1Cademy - (۱) حکایت آن مرد که بر مکتب گذر کرد / (1) The Tale of the Man Who Passed by a School

Learn Before

Elahi Nameh

Poem

(۱) حکایت آن مرد که بر مکتب گذر کرد / (1) The Tale of the Man Who Passed by a School

Original content

بزرگی بر یکی مکتب گذر کرد
مگر ناگه بدو کودک نظر کرد

یکی را پیش نان و نان خورش بود
دگر را نان تنها پرورش بود

مگر این یک ازان یک نان خورش خواست
که کارش می نشد بی نان خورش راست

دگر یک گفت اگر باشی سگ من
که هم چون سگ زنی تگ بر تگ من

بیابی نان خورش از من وگرنه
ترا بس نان تنها و دگر نه

چو راضی گشت آن کودک بدان کار
دوان شد همچو سگ در ره برفتار

نهادش رشته بر گردن که سگ باش
ببانگ سگ درآی و تیز تگ باش

چنان کالقصه فرمودش چنان کرد
که تا آن نان خورش بر روی نان کرد

بزرگ دینش گفت ای خرد کودک
اگر تو بودتی در کار زیرک

قناعت کردتی بر نان زمانی
وزین سگ بودنت بودی امانی

بترک نان خورش بایست گفتن
که تا چون سگ نبایستیت رفتن

چو سگ تا کی کنم از پس جهانی
برای جیفهٔ و استخوانی

اگر محمود اخبار عجم را
بداد آن پیل واری سه درم را

چه کرد آن پیل وارش؟ کم نیرزید
بر شاعر فقاعی هم نیرزید

زهی همت که شاعر داشت آنگاه
کنون بنگر که چون برخاست از راه

بحمدالله که در دین بالغم من
بدنیا از همه کس فارغم من

هر آن چیزی که باید بیش ازان هست
چرا یازم بسوی این و آن دست

English translation

A great man passed by a school, When suddenly he looked upon two children. One had bread and a savory relish before him, The other was nourished on dry bread alone. Perchance this one asked that one for some relish, For his meal would not go well without it. The other said: 'If you would be my dog, And like a dog run at my heels, You shall receive relish from me; otherwise, Dry bread alone is enough for you, and nothing more.' When the child agreed to that arrangement, He began to run like a dog along the path. He placed a rope around his neck, saying: 'Be a dog! Bark like a dog and run swiftly!' In short, whatever he ordered him, the child did, Until he finally placed that relish upon his bread. The great man of religion said to him: 'O little child, If you had been wise and clever in your affairs, You would have been content with dry bread for a moment, And you would have been spared from being a dog. You should have renounced the relish, So that you would not have had to go about like a dog.' How long like a dog shall I run after this world, For the sake of a carcass and a bone? If Mahmud, for the chronicles of the Persians, Gave that elephant-load as if it were three dirhams, What did that elephant-load do? It was worth nothing; To the poet, it was not even worth a cup of barley-beer. What noble ambition the poet possessed back then! Now look how it has departed from the path. Praise be to God, I am mature in faith, And in worldly matters, I am free from all people. Whatever is needed, there is more than enough; Why should I stretch my hand to this one or that?

Updated 2026-07-03

Contributors are:

Who are from:

References