نهج البلاغه
نهج البلاغه منظوم
ترجمه به شعر از محمد حسین سلطانی
به مالک اشتر (عهدنامه)
سنجش افکار و سقوط عنوانی
بود از علی این چنین نامه ای چو پیدا شد آنگونه هنگامه ای
به مالک نوشت آن سپهدار دین علی رهبر و یاور مومنین
که بعد از محمد شود والی اش کند پر همی مسند خالی اش
پس از حمد یزدان با اقتدار نوشت این چنین نامه ای استوار
به تقوی و ایثار و فرمانبری ز امر خدا و به نیک اختری
سفارش نمودش به لفظ و کلام نوشتش چنین نامه با احترام
نوشتش به قلب و به دست و زبان تو یاری کن آن خالق مهربان
که او هم تو را یاوری می کند تو را این چنین سروری می کند
اگر احترامش کنی در عمل شوی محترم نزد عزّ و وجل
هوی و هوس را جدا کن ز خویش کزین ره شوی عاقبت دلپریش
کسی گردد از این خطاها رها که بیند نشانی ز لطف خدا
بجائی تو را می فرستم کنون تو را می فرستم به جهد فزون
که قبل از تو مالک کسان دگر ببسته به خدمت در آنجا کمر
به عدل و عدالت به ظلم و ستم به خدمت بُدندی همه بیش و کم
تو بودی چسان با هملانان به دهر بُدی شاد از آنان و بودی به قهر
همه مردمان هم تو را آنچنان گرفته به زیر نظر بی گمان
یقیناً بدینگونه آید سخن که بودت تو را آنچنان در دهن
به بگذشته می گفتی آنسان کلام ز مردان و یاران صاحب مقام
ز گفتار مردم بیاید بدست تو را آنچه باشد ز فرّ و شکست
به شایستگی باید احسان کنی هوی و هوس را پریشان کنی
حذر کن ز کاری که باشد خطا که بر تو کند رحم و شفقت خدا
اگر نفس خود را بگیری به بند یقیناً نبینی به هر ره گزند
غرور و قدرت
دل زیر دستان به مهر و شعف ز راه محبت بیاور به کف
چو حیوان درنده خوئی مباش که باشی پی سود خود در تلاش
که مخلوق عالم به دو دسته اند به خُلقی بدینگونه پیوسته اند
گروهی برادر ز دین تواند به دین خدا همنشین تواند
بمانند تو هم گروهی دگر همه بندگان اند ولیکن به شر
بود کار آنان بسی اشتباه بود پای آنان براه گناه
ولیکن نباید بگویی سخن که باشد پی آن ملال و محن
بدانسان که خواهی خدای کریم ببخشد گناه ترا از قدیم
تو هم باید اینگونه باشی به دهر مبادا کز آنان بیائی به قهر
که باشد بر آنان حکومت ترا به تو رهبری باشد اکنون مرا
مرا هم خدا حاکم مطلق است خدائی که شایسته و بر حق است
تو مسئول آنان شدی این زمان یقین باشد هرگز نباشد گمان
مبادا شوی با خدا در ستیز که قادر نباشی کنی زان گریز
نباشی تو از لطف او بی نیاز تو خود آگهی از چنین رمز و راز
نگردی زبخشش پشیمان دمی در این باره دانم نباشد غمی
ترا شادی هرگز نیاید به پیش ز کیفر شود گر کسی دلپریش
به قهری که پایان آن بخشش است به مهری دگر وقت آسایش است
نباید که باشد نشان از شتاب که اینگونه قصدی نباشد صواب
مبادا بگوئی ز قدرت کلام که اجرا شود امر و فرمان تمام
چنین شیوه هرگز نباشد درست بود اینچنین ایده از بیخ سست
که باشد بدنبال آن انحراف بود ضعف دین و بود اختلاف
شدی گر گرفتار مکر غرور ترا آمد اینگونه وجد و سرور
بیاد آور آن قادر بی همال که دارد چنان قدرت لایزال
بیاد آور آن قدرتی را که باد مسلط به امروز و روز معاد
چنین دقّتی می نشاند غضب رها گردی از آن عذاب و تعب
مبادا که خود را بخوانی بزرگ شوی همردیف خدای سترگ
که گردنکشان را خدای رحیم همان خالق بی بدیل و عظیم
به خواری کشاند نماید ذلیل نباشد ترا عمر ماندن طویل
God. These are the orders issuedby the creature of God,
Ali, the son of Abu Talib, to Malik, the sonof Ashter.I order
you Malik to always keep fear of God in your mind; to
givepriority to His worship and to give preference to obey
His Order overevery other thing in life; carefully and
faithfully follow the commandmentsand interdictions as are
given out by the Holy book, and traditionsof the Holy
prophet (AS) because success of man to attain
happinessin this world and the next depends upon these
qualities and a failureto achieve these attributes brings
about total failure here and hereafter.I order you to use
your head, heart, hands and tongue to help God(creatures
of God), because the Almighty God holds himself
responsibleto help those who sincerely try their best to
help Him (His causeand His creatures). The Lord has
further ordered you to keep yourdesires under control, to
keep your self under restraint when extravagantand
inordinate yearnings and cravings try to drive you towards
wickednessand sin, because usuallly your "self" tries to
incite, coerce anddrag you towards infamy and
damnation, unless the Merciful Lord comesto your help.Let
it be known to you, Malik, I am sending you as a governor
toa country which had seen many governments before
this. Some of themwere benign, sympathetic and good,
while many were tyrannical, oppresssiveand cruel.
People will judge your government as critically as
youhave studied the activities of other governments; they
criticise youin the same way as you have censured or
approved other rulers.You must know that a good and
virtuous man is known and recognizedby the good that is
said about him and the praises which God has
destinedhim to receive from others. Therefore, make your
mind the source andfountainhead of good thoughts, good
intentions, and good deeds. Thiscan only be attained by
keeping a strict control on your desires andyearnings.
however, they may try to incite and coerce you.Remember
that the best way to do justice to your "self" is to keepit out
of harm and. To restrain it from vice and from things
whichthe "self" inordinately and irrationally desires. Malik!
you mustcreate in your mind kindness, compassion and
love of your subjects.Do not behave with them as if you
are a voracious and revenous beart,and yours success
lies in tearing them apart and devouring them.
Remember,Malik, that among your subjects there are two
kinds of people: thosewho having the same religion as
yourself and they are brothers untoyou and those who
have other religions than yours and yet are
human-beingslike you; Men of either category suffer from
the sameweakness and disabilities that human flesh is
heir to; they comitsins and indulge in vices, either
intentionally or foolishly and unintentionallywithout
realising the enormity of their deeds. Let your mercy
andcompassion come to their rescue and help in the
same way and to thesame extent that you expect God to
show mercy and forgiveness to you.Malik, you must never
forget that if you are a ruler over them thenthe Caliph is the
ruler over you, and God is the supreme Lord overthe
Caliph. And the reality is that He has appointed you the
governorand tried and tested you through the
responsiblity of this rulershipover them. Never think of
raising yourself to such a false prestigethat you dare
declare war against God, because you cannot ward offHis
punishment and revenge you can never be free from the
need ofHis mercy and compassion.Do not feel ashamed
to forgive and to forget. Do not hurry over punishmentsand
do not be pleased and proud of your power to punish. Do
not getanger and lose temper quickly over the mistakes
and failures of thoseover whom you rule. On the contrary,
be patient and sympathetic withthem. Anger and desire of
vengeance are not going to be of much helpto you in your
administration. Never say to yourself, I am their Lord,their
ruler and all in all over them, and I must be obeyed
submissivelyand humbly, because such a thought will
unbalance yotir mind, willmake you vaid and arrogant, will
weaken your faith in religion andwill make you seek
support of any power other than that of God (perhapsthat
of your party or of your government). If you ever feel any
pridor vanity on account of your sway and rule over your
subjects, thenthink of the supreme sway and rule of the
Lord over the Universe,the extent of His creations, the
suprmacy of His might and glory,His power to do things
that you cannot even dream of doing, and Hiscontrol over
you which is more dominating then you can ever
achieveyourself over anything around you. Such thoughts
will cure your mentalweakness, will keep you away from
vanity and rebellion (against God),will reduce your
arrogance and haughtiness, and will take you backto the
sanity which you had foolishly deserted Take care and
neverthink of bringing yourself in level with God; never
think of matchingyour power with Him and contesting His
glory, never pretend that youpossess might and power
like Him, because the mighty Lord will alwayshumbe
pitiless tryants and will degrade all pretenders of His
powerand might.So far as your own affairs or those of your