Nezami, Mattew 7: Judging Others

 Dear Paul

Yesterday while reading Scripture from Matthew, I remembered a beautiful poem about Christ and Judging Others:

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eyes and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."    Matthew 7:1-5



'Withhold thy gaze from others' faults and defects,
But note the faults that thine own mirror reflects!
In all men much there is to praise and to blame:
The blame ignore; the praise then only proclaim!
The peacock's feathers gleam with colour and gold.
Its legs, which are uncomely, none need behold.
The Christ pursued on foot His usual way,
And through a market place He passed on that day.
Nearby a dog had died, and lay still and prone,
Its former beaut could no longer be shown.
Some casual bystanders saw with disgust
The corpse decaying and the hair full of dust.
Said one, 'This gruesome sight without any doubt
Is like the noxious smoke a snuffed light gives out.'
Another said,'This horror might cause in us
Poor vision or heart failure quite disastrous.'
Each one in turn invective cast, merciless;
Each scorned afresh the lifeless corpse, pitiless.
When came the turn of Jesus freely to speak,
Said He, 'The view of its wide mouth makes it clear
Its teeth than pearls are whiter, and so appear.'
Seek not others'faults, nor thy virtue extol;
Lament thine own defects, and poor self control.' 


Nezami, Persian Poet

دیده زعیب دگران کن فراز            صورت خود بین و در او عیب ساز

پای مسیحا که جهان می نبشت        بر سر بازارچه می گذشت

مرده سگی در گذر افتاده بود          یوسفش از چه به در افتاده بود

بر سر آن جیفه گروهی قطار          بر صفت کرکس مردارخوار

گفت یکی وحشت این در دماغ        تیرگی آرد چو نفس در چراغ

وان دگری گفت اگر حاصل است     کوری چشم است و بلای دل است

هر که از این پرده نوایی فزود        بر سر آن جیفه جفایی نمود

چون به سخن نوبت عیسی رسید     عیب رها کرد و به معنی رسید

گفت ز نقشی که در ایوان اوست     در بسفیدی نه چو دندان اوست

عیب کسان منگر و احسان خویش  دیده فرو بر به گریبان خویش

 نظامی

Hannah

4 April, 2014 


Source of translation:  http://www.farsinet.com/ChristInPersianPoetry/classical_poets2.html