Poem

سخن دیوانه‌ای دربارهٔ عالم / The Discourse of a Madman about the World

Original content

نیم شب دیوانه ای خوش می گریست
گفت این عالم بگویم من که چیست

حقه ای سر برنهاده، ما درو
می پزیم از جهل خود سودا درو

چون سراین حقه برگیرد اجل
هر که پر دارد بپرد تا ازل

وانک او بی پر بود، در صد بلا
در میان حقه ماند مبتلا

مرغ همت را به معنی بال ده
عقل را دل بخش و جان را حال ده

پیش از آن کز حقه برگیرند سر
مرغ ره گرد و برآور بال و پر

یا نه، بال و پر بسوز و خویش هم
تا تو باشی از همه در پیش هم

دیگری گفتش که انصاف و وفا
چون بود در حضرت آن پادشا

حق تعالی داد انصافم بسی
بی وفایی هم نکردم با کسی

در کسی چون جمع آمد این صفت
رتبت او چون بود در معرفت

گفت انصافست سلطان نجات
هر که منصف شد برست از ترهات

از تو گر انصاف آید در وجود
به ز عمری در رکوع و در سجود

خود فتوت نیست در هر دو جهان
برتر از انصاف دادن در نهان

وانک او انصاف بدهد آشکار
از ریا کم خالی افتد، یاد دار

نستدند انصاف، مردان از کسی
لیک خود می داده اند الحق بسی

English translation

At midnight a madman was weeping sweetly; he said: 'Let me tell you what this world is. It is a lidded box, and we are within it; in our ignorance, we cook up futile desires in it. When death removes the lid of this box, whoever has wings will fly to eternity. And he who is wingless, in a hundred trials, will remain afflicted inside the box. Give wings of meaning to the bird of high ambition; give heart to intellect, and spiritual state to the soul. Before they lift the lid of the box, become the bird of the path and grow wings and feathers. Or rather, burn your wings and feathers and yourself too, so that you may be ahead of all others.' Another said to him: 'How are fairness and loyalty in the presence of that King? The Almighty has given me much fairness, and I have not acted disloyally toward anyone. When these qualities are combined in someone, what is their rank in gnosis?' He said: 'Fairness is the ruler of salvation; whoever became fair was delivered from vanities. If fairness manifests from you, it is better than a lifetime of bowing and prostrating. Indeed, there is no chivalry in both worlds greater than showing fairness in secret. And he who shows fairness openly— remember, it is rarely free of hypocrisy. Men of path did not demand fairness from anyone, yet in truth, they themselves gave plenty of it.'

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Updated 2026-07-02

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Humanities

Literature

Islam

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Science

Philosophy

Social Science

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course

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