اَز  داسْتان‌های  مَثْنَویِ  مَولَوی  جَلال  الْدين  رومی

بَقّال  و  طوطی

2 خُوش نَوا  و  سَبْز  و  گويا  طوطيی 1  بود بَقّالی و اُو را طوطيی

  khosh na vā o  | sab zo  gu  yā  |  tu  ti   i

 bu  DO baq qā  |  li  o   u    rā   | tu  ti   i

  EL    S   L    L  |  L   S   L   L    |  L   S   L

  L    S    L     L   |  L  S   L   L    |  L   S  L

(with) nice voice and green and speaking parrot

  there was a grocer and to him a parrot

 
4  نُکْتَه  گُفْتی  با  هَمَه  سَوداگَران 3  بَر  دُکّان  بودی   نِگاهْبانِ  دُکّان

 nok  te gof  ti | bā ha me saw | dā ga rān

 bar do kān bu  | di  ne  gāh  bā  | ne do kān

  L   S   L    L  |  L   S   L   L    |  L   S     L

 L    S    L    L    |  L   S    L   L    |  L   S     L

he spoke fine points with all customers

on the bench (counter) he was the guardian of the shop

 
6  دَر  نَوای  طوطيان  حاذِق  بُدی 5   دَر  خِطابِ  آدَمی  ناطِق   بُدی

  dar  na vā ye | tu  ti  yān  hā | zeq bu di

  dar khe tā be | ā  da  mi  nā | teq bu di

  L    S   L   L  |  L   S   L   L    |  L   S    EL

 L   S    L    L   |  L   S  L    L  |  L   S   L

in the song of parrots he was clever

   in the speech of  man he was articulate

 
8 بَر  دُکّان  طوطی  نِگَهْبانی  نَمود 7  خواجَه  روزی  سوی  خانَه  رَفْتَه  بود

 bar do   kān   tu | ti ne  gah   bā  |  ni ne mud

 khā je ru  zi  | su  ye  khā  ne | raf te bud

  L    S    L      L  |  L   S    L   L    |  L   S     L

 L    S   L   L  |  L  S    L    L    |  L    S    L

at the counter the parrot kept watch

  the master one day had gone towards home

 
10 بَهْرِ  موشی  طوطيَک اَز  بيمِ  جان 9  گُرْبَه اِی  بَرْجَسْت  ناگَه  بَر دُکّان

bah re mu shi  | tu ti  yak  az | bi me jān

 gor be i  bar | jas TO nā gah | bar do kān

  L    S   L   L  |  L   S   L   L  |  L   S     L

 L    S   L   L  |  L    S    L  L    |  L   S     L

for a mouse,  the little parrot from fear of life

  a cat sprang up suddenly onto the counter

 
12  شيشَه های   رَوغَنِ  بادام   ريخْت 11 جَسْت  اَز  صَدْرِ  دُکّان  سويی  گُريخْت

  shi she hā  ye | raw ga ne bā | dā MO rikht

 jas TO az sad | re do kān  su  | i   go  rikht

  L    S   L    L  |  L   S   L   L   |  L    S    EL

 L    S   L     L  |  L   S   L    L   |  L   S   EL

the bottles of almond oil spilled

  he leapt from the center of the counter, he fled to the side

 
 14  بَر دُکّان  بِنِشَسْت  فارِغ  خواجَه وَش 13 اَز  سوی خانَه  بيامَد  خواجَه اَش

 bar do kān ben | shas TO fā regh | khā je vash

 az su ye khā | ne bi yā  mad  | khā je ash

  L    S    L     L  |    L     S   L   L    |  L   S     L

 L    S   L   L  |  L   S   L   L    |  L     S   L

on the counter he sat down relaxed  in the manner of shopkeepers

  from the direction of home came his master

 
16  بَر سَرَش زَد  گَشْت طوطی کَل زِ ضَرْب 15  ديد  پُر  رَوغَن  دُکّان  و  جاش  چَرْب

 bar sa rash zad | gash TO tu ti | kal ze zarb

 di DO por raw | ghan do kā no | jā SHO charb

  L    S   L      L  |  L   S   L   L    |  L   S     EL

 L      S   L    L   |  L     S   L    L  |  L   S     EL

he struck him on the head, the parrot became bald from the beating

 he saw the shop full of oil and his place greasy

 
18  مَرْدِ  بَقّال  اَز  نَدامَت  آه کَرْد 17  روزَکِ  چَنْدی  سُخَن  کوتاه  کَرْد

 mar de baq qā | laz na dā mat | ā HO kard

ru   za  ke chan | di so khan ku | tā HO kard

  L    S    L    L  |  L   S    L   L  |  L   S     EL

 L    S    L      L  |  L   S    L   L  |  L   S     EL

the grocer in repentance sighed

  for a few days it reduced its speaking
 

 
20 کِه  آفْتابِ  نَعْمَتَم  شُد  زيرِ  ميغ 19  ريش  بَرْمی کَنْد  و  می گَفْت  اَی  دَريغ

 kā FO tā be  | na` ma tam shod | zi re migh

 ri SHO bar mi  | kan do mi gof   | tay da righ

  L    S   L  L  |  L     S     L   L    |  L   S   L

 L    S     L     L  |  L    S    L   L    |  L   S    L

for the sun of my prosperity has gone under a cloud

 he was pulling out his beard and saying, oh woe

 
22 چُون  زَدَم  مَن  بَر  سَرِ  آن  خُوش زَبان 21 دَسْتِ  مَن  بِشِکَسْتَه  بودی   آن  زَمان

 chon za dam man | bar sa re ān | khosh za bān

 das te man besh | kas  te  bu  di  | ān za mān

  L      S     L      L  |  L   S   L   L  |      L   S     L

 L     S    L      L   |  L    S   L    L  |  L   S     L

when I struck on the head that sweet-talking (one)

  [I wish] my hand had broken (at) that time

 
24 تا  بيابَد  نُطْق  مُرْغِ  خويش  را 23  هِديَه ها   می داد   هَر  دَرْويش  را

 tā  bi  yā  bad  | not QO  mor ghe | khi   SHO

 hed ya  hā  mi | dā  DO har dar  | vi SHO rā

  L    S   L     L  |  L     S     L    L    |  L   S     L

 L    S    L    L  |  L     S    L    L    |  L   S     L

so that he would get [back] the speech of his bird

 he was giving gifts to every dervish

 
26 بَر دُکْان  بِنِشَسْتَه  بُد   نَوميد  وار 25  بَعْدِ  سِه  روز  و  سِه  شَب  حَيران  و  زار

 bar do kān ben | shas te bud naw | mi do vār

 ba` de se   ru   | zo se shab  hay  | rā no zār

  L    S     L    L  |  L     S   L     L    |  L    S   L

 L     S    L   L   |  L   S    L     L    |  L   S  L

he was sitting in the shop in the manner of one in despair

  after three days and three nights bewildered and sorrowful

 
28 کِه اَی  عَجَب  اِين مُرْغ کی آيَد بِگُفْت 27   با  هَزاران   غُصَّه  و  غَمّ  گَشْتَه  جُفْت

kay `a jab in  | mor  GHO kay  ā | yad be goft

 bā  he zā  ran  | ghos  se o   gham  | gash te joft

  L   S   L   L  |  L     S     L     L    |  L   S     EL

  L    S   L     L  |  L      S    L     L    |  L   S     EL

saying, oh strange, this bird, when would it come to speak

with a thousand grievings and sorrows he became paired

 
30  وَز  تَعْجُب لَب  بِه دَنْدان  می گِرِفْت 29  می  نَمود  اِين  مُرْغ  را هَر گون شِگِفْت

 va   ZO   ta`  job  | lab be dan dān  | mi ge reft

 mi ne mu  din  | mor GHO  rā har | gun she geft

  L    S    L      L    |  L    S    L    L    |  L   S     EL

 L     S    L   L  |  L    S      L      L    |  L   S     EL

and [so]  from wonder it should start to speak

  he showed this bird every kind of marvel

 
32 تا  کِه  باشَد  کِه  اَنْدَر  آيد  دَر  سَخُن 31 دَم بِه دَم  می گُفْت  اَز  هَر  دَر  سَخُن

 tā ke bā shad | kan da rā  yad | dar sa khon

 dam be dam mi | gof TO az har  | dar sa khon

  L    S   L    L  |  L   S   L    L    |  L   S     L

 L     S     L    L   |  L    S    L    L  |   L    S     L

in order that it would be that it would come into talking

 breath by breath he would say talk of every topic

 
34  چَشْمِ  اُو  را  با  صُوَر  می کَرْد  جُفْت 33  بَر   اُمّيدِ  آنْکِه   مُرْغ  آيَد  بِه  گُفْت

 chas  me u   rā |  bā   so  var  mi   |  kar DO joft

 ba ro  mi  de  | ān  ke  mor  ghā  | yad be goft

    L    S    L  L   |  L    S    L      L    |  L   S     EL

 L    S   L    L  |  L    S     L      L   |  L     S    EL

he paired his eye with (envisioned) [these] designs

  on the hope that the bird would come into speak

 
36 با سَری  بی  مو  چُو  پُشْتِ  طاس و طَشْت 35 ناگَهانی   جَولَقی اِی   می گُذََشْت

 bā sa  ri  bi   |  mu  cho  posh  te   | tā so tasht

 nā ga  hā  ni  | jaw la   qi   i    | mi go zasht

  L  S   L   L   |  L     S      L     L     |  L   S     EL

 L    S   L   L  |  L     S   L   L    |  L   S     EL

with a head without hair like the back of a bowl or basin

suddenly one [clad with a dervish] frock was passing by

 
38 بانْگ  بَر  دَرويش  زَد  کِه  هَی  فُلان 37  طوطی  اَنْدَر  گُفْت  آمَد  دَر  زَمان

 bān GO bar dar  | vi SHO zad  ke   | he fo lān

 tu  ti an dar  | gof  TO ā mad  | dar za mān

  L    S      L     L  |  L    S     L     L    |  L   S     L

 L    S   L   L  |  L    S    L   L    |  L   S     L

he gave a shout at the dervish saying, hey gentleman

  the parrot came into speaking at [that] time

 
40 تو  مَگَر  اَز  شيشَه  رَوغَن  ريخْتی 39  اَز  چِه اِی   کَل   با  کَلان آميخْتی

 to  ma ga   raz  | shi she raw gan | ri KHO ti

 az  che  i   kal  |   bā  ka  lān  ā   | mi KHO ti

  L    S   L      L  |  L    S    L    L    |  L   S     L

 L     S    L    L   |  L    S    L     L   |  L   S     L

you didn't spill oil from bottles, did you

 from what you are bald, did you mingle with bald ones

 
42  کو  چُو خُود  پِنْداشْت صاحِب دَلْق را 41  اَز  قياسَش  خَنْدَه  اَمَد  خَلْق  را

 ku cho khod pen | dāsh TO sā   heb  | del QO

 az  qi   yā sash    | khan de ā   mad  |khal QO

  L    S     L      L   |    L    S     L   L    |  L   S     L

 L    S     L      L    |  L    S    L     L    |  L   S     L

that it thought  the [dervish] cloak-owner to be like itself

  from the analogy laughter came to to folks

 
44 گَرْچِه باشَد دَر نِوشْتَن شير شير 43   کارِ پاکان را قياس اَز خُود مَگير

 gar che bā shad | dar ne vesh tan | shi RO shir

 kā  re pā  kān | rā   qi   yā   sāz   |  khod ma gir

  L    S    L      L  |  L   S   L     L    |  L   S     L

 L    S    L     L  |  L    S    L     L    |  L   S     L

although in writing sher (lion) is shir (milk)

  don't make analogies between the work of Pure ones and yourself

 

Listen to this poem read in two different styles:

#1  The way it's supposed to be read.

 Hope you'll enjoy and try to imitate...

 

 #2  Read according to the meter.

 This style is provided only to show you the "behind-the-scenes" mechanics.  Poetry is never actually recited this way so don't try this in public! The trick is to always be conscious of the meter  but  make it look like you're not!  Listen to this style many, many times until it's in your blood, then throw it in the garbage and try to emulate the correct style to your left (#1)

 Listen

Listen

 

Here is Nicholson's translation of this story.

Pattern of meter :

--> Long Short Long Long | Long Short Long Long | Long Short (Extra)Long

This metrical pattern  is called the "ramal musaddas",  and is the meter used in mystical masnavi's.

Rumi's Masnavi is a good place to practice learning meter because there are so many couplets, translations are available and you know in advance what the meter is.

 The very word "masnavi" means "couplet" (same root as /sānian/ "2nd") and both hemistichs of a couplet have the same rhyme in this pattern:

 AA, BB, CC, DD,  ...       

L(ong) is a long syllable, S(hort) is a short syllable and E(xtra)L(ong) is a syllable, usually restricted to the last foot, containing a consonant cluster. A long syllable may contain a consonant + short vowel + consonant OR consonant + long vowel. A short syllable contains a consonant + short vowel.  In the older stages of the Persian language, long vowels really were pronounced with a longer duration and short vowels a little shorter, however, this distinction has been lost in the modern language. Today, only a master poetry reader can produce this effect.

Meter (وَزْن ): It is essential to first figure out the meter of a poem before attempting to understand the meaning.  This is how you can tell, among other things,  where the ezāfe's go and how you can distinguish  words whose meaning depends on a tashdid  (for example serr ("secret") and sar ("head").
  Procedure:  
    First, mark off the long vowls: ā, i, u, and  long diphthongs: ay, aw (but careful if they are followed by a suffix)
    Then, mark off the short vowles: a, e, o
     
    When you see the pattern, deal with vowels which can be either long or short:
      final "he" unpronounced "he"
      word-final u/o (including the "vāv"  meaning "and" in poetry always pronounced (v)o)
      ezāfe's
      any other word-final short vowels
      /i/ + vowel (especially /iyā/)
     tashdid's and hamze's are sometimes made use of  and sometimes ignored.
    two Short syllables may be counted as one Long syllable
    The first syllable of a foot may (in certain meters) be short, even if the meter calls for it to be long.
    It takes some juggling  to figure out where one syllable ends and the next begins. Learn to ignore spelling--syllabic units transcend word boundaries.
    If you find you have 2 consonants, one-after-another (except  "nun" + consonant), you need to break them up by adding a short vowel.  However,  in the last "foot" or section of the verse, it is ok to have a consonant cluster and that syllable is called "ExtraLong"
Hacking up the words of a poem to bits and pieces like this is called تَقْطيع   /taqti`/ "cutting" in Persian. In English it is called scanning. MORE!

References:

Bang-e Nay (pages 7-8, story #2)

Nicholson  (volume 1, pages 17-21)

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