1Cademy - بخش ۳۸ - حکایت پرویز با آن ماهیگیر که چون ماهی درم ریزش کرد و به نصیحت تلخ شیرین که آن درم ریزی مضاعف شد / Section 38 - The Tale of Parviz with That Fisherman, When He Showered Coins for the Fish, and Through Shirins Bitter-Sweet Advice That Coin-Showering Was Doubled

Learn Before

Haft Awrang

Poem

بخش ۳۸ - حکایت پرویز با آن ماهیگیر که چون ماهی درم ریزش کرد و به نصیحت تلخ شیرین که آن درم ریزی مضاعف شد / Section 38 - The Tale of Parviz with That Fisherman, When He Showered Coins for the Fish, and Through Shirin's Bitter-Sweet Advice That Coin-Showering Was Doubled

Original content

یکی روز پرویز و شیرین به هم
نشسته چو خورشید و پروین به هم

ز ناگه به رسم هواخواهیی
برآورد دریایی ماهیی

نه ماهی که زیبا طلسمی ز سیم
نموداری از صنع دانا حکیم

تر و تازه چون ساعد نیکوان
ربوده دل از دست پیر و جوان

چو روز جزا ممسک بی کرم
همه پشت و پهلوی او پر درم

خوش آمد بسی طبع پرویز را
بیفشاند دست گهر ریز را

که تا خازنش راه احسان سپرد
هزاران درم در کنارش شمرد

چو شیرین بدید آن کرم گستری
بدو گفت کای قبله سروری

به ماهی فروشی بدینسان عطا
بود پیش ارباب احسان خطا

به هر کس که بخشش کنی اینقدر
کجا آیدش اینقدر در نظر

بگوید که این نرخ یک ماهی است
چه لایق به جود شهنشاهی است

وگر کم از آنش دهی گوید آه
کم از نرخ یک ماهیم داده شاه

شهش گفت اکنون چه درمان کنم
که رد درمهاش فرمان کنم

بگفتا بپرسش که ای خودپرست
شکار تو ماده ست یا خود نر است

به هر یک که گوید ازین دو جواب
بگو نیست خوردن از آنم صواب

بیا فسخ این بیع را ساز ده
درم های سنجیده را باز ده

چو بشنید ماهی فروش این سؤال
بدانست از زیرکی سر حال

بگفتا برون زین دو معنی ست این
نه نر است و نی ماده خنثی ست این

بخندید پرویز و دادش مثال
که گردد مضاعف بر او آن نوال

یک انبان درم شد گرفتش به پشت
پی نرمی روزگار درشت

چو برداشت از بهر رفتن قدم
فتادش ز انبان فرو یک درم

فکند از سر دوش انبان و زود
نهاد آن درم را به جایی که بود

به شه گفت شیرین ببین کان لئیم
چها می کند بهر یک قطعه سیم

چو شد ظاهر این بخل پنهان ازو
سزد گر ستانیم انبان ازو

سوی خویش پرویز از ره بخواند
وز آن بخل ورزی بدو قصه راند

زمین را ببوسید کای شهریار
ز نام تو بود آن درم سکه دار

گرفتم که ناگه یکی تیره رای
نساید بر آن بی ادب وار پای

چو بشنید حسن ادب داریش
نکوکاری و نغز گفتاریش

دگر باره رسم کرم فاش کرد
ز گنج نوالش درم پاش کرد

وز آن پس بگفتا که کارآگهان
منادی کنند این سخن در جهان

که باشد به فرموده زن عمل
زیان بر زیان و خلل بر خلل

ز گفتار ایشان ببندید گوش
مباشید از زن نصیحت نیوش

بیا ساقی و جام مردانه ده
بزن جام بر سنگ و پیمانه ده

زن آمد جهان سخره زن مباش
برای زن اینسان فروتن مباش

بیا مطرب و زیر و بم ساز جفت
بزن آشکار این نوای نهفت

که بر بخرد این نکته روشن بود
که مأمور زن کمتر از زن بود

English translation

One day Parviz and Shirin were seated together, like the sun and the Pleiades together.

Suddenly, by way of a well-wisher's offering, the sea brought forth a fish; not a fish, but a beautiful talisman of silver, a specimen of the craft of the wise Maker. Fresh and tender as the forearm of the fair, it stole the heart from old and young alike. Like a miser without generosity on the Day of Reckoning, all its back and flanks were full of coins.

It greatly pleased Parviz's temperament, and he shook out his jewel-scattering hand, so that his treasurer took the path of benevolence and counted thousands of coins into the man's lap.

When Shirin saw that spreading of bounty, she said to him: O qibla of lordship, to give thus to a fish-seller is, before the masters of benevolence, an error. Whomever you give this much, how shall so great a sum appear in his eyes? He will say, 'This is the price of a single fish; how is it fitting to a king of kings' munificence?' And if you give him less than that, he will sigh, 'Alas, the king has given me less than the price of one fish.'

The king said to her: Now what remedy shall I make, that I might command the return of his coins? She said: Ask him, 'O self-worshipper, is your catch female, or is it male?' To whichever of these two he answers, say, 'It is not right for me to eat it. Come, arrange the annulment of this sale, and give back the weighed-out coins.'

When the fish-seller heard this question, from his shrewdness he grasped the heart of the matter. He said: This lies outside those two meanings; it is neither male nor female — it is a hermaphrodite. Parviz laughed and gave him a reward, so that the gift was doubled upon him. It became a sack of coins; he took it on his back, seeking softness from harsh fortune.

When he lifted his foot to depart, one coin fell down from the sack. He cast the sack from his shoulder and swiftly set that coin back in the place where it had been. Shirin said to the king: See what that miser does for a single piece of silver. Since this hidden stinginess of his has now appeared, it is fitting that we take the sack from him.

Parviz called him near and recounted to him the tale of that stinginess. He kissed the ground: O sovereign, that coin bore the stamp of your name. I feared that suddenly some dark-minded one might rudely set his foot upon it.

When the king heard the beauty of his courtesy, his good conduct and his elegant speech, once again he displayed the custom of generosity and scattered coins upon him from his treasure of bounty. And after that he said: Let the heralds proclaim this saying throughout the world: that to act upon a woman's command is loss upon loss and flaw upon flaw. Close your ears to their words; do not be a heeder of a woman's counsel.

Come, cupbearer, and pass the manly cup; strike the goblet upon the stone and pour the measure. The world is a woman; be not a woman's dupe; be not so meek for a woman's sake. Come, minstrel, and pair the high and low strings; play openly this hidden melody, for to the wise this point is clear: that one who is commanded by a woman is less than a woman.

Updated 2026-07-20

Contributors are:

Who are from:

References