1Cademy - حکایت پادشاهی که سیب بر سر غلام خود می‌گذاشت و آن را نشانه می‌گرفت / The Tale of the King Who Placed an Apple on His Slaves Head and Used It as a Target

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منطق‌الطیر / The Conference of the Birds

Poem

حکایت پادشاهی که سیب بر سر غلام خود می‌گذاشت و آن را نشانه می‌گرفت / The Tale of the King Who Placed an Apple on His Slave's Head and Used It as a Target

Original content

پادشاهی بود بس عالی گهر
گشت عاشق بر غلام سیم بر

شد چنان عاشق که بی آن بت دمی
نه نشستی و نه آسودی دمی

از غلامانش به رتبت بیش داشت
دائما در پیش چشم خویش داشت

شاه چون در قصر تیر انداختی
آن غلام از بیم او بگداختی

زآنک از سیبی هدف کردی مدام
پس نهادی سیب بر فرق غلام

سیب را بشکافتی حالی به تیر
و آن غلام از بیم گشتی چون زریر

زو مگر پرسید مردی بی خبر
کز چه شد گلگونهٔ رویت چو زر؟

این همه حرمت که پیش شه تو راست
شرح ده کاین زرد رویت از چه خاست؟

گفت: بر سر می نهد سیبی مرا
گر رسد از تیرش آسیبی مرا

گوید انگارم غلامی خود نبود
در سپاهم ناتمامی خود نبود

ور چنان باشد که آید تیر راست
جمله گویندش ز بخت پادشاست

من میان این دو غم در پیچ پیچ
بر چه ام جان پر خطر؟ بر هیچ هیچ

English translation

There was a king of very high lineage Who fell in love with a silver-bodied slave. He became so enamored that without that idol for a moment He neither sat down nor rested for a moment. He held him in higher rank than his slaves He always kept him before his own eyes. When the king shot arrows in the palace That slave would melt away from fear of him, Because he constantly made a target of an apple Then he would place the apple on the crown of the slave. He would instantly split the apple with an arrow And that slave would become pale like yellow dye from fear. An uninformed man happened to ask him 'Why has your rosy face become like gold? With all this honor that you have before the king Explain, from what did this pale face of yours arise?' He said: 'He places an apple on my head If any harm comes to me from his arrow, He will say: I shall assume I did not have a slave There was no deficiency in my army. And if it happens that the arrow comes straight Everyone will tell him it is from the king's luck. I am writhing in twists and turns between these two sorrows For what is my life full of danger? For nothing, nothing.'

Updated 2026-07-04

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