The Mark of Being Human

GhazalIraqi style
English

The Mark of Being Human

The human body is noble because of the human soul; beautiful clothes alone are not the mark of being human. If a person is just eyes, mouth, ears, and nose, what difference is there between a painting on a wall and a real human? Eating, sleeping, anger, and lust mean chaos, ignorance, and darkness; a beast knows nothing of the world of humanity. Be truly human, or else you are just a parrot that can only mouth the words of humanity. Were you not human, that you stayed a captive of the demon? Even an angel cannot enter the place true humanity holds. If this predatory nature dies out of you, you will live forever through the human spirit. A person can rise to a place where they see nothing but God; see, then, how high the station of humanity reaches. You have watched a bird take flight; break free of the chains of lust and come out, so you may see how humanity soars. I did not show off my learning, I simply offered you advice; I too heard the meaning of humanity from a human.
Explanation: The recurring word 'adamiyat' means both humanity as a species and humaneness as a spiritual quality; Saadi plays on both senses throughout.

Original · Persian

غزل شمارهٔ ۱۸

تن آدمی شریف است به جان آدمیت نه همین لباس زیباست نشان آدمیت
اگر آدمی به چشم است و دهان و گوش و بینی چه میان نقش دیوار و میان آدمیت
خور و خواب و خشم و شهوت شغب است و جهل و ظلمت حیوان خبر ندارد ز جهان آدمیت
به حقیقت آدمی باش وگر نه مرغ باشد که همین سخن بگوید به زبان آدمیت
مگر آدمی نبودی که اسیر دیو ماندی که فرشته ره ندارد به مکان آدمیت
اگر این درنده‌خویی ز طبیعتت بمیرد همه عمر زنده باشی به روان آدمیت
رسد آدمی به جایی که به جز خدا نبیند بنگر که تا چه حد است مکان آدمیت
طیران مرغ دیدی، تو ز پایبند شهوت به در آی تا ببینی طیران آدمیت
نه بیان فضل کردم که نصیحت تو گفتم هم از آدمی شنیدیم بیان آدمیت