Qet'a · 15th century

A Man’s Worth

Jamiجامی

قیمت مرد نه از سیم و زر است

A man’s worth is not in silver and gold;

قیمت مرد به قدر هنر است

a man’s worth is in the measure of his merit.

ای بسا بنده که از کسب هنر

Many a slave, by gaining merit,

قدرش از خواجه بسی بیشتر است

is worth far more than his master,

وی بسا خواجه که از بی هنری

and many a master, for lack of merit,

در ره بنده خود پی سپر است

is trodden underfoot in his own slave’s path.

From: The Spring Garden (Baharestan)
Translation: Persiahaus Editors
Source: Draft translation from the Ganjoor text
Persian text: Ganjoor

A note for readers

A short poem from the fourth ‘garden’ of the Baharestan, on the generous. Jami first quotes in prose a saying that he reports through Ali from the Prophet, that each person’s worth lies in the good he does and says, and then puts it into verse.