1Cademy - (۸) حکایت پیر عاشق با جوان گازر / (8) The Tale of the Enamored Old Man and the Young Washerman

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Elahi Nameh

Poem

(۸) حکایت پیر عاشق با جوان گازر / (8) The Tale of the Enamored Old Man and the Young Washerman

Original content

جوانی سرو بالا بود چون ماه
ز مهر او جهانی گشته گمراه

بخود از پیشه او راگازری بود
همیشه کاراو خود دلبری بود

چو خم دادی سر زلف زره وار
میان گازری گشتی سیه دار

چو بهر کار میزر بر میان زد
میان آب آتش در جهان زد

اگر جامه زدی در آب بر سنگ
گرفتی عاشقان را جامه در جنگ

همه عشاق را آهنگ او بود
بیک ره دست زیر سنگ او بود

یکی پیر اوفتادش عاشق زار
ز عشقش گشت سرگردان چو پرگار

چنان درکار آن برنا زبون گشت
که عقل پیر او عین جنون گشت

ز عشق روی او پشتش دو تاشد
دلش گرداب دریای بلا شد

بآخر خویشتن را وقف او کرد
همه کاری بجای او نکو کرد

اگر روزی ندیدی چهرهٔ او
ز سوز دل برفتی زهرهٔ او

بمزدوری شدی هر روز و آنگاه
فتوح خود بدو دادی شبانگاه

همی هرچیز کو را دست دادی
بدان سیمین بر سرمست دادی

مگر با پیر برنا گفت روزی
که چون هر ساعتت بیشست سوزی

نخواهد گشت کار تو چنین راست
زر بسیار خواهم کرد درخواست

ترا نیست از زر بسیار چاره
که سیر آمد دلم زین پاره پاره

زبان بگشاد پیر و گفت ای دوست
ندارم نقد جز مشتی رگ و پوست

مرا بفروش و زر بستان و برگیر
تو خوش باش و کم این بیخبر گیر

بسوی مصر بردش آن جوان زود
یکی نخاس خانه در میان بود

مگر کرسی نهادن رسم آنجاست
که بنشیند فروشنده بر او راست

بر آن کرسی نشست آن تازه برنا
ستاد آنجایگه آن پیر برپا

چنین گفت ای عجب آن پیر مدهوش
که هرگز نکنم آن لذت فراموش

که شخصی زان جوان پرسید آنگاه
که هست این بندهٔ تو بر سر راه؟

جوابش داد آن برنا ز کرسی
که هست او بندهٔ من می چه پرسی

کدامین نعمتی دانی تو زان بیش
که خواند کردگارت بندهٔخویش

تو آن دم از خدا دل زنده گردی
که جاویدش بصد جان بنده گردی

مگردر مصر مردی بود مرده
پسر در روز مرگش عهد کرده

که یک بنده کند بر گورش آزاد
خرید آن پیر را حالی و زر داد

بگور آن پدر آزاد کردش
بسی زر دادش و دلشاد کردش

بدو گفتا اگر خواهی هم اینجا
نگردد مال ما از تو کم اینجا

وگر آن خواجهٔ پیشینه خواهی
برو کازاد خویش و پادشاهی

دوان شد پیر و سر سوی جوان داد
دگر ره دل بدست دلستان داد

نشد از پیش او غایب زمانی
که روشن دید از رویش جهانی

بصدق عشق نام او برآمد
همه کامی بکام او برآمد

اگر در عاشقی صادق نباشی
تو جز بر خویشتن عاشق نباشی

چنان باید کمال عشق جانان
که گر عمری روان گردد در افشان

ز معشوق تو گوید نقش تو راز
چنان دانی که آن دم کرد آغاز

English translation

A youth, tall as a cypress, was like the moon; From love for him, a world had gone astray. By trade, he was a washerman, His constant work was stealing hearts. When he gave a curl to his armor-like locks, In the midst of washing, he became a captor of blackness. When for work he tied an apron around his waist, Amidst the water, he set the world on fire. If he beat the clothes in the water on a stone, He seized the garments of lovers in battle. All lovers desired him, At once, their hands were under his stone (they were under his control). An old man fell helplessly in love with him, From his love, he became bewildered like a compass. He became so wretched in the affair of that youth, That his old intellect became the essence of madness. From the love of his face, his back became bent double, His heart became a whirlpool in the sea of affliction. In the end, he devoted himself entirely to him, He did all his work well in his stead. If one day he did not see his face, From the burning of his heart, his courage would vanish. He would go to work as a laborer every day, and then He would give his earnings to him at night. Whatever came into his hand, He would give to that silver-breasted, intoxicated one. Until the youth said to the old man one day, "Since your burning is greater every hour, Your affair will not come right like this, I will ask for a lot of gold. You have no choice but to get much gold, For my heart is weary of these fragments." The old man opened his tongue and said, "O friend, I have no cash but a handful of veins and skin. Sell me, take the gold and go, You be happy and mind this ignorant one less." The youth quickly took him to Egypt, There was a slave market in the midst. Perhaps setting a chair was the custom there, That the seller might sit right upon it. That fresh youth sat on that chair, The old man stood there on his feet. Thus said the amazed, bewildered old man, "I will never forget that pleasure, When someone asked that youth then, 'Is this your slave on the way?' That youth answered him from the chair, 'He is my slave, what are you asking?' What blessing do you know greater than this, That your Creator calls you His slave? You become alive of heart from God at that moment, That you become His slave forever with a hundred souls." Perhaps in Egypt there was a man who had died, His son on the day of his death had made a vow That he would free a slave on his grave. He bought that old man immediately and gave gold, And freed him at the grave of that father, Gave him much gold and made his heart glad. He said to him, "If you want, right here, Our wealth will not be diminished for you here. And if you want that former master, Go, for you are your own freeman and a king." The old man ran and directed his head towards the youth, Once again gave his heart to the hand of the heart-stealer. He was not absent from his presence for a moment, For he saw a world illuminated by his face. By the sincerity of love his name was raised, Every desire was fulfilled to his liking. If you are not sincere in love, You are in love with none but yourself. The perfection of love for the beloved must be such, That if a lifetime passes pouring pearls, Your image tells the secret of your beloved, You would know it had just begun at that moment.

Updated 2026-07-03

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