بخش 59 - داستان آن کنیزک کی با خر خاتون شهوت می‌راند و او را چون بز و خرس آموخته بود شهوت راندن آدمیانه و کدویی در قضیب خر می‌کرد تا از اندازه نگذرد خاتون بر آن وقوف یافت لکن دقیقهٔ کدو را ندید کنیزک را به بهانه به راه کرد جای دور و با خر جمع شد بی‌کدو و هلاک شد به فضیحت کنیزک بیگاه باز آمد و نوحه کرد که ای جانم و ای چشم روشنم کیر دیدی کدو ندیدی ذکر دیدی آن دگر ندیدی کل ناقص ملعون یعنی کل نظر و فهم ناقص ملعون و اگر نه ناقصان ظاهر جسم مرحوم‌اند ملعون نه‌اند بر خوان لیس علی الاعمی حرج نفی حرج کرد و نفی لعنت و نفی عتاب و غضب

Ancilla quaedam ob multam libidinem immodicamque nequitiam asinum super se injecit.

Asinum ad coitum assuefecerat: asinus ad concubitum hominis viam invenerat.

Technarum fabricatrici cucurbita erat, quam veretro ejus affigebat ut servaret modum.

Cucurbitam peni indiderat illa anus ut trudendi tempore dimidium penis iniret;

Si totum asini veretrum eam iniret, uterus ejus et viscera diruerentur.

The ass was becoming lean, and his mistress remained helpless, saying, “Why has this ass become as (thin

as) a hair?” She showed the ass to the shoeing-smiths and asked, “What is his ailment of which the result is leanness?”

No ailment was discerned in him, no one gave information concerning the secret (cause) thereof.

(Then) she began to investigate in earnest: she became prepared to investigate at every moment.

The soul must needs be devoted to earnest endeavour, for the earnest seeker will be a finder.

Postquam rem asini perscrutata est, ancillulam narcisso similem vidit sub asino cubantem.

Through a crack in the door she saw what was going on: the old woman marvelled greatly thereat.

(Vidit) asinum futuentem ancillam sicut viri ratione et more (concumbunt) cum feminis.

She became envious and said, “Since this is possible, then I have the best right, for the ass is my property.

The ass has been perfectly trained and instructed: the table is laid and the lamp is lighted.”

Feigning to have seen nothing, she knocked at the door of the room (stable), saying, “How long will you be sweeping the room, O maid?”

She spoke these words as a blind (and added), “I have come, O maid: open the door.”

(Then) she became silent and said no more to the maid: she concealed the secret for the sake of her own desire.

Thereupon the maid hid all the apparatus of iniquity and came forward and opened the door.

She made her face sour and her eyes full of moisture (tears) and rubbed her lips (against each other), meaning to say, “I am fasting.”

In her hand was a soft broom, as though to say, “I was sweeping the room in order to clean it.”

When, with the broom (in her hand), she opened the door, the mistress said under her breath, “O crafty one,

You have made your face sour and (taken) a broom in your hand; what is (the meaning of) the ass having turned away from his fodder?

Re semiconfecta, iratus, agitans veretrum: quia te exspectat ideo (sunt) duo oculi ejus ad januam (conversi).”

This she said under her breath and concealed (her thought) from the maid: at that moment she treated her, like innocent persons, honourably.

Afterwards she said to her, “Put the chádar on your head, go and take a message from me to such and such a house.

Say so-and-so and do so-and-so.” I abridge the talk of the women.

Take the gist of what is to the purpose. When the discreet old woman had sent her (the maid) away,

Propter ebrietatem libidinis gaudebat: she shut the door, saying meanwhile,

“I have secured privacy, I will shout in thanksgiving: I am delivered from the four dángs and the two dángs.”

Gaudio hircus (prurigo) feminae quae in igne libidinis asini inquieta erat mille factus est.

Qualis hircus est ille quem tanta libido ludibrium fecit? Stultum deludi non est mirabile.

Lustful desire makes the heart deaf and blind, so that an ass seems like Joseph, fire (like) light.

Oh, many a one intoxicated with fire and seeking fire deems himself absolute light.

(He is lost) unless a (chosen) servant of God, or the pull of God (Himself), lead him into the (right) way and turn over his leaf,

So that he may know that the fiery phantom (which he mistook for light) in the Path is but a loan (unreal).

(Sensual) cupidity causes foul things to appear fair: among the banes of the Way there is none like lust, none worse.

It has disgraced a hundred thousand good names, it has stupefied (besotted) a hundred thousand clever men.

Since it caused an ass to appear (like) Joseph of Egypt, how (in what aspect) will that (miscreant) Jew cause a Joseph to appear?

Its spell made dung seem honey to you: what, forsooth, will it make honey seem at the time of contest?

Lust arises from eating and drinking: diminish your food, or marry and (so) flee from wickedness.

When you have eaten and drunk (too much), it leads to things forbidden: there must necessarily be some outgoing of income.

Marriage, then, is like (the exorcism), “There is neither power nor (strength except in God),” lest the Devil cast you into temptation.

Since you are fond of eating and drinking, ask a woman (in marriage) at once; else the cat comes and carries off the fat sheep's tail.

Quickly put a heavy load on the shying ass before he puts (you) down.

(If) you do not know the effect of fire, hold aloof (from it): do not approach the fire with such (little) knowledge (as you have).

If you have no knowledge of the cooking-pot and the fire, neither the pot nor the soup will be spared by the flames.

Water must be there and skill too, in order that the (contents of the) pot may be safely cooked in boiling.

If you are ignorant of the science of the ironsmith, your beard and hair will be burned when you pass by that place (the forge).

Femina januam clausit asinumque animo gaudente attraxit: necessario poenam gustavit.

In medium stabulum eum trahendo duxit: sub asino decubuit supina

In eadem sella quam viderat ab ancilla (adhibitam), ut ista meretrix quoque voto potiretur.

Pedem sustulit, asinus (veretrum) in eam trusit: asini veretro ignis in ea accensus est.

Cum asinus eruditus esset, in hera infixit (veretrum) usque ad testiculos: simul hera periit.

Jecur ejus veretri verbere discissum, viscera inter se dirupta.

Extemplo femina, nulla voce facta, animam reddidit: hinc cecidit sella, illinc femina.

Area stabuli sanguine plena, femina inverso capite prostrata: periit, animamque ejus abripuit Fati calamitas.

Ecce mors nefanda cum centum opprobriis, O pater: num vidisti (quemquam) de veretro asini martyrem?

Hear from the Qur’án (what is) the torment of disgrace: do not sacrifice your life in such a shameful cause.

Know that the male ass is this bestial soul: to be under it is more shameful than that (woman's behaviour).

If you die in egoism in the way of (for the sake of) the fleshly soul, know for certain that you are like that woman.

He (God) will give our fleshly soul the form of an ass, because He makes the (outward) forms to be in accordance with the (inward) nature.

This is the manifestation of the secret at the Resurrection: by God, by God, flee from the ass-like body!

God terrified (threatened) the unbelievers with the Fire: the unbelievers said, “Better the Fire than shame.”

He said, “Nay, that Fire is the source of (all) shames”—like the fire (of lust) that destroyed this woman.

In her greed she ate immoderately: the mouthful of an infamous death stuck in her throat (and choked her).

Eat (and drink) in moderation, O greedy man, though it be a mouthful of halwá or khabís.

The high God hath given the balance a tongue (which you must regulate): hark, recite the Súratu’ l-Rahmán (the Chapter of the Merciful) in the Qur’án.

Beware, do not in your greed let the balance go: cupidity and greed are enemies that lead you to perdition.

Greed craves all and loses all: do not serve greed, O ignoble son of the ignoble.

The maid, whilst she went (on her errand), was saying (to herself), “Ah, mistress, thou hast sent away the expert.

Thou wilt set to work without the expert and wilt foolishly hazard thy life.

O thou who hast stolen from me an imperfect knowledge, thou wert ashamed to ask about the trap.”

(If) the bird had picked the grain from its stack, the (trap-) cord would not have fallen on its neck (and made it captive).

Eat less of the grain, do not patch (the body) so much (with food): after having recited eat ye, recite (also) do not exceed,

So that you may eat the grain and (yet) not fall into the trap. Knowledge and contentment effect this. And (now) farewell.

The wise man gets happiness from the present life, not sorrow, (while) the ignorant are left in disappointment and regret.

When the trap-cord (of sensuality) falls on their throats, it becomes unlawful (forbidden) to them all to eat the grain.

How should the bird in the trap eat (enjoy) the grain? The grain in the trap is like poison (to him), if he feed (on it).

(Only) the heedless bird will eat grain from the trap, as these common folk do in the trap of the present world.

Again, the knowing and prudent birds have debarred themselves from the grain;

For the grain in the trap is poisonous food: blind is the bird that desires the grain in the trap.

The Owner of the trap cut off the heads of the foolish ones, and conducted the clever ones to the (exalted) assembly-places;

For in the former (only) the flesh is serviceable, but in the clever ones (their) song and warble soft and low.

Deinde venit ancilla perque rimam januae heram vidit sub asino mortuam.

“O hera stulta,” inquit, “hoc (facinus ineptum) quid fuit, etsi ea quae perita est technam tibi ostenderat?

Technae quod patebat vidisti, tibi ignotum quod latebat: imperita tabernam aperuisti.

Veretrum tanquam mel vel cibum ex dactylis et butyro comparatum vidisti: cur illam cucurbitam non vidisti, O avida?

Vel cur, cum asini amore obruta esses, cucurbita visu tuo sejuncta manebat?

Docta ab ea quae perita est vidisti technae speciem externam: peritiam ipsa valde gaudens assumpsisti.”

Oh, there is many a stupid ignorant hypocrite who has seen nothing of the Way of the (holy) men except the woollen mantle (súf).

Oh, there are many impudent fellows who, with little practice (in the religious life), have learned from the (spiritual) kings nothing but talk and brag.

Every one (of them), staff (rod) in hand, says, “I am Moses,” and breathes upon the foolish folk, saying, “I am Jesus.”

Alas the Day when the touchstone will demand from thee the sincerity of the sincere!

Come, inquire of the Master (what is) the remainder (of the Way); or are the greedy ones all blind and deaf?

You craved all and you lost all: this foolish flock are the prey of wolves.

Having heard a form (of words), you have become its expounder, (though) ignorant of (the meaning of) your words— like parrots.