M6:4248 — هم‌چو شبکوکی کنم شب ذکر و بانگ / تا رسد از بامهاام نیم دانگ

Translation: Like a night-blind (beggar), I shall make my nightly plea and cry out, So that a half-dang (small coin) may reach me from the roofs. Meaning: Ashamed to beg by day, a man resolves to call out softly at night, hoping for alms to be cast down from the rooftops, concealing his act under the cloak of darkness.

This verse, part of the tale of a man's journey to Egypt, captures the inner turmoil and shame of an individual driven to desperation by abject poverty. The man, having exhausted all his wealth in pursuit of a promised treasure, arrives penniless, confronted by an unbearable hunger.

Having once been a person of means, unaccustomed to the act of begging, he finds himself seized by profound shame. This shame prevents him from soliciting alms openly during the daylight hours, as ordinary beggars might. Yet, the gnawing pangs of hunger compel his soul, leaving him no option but to seek sustenance.

His resolution is to venture into the streets "softly, softly" (narm narm) under the veil of night, hidden from public gaze. He likens himself to a "shab-koor" (literally, "night-blind"), a term in that era referring to beggars who, either due to actual blindness or to avoid public humiliation, would knock on doors at night seeking aid. The phrase "dhikr and cry" (dhikr o bāng) here does not refer to mystical remembrance, but rather to the calls and shouts of supplication used by beggars to attract attention. This clandestine begging is an act of self-concealment, a desperate effort to preserve the last vestiges of dignity against the overwhelming pressure of destitution.

His faint hope is that through this nightly "plea and cry," passersby or house-dwellers, out of pity or custom, might toss a "half-dang" – a small, insignificant coin – down from their rooftops towards him. This verse beautifully encapsulates the paradox of need and shame, and the small yet vital glimmer of hope, amidst the enveloping darkness.

Key takeaways

• The profound human shame and helplessness in the face of deep poverty.
• Portrayal of hidden acts to preserve dignity in dire circumstances.
• "Shab-koor" (night-blind beggar) as a symbol of concealed, shameful supplication.
• "Dhikr and cry" in this context refers to calls for aid and sustenance.
• Illustrates the intensity of hunger and desperation alongside lingering hopes for survival.