1Cademy - (۱۴) حکایت دیوانۀ خاموش / (14) The Tale of the Silent Madman

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Elahi Nameh

Poem

(۱۴) حکایت دیوانۀ خاموش / (14) The Tale of the Silent Madman

Original content

یکی دیوانه در بغداد بودی
که نه یک حرف گفتی نه شنودی

بدو گفتند ای مجنون عاجز
چرا حرفی نمی گوئی تو هرگز

چنین گفت او که حرفی با که گویم
چو مردم نیست پاسخ از که جویم

بدو گفتند خلقی کین زمانند
نمی بینی که جمله مردمانند

چنین گفت او نه اند این قوم مردم
که مردم آن بود کو از تعظم

غم دی و غم فرداش نبود
ز کار بیهده سوداش نبود

غم ناآمده هرگز ندارد
ز رفته خویش را عاجز ندارد

غم درویشی و روزیش نبود
بجز یک غم شبانروزیش نبود

که غم در هر دو عالم جز یکی نیست
یقینست آنچه می گویم شکی نیست

گرت امروز از فردا غمی هست
بنقد امروز عمرت دادی از دست

مخور غم چون جهان بی غمگسارست
وگر غم می خوری هر دم هزارست

خوشی در ناخوشی بودن کمالست
که نقد دل خوشی جستن محالست

چه خواهد بود آخر زین بتر نیز
که صد غم هست و می آید دگر نیز

ازان شادی که غم زاید چه خواهی
وجودی کز عدم زاید چه خواهی

ترا شادی بدو باید وگر نه
غم بی دولتی می خور دگر نه

بدو گر شاد می باشی زمانی
تو داری نقد شادی جهانی

وگرنامش نگوئی یک زمان تو
چه بدنامی براندی بر زبان تو

English translation

There was a madman in Baghdad Who neither spoke a single word nor heard one. They said to him, 'O helpless madman, Why do you never say a word?' He replied, 'With whom should I speak? Since there are no humans, from whom should I seek a reply?' They said to him, 'These people of this era, Do you not see that they are all human?' He said, 'They are not human, For a human is one who, out of grandeur, Has no sorrow of yesterday and no sorrow of tomorrow, And has no passion for futile affairs. He never has sorrow for what has not come, Nor does he make himself helpless over what has passed. He has no sorrow of poverty or daily bread, Except for one single sorrow day and night. For sorrow in both worlds is but one, This is certain and there is no doubt in what I say. If today you have sorrow for tomorrow, You have paid with the cash of today's life. Do not grieve, for the world has no comforter, And if you do grieve, there are a thousand at every moment. To be happy in the midst of unhappiness is perfection, For seeking the cash of heart's delight is impossible. What worse could happen in the end? Since a hundred sorrows exist, and more are yet to come. What do you want from that joy which breeds sorrow? What do you want from an existence born of nonexistence? Your joy must be in Him, otherwise Eat the sorrow of adversity and nothing else. If you are happy in Him for a moment, You possess the cash of the world's joy. And if you do not utter His name for even a moment, What infamy you have uttered with your tongue!'

Updated 2026-07-03

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