Poem

دفتر دوم - بخش ۸۸ - شکایت گفتن پیرمردی به طبیب از رنجوریها و جواب گفتن طبیب او را / Book Two - Section 88 - The Complaint of an Old Man to a Physician About His Ailments and the Physician's Answer to Him

Original content

گفت پیری مر طبیبی را که من
در زحیرم از دماغ خویشتن

گفت از پیریست آن ضعف دماغ
گفت بر چشمم ز ظلمت هست داغ

گفت از پیریست ای شیخ قدیم
گفت پشتم درد می آید عظیم

گفت از پیریست ای شیخ نزار
گفت هر چه می خورم نبود گوار

گفت ضعف معده هم از پیریست
گفت وقت دم مرا دمگیریست

گفت آری انقطاع دم بود
چون رسد پیری دو صد علت شود

گفت ای احمق برین بر دوختی
از طبیبی تو همین آموختی

ای مدمغ عقلت این دانش نداد
که خدا هر رنج را درمان نهاد

تو خر احمق ز اندک مایگی
بر زمین ماندی ز کوته پایگی

پس طبیبش گفت ای عمر تو شصت
این غضب وین خشم هم از پیریست

چون همه اوصاف و اجزا شد نحیف
خویشتن داری و صبرت شد ضعیف

بر نتابد دو سخن زو هی کند
تاب یک جرعه ندارد قی کند

جز مگر پیری که از حقست مست
در درون او حیات طیبه ست

از برون پیرست و در باطن صبی
خود چه چیزست آن ولی و آن نبی

گر نه پیدااند پیش نیک و بد
چیست با ایشان خسان را این حسد

ور نمی دانندشان علم الیقین
چیست این بغض و حیل سازی و کین

ور بدانندی جزای رستخیز
چون زنندی خویش بر شمشیر تیز

بر تو می خندد مبین او را چنان
صد قیامت در درونستش نهان

دوزخ و جنت همه اجزای اوست
هرچه اندیشی تو او بالای اوست

هرچه اندیشی پذیرای فناست
آنک در اندیشه ناید آن خداست

بر در این خانه گستاخی ز چیست
گر همی دانند کاندر خانه کیست

ابلهان تعظیم مسجد می کنند
در جفای اهل دل جد می کنند

آن مجازست این حقیقت ای خران
نیست مسجد جز درون سروران

مسجدی کان اندرون اولیاست
سجده گاه جمله است آنجا خداست

تا دل مرد خدا نآمد به درد
هیچ قرنی را خدا رسوا نکرد

قصد جنگ انبیا می داشتند
جسم دیدند آدمی پنداشتند

در تو هست اخلاق آن پیشینیان
چون نمی ترسی که تو باشی همان

آن نشانیها همه چون در تو هست
چون تو زیشانی کجا خواهی برست

English translation

An old man said to a physician: "I Am in torment from my head." He said: "That weakness of the brain is from old age." He said: "On my eyes there is the brand of darkness." He said: "That is from old age, O ancient elder." He said: "My back suffers great pain." He said: "That is from old age, O frail elder." He said: "Whatever I eat does not digest." He said: "Weakness of the stomach too is from old age." He said: "When I breathe, I am seized with breathlessness." He said: "Yes — shortness of breath occurs; When old age comes, two hundred ailments come."

He said: "O fool, you have stitched yourself to this alone; From medicine you learned only this? O brainless one, did your intellect not give you this knowledge That God has placed a remedy for every pain? You foolish ass, from pettiness You have stayed on the ground from short-leggedness."

Then the physician said to him: "O you whose age is sixty, This rage and this anger too are from old age.

When all attributes and parts have grown feeble, Your self-restraint and your patience have grown weak. He cannot bear two words — he cries out; He cannot bear a single sip — he vomits.

Unless perhaps an elder who is drunk with the Real — Within him is hayat-i tayyiba, the pure life. Outwardly he is old, but inwardly a youth — What indeed is that wali, what indeed is that nabi?

If they are not manifest to the good and the evil alike, What is this envy that the base harbor toward them? And if they do not know them with 'ilm al-yaqin, What is this hatred, scheming, and malice? And if they knew the recompense of the Resurrection, How could they throw themselves upon a sharp sword?

He laughs at you — do not regard him as he appears; A hundred resurrections are hidden within him. Hell and paradise are all his parts; Whatever you think, he is above it.

Whatever you think is receptive to annihilation; That which does not come into thought — that is God.

What is the cause of this insolence at the door of this house, If they know who is within the house?

Fools venerate the mosque And earnestly persecute the people of heart. That is metaphor; this is reality, O asses — The mosque is nothing but the interior of the masters.

A mosque that is the interior of the awliya — That is the prostration-place of all; God is there.

Until the heart of a person of heart has not been brought to pain, God has not disgraced any generation.

They intended to make war against the prophets; They saw a body and thought it a mere human. Within you are the dispositions of those ancients — Why are you not afraid that you might be the same?

Since all those signs are in you, Since you are of them — where will you escape to?

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Updated 2026-06-30

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