1Cademy - دفتر سوم - بخش ۱۱ - باقی قصهٔ اهل سبا / Book Three - Section 11 - The Rest of the Story of the People of Saba

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مثنوی معنوی: دفتر سوم / Masnavi: Book Three
دفتر سوم - بخش ۹ - قصهٔ اهل سبا و طاغی کردن نعمت ایشان را و در رسیدن شومی طغیان و کفران در ایشان و بیان فضیلت شکر و وفا / Book Three - Section 9 - The Story of the People of Saba and How the Bounty Made Them Rebellious, and the Arrival of the Ill Omen of Rebellion and Ingratitude Upon Them, and the Explanation of the Virtue of Gratitude and Fidelity
The Tale of the People of Saba and the Ingratitude of the Nafs in the Masnavi
The Divine Blessings and Ingratitude of the People of Saba in the Masnavi

Poem

دفتر سوم - بخش ۱۱ - باقی قصهٔ اهل سبا / Book Three - Section 11 - The Rest of the Story of the People of Saba

Original content

آن سبا ز اهل صبا بودند و خام
کارشان کفران نعمت با کرام

باشد آن کفران نعمت در مثال
که کنی با محسن خود تو جدال

که نمی‌باید مرا این نیکوی
من برنجم زین چه رنجم می‌شوی

لطف کن این نیکوی را دور کن
من نخواهم چشم زودم کور کن

پس سبا گفتند باعد بیننا
شیننا خیر لنا خذ زیننا

ما نمی‌خواهیم این ایوان و باغ
نه زنان خوب و نه امن و فراغ

شهرها نزدیک همدیگر بدست
آن بیابانست خوش کانجا ددست

یطلب الانسان فی الصیف الشتا
فاذا جاء الشتا انکر ذا

فهو لا یرضی بحال ابدا
لا بضیق لا بعیش رغدا

قتل الانسان ما اکفره
کلما نال هدی انکره

نفس زین سانست زان شد کشتنی
اقتلوا انفسکم گفت آن سنی

خار سه سویست هر چون کش نهی
در خلد وز زخم او تو کی جهی

آتش ترک هوا در خار زن
دست اندر یار نیکوکار زن

چون ز حد بردند اصحاب سبا
که بپیش ما وبا به از صبا

ناصحانشان در نصیحت آمدند
از فسوق و کفر مانع می‌شدند

قصد خون ناصحان می‌داشتند
تخم فسق و کافری می‌کاشتند

چون قضا آید شود تنگ این جهان
از قضا حلوا شود رنج دهان

گفت اذا جاء القضا ضاق الفضا
تحجب الابصار اذ جاء القضا

چشم بسته می‌شود وقت قضا
تا نبیند چشم کحل چشم را

مکر آن فارس چو انگیزید گرد
آن غبارت ز استغاثت دور کرد

سوی فارس رو مرو سوی غبار
ورنه بر تو کوبد آن مکر سوار

گفت حق آن را که این گرگش بخورد
دید گرد گرگ چون زاری نکرد

او نمی‌دانست گرد گرگ را
با چنین دانش چرا کرد او چرا

گوسفندان بوی گرگ با گزند
می‌بدانند و بهر سو می‌خزند

مغز حیوانات بوی شیر را
می‌بداند ترک می‌گوید چرا

بوی شیر خشم دیدی باز گرد
با مناجات و حذر انباز گرد

وا نگشتند آن گروه از گرد گرگ
گرگ محنت بعد گرد آمد سترگ

بر درید آن گوسفندان را بخشم
که ز چوپان خرد بستند چشم

چند چوپانشان بخواند و نامدند
خاک غم در چشم چوپان می‌زدند

که برو ما از تو خود چوپان‌تریم
چون تبع گردیم هر یک سروریم

طعمهٔ گرگیم و آن یار نه
هیزم ناریم و آن عار نه

حمیتی بد جاهلیت در دماغ
بانگ شومی بر دمنشان کرد زاغ

بهر مظلومان همی‌کندند چاه
در چه افتادند و می‌گفتند آه

پوستین یوسفان بشکافتند
آنچ می‌کردند یک یک یافتند

کیست آن یوسف دل حق‌جوی تو
چون اسیری بسته اندر کوی تو

جبرئیلی را بر استن بسته‌ای
پر و بالش را به صد جا خسته‌ای

پیش او گوساله بریان آوری
گه کشی او را به کهدان آوری

که بخور اینست ما را لوت و پوت
نیست او را جز لقاء الله قوت

زین شکنجه و امتحان آن مبتلا
می‌کند از تو شکایت با خدا

کای خدا افغان ازین گرگ کهن
گویدش نک وقت آمد صبر کن

داد تو وا خواهم از هر بی‌خبر
داد کی دهد جز خدای دادگر

او همی‌گوید که صبرم شد فنا
در فراق روی تو یا ربنا

احمدم در مانده در دست یهود
صالحم افتاده در حبس ثمود

ای سعادت‌بخش جان انبیا
یا بکش یا باز خوانم یا بیا

با فراقت کافران را نیست تاب
می‌گود یا لیتنی کنت تراب

حال او اینست کو خود زان سوست
چون بود بی تو کسی کان توست

حق همی‌گوید که آری ای نزه
لیک بشنو صبر آر و صبر به

صبح نزدیکست خامش کم خروش
من همی‌کوشم پی تو تو مکوش

English translation

Those people of Saba were people of the east wind, and unripe; their work, toward the noble ones, was ingratitude for blessing.

That ingratitude for blessing is, by way of example, that you dispute with your benefactor, saying: “I do not need this goodness; I am hurt by it. Why do you hurt me? Be kind and remove this goodness; I do not want it. Blind my eye quickly.”

Then Saba said: “Set distance between us; our ugliness is better for us, take away our beauty. We do not want these palaces and gardens, nor beautiful women, nor security and ease. The towns are close together by your hand; that wilderness is pleasant, for there are beasts there.”

Man seeks winter in summer; when winter comes, he denies it. He is never content with any state, neither hardship nor comfortable life. “Slain be man, how ungrateful he is”; whenever he gains guidance, he denies it.

The lower self is like this; therefore it became fit to be killed. “Kill yourselves,” said that exalted one. A thorn is three-sided: however you set it down, it sticks in; when will you escape its wound? Set the fire of abandoning desire to the thorn; put your hand in the hand of the good-doing Friend.

When the people of Saba went beyond the limit, saying, “In our sight plague is better than the east wind,” their counselors came to counsel them and were preventing them from vice and unbelief. They intended the counselors’ blood and were sowing the seed of vice and unbelief.

When decree comes, this world becomes narrow; by decree, sweetmeat becomes pain in the mouth. He said: “When decree comes, space narrows; eyes are veiled when decree comes.” The eye is closed at the time of decree, so that the eye does not see the eye’s own kohl.

When that horseman’s stratagem raised dust, that dust kept you away from crying for help. Turn toward the horseman; do not go toward the dust, otherwise that cunning rider will strike you.

God spoke of the one whom this wolf devoured: he saw the wolf’s dust, so why did he not cry out? He did not know the wolf’s dust; with such knowledge, why did he graze? Sheep know the harmful scent of the wolf and creep off in every direction. The animal mind knows the scent of the lion and gives up grazing. If you have perceived the scent of the lion’s anger, turn back; join yourself with prayer and caution.

That group did not turn back from the wolf’s dust; after the dust, the wolf of affliction came huge. In anger it tore apart those sheep, because they had shut their eyes to the shepherd of reason. Many times their shepherd called them and they did not come; they threw the dust of grief into the shepherd’s eye, saying, “Go; we ourselves are more shepherdly than you. How should we become followers, when each of us is a leader? We are food for the wolf, and that Friend is not; we are firewood for the Fire, and that is no disgrace.”

A bad pride of ignorance was in their heads; a crow made an ominous cry over their ruined places. They were digging a pit for the oppressed; they fell into the pit and cried, “Alas!” They split open the sheepskins of Josephs; one by one they found what they had done.

Who is that Joseph? Your truth-seeking heart, bound like a prisoner in your lane. You have tied a Gabriel to a pillar; you have wounded its feathers and wings in a hundred places. You bring a roasted calf before him; at times you drag him to the straw-bin, saying, “Eat; this is our food and fare.” He has no nourishment except the meeting with God.

From this torture and trial, that afflicted one complains of you to God: “O God, help against this old wolf!” He says to it, “Now the time has come; be patient. I will demand your justice from every heedless one. Who grants justice except God the Just?”

It keeps saying: “My patience has perished in separation from Your face, O our Lord. I am Ahmad, helpless in the hands of the Jews; I am Salih, fallen in the prison of Thamud. O giver of felicity to the souls of the prophets, either kill me, or call me back, or come. The unbelievers cannot bear separation from You; they say, ‘Would that I were dust.’ If that is the state of one who is from that side, how is it for someone who is Yours to be without You?”

God says: “Yes, O pure one. But listen: bring patience, and patience is better. Dawn is near; be silent, cry out less. I am striving for you; you do not strive.”

Updated 2026-05-16

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