The Children of Adam
Saadiسعدی
بنی آدم اعضای یک پیکرند
The children of Adam are limbs of one body,
که در آفرینش ز یک گوهرند
for in creation they are of one essence.
چو عضوی به درد آورد روزگار
When the world brings pain to one limb,
دگر عضوها را نماند قرار
the other limbs can find no rest.
تو کز محنت دیگران بی‌غمی
You who feel no sorrow for the suffering of others
نشاید که نامت نهند آدمی
are not fit to be called human.
A note for readers
These lines come from the Golestan, or Rose Garden, Saadi of Shiraz’s book of prose stories interspersed with verse, completed in the thirteenth century. They are probably the most widely quoted Persian verses on shared humanity. Some scholarly editions read “a‘zā-ye yekdigarand” (limbs of one another) in the first line; the reading here is the more familiar popular one.
More poemsشعرهای دیگر
بلبلی برگ گلی خوش رنگ در منقار داشت
و اندر آن برگ و نوا خوش ناله‌های زار داشت
A nightingale held in its beak a rose petal of lovely colour,
and with that petal and its song it made sweet, piteous laments.
A nightingale held a rose petal
ستاره ای بدرخشید و ماه مجلس شد
دل رمیده ما را رفیق و مونس شد
A star shone out and became the moon of the gathering,
became friend and companion to our startled heart.
A star shone out
سحر بلبل حکایت با صبا کرد
که عشق روی گل با ما چه‌ها کرد
At dawn the nightingale told its tale to the east wind:
"See what love for the rose's face has done to us!"