1Cademy - (۵) حکایت پیرمرد هیزم فروش و سلطان محمود / (5) The Tale of the Old Woodcutter and Sultan Mahmud

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Elahi Nameh

Poem

(۵) حکایت پیرمرد هیزم فروش و سلطان محمود / (5) The Tale of the Old Woodcutter and Sultan Mahmud

متن و ترجمه / Text and Translation

مگر محمود با پنجه سواری	به ره در باز می گشت از شکاری
Mahmud, with fifty horsemen, Was returning on a road from a hunt.
یکی خیمه دران ره درگشادند	شکاری را بر آتش می نهادند
They pitched a tent on that road, And placed a hunted prey upon the fire.
بره در شاه پیری ناتوان دید	که بارش پشتهٔ هیزم گران دید
On the road, the king saw a frail old man, Who had a heavy load of firewood.
بر او رفت محمود از ترحم	بدو گفتا بچند این پشته هیزم
Mahmud approached him out of pity, And asked him: "For how much is this load of firewood?"
نمی دانست آن پیر رونده	که محمودست آن هیزم خرنده
The walking old man did not know, That the buyer of the firewood was Mahmud.
زبان بگشاد مرد پیر کای میر	بدو جو می فروشم بی دو جو گیر
The old man opened his mouth and said, "O Amir, I sell it for two grains [of gold], do not take it for anything else."
یکی همیان که صد دینار زر بود	دو جو آن هر قراضه بیشتر بود
A purse which contained a hundred dinars of gold, Each coin of it was more than two grains.
شه آن بگشاد و پیش پیر بنشست	نهادش یک قراضه بر کف دست
The king opened it and sat before the old man, He placed one coin in his palm.
بدو گفت این دو جو زر باشد ای پیر	اگر خواهی ز من بستان و برگیر
He said to him: "This is two grains of gold, O old man, If you wish, take it from me and accept it."
مگر گفتا دو جو افزون بود این	ترازو نیست سختن چون بود این
The old man said: "This is more than two grains, There is no scale, how can this be weighed?"
نهادش یک قراضه نیز در دست	بدو گفتا ببین تا این دو جو هست
He placed another coin in his hand, And said to him: "See if this is two grains?"
جوابش داد کین باشد زیادت	توان دانست ناسخته بعادت
He answered: "This is also too much, One can know the unweighed amount by habit."
یکی دیگر بداد و گفت چونست	چنین گفت او که این یک هم فزونست
He gave another and said: "How is it?" He said thus: "This one is also too much."
بدین ترتیب می دادش یکایک	ولی دانست کافزونست بی شک
In this manner, he gave them one by one, But he knew without a doubt that it was too much.
چو القصه همه همیان بپرداخت	دلش بگرفت ازان بر پیر انداخت
In short, when he emptied the whole purse, He grew frustrated with that and threw it to the old man,
که زر در صره کن کین صرهٔ اوست	بسوی شهر بر کآنجا ترازوست
Saying, "Put the gold in the purse, for this is its purse, Take it to the city where there is a scale.
دو جو برگیر و باقی در زمان زود	بدست حاجب سلطان رسان زود
Take two grains and immediately, Deliver the rest to the Sultan's chamberlain quickly."
مگر آن پیر زر می نستد از شاه	شه از پیشش فرس افکند در راه
However, the old man did not take the gold from the king, The king spurred his horse away from him on the road.
چو روز دیگر آمد شاه بر تخت	بدرگاه آمد آن پیر نگون بخت
When the next day the king came to the throne, That unfortunate old man came to the court.
چو شه را دید دل در دامش افتاد	ز هیبت لرزه بر اندامش افتاد
When he saw the king, his heart was terrified, From awe, trembling fell upon his limbs.
یقینش شد که شاه آئینهٔ اوست	همین شاه آشنای دینهٔ اوست
He became certain that the king was his reflection, This king is the same acquaintance of yesterday.
چو شاهش دید گفتا ره دهیدش	یکی کرسی به پیش صف نهیدش
When the king saw him, he said: "Make way for him, Place a chair for him in front of the row."
نشست القصه و شه گفت ای پیر	چه کردی، پیش من کن جمله تقریر
In short, he sat, and the king said: "O old man, What did you do? Recount everything before me."
چنین گفت او که ای شاه دلفروز	گرسنه خفته ام من دوش تا روز
He said: "O heart-illuminating king, I slept hungry from last night until day."
شهش گفتا چرا، گفتا دران راه	نکردی هیچ بیعی با من آنگاه
The king asked him: 'Why?', he replied: 'On that road, You did not make any transaction with me then.
چو خویشم خواجه می پنداشتی تو	که دوشم گرسنه بگذاشتی تو
Since you thought yourself a master, You left me hungry last night.'
شهش گفتا برو آن زر نگه دار	که خاص تست آن جمله بیکبار
The king said to him: "Go and keep that gold, For all of it is exclusively yours at once."
زبان بگشاد پیر و گفت ای شاه	چو می دادی بمن آن زر بیک راه
The old man opened his mouth and said: "O king, Since you were going to give me that gold all at once,
چرا دی می توانستی ندادی	بیک یک بر کف من می نهادی
Why could you not have given it yesterday, And instead placed it one by one in my palm?"
شهش گفتا چو می خواندی مرا میر	ندانستی که سلطانم من ای پیر
The king said to him: "Since you called me Amir, You did not know that I am the Sultan, O old man!
بدل در آرزو آمد چنانم	که بشناسی که من شاه جهانم
A desire came into my heart in such a way, That you should recognize that I am the king of the world.
چو از شاهی من آگاه گشتی	بهر حاجت که داری شاه گشتی
When you became aware of my kingship, For whatever need you have, you became a king."
عزیزا پیر هیزم کش درین راه	توئی و نور حق آن حضرت شاه
O dear one, the woodcutter old man on this path Is you, and the light of Truth is His Majesty the King.
ز حق یک یک نفس در زندگانی	چو آن یک یک قراضه می ستانی
From the Truth, one by one breath in life, Like those coins, one by one you take.
چو فردا عمر جاویدان بیابی	به پیش تخت آن همیان بیابی
When tomorrow you find eternal life, You will find that purse before the throne.
هزاران قرن ازان عمر گرامی	دمی نبود چنین دان گرنه خامی
Thousands of centuries of that precious life, Will not be equal to a single breath, know this if you are not naive.
چو آن دم را گذشتن روی نبود	هزاران قرن پس یک موی نبود
Since that breath will have no passing, Then thousands of centuries will not be worth a single hair.
گر آنجا خسته گردی یک زمان تو	بیابی ذوق عمر جاودان تو
If there you become wounded for a moment, You will find the taste of your eternal life.
وگر بند زمان بر پای گیری	زمانی باشی و بر جای میری
And if you put the shackle of time on your feet, You will exist for a time and die in place.

Updated 2026-08-30

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