Masnavi · 13th century

The Grammarian and the Boatman

Rumiمولانا

آن یکی نحوی به کشتی در نشست

A grammarian once got into a boat,

رو به کشتیبان نهاد آن خودپرست

and that self-admirer turned to the boatman.

گفت هیچ از نحو خواندی گفت لا

He said, ‘Have you studied any grammar?’ ‘No,’ he said.

گفت نیم عمر تو شد در فنا

He said, ‘Then half your life has gone to waste.’

دل‌شکسته گشت کشتیبان ز تاب

The boatman was hurt and heartbroken,

لیک آن دم کرد خامش از جواب

but for the moment he kept silent and made no reply.

باد کشتی را به گردابی فکند

The wind threw the boat into a whirlpool;

گفت کشتیبان بدان نحوی بلند

the boatman shouted to the grammarian,

هیچ دانی آشنا کردن بگو

‘Tell me, do you know how to swim?’

گفت نی ای خوش‌جواب خوب‌رو

He said, ‘No, my fair-spoken, good-looking friend.’

گفت کل عمرت ای نحوی فناست

He said, ‘Grammarian, your whole life has gone to waste,

زانک کشتی غرق این گردابهاست

because the boat is sinking in these whirlpools.’

محو می‌باید نه نحو اینجا بدان

Know that here you need effacement, not grammar;

گر تو محوی بی‌خطر در آب ران

if you are effaced, ride into the water without fear.

آب دریا مرده را بر سر نهد

The water of the sea carries the dead on its head;

ور بود زنده ز دریا کی رهد

if a man is living, how will he escape the sea?

From: The Masnavi
Translation: Persiahaus Editors
Source: Draft translation from the Ganjoor text
Persian text: Ganjoor

A note for readers

From the first book of the Masnavi. A proud grammarian tells a boatman that half his life is wasted for not knowing grammar; when a storm comes, the boatman tells him that, since he cannot swim, all of his is. The moral turns on a pun: what is needed is mahv, effacement of the self, not nahv, grammar, for the sea holds up the dead, the one who has died to himself.