A chapter from “Homay and Homayoun”
رسیدن شهزاده
به باغ پریان و عاشق شدن بر صورت همایون
The
arrival of the Prince at the Garden of Fairies
And his
falling in love with the image of Homaayoon
[1]
- چو جمشید (1)
گردون (2) زرینه جام (3)
زبون گشت بر دست سلطان شام (4)
[1] Cho Jamshid-e (1) gadroon-e
(2) zarrineh–e jaam (3)
Zaboon
gasht bar dast-e soltaan-e Shaam (4)
1- Jamshid: The name
of a legendary king of Iran, in some mythological aspects similar to Solomon.
He had a crystal goblet (not crystal ball!) in which he, as the king of the
world, could see whatever was happening anywhere in his kingdom.
2- Gardoon means “firmament”,
and therefore, what Khajou means by the metaphor “Jamshid of the firmament” is
the “Sun.”
3- Zarrineh Jaam: Jamshid
the King had a goblet of crystal, but the Sun, the goblet of the Jamshid of the firmament, is of gold.
4- Soltan-e Shaam: Shaam
in Persian means 1) Supper 2) Evening 3) The old name of a territory, now
disintegrated into Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine (Israel). What Khajou
means by the metaphor “King of Shaam,” with a forced and nonsensical allusion
to the 3rd meaning of the word, is the “ King of Darkness." the
evening” or "Night.”
And all he wants to
say is: “When the sun set…” or “When the night fell…” What a triumphant
struggle!!!
[2]- نه نخجیر دید و نه نخجیرگاه
نه گور و نه شیرافکنانِ سپاه ...
[2] Na nakhjir
did-o, na nakhjirgaah,
Na
goor-o na’ sheerafkanaan-e sepaah…
[2]
There he saw no sign of all those games and the hunting grounds;
Not
a single wild ass, nor one of those undefeatable warriors.
(3)
[3] بیابانِ خون خوار و مأوای
دیو،
ز هر سو بر آورده غولان
غریو؛
[3] Biyaabaan-e
hkoon-khaar-o ma’vaaye div,
’Z-e har soo baraavardeh ghoolaan ghariv;
[3]
Nothing but a fiendish desert, the abode of demons;
And
all around the ghouls howling;
[4] چنان تا به گاهِ سپیده براند
که مَه در رکابش پیاده بماند.
[4] Chonaan taa beh gaah-e sepeedeh beraand
Keh Mah dar rekaabash piyaadeh bemaand.
[4]
He rode away at such a speed ceaselessly till dawn
That
the moon remained on foot, unable to keep pace with him.
[5] دمِ صبح بر جویباری رسید
به خرّم لب کشتزاری رسید،
[5] Dam-e sob’h bar jooybaari
reseed,
Beh khorram lab-e keshtzaari reseed;
[5]
At the break of the day he came upon a stream
Flowing
alongside a luxuriant field;
[6] همه سبزه (1) دید و گل (2) و یاسمن (3)،
دریده (4) صبا (5) غنچه (6) را پیرهن (7)
[6] Hameh sabzeh (1) deed-o gol-o (2)
yaasaman (3),
Dareedeh (4) sabaa (5) ghoncheh (6) raa peerhan (7)
1-
sabzeh = grass
2-
gol (pronounced like sole) flower, but if mentioned along some other specific
flowers, it means red rose.
3-
yaasaman = jasmine
4-
Dareedeh = past participle of the verb dareedan (to tear off, usually by force).
5-
Sabaa = zephyr (here the one that tears off the dress of the virgin bud of the
rose and rape her , open the bud into a full blown rose.
6-
ghoncheh = bud, sometimes used as a metaphor for a child or a “virgin”.
7- peerhan = dress,
here a metaphor for the sepals of the rose bud.
(4)
Translation of the 6th
line:
[6] Anywhere he
looked was covered with grass and roses and jasmines,
The Zephyr having
torn off the sepal dress of the virgin buds.
[7] نسیمِ بهار و لبِ مَرغ زار (1)،
سر چشمه (2) و نالۀ مُرغِ زار (3).
[7] Nassim-e
bahaar-o , lab-e marghzaar (1),
Sar-e
cheshmeh-vo naaleh-ye morgh-e zaar (2)
1- margh [meadow,
grassland]; zaar [suffix of place, similar to “land” in grassland: مرغ + زار[margh + zaar]
2- morgh [bird, such as nightingale]; zaar
[adjective, meaning “sad moan”, “crying” ] so مرغ + زار [morgh
e zaar]; playing with the music and the shape of the words.
Translation of the 7th
line:
[7] The springtime
breeze, over the meadow,
Bubbling flow of the
spring, the song of the sad bird!
[8]
همه دشت در فرش زنگارگون،
ز لاله جهان روی شسته به خون؛
[8] Hameh dasht dar
farsh-e zangaargoon,
‘Z-e laaleh jahaan
rooy shosteh beh khoon;
Translation of the 8th
line
[8] The whole plain
covered with green carpet,
And with red poppies
the face of the earth washed with blood.
[9] بر آورده بلبل ز گلبن صفیر؛
چو سرچشمۀ زندگی آبگیر؛
[9] Bar aavardeh
bolbol ze golbon safeer;
Cho
sarchashmeh-ye zendegee aabgeer;
Translation of the 9th
line
The nightingales,
perched on the rose bushes, singing;
And the streams
running with the water of eternal life.
(5)
[10] سر اندر سر آورده آزاده سرو
نوا برکشیده خرامان تذرو؛
[10] sar andar sar aavardeh aazaadeh sarv (alliteration)
Navaa
bar kesheedeh khoraamaan tazarv.
Translation of the 10th
line
Groups of tall cedars
standing head to head.
And the call of the
pheasants echoing in the space.
[11] بر آن دشت خرّم یکی بوستان،
تو گفتی که بُستانِ مینوست آن؛
[11] Bar aan dasht-e khorram yeki boostaan,
Toe
gofti keh bostaan-e minoo’st aan;
Translation of the 11th
line
[11] In that lush
plain there was a vast orchard,
It seemed as though
it was the orchard of paradise.
[12] پری را بدان گلشن آرام جای،
به بُستانسرا مرغ دستان سرای؛
[12] Pari raa bedaan golshan Aaraam jaay,
Beh bostaansaraa
morgh dastaan sorraay;
(alliteration
and playing with words)
Translation of the 12th
line
The garden was the
serene abode of faries,
And in there the
songbirds singing their melodies.
[13] بر آورده قصری سرش در سپهر
درفشان بر او مهر گردون ز مهر؛
[13] Bar aavardeh
ghassree, sarash dar sepehre,
Dor-afshaan* bar ou mehr-e gadroon ze mehr; (pun: the first ”mehr” means ”sun”, the second ”love” or “affection”)
* If you read the word “درافشان” as “dorafshaan”[bar
ou], it means “pouring pearls” [upon it], but if you read it as “derafshaan”
[bar ou], it means “shining”[upon it].
Translation of the 13th
line
[13] A castle raised
there so high that it touches the heaven,
Upon which the Sun of
the firmament pours pearls with love;
(6)
(Or: Upon which the Sun of the firmament shines
with love).
[14-15] همایون همای از فرازِ نوند
- چو سلطان انجم ز چرخ بلند -
فرود آمد و سوی بُستان شتافت،
چو بلبل به طرفِ گلستان شتافت.
[14 – 15] Homaayoon Homaay az faraaz-e navand
- Cho
soltaan-e anjom ze charkh-e boland –
Forood
aamad-o sooye bostaan shetaaft,
Cho
bolbol beh tarf-e golestaan shetaaft.
Translation of the 14th - 15th line
The blessed Homaay, from
the back of his steed,
- Like the king of
the stars from the high firmament –
Alighted and hurried
towards the orchard,
- As though he was a
nightingale hurrying towards a rose garden.
[16]
یکی کاخ دید اندر او چون بهشت،
عقیقینش دیوار و زرّینش خشت.
[16] Yeki kaakh deed
andar ou chon behesht,
Aghighinsh
deevaar-o zarrinsh khesht.
Translation of the 16th
line
In there he saw a
palace as beautiful as Paradise,
Its walls of agate
and its bricks of gold.
[17] روان گشته بر گوشۀ بارگاه
خرامنده سروی چو تابنده ماه؛
[17] Ravaan
gashteh bar gooshe-ye baargaah
Khoraamandeh
sarvi cho taabandeh Maah;
Translation of the 17th
line
[17] In a corner of
the palace gracefully walking
A beauty of a cedar stature, like the shining moon;
[18] چو خورشید رخ سوی خسرو نهاد،
ثنا گفت و پیشش زمین بوسه داد،
[18] Cho khorsheed,
rokh sooye khosrow nahaad,
Sanaa
goft-o peeshash zameen booseh daad.
(7)
Translation of the 18th
line
[18] Pacing towards
the Prince, the sun-faced beauty
Praised him and kissed
the ground before him,
[19] که:
«شاها، بدین جای چون آمدی؟
شب اینجا بُدی؟ یا کنون آمدی؟
[19] keh: “Shaahaa, bedeen jaay choon aamady?
Shab injaa
bodi? Yaa konoon aamadi?
Translation of the 19th
line
[19] saying: “O, King, how did you come
here?
“Did you spend the
night here, or you have just arrived?
[20] چو مهمانِ ما آمدی، مَرحَبا!
قدح گیر وُ بندَ قبا برگشا.
[20] Cho mehmaan-e maa aamadi, marhabaa!
Ghadah
geer-o band-e ghabaa bargoshaa.
Translation of the 20th
line
[21] “Now that you have come to us as our
guest, you are welcome!
“Unbelt your robe and
take up the goblet of wine.
[21] زمانی بر این قصر خُرّم خُرام،
چو خورشید بر قصرِ فیروزه فام.
[21] Zamaani bar in
ghassr khorram khoraam,
Cho
khorsheed bar ghassr-e firoozeh faam.
Translation of the 21st
line
[21] “Roam around the
verdant grounds of this palace for a rest,
“As does the sun
around the turquoise blue palace.
[22]
به عزمِ تفرّج در این بارگاه
بگرد و برآسای از رنج راه.
[22] Beh azm-e tafarroj dar in baargaah
Begard-o bar aassaay az ranj-e raah.
Translation of the 22nd
line
[22] “Take a pleasant
walk in this royal residence,
“And recover from the
fatigue of the journey.”
(8)
[23] ندانست شهزاده کآن خود پری ست
که از مهرِ دل شاه را مشتری ست.
[23] Nadaanest
shahzaadeh k’aan khod pari’st
Keh az
mehr-e del shaah raa moshtari’st.*
Translation of the 23rd
line
The Prince could not
realize that the beauty was a real “fairy”,
Who, with all the passion**
of her heart, is longing*** for his love.
________________________________________________________
* The more literal
translation of the second line can be something like: “who, with her love of
heart is the buyer of the King. ** The Arabic word Moshtari is used in spoken
Persian as an equivalent of the English word “customer”. *** Another meaning of
the Persian word “Mehr” (love, passion) is “Sun”, and another meaning of the “Moshtari”
is the planet “Jupiter”. What a cheap “jou de mot”!
[24] بر او آفرین کرد و بنهاد پای،
در آمد چو سروش به بستان سرای.
[24] Bar’oo afarin kard-o benhaad paay,
Dar aamad
cho sarvash be bostaan-saraay.
Translation of the 24th line
[24] Praised her and with
the graceful stature
Of a cedar tree,
entered the gardens of her palace.
[25] روان
گشت با آن پری چهره، ماه
تفرّج کنان اندر آن بارگاه.
[25] Ravaan gasht
baa aan pari-chehreh*, Maah**
Tafarroj-konaan
andar aan baargaah.
_______________________________
* By the compound adjective “pari-chehreh”
[fairy-faced], the poet means the beautiful woman who entertains the Prince and
who is, in fact, a fairy herself!
** Moon is used as an allusion to the
Prince
Homaay.
Translation
of the 25th line
The Moon [Prince
Homaay] began to walk with the fairy-faced beauty
In the palace grounds,
enjoying his promenade.
[26] زِ
ناگه به کاخی رسید از قضا،
چو بُستانِ جَنّت خوش و دلگشا.
(9)
[26] ‘z-e naagah beh kaakhi
ressid, az ghazaa,
Cho
bostaan-e Jannat khosh-o delgoshaa.
Translation of the 26th line
Suddenly, by chance,
he came upon a palace,
As pleasant and
delightful as the Garden of Eden.
[27] فکنده در ایوانش تختی زِ زَز،
به کیوان برآورده ایوانش سر؛
[27] Fekandeh dar
eyvaansh takhti ‘z-e zar,
Beh Keyvaan*
baraavardeh eyvaansh sar;
Translation of the 27th line
In its grand hall is
set a throne of gold;
And its pinnacle scraping
the sky above the planet;
_________________________________________
* Keyvaan is the
Persian name for the planet Saturn (in Arabic Zo’hal), the 2nd
largest planet in the solar system, and “eyvaan” means the “grand hall of a
palace”, not the whole building of a palace (a poetic license)!
[28] زِ رفعت فلک مانده حیرانِ او.
فرو هشته از طاقِ ایوان او،
[28]’Zeh raf’at falak maandeh heyraan-e ou
Foroo heshteh az taagh-e eyvaan-e ou
…
Translation of the 28th line
[28] The firmament staring
with wonder at its height.
Hanging from the ceiling
of the grand hall…
[29] یکی
نیلگون دیبۀ زرنگار؛
کشیده بر او پیکری چون نگار
*.
[29] yekee neelgoon
deebaye zarnegaar;
Keshideh bar,ou peykari chon
negaar.
Translation of the 29th line
A silken blue curtain
interwoven with threads of gold,
Painted on it a figure* like
that of the very symbol of female beauty.
(10)
________________________________
* The main real meaning of “negaar
“is image, figure, drawing, painting, but it is also used as “beautiful beloved”
in Persian classical lyric poetry. “Nezami of Ganja,” whose works and style were a great source of influence,
inspiration and imitation to a number of poets like Khajou, has used “Negaar”
with the meaning “beautiful beloved” in one of his very famous couplets: “Pari-peykar,
negaar-e parniyaan-poosh/ Bot-e sangueen-del-e seemeen-banaagoosh”, in close
translation: “With her body a fairy, my beautiful beloved, in a dress of shot
silk,/ My stone-hearted idol, the rose hue of whose cheeks change to a silver
hue beneath her ear lobes”.
[30] زِ بالایِ آن نیلگون پرنیان
نبشته که ای شاهِ روشن روان،
[30] ‘Z-e baalaa-ye
aan nilgoon parniyaan
Nebeshteh keh ey shah-e
rowshan-ravaan,
Translation of the 30th line
A message was written on the top of the
silken blue curtain,
Reading: “O the King of an enlightened soul,
[31] در این کاخِ فرخنده چون بغنوی،
نظر کن در این پیکرِ مانوی؛
[31] Dar in kaakh-e
farkhondeh chon beghnavi,
Nazar kon
dar in peykar-e Maanavi *
Translation of the 31st line
[31] When you recline
here, in this auspicious hall,
Look at that image,
so masterly painted, as if by the hand of Mani himself;*
_______________________________________
* Mani, an Iranian prophet (216–274
AD), the founder of a Gnostic religion known as Manichaeism, who was also a
great painter.
[32] که نقشی از این گونه از کُفر و دین
نبینی مگر دُختِ فغفور *چین؛
[32] keh naghshi az
in gooneh, az kofr-o din
Nabini
magar dokht-e Faghfoor-e*Chin.
Translation of the 32nd
line
[32] You must know
that you will not find, anywhere among the faithful or the infidel,
Anyone else with this
likeness, but the daughter of the King of China*,
(11)
__________________________________
* The Arabicized word
“Faghfoor” is Persian in its origin. The Persian form is “bagh (god)+Pour (son)
= son of God = King of China.
[33]
همایون* که چون مَه بر آید به
بام،
رُخش روز روشن نماید به شام.
[33] Homaayoon* keh chon mah baraayad beh baam,
Rokhash
rooz-e rowshan nomaayad beh shaam.
Translation of the 33rd
line
[33] Princess
Homaayoon who, when she appears on the roof terrace like the Moon [in
the sky],
Her face shines like the light of the day in
the darkness of the night.
__________________________________
* The Persian word Homaayoon means
auspicious, blessed, fortunate, and it is also used as a masculine proper name,
as well as an attribute for a king: “ the Blessed”, opposite of “the Cursed”, as
the Iranians have used it for Alexander the Great: “Alexander the Cursed.” Why
has it been used in some tales such as the one put into verse form by Khajou as
the name of the daughter of a Chinese king? For the moment no comment!
[34] در این صورت از
راهِ معنی، ببین،
فرو مانده صورت پرستانِ *چین؛
[34]
Dar in soorat az raah-e ma’nee, bebin
Foroo maandeh soorat-parastaan-e Chin;
Translation of the 34th line
[34] Behold and see
that the significance of this image
Has left the
image-worshippers* of China in bewilderment.
_______________________________________
* “soorat-parast” literally
means the worshipper of portraits,
faces, pictures, statues and so on. It is also a synonym for the word “idolater.” Saadi Shirazi says: “A tree like this has never grown in Paradise, / An idol
like this has never been found in the painting houses of China.”
[35]نگر تا به چشمِ خرد ننگری،
که در عقل و حکمت نگنجد پری!
[35] Negar taa beh
chashm-e kherad nangari,
Keh dar ‘aghl-o hekmat nagonjad pari!
(12)
Translation of the 35th line
[35] Hey, do not look
at the image with the eye of reason,
Because fairies are beyond the scope of
reason and philosophy!
[36] نگویم به نقش از خرد بازمان،
ولی نقش را عینِ نقّاش دان؛
[36] Nagooyam beh
naghsh az kherad baaz maan,
Vali naghsh raa ayn-e naghghaash
daan.
Translation of the 36th line
[36] I do not advise
you to give yourself to the image and ignore reason,
But you should know
that the image is the same as the painter of the image.
[37]
نه هر صورتی را توان داشت دوست،
در این نقش بین تا چه معنی در اوست.
[37] Na har soorati raa tavaan
daasht doost,
Dar in naghsh bin taa cheh ma’nee
dar’oost!
Translation of the 37th line
[37] Not every image deserves to be loved,
Do look deeply at this image to grasp its
meaning.
[38] به معنی دهد صورت دوست دست،
نه چون خویش بینانِ صورت پرست.
[38] Beh ma’nee dehad soorat-e
doost dast,
Na chon kheesh-binaan-e soorat-parast.
Translation of the 38th line
[38] Through the
meaning one can see the image* of the Beloved,
The meaning does not
yield itself to the self-conceited image-worshippers.
______________________________________
* The word “Soorat” has
different meanings, face, image, form, figure, portrait, picture, appearance,
body, etc. Here I have used “image,” because the poet points to the image of “Homaayoon,” the daughter of the Chinese king, as a metaphor for the Beloved of the mystics,
God, or the truth of God.
[39] زِ صورت بِبُر تا به معنی رسی،
چو مجنون شوی، خود به لیلی رسی .
(13)
[39] ‘z-e soorat
bebor taa beh ma’nee ressi,
Cho majnoon* shavi, khod beh laili
* ressi…
Translation of the 39th line
[39] Tear away from the “image” so that you
can reach the “significance”*,
When you become “Majnoon” **, you will meet “Laili”***.
_____________________________________
*
The word “ma’nee” means “meaning”, “significance”, “intent”, “purport of the
word”, “subject”, purpose, etc. Here “significance” is a more suitable opposite
for “image”.
**The word “majnoon” means possessed,
crazy, lunatic, deranged, frenzied, insane. Qais ibn al-Mulawwah, an Arab young
poet of a time before Islam, falls in love with Laili, the daughter of one of
the elders of another tribe who opposes their marriage. The disappointed
lover becomes mad, (in Arabic Majnun, Majnoon), and people begin to call him “Majnoon”,
an attribute which becomes his pseudonym. The tragedy of “Laili and Majnoon” (comparable to Romeo and
Juliette), written in Persian by Nizami, is the sad ending story of this unfortunate love.
[40] ولی نقش خود گر نبینی نکوست،
چو از خود گذشتی، رسیدی به دوست...
[40] Vali naghsh-e
khod gar nabini, nekoost,
Cho az khod gozashti, ressidi beh
doost…
Translation of the 40th line
[40] But it will be ideal if you do not see
your own image,
Because only when you leave yourself behind,
you can attain union with your
Beloved.
[41]
همای اندر آن نقش حیران بماند،
بر آن صورت از دیده گوهر فشاند.
[41] Homaay andar aan
naghsh hayraan bemaand,
Bar aan soorat az dideh gowhar
feshaand.
Translation of the 41st
line
[41] Homaay, staring at
the image in astonishment,
Began to shed pearls
of tears out of desire for the beauty.
[42] چنان
از میِ عشق سرمست شد
که از پا در افتاد و از دست شد!
[42] Chonaan az
mey-e eshgh sar-mast shod
Keh az paa dar oftaad-o az dast
shod!
(14)
Translation of the 42nd line
[42] He was so intoxicated with the wine of
love
That his feet* gave
in and his situation went out of hand*.
_______________________________________
* Persian classical
poetry can be divided into two categories, one “the art of poetry” and the
other “the poetical craft.” Khajou’s “Homaay and Homaayoon” is of the second
category, in which the poet pays too much attention to the artificial beauty of
the language ornamentation at the cost of neglecting the genuine aesthetical
eloquence demanded by the subject matter. The most annoying of these uncreative,
distasteful artifices is the repeating one and the same idea several times in successive lines with
different images and puns. Here I quote a remark by Samuel Johnson, in his book
“The Lives of the Most Eminent Englsh Poets,” in an article about Joseph
Addison, English poet, playwright and essayist (1627-1719): “But
that when an author writes a tragedy, who knows he has neither genius or
judgement, he has recourse to the making a party, and he endeavourse to make up
in industry what is wanting in talent, and to supply by poetical craft the absence of poetical art…”
[43]
سَهی
سروش از پا در آمد چو باد،
چو خورشید بر خاک راه اوفتاد.
[43] sahee sarvash az
paa dar-aamad cho baad,
Cho khorshid bar khaak-e raah ouftaad.
Translation of the 43rd
line
[43] His cedar-like stature collapsed like an
exhausted wind,
Imagine the sun fallen flat on the dust of
the road!
[44] به گوشش فرو خواند فرّخ سروش
که: «از دست دادی دل و دین و هوش!
[44]
beh gooshash foroo khaand farrokh Soroosh
Keh: “Az dast daadi del-o deen-o hoosh!
Translation of the 44th line
Soroosh
[the messenger angel] whispered into his ear,
Saying:
“You lost your heart, your faith, and your reason!
[45]«که گفتت به هر صورتی سر در آر؟
«تصوّر کن از نقش صورت نگار!...
[45] “Ke
goftat beh har soorati* sar dar-aar?
“Tasavvor kon az naghsh* soorat-negaar!...
(15)
Translation of the 45th
line
Who
told you that you can yield your reason to an image?
“Having
seen the image *take your imagination to the maker of all the images!...
__________________________________________
*
“نقش” (painting, picture, image) being the sign
of, and the same, as “نقاش”, is one of
the threadbare arguments of the Sufis or Islamic mystics. Khajou, under the restraints
of meter and rhyme, instead of the word “Naghsh” (image), has used the word “soorat”
(face, portrait, figure, image, painting) and instead of the word “naghghaash”
(painter, image-maker) has used the compound word “soorat-negaar” (image-painter).
Rumi (Jalal-od-Din Mohammad Mowlavi)
says in one his ghazals: “these images are all the signs of the image-maker who
is invisible, / Beware! hidden from the evil eyes, we go straight to the
invisibleness!” (In naghsh-haa neshaaneh-ye naghghaash-e bi-neshaan/ Penhaan z-e
chashm-e bad, haleh, taa bi-neshaan raveem!”
[46]«گذر
کن ز دل تا به دلبر رسی،
«ز سر
در گذر تا به سِرّ در رسی ...
[46] ”Gozar kon ’z-e del taa beh
delbar ressi,
”Z-e sar dar-gozar taa be serr-dar ressi...
Translation of the 46th
line
[46] “Leave your heart
behind so that you can reach your Sweetheart,
“Free yourself from
the lead of reason so that you can attain to the secret of the mystery…*
__________________________________________
*Here again the poet stops
the flow of narrative to repeat his threadbare teaching cliches of the stages
of the mystical journey to the Beloved, the Truth of God, in about 15 couplets,
and then he continues with the narrative, as follows:
[47]«به چین شو که فالت همایون شود،
«ز ماه رخش مهرت افزون شود...»
[47] “Beh Chin* show keh faalat homaayoon *shaved,
“Z-e maah-e rokhash** mehrat** afzoon shaved…
Translation of the 47th
line
[47]
“Go to China*, where good fortune* will shine upon you,
And
with the moon ** of her face your love will increase**.
_______________________________________
* The poet, in the guise of
Soroosh, the messenger angel, who first reproached Prince Homaay for his
fascination with the image of Homaayoon, the Chinese princess, now advises him
to go to China to seek union with her, toget annihilate
d in
her. Khajou wants the reader to take “Princess Homaayoon as a symbol of God, and Prince Homaay as a
symbol of a mystic Sufi whose Beloved is God
and
whose spiritual journey is a complete annihilation in Allah (Fanaa f’ellah = فنا
فی الله ) , but since the story is an unsuccessful mixture of a popular
“romance” and a fake “epic”, with, here and there, a forced symbolism of a
mystic love, some readers like me, specially when they see that Prince Homaay
embarks on a war against the king of China and kills him in the battle and
proclaims himself as the new king of China, he marries the Princess Homaayoon,
the daughter of the slain king and soon their “god,” (whoever he is!), gives
them a son whom they call “Jahangeer” (meaning the conqueror of the world), and
the royal family live happily ever after until the king (Homaay) and the queen
(Homaayoon) die of old age and Jahaangeer succeeds his father to the throne. In
other words, it was really best for Khajou not to mix his symbolic teachings in
the mystic Sufism with his “epic romance.” Now a few more couplets to end this
chapter and to send the Prince on his journey to the obvious unknown:
[48]
چو شهزاده از خاک سر بر گرفت،
زِ مهرِ رُخش چهره در زر گرفت؛
[48] Cho shahzadeh az khaak sar bar
guereft,
‘Z-e mehr-e
rokhash chehreh dar zar guereft;
Translation of the 48th line
[48] When the Prince
raised his head from the ground,
The gold of his
burning desire for her beauty had turned his complexion into a sickly yellow.
[49]
نه گلزار دید و نه قصر بلند،
نه بُستان سرای و نه کحلی پرند...
[49] Na
golzaar did-o na ghassr-e boland,
Na bostaan-saraa-yo
na kohli parand…
Translation of the 49th
line
[49] He did not see
any sign of the flower garden, nor of the sky-scraping castle,
Nor of the orchard, nor of the silken blue
curtain…*
_____________________________________
* This is the same “silken blue
curtain”, with the image of the Chinese Princess, on the top of which was written a warning
message for Prince Homaay.
[50]
به ناکام بر پشت مرکب نشست،
به خون جگر شسته از خویش دست...
[50] beh-naakaam bar posht-e mrkab neshast,
Beh khoon-e
jegar shosteh az kheesh dast...
Translation of the 50th
line
[50] In bitter
disappointment, he sat on the back of his horse;
Given up all hope of
life with a bleeding heart…*
(17)______________________________
* There is a metaphorical
compound verb in Persian, meaning “to give up hope of something” which cannot
be translated literarily, but it is good to know its literal translation for a
better appreciation of the language of this line: “He had washed his hand of his
life with the blood of his heart”.
[51]
در اندیشه ک:«آیا چه پیش آیدم؛
«اگر جان بر آید کنون شایدم!
[51] Dar andisheh k’"aayaa cheh peesh aayadam?
“Agar jaan
baraayad konnon shaayadam…
Translation of the 51st
line
[51] In deep anxiety
he asked himself: “What am i going to do now?
“It would better if I
would die at this very moment…
[52] «از این پس چه گویندم اهل شناخت
«که نقش رخش دید و جان در نباخت!
[52] “Az in pas
cheh gooyandam ahl-e shenaakht
“Keh
naghsh-e rokhash did-o jaan dar nabaakht!
Translation of the 52nd
t line
[52] "What are
the people of true knowledge going to say about me?
“I who saw the image
of her beauty, but did not die in that very moment!*
________________________________
* This is one of the many claims of
the Sufis that a true mystic dies long before his physical death in a state of
ecstasy, when he sees a glimpse of His divine light.
[53]
«کنم ترک سر گر دهد دوست دست،
نگویم که هستم، اگر دوست هست...»
[53] “konam tark-e sar gar dehad doost dast,
“Nagooyam
keh hastam, agar doost hast…”
Translation of the 53rd
line
[53] “I will readily
give up my life if I feel I have my Beloved’s love;
“With the presence of
Beloved, I would never say I exist…”
[54]
از این گونه می گفت و خون می گریست،
چه گویم که هر لحظه چون می گریست!
(18)
[54] Az in gooneh migoft-o khoon miguerist,
Cheh gooyam
keh har lahzeh choon migueris!
Translation of the 54th
line
While he was saying
these things, he shed tears of blood;
I have no words for
explaining how he wept all the time!
End of the
Chapter
Mahmud
Kianush
London 6
October 2014
