English Translation
Part Four
Like a Bedouin’s camel that remained a heavy burden-bearer; when it can no longer bear the load, it is driven to slaughter.
Every earthly kingdom is inevitably followed by its demise, save the eternal dominion of the Self-Sustaining, absolute One.
If a slanderer rejoices over my death, tell him: “Patience! No human being has ever lived forever!”
And the master who held the keys to all treasures—upon death, his hands departed with nothing at all!
If in death there is no distinction between us, then do not gaze upon people with contemptuous, haughty eyes.
This world is like an alluring maiden, all softness—charming, yet possessing razor-sharp, lethal claws!
Had a man of wealth been able to escape death, he would indeed have been worthy of pride and arrogance.
You have gained true guidance if you perform righteous deeds; but if not—by time!—you are surely in loss.
As a warrior piercing his rival with brown lances once said: “By brown spears, true embraces are attained!”
O gatherer of worldly wealth who leaves it with sorrow! Store it instead for tomorrow’s Abode, if a storehouse must be kept.
It is a shame upon a man to hoard excessive wealth, when you, O deluded one, amass it only for vain pride!
May God forgive us our past transgressions, and bestow upon us the beauty of patient endurance.
And may He safeguard the lands of the Muslims through the state of the country’s Sultan, Abu Bakr!
A king whose name has become cherished and beloved in every land, just like Joseph in Egypt.
The world found happiness through him—may his bliss endure!—and the Lord supported him with banners of victory.
Thus grows a noble palm tree when its root is pure, for the fine yield of the earth springs from the generosity of the seed.
Had Khosrow been alive in his era, he would have prayed: “My Lord, strengthen his reign with my own power!”
Through the gratitude of his subjects he was shielded from every turmoil, for the inner core is preserved by its outer shell.
He excels in generosity, justice, and piety—just as Saadi excels in the fine subtleties of poetry.
And by Allah, what is poetry? I am no pretender, even if I possessed all the magic of ancient Babylon!
Explaining:
Tusaqu ila al-aqr (Driven to the slaughter): Al-aqr refers to the act of slaughtering or cutting the throat of a beast. It likens humanity and the worldly life to a camel burdened by heavy loads; once it can no longer bear the weight, it is driven to its inevitable slaughter.
Malakut al-qa’im al-samad al-watr (The dominion of the Ever-Lasting, Eternal, and Unique One): The poem highlights the stark contrast between the transience of false human kingdoms and the enduring sovereignty of God—the Eternal, the Self-Sufficient, and the One.
Al-nazar al-shazr (The sidelong glance): A look conveying disdain, arrogance, and contempt; the poet notes that the absolute equality imposed by the reality of death strips away all such haughtiness and boasting.
Kalib al-zufr (The claw): A sharp, predatory talon; a metaphor for the worldly life, which appears outwardly gentle and alluring like a maiden, yet possesses sharp claws that wound and betray those who love it.
Sultan al-bilad Abi Bakr (The Sultan of the land, Abu Bakr): Referring to Sultan Atabeg Abu Bakr bin Sa’d bin Zangi (ruler of the Fars and Shiraz region). He protected his territory through wisdom, justice, and diplomacy, thereby safeguarding Muslim lives and making Shiraz a sanctuary for scholars and writers fleeing the tyranny of the Tatars.
Linah (A noble palm tree): A fine, noble date palm; a metaphor for a generous ruling dynasty and a steadfast lineage that bore the fruit of security and justice.
Al-lubb yahfaz bi-al-qishr (The core is preserved by the husk): A profound political and social maxim; the gratitude of the subjects and the justice of the ruler (the core) serve as the shield protecting the state and society (the husk) from strife and collapse.
Nukat al-shi’r (The subtleties of poetry): The poetic nuances, secrets of rhetoric, and the enchanting quality of its meanings. In this fourth section of The Tragedy, Saadi Shirazi turns to distilling profound lessons and reflecting on the fall of thrones. He illustrates that death is the great equalizer, stripping kings and the wealthy of their treasures and sending them from this world empty-handed, while condemning the arrogance and heedlessness that ignore this eternal truth.
The poet then offers a remarkable historical insight by praising the ruler of Fars, Sultan Abu Bakr bin Sa’d. Through his wisdom and justice, the Sultan succeeded in making his city a safe haven—preserving the foundations of Islam and gathering scattered scholars and men of letters amidst the tidal wave of destruction and the Mongol onslaught.
He reinforces a fundamental truth: that a ruler’s piety, justice, and care for his subjects constitute the impregnable fortress and the true safeguard protecting the state from turmoil and collapse.
Arabic Text
كناقَةِ أهل البدو ظلّت حمولَةً
إذا لم تطِق حملاً تساقُ إلى العقرِ
وسائرُ ملكٍ يقتَفيه زوالُه
سوى ملكوتِ القائمِ الصمَدِ الوَترِ
إذا شمِتَ الواشي بمَوتى فَقُل لهث
رُوَيدك ما عاش امرؤٌ أبد الدهر
ومالكُ مفتاح الكنوزِ جميعِها
لدى الموتِ لم تخرُج يداهُ سوى صفرِ
إذا كان عندَ الموتِ لا فرقَ بينَنا
فلا تنظُرَنَّ الناسَ بالنَظَرِ الشزرِ
وجاريهُ الدنيا نعومةُ كلّها
محَبّبةٌ لكنّها كلِبُ الظفرِ
ولو كان ذو مالٍ من الموت فالِتاً
لكانَ جديراً بالتعاظُمِ والكبرِ
ربِحتَ الهدى إن كنتَ عاملَ صالحٍ
وإن لم تكُن والعصرِ إنّك في خُسرِ
كما قال بعضُ الطاعنينَ لقرنِه
بسُمرِ القنانيلَت معانِقَةُ السمرِ
أمُدّخِرَ الدنيا وتاركَها أسىً
لدار غدٍ إن كان لابُدّ من ذُخرِ
على المرءِ عارٌ كثرَةُ المالِ بعدَ
وإنّك يا مغرورُ تجمَعُ للفَخرِ
عَفا اللَه عنّا ما مضى من جريمَةٍ
ومَنّ علَينا بالجميلِ من الصبر
وصانَ بلادَ المُسلمينَ صيانَةً
بدولَةِ سلطانِ البلاد أبى بكرِ
مليكُ غدا في كلّ بلدَةٍ اسمُه
عزيزاً ومحبوباً كيوسُفَ في مصرِ
لقد سعدَ الدنيا به دام سعدهُ
وأيّدَهُ المولى بألويَةِ النصر
كذلك تنشا لينَةٌ هو عرقُها
وحسنُ نباتِ الأرضِ من كرَمِ البذرِ
ولو كان كِسرى في زمانِ حياتهِ
لقال إلهي اشدُد بدَولَتِه أزرى
بِشُكرِ الرعايا صين من كلّ فتنَةٍ
وذلك أن اللُبّ يحفظُ بالقِشر
يُبالِغث في الإنفاقِ والعدل والتقى
مبالغةَ السعديّ في نُكَتِ الشعر
وما الشعرُ أيمُ اللّهِ لستُ بمُدّعٍ
ولو كان عندي ما ببابِلَ من سحرِ
