1Cademy - (۱) حکایت شیخ با ترسا / (1) The Tale of the Sheikh and the Christian

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Elahi Nameh

Poem

(۱) حکایت شیخ با ترسا / (1) The Tale of the Sheikh and the Christian

Original content

یکی شیخی نکو دل صاحب اسرار
شبانگاهی برون آمد ببازار

که لختی تره برچیند ز راهی
که گر سنگیش می بد گاه گاهی

یکی ترسا کمیتی بر نشسته
بر او زینی مرصع تنگ بسته

غلامان پیش و پس بسیار با او
دو چاری خورد در بازار با او

چو شیخ آن دید حالی گرم دل شد
ز درویشی خویش الحق خجل شد

خطابی کرد سوی حق کالهی
چنین خواهی مرا او را نخواهی

منم از دوستان وز دشمنان او
چنین خواهی که من باشم چنان او

یکی ترساست در ناز و زر و عز
مسلمانی چنین بی برگ و عاجز

محبت را نصیب از تو گدازش
عدو را هم نواو هم نوازش

ز تو نه نان نه جامه خواندهٔ را
ولی اسپ و عمامه راندهٔ را

چو گفت آن پیر در خون مانده این راز
شنود از هاتفی در سینه آواز

که ای مؤمن اگر خواهی، همه چیز
بدل کن تا کند ترسا بدل نیز

تو زان خود بده چون تنگدستی
وزان او همه بستان و رستی

مسلمانی بترسائی بدل کن
بده فقر و غنا گیر و عمل کن

اگر او را درم دادیم و دینار
ترا ای مرد دین دادیم ودیدار

ز دین بیزار شو دینار بستان
بیفکن خرقه و زنار بستان

چو این سر در دل آن پاک افتاد
ز خود بیخود شد و در خاک افتاد

چو با خویش آمد آن از خویش رفته
وجود از پس خرد از پیش رفته

فغان در بست و گفتا ای الهم
نخواهم این بدل هرگز نخواهم

نخواهم این بدل من توبه کردم
دگر هرگز بگرد این نگردم

بصد صنعت نکو کردست دمساز
میفکن آن نکوئی را ز خود باز

بخودرایی تو خودرای و مستی
برآی از خود خدا را باش و رستی

اگر یک مویت از ایشان نشان هست
بیابی هرچه در هر دو جهان هست

English translation

A good-hearted sheikh, a possessor of secrets, Came out to the bazaar one evening, To gather some leeks from the road, If occasionally he could find a little. A Christian was mounted on a bay horse, A jeweled saddle strapped tightly upon it. Many slaves were with him, in front and behind; He encountered the sheikh in the bazaar. When the sheikh saw that, his heart immediately grew hot; He became truly ashamed of his own dervishhood. He addressed the Truth, saying, 'O my God! You want me thus, and You do not want him [to be so]. I am among the friends, and he is among the enemies; Do You want me to be like this and him to be like that? He is a Christian in luxury, gold, and glory, A Muslim is so destitute and helpless! From You, love's portion is melting (suffering); The enemy has both wealth and favor! From You, neither bread nor clothes for the invited one, But a horse and turban for the outcast!' When that old man, mired in blood, spoke this secret, He heard a voice from an unseen caller in his chest: 'O believer, if you wish, exchange everything, So that the Christian may exchange as well. Give up yours, since you are impoverished, And take all of his, and be delivered. Exchange Islam for Christianity; Give up poverty, take wealth, and act upon it. If We gave him dirhams and dinars, To you, O man of religion, We gave faith and vision. Renounce religion and take the dinar; Throw off the dervish cloak and take the zunnar!' When this secret fell into the heart of that pure one, He became beside himself and fell to the dust. When that selfless one came back to his senses, Existence gone from behind, intellect gone from ahead, He raised a lament and said, 'O my God, I do not want this exchange, I never want it! I do not want this exchange, I have repented! I will never again hover around this thought. With a hundred arts, the Companion has made things well; Do not cast that goodness away from yourself. In your self-conceit, you are self-willed and intoxicated; Rise out of yourself, be for God, and be delivered. If you have a single hair's trace of them, You will find whatever is in both worlds.'

Updated 2026-07-03

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