1Cademy - (۱۶) حکایت مهستی دبیر با سلطان سنجر / (16) The Tale of Mahsati the Scribe and Sultan Sanjar

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Elahi Nameh

Poem

(۱۶) حکایت مهستی دبیر با سلطان سنجر / (16) The Tale of Mahsati the Scribe and Sultan Sanjar

Original content

مهستی دبیر آن پاک جوهر
مقرب بود پیش تخت سنجر

اگرچه روی او بودی نه چون ماه
ولیکن داشت پیوندی بدو شاه

شبی در مرغزار رادکان بود
به پیش سنجر خسرو نشان بود

چو شب بگذشت پاسی شاه سنجر
برای خواب آمد سوی بستر

مهستی نیز رفت از خدمت شاه
بسوی خیمهٔ خاص آمد آنگاه

مگر سنجر غلامی داشت ساقی
که از خوبی ببودش هیچ باقی

جمالش با ملاحت یار گشته
ز هر دو شاه برخوردار گشته

بصد دل بود شه دیوانهٔ او
حریف مهستی بد لیک مهرو

درآمد شه ز خواب او را طلب کرد
ندیدش، قصد آن یاقوت لب کرد

لپاچه نیم شب بر پشت انداخت
بکینه تیغ هندی بر سر افراخت

درآمد کرد در خیمه نگه شاه
که مهستی در آنجا بود با ماه

بر او دید ساقی را نشسته
مهستی دل در آن مهروی بسته

بزاری می نواخت از عشق رودش
خوشی می گفت با خود این سرودش

که در برگیرمت من بر لب کشت
گر امشب بایدم دو ک کسان رشت

چو سنجر گشت ازان احوال آگاه
گرفت این بیت را زو یاد آنگاه

بدل گفتا گر امشب من بتندی
درین خیمه روم با تیغ هندی

نماند زهره را این هر دو بر جای
شوم در خون این دو بی سر و پای

مشوش گشت و شد آخر بتعجیل
به سوی خیمهٔ خود کرد تحویل

چو روزی ده برآمد شاه یک روز
فرو آراست جشنی عالم افروز

مهستی پیش سلطان چنگ می زد
نوائی بس بلند آهنگ می زد

ستاده بود ساقی نیز بر پای
قدح بر دست و چشم افکنده بر جای

شه آن بیت شبانه یاد می داشت
ازو درخواست و خویش آزاد می داشت

مهستی چون شنید این بیت از شاه
بیفتاد از کنارش چنگ در راه

چو برگی لرزه افتادش بر اندام
برفت از هوش و عقلش ماند در دام

شه آمد بر سر بالینش بنشست
برویش بر گلاب افشاند از دست

چو زن باهوش آمد باردیگر
چو اول بار گشت از بیم سنجر

چو باری ده زهش آمد بخود باز
سر رشته نکرد او از خرد باز

شهش گفتا اگر می ترسی از من
بجان تو ایمنی ای خویش دشمن

زنش گفتا که من زین می نترسم
ولی این بیت یک شب بود درسم

همه شب درس خود تکرار کردم
گهی اقرار و گه انکار کردم

از آنجا باز می یابم نشانی
که بر من تنگ می گردد جهانی

بدان ماند که یک شب درچنان کار
نهفته بودهٔ از من خبردار

مرا گر تو بگیری ور برانی
دلت ندهد، دگر بارم بخوانی

وگر بکشی مرا در تن درستی
نجاتی باشدم از دست هستی

مرا این ترس چندانی از آنست
که سلطانی که رزاق جهانست

چو او یک یک نفس با من همیشه ست
مرا یک یک نفس بنگر چه پیشه ست

چو حق پیش آورد صد ساله رازم
من آن ساعت چه گویم با چه سازم

چو حق می بیندت دائم شب و روز
چو شمعی باش خوش می خند و می سوز

دمی بی شکرش از دل برمیاور
نفس بی یاد غافل بر میاور

اگردر شکر کوشی هر چه خواهی
بیابی نقد از جود الهی

English translation

Mahsati the scribe, that pure essence, Was a close confidante before Sanjar's throne. Although her face was not like the moon, The king had an attachment to her. One night he was in the meadow of Radkan, She was before Sanjar, the king of kings. When a watch of the night had passed, King Sanjar Came to his bed to sleep. Mahsati also left the king's service, And then came to her private tent. Now, Sanjar had a cupbearer slave, Who lacked nothing in beauty. His beauty was paired with sweetness, From both, the king derived enjoyment. With a hundred hearts, the king was crazy about him, But the moon-faced one was Mahsati's companion. The king woke from sleep and asked for him, He didn't see him, and set off to find that ruby-lipped one. At midnight, he threw a cloak over his back, In anger, he raised an Indian sword over his head. The king came and looked into the tent, And saw Mahsati was there with the moon. He saw the cupbearer sitting with her, Mahsati had given her heart to that moon-faced one. Crying out, she was playing the lute out of love for him, Happily she was singing this song to herself: "I will embrace you at the edge of the field, Even if tonight I must spin the spindle of others." When Sanjar became aware of that situation, He learned this couplet from her then. He said to his heart, "If tonight I quickly Enter this tent with an Indian sword, Neither of these two will have the courage to stay, I will shed the blood of these two hapless ones." He became disturbed and finally in a hurry, He returned to his own tent. When ten days had passed, the king one day Arranged a world-illuminating feast. Mahsati was playing the harp before the sultan, She was playing a very high-pitched tune. The cupbearer was also standing on his feet, Cup in hand and eyes cast down. The king remembered that nocturnal couplet, He asked her for it, pretending to be unconcerned. When Mahsati heard this couplet from the king, The harp fell from her side onto the ground. Trembling fell upon her body like a leaf, She lost consciousness and her mind was trapped. The king came and sat at her bedside, With his hand, he sprinkled rosewater on her face. When the woman regained consciousness again, Like the first time, she turned away in fear of Sanjar. When about ten times she came back to consciousness, She could not untie the knot of wisdom. The king said to her, "If you fear me, By your soul, you are safe, O enemy of yourself." The woman said to him, "I do not fear this, But this couplet was my lesson for one night. All night I repeated my lesson, Sometimes I confessed and sometimes I denied. From there I find a sign again, That a world becomes tight for me. It means that one night in such a state, You were secretly aware of me. If you seize me or drive me away, Your heart won't allow it, you will call me again. And if you kill me in good health, It will be a salvation for me from the hands of existence. My fear is so much from this, That the Sultan who is the Provider of the world, Since He is with me every single breath always, Look at what my state is every single breath! When God brings forth my hundred-year-old secret, At that hour, what will I say and what will I do?" Since God sees you constantly night and day, Be like a candle, happily laugh and burn. Do not bring forth a breath from your heart without thanking Him, Do not bring forth a breath unmindful of His remembrance. If you strive in gratitude, whatever you want, You will find readily from divine generosity.

Updated 2026-07-03

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