Leili-Majnun

آغاز داستان

گوینده داسِتان چنین گفت آن لحظه که دُر این سخن سفت The teller of the story spoke thus: That moment that be began to bore the pearls of speech

کز مُلکِ عرب بزرگواری بوده‌ست به خوب‌تر دیاری "Of the Arab lands, there was a grand noble in the best of the Arab dominions

بر عامریان کفایت او را معمورترین ولایت او را Lordship over the Banu `Amir was his The most prosperous domain was his

خاکِ عرب از نسیم نامش خوش بودی تر از رحیق جامش The land of Arabia from the breeze of his name was more fragrant than the pure wine of his cup

صاحب هنری به مردمی طاق شایسته‌ترینِ جمله آفاق A master of art, the apogee of friendly camaraderie The most worthy of all the horizons

سلطان عرب به کامگاری قارون عجم به مال داری Ruler of the Arabs in auspicious rule The Korah of the Iranians in wealth (sheep)

درویش نواز و میهمان دوست اقبال درو چو مغز در پوست Helper of the poor and friend to the guest Good fortune was in him like the seed in the shell

هر چند خلیفه‌وار مشهور از بی خَلَفی چو شمع بی‌نور However much he was as famous as a caliph Due to his lacking a successor, he was like a candle without light

محتاج‌تر از صَدَف به فرزند چون خوشه بدانه آرِزومند More in need for a son than a shell [for a pearl] Desirous like a cluster of grapes for the seed

در حسرت آن که دست بختش شاخی به بر آرد از درختش In grief for that which the hand of his fate would bring to fruition a branch out of his tree

یعنی که چو سرو بُن بریزد سوری دگرش ز بن بخیزد When a cypress-tree [sarv-bon] falls Another cypress rises from its root

تا چون به چمن رسد تذروی سروی بیند به جای سروی And when the pheasant arrives to the meadow It sees a cypress in the place of a cypress
 * taẕarv: a pheasant - always associated with the cypress

گر سرو بن کهن نبیند در سایه سروِ نو نشیند If it does not see the old cypress-tree It will not sit in the shadow of the new cypress

زنده‌ست کسی که در دیارش مانَد خَلَفی به یادگارش Someone who is living in his realm Remains a successor to bear his memory

می‌کرد بدین طَمَع کَرَمها می‌داد به سائلان دَرَمها In this desire, he would do good works He was giving dirhams to beggars

بَدری به هزار بَدره می‌جُست می‌کاشت سَمَن ولی نمی‌رُست He was seeking for a full moon with a thousand coin purses He was constantly planting saman [jasmine] but it wouldn't grow
 * rustan: to grow, come forth
 * badreh: coin purse

دُر می‌طلبید و دَر نمی‌یافت وز جستنِ دُر عنان نمی‌تافت He was looking for pearls and was not finding [them] He would not turn his reins from searching for the pearl
 * dar yāftan: to find

هر چند که در چنان درنگی پوشیده بود صلاح رنگی Despite the fact that [there was] such hesitation [in that delay] was hidden the a color of [some] advantage

هرچ آن‌ طلبی و چون نباشد از مصلحتی برون نباشد Whatever you may seek, and if it does not come to be It's not without some benefit

هر نیک و بدی که در شمارست چون درنگری صلاحِ کارست Every good and bad thing around [that can be counted] When you look, it is for the benefit of things

دُری که درو نیاز بینی نایافته به چو باز بینی A pearl that you see some sort of need for it If you look again, it is better not to find it

بسیار غَرَض که در نَوَردست پوشیدنِ آن صلاحِ مردست Many of the desires that are in existence Covering those up is for the good of man

هرکس به تَک است بیست در بیست واگه نه کسی که مصلحت چیست Everyone is in the charge [in life] 20 in 20 [from here to there] And no one is aware what their advantage is
 * tak (o tāz): rushing into battle

سر رشته غیب ناپدیدست بس قُفل که بنگری کلیدست The end of the thread of the unknown is not visible Many locks, if you look at them, are really keys

بیچاره کسی است آدمیزاد خاکی که چو پُف کنی بَرَد باد What an unfortunate person is the son of Adam A clot of clay that, when you puff, the wind carries away

خوش باش در اینچنین مَغاکی بر خاک فِکَن حدیثِ خاکی Be happy in such a grave Throw news of the dust [grey news?] upon the dust

چون دَر طلب از برای فرزند می‌بود چو کانِ لعل در بند Because the father was in search for a son In fetters like the ruby in the mine

ایزد به تضرعی که شاید دادش پسری چنانکه باید God, for the abjectness that was suitable Gave him a son such as is required

نو رُسته گلی چو نار خندان چه نار و چه گل هزار چندان A newly sprung flower laughing like a pomegranate What is the pomegranate, what is the rose, a thousand like them

روشن گهری ز تابناکی شب روز کنِ سرای خاکی A gem shining from radiance He was a maker of night into day in this abode of dust

چون دید پدر جمالِ فرزند بگشاد در خزینه را بند When the father saw the beauty of the son He opened the sealed gates of his treasury

از شادیِ آن خزینه خیزی می‌کرد چو گل خزینه ریزی Out of the joy of the raising of that treasure He distributed the treasury as a rose [scatters its petals]

فرمود وُرا به دایه دادن تا رسته شود ز مایه دادن He ordered that he be given to the wetnurse So that he be nourished by "stuff"

دورانش به حکم دایگانی پرورد به شیر مهربانی [for] the period of his time to the care of a wetnursing She nourished him with the milk of kindness

هر شیر که در لبش سرشتند حرفی ز وفا بر او نوشتند They formed all milk in his heart They wrote a letter of loyalty upon him [he becomes obligated in loyalty by this gift of mother's milk]
 * sirishtan (S. sṛij)‫:‬ to mix, form into shape

هر مایه که از غذاش دادند دل دوستی‌ای در او نهادند With each gulp of food substance that they gave him A measure of heart-connection was laid in him

هر نیل که بر رُخش کشیدند افسون دلی بر او دمیدند For every blue [mark] that they put on his face They blew a spell for the heart over him

چون لاله دَهَن به شیر می‌شُست چون برگِ سَمَن به شیر می‌رُست He washed his mouth with milk like a tulip It's growing with sap like the petal of jasmine shir / shireh: sap

گفتی که به شیر بود شهدی یا بود مهی میان مهدی You'd say that he was honey in milk Or that he was a moon in the middle of a cradle

از مه چو دو هفته بود رفته شد ماه دو هفته بر دو هفته After two weeks of the month had passed The two-week-old moon became [full] like a two-week-moon

شرط هنرش تمام کردند قیس هنریش نام کردند They finished the conditions of his artfulness They named him the artful Qays

چون بر سرِ این گذشت سالی بفزود جمال را کمالی When a year passed over the head of this [one] His beauty had expanded into completeness

عشقش به دو دستی آب می‌داد زو گوهرِ عشق تاب می‌داد His love gave water with two hands From him, the jewel of love shone

سالی دو سه در نشاط و بازی می‌رست به باغ دل‌نوازی Two or three more years in happiness and play He grew in the garden of affection

چون شد به قیاسِ هفت ساله آمود بنفشه گِرد لاله When he reached the measure of seven years Violet mixed around his tulip [a mustache grew around his lip]

از هفت به ده رسید سالش افسانهِ خلق شد جمالش Between seven and ten years of age His beauty was fabled among the people

هرکس که رُخش ز دور دیدی بادی ز دعا بر او دمیدی Every one who saw his face from afar Blew a prayer of supplication upon him

شد جان پدر به روی او شاد از خانه به مکتبش فرستاد The soul of the father grew happy at his face He had him sent from the house to the school

دادش به دبیر دانش‌آموز تا رنج برد برو شب و روز He gave him to a writing-master So that he would work on him night and day

جمع آمده از سر شکوهی با او به موافقت گروهی A group of agreeable people In agreement [harmony] a group accompanied him

هر کودکی از امید و از بیم مشغول شده به درس و تعلیم Every little one out of hope and fear Was busy with lessons and learning

با آن پسرانِ خرد پیوند هم لوح نشسته دختری چند In the same row as those intelligent boys attached to learning There were some girls sharing the slate

هر یک ز قبیله‌ای و جایی جمع آمده در ادب سرائی Every one from a tribe or place Had gathered together in this house of manners

قیس هنری به علمِ خواندن یاقوت لبش به دُر فشاندن Artful Qays in reading knowledge His ruby lips [were] scattering pearls

بود از صَدَفِ دگر قبیله ناسفته دریش هم طویله From the bosom of another tribe There was an unbored pearl who was to him at the same table [row, bench]
 * nāsofteh: Unbored, not pierced or perforated

آفت نرسیده دختری خوب چون عقل به نامِ نیک منسوب A good girl who never had to work Like reason itself, also attributed with a good name

آراسته لعبتی چو ماهی چون سرو سَهی نظاره گاهی An adorned beauty [puppet, toy] like a moon Like a straight cypress, the place where glances are cast
 * naz̤āra-gāh: A pleasant prospect

شوخی که به غمزه‌ای کمینه سفتی نه یکی هزار سینه Her coquetry was The least of her glances pierced not one, but a thousand breasts

آهو چِشَمی که هر زمانی کُشتی به کرشمه‌ای جهانی A doe-eyed one that every time Killed a world with a sideways glance
 * kereshmeh: a wink, nod, glance

ماه عربی به رخ نمودن ترک عجمی به دل ربودن An Arab moon in showing the face A non-Arab Turk in stealing hearts

زلفش چو شبی رخش چو باغی یا مشعله‌ای به چنگ زاغی Her forelocks were like night, her face like a garden Or a torch in the grip of a crow
 * zāgh: crow

کوچک دهنی بزرگ سایه چون تنگِ شکر فراخ مایه A small mouth, a large shadow Like pursed sugar pouch [mouth] in plentiful substance
 * farākh: much, plentiful, abundant

شکرشکنی به هر چه خواهی لشگرشکن از شکر چه خواهی A sugar-cracker [breaker] with whatever you said Not only was she a sugar-cracker, she could crack an army
 * shekarshekan: a sugar-cracker, something that speaks very sweetly (like Hafez's parrot)

تعویذِ میان هم‌نشینان در خورد کنارِ نازنینان A charm among companions Worthy of the embrace of the coquettish ones
 * taʻwīẕ: charm, amulet

محجوبه بیت زندگانی شه بیت قصیده جوانی The jealously guarded one of the house of life The best line of a poem of youth
 * maḥjūb, fem. maḥjūbat, maḥjūba: veiled, covered, modest

عِقدِ زَنَخ از خوی جبینش وز حلقه زلف عنبرینش A necklace of the chin-dimple from the sweat of her brow And from the rings of her musk-like hair
 * zanakh: chin, dimple in the chin
 * khu: sweat

گلگونه ز خونِ شیر پرورد سرمه ز سوادِ مادر آورد Rose-colored [cheeks], nourished from mother's milk [red] Kohl from the [black bile] of the mother [black]

بر رشته زلف و عقد خالش آموده جواهر جمالش Upon the of strand of her hair and the necklace of her mole Were mixed the jewels of her beauty

در هر دلی از هواش میلی گیسوش چو لیل و نام لیلی In every heart from desire for her there was an inclination Her hair was like night, and her name Layli

از دلداری که قیس دیدش دل داد و به مهر دل خریدش When Qays saw her, from heart-captivity He gave his heart and sold her his heart in love

او نیز هوای قیس می‌جست در سینه هر دو مهر می‌رست She too, her love for Qays stirred In the breasts of both two, love grew

عشق آمد و جام خام در داد جامی به دو خوی رام در داد Love came and the raw cup gave pearls A cup in both raw natures gave pearls

مستی به نخست باده سخت است افتادن نافتاده سخت است Drunkenness at the first draught is hard Unfallen falling is hard

چون از گل مهر بو گرفتند با خود همه روز خو گرفتند When they took a whiff from the flower of love With themselves every day they took khu

این جان به جمال آن سپرده دل برده ولیک جان نبرده This gave the soul to the beauty of that Heart carried away but the soul still around

وان بر رخ این نظر نهاده دل داده و کام دل نداده And that gazed upon the face of this Heart given, yet the desire of the heart ungiven

یاران به حساب علم خوانی و ایشان به حدیث مهربانی The friends for the sake of learning knowledge They in the news of love

یاران سخن از لغت سرشتند ایشان لغتی دگر نوشتند The friends made speech out of language They wrote a new language

یاران صفت مقال گفتند ایشان همه حسب حال گفتند The friends said words They spoke reflecting their state

یاران ورقی ز علم خواندند ایشان همه حسب حال گفتند The friends read a page about science They said all that was in their state

یاران به شمار بیش بودند ایشان به شمار خویش بودند The friends in number were more They were in their own number