New Naqqali
The Blind Owl · scene 64 of 77 · part two

Buying the jar from the junk dealer

He went to the old man's stall and asked the price of the jar; the old man laughed through his harelip and said, 'It is not worthy of you; may you see its good.' He paid and fled in shame from the dead, rusty objects.

Scene 64 of The Blind Owl, Buying the jar from the junk dealer: ink-and-wash drawing
Lines
P183.L01–P183.L06
Where
the junk dealer's cloth under the arch
Who
narrator; the old junk dealer
Kind
memory · Optional scene
Echoes
Scene 23: Gift of the jar in the cemetery, Scene 32: The old junk dealer under the arch

Who and what is here

The old junk dealerپیرمرد خنزرپنزریThe narratorراویThe neck-scarfشال گردنThe junk dealer's glazed jarکوزهٔ لعابی (بساط پیرمرد خنزرپنزری)

For the illustration Coins laid on the corner of a cloth before the laughing peddler and his wrapped jar.

The text of the scene

Sadegh Hedayat’s Persian beside our literal English, line by line.

P183.L01

یادم هست همان روز رفتم سر بساط پیرمرد قیمت کوزه‌اش را پرسیدم. از میان شال گردن دو دندان کرم‌خورده از لای لب شکریش بیرون آمد، خندید، یک خنده زننده خشک کرد که مو به تن آدم راست می‌شد؛ و گفت:

I remember that same day I went to the old man's stall and asked the price of his jar. From within his scarf, two decayed teeth appeared from between his harelip. He laughed, a dry, offensive laugh that made the hair on one's body stand on end, and said:

P183.L02

«آیا ندیده می‌خری؟ این کوزه قابلی نداره هان. جوون ببر، خیرشو ببینی».

“Are you buying without seeing? This jar is not worthy of you, eh. Young man, take it; may you see its good.”

P183.L03

با لحن مخصوصی گفت: «قابلی نداره خیرشو ببینی». من دست کردم جیبم، دو درهم و چهار پشیز گذاشتم گوشه سفره‌اش، باز هم خندید، یک خنده زننده کرد به طوری که مو به تن آدم راست می‌شد.

He said in a particular tone, “It is not worthy of you; may you see its good.” I put my hand into my pocket and placed two dirhams and four small coins at the corner of his cloth. He laughed again, an offensive laugh that made the hair on one's body stand on end.

P183.L04

من از زور خجالت می‌خواستم به زمین فرو بروم. با دستها جلو صورتم را گرفتم و برگشتم.

From the force of shame I wanted to sink into the ground. I covered my face with my hands and turned back.

P183.L05

از همه بساط جلو او بوی زنگ‌زده چیزهای چرک وازده که زندگی آنها را جواب داده بود استشمام می‌شود. شاید می‌خواست چیزهای وازده زندگی را به رخ مردم بکشد! به مردم نشان بدهد! آیا خودش پیر و وازده نبود؟

From everything in his display comes the rusty smell of dirty, discarded things that life had rejected. Perhaps he wanted to thrust life's rejected things in people's faces! To show them to people! Was he himself not old and discarded?

P183.L06

اشیای بساطش همه مرده، کثیف و از کار افتاده بود؛ ولی چه زندگی سمج و چه شکلهای پرمعنی داشت! این اشیای مرده به قدری تأثیر خودشان را در من گذاشتند که آدمهای زنده نمی‌توانستند در من آنقدر تأثیر بکنند.

The objects on his cloth were all dead, dirty, and out of use; yet what stubborn life and what meaningful shapes they had! These dead objects made such an impression upon me that living people could not make so great an impression.

← Scene 63: Nurse's tale: 'Undo your neck-scarf'Scene 65: Lice, the bathhouse, the demigod of rags →