجا رسید
ز در ناگه آن پیر دانا رسید

بگفتا که در وقت این انتظار
کدامین سخن بودتان اختیار

بگفتند آنها که بگذشته بود
نوابخش گوش و زبان گشته بود

چو پیر آنچه گفتند با او شنفت
چو غنچه بخندید و چون گل شگفت

به گوش سکندر رسید این خبر
بفرمود تا عقدهای گهر

ببردند و زان رشته بگسیختند
به فرق فلک سایشان ریختند

ازیشان کسی سر به بالا نکرد
نظر در گهرهای والا نکرد

ارسطو به تحسینشان لب گشاد
که این عقل و دین از جهان گم مباد

بر آن چند دعوی که پرداختید
ز همت بلندی گوا ساختید

به هر کار کاینجا رساندید رخت
بگیرید دامان آن کار سخت

به آن صید اقبال دیگر کنید
رخ همت از به به بهتر کنید

بیا ساقیا می روانتر بده
سبک باش و جام گرانتر بده

به کف باده در ساغر زر درآی
چو به داری از به به بهتر گرای

بیا مطربا بر یکی پرده ایست
مکن کین عجب جانفزا پرده است

به هر پرده رازی بود دلنواز
که آن را ندانند جز اهل راز

English translation

Aristotle, who was a master in wisdom, and through whom the realm of wisdom was made to flourish, for the sake of seekers, far from the sanctuary, had a house named Bayt al-Hikam (the House of Wisdom). Whenever he came out to that house, from every side two hundred masters of many arts would come. All would line up as his students, all would taste the pure wine of wisdom. One day he did not come out until late, and all hearts grew weary from waiting for him. They said, "Come, let us one by one strike the coin of our speech upon the touchstone. Let us bring forth two or three points of wisdom, and show thereby the fruit of our labor." One said: "O you who are lost on the path of desire, this straying of yours on this road is enough, for your hope in no affair rests firmly upon the grace of the Lord. Put to use the knowledge you have learned; do not extinguish the torch you have kindled. Since knowledge is a guide toward action, action is the source of further knowledge. Draw the fold of your robe of pride over the world, so that it falls before you in the dust of need. This world is a carrion-eating crow; the other world is the envy of the spring garden. In body, be the sustenance of this crow; in soul, be the bird upon the branch of that garden." The second said: "The world is a rose-garden; for the seeker of God the eye is bright. See God through it, and do not see it; become colorless, and see not color and scent. The house of the heart is the sanctuary of God; give no place in that house to any but God. How is it befitting to the law of wisdom that creation should share a dwelling with the Truth?" The third said: "These few days of life are the ready coin from the treasury of the universe. Happy is the one who chose the path of wisdom, gave that up, and purchased eternal life." The fourth opened his lips with this point: "What is to come will come, whether late or soon. Happy is the one who did not spill his honor, who turned his face to good and fled from evil. The past is like a bird escaped from the snare; of it nothing remains in your hand but a name. Be neither grieved nor glad for it; be wholly free from thought of it." From soul and heart the fifth raised this point: "Whoever is true to God is true with people. When a servant deals falsely with God, no truth ever comes from him anywhere." When the course of speech reached this point, suddenly that wise elder arrived at the door. He said: "In the time of this waiting, which discourse was your chosen theme?" They recounted those things that had passed, which had become a gift bestowed upon ear and tongue. When the elder heard what they had said, he smiled like a bud and blossomed like a rose. This news reached Alexander's ear, and he commanded that strings of jewels be brought and their threads snapped, and poured over the crowns of those sky-high ones. Yet none of them raised his head, none cast a glance at the exalted jewels. Aristotle opened his lips in their praise: "May this intellect and faith never be lost from the world. For those several claims you have made, you have made loftiness of aspiration your witness. Whatever work you have brought your baggage to here, take hold of the hem of that hard labor. With it, make another catch of fortune; turn the face of aspiration from good to better." Come, O cupbearer, pour the wine more freely; be nimble, and give a heavier cup. With wine in hand, step into the golden goblet; since you possess the good, incline from good to better. Come, O minstrel, pause upon a single melody; do not stop, for this is a wondrously soul-reviving strain. In every melody there is a heart-caressing secret, which none knows but the people of the secret.

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Updated 2026-07-19

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Humanities

Literature

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course

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