Yesterday thou wert the surety for the army, O accursed one, and now thou art cowardly, good-for-nothing, and vile,
دی زعیم الجیش بودی ای لعین ** وین زمان نامرد و ناچیز و مهین
So that (after) we swallowed those (deceitful) words of thine and came (to battle), thou hast gone to the bath-stove and we have become the fuel.”
تا بخوردیم آن دم تو و آمدیم ** تو بتون رفتی و ما هیزم شدیم
When Hárith said this to Suráqa, that accursed one was enraged at his reproaches.
چونک حارث با سراقه گفت این ** از عتابش خشمگین شد آن لعین
He angrily withdrew his hand from his (Hárith's) hand, since his heart was pained by his words.
دست خود خشمین ز دست او کشید ** چون ز گفت اوش درد دل رسید
Satan smote his (Hárith's) breast and fled: by means of this plot he shed the blood of those wretched men.4050
سینه‌اش را کوفت شیطان و گریخت ** خون آن بیچارگان زین مکر ریخت
After he had ruined so great a multitude, he then said, “Lo, I am quit of you.”
چونک ویران کرد چندین عالم او ** پس بگفت این بری منکم
He smote him on the breast and overthrew him; then he turned to flee, since terror urged him on.
کوفت اندر سینه‌اش انداختش ** پس گریزان شد چو هیبت تاختش
The fleshly soul and the Devil both have (ever) been one person (essentially); (but) they have manifested themselves in two forms,
نفس و شیطان هر دو یک تن بوده‌اند ** در دو صورت خویش را بنموده‌اند
Like the angel and the intellect, which were (really) one, (but) became two forms for the sake of His (God's) wise purposes.
چون فرشته و عقل کایشان یک بدند ** بهر حکمتهاش دو صورت شدند
You have such an enemy as this in your inward part: he is the preventer of the intellect, and the adversary of the spirit and of religion.4055
دشمنی داری چنین در سر خویش ** مانع عقلست و خصم جان و کیش
At one moment he dashes forward like the Libyan lizard; then (again) in flight he darts away into a hole.
یکنفس حمله کند چون سوسمار ** پس بسوراخی گریزد در فرار
Just now he has (many) holes in the (human) heart, and from every hole he is putting out his head.
در دل او سوراخها دارد کنون ** سر ز هر سوراخ می‌آرد برون
The name that denotes the Devil's becoming hidden from (men's) souls and going into that hole is khunús (slinking back),
نام پنهان گشتن دیو از نفوس ** واندر آن سوراخ رفتن شد خنوس
For his khunús is like the khunús of the hedgehog: like the head of the hedgehog, he pops in and out;
که خنوسش چون خنوس قنفذست ** چون سر قنفذ ورا آمد شذست
For God hath called the Devil Khannás (the slinker), because he resembles the head of the little hedgehog.4060
که خدا آن دیو را خناس خواند ** کو سر آن خارپشتک را بماند
The head of the hedgehog is continually being hidden because of its fear of the cruel hunter,
می نهان گردد سر آن خارپشت ** دم‌بدم از بیم صیاد درشت
Until, when it has found an opportunity, it puts out its head: by such a stratagem the snake becomes its prey.
تا چو فرصت یافت سر آرد برون ** زین چنین مکری شود مارش زبون
If the fleshly soul had not waylaid you from within, how would the brigands have any power to lay a hand upon you?
گرنه نفس از اندرون راهت زدی ** ره‌زنان را بر تو دستی کی بدی
On account of the exigent myrmidon, who is Lust, the heart is captive to greed and cupidity and bane.
زان عوان مقتضی که شهوتست ** دل اسیر حرص و آز و آفتست
On account of that inward myrmidon you have become thievish and depraved, so that the way is (open) for the (external) myrmidons to coerce you.4065
زان عوان سر شدی دزد و تباه ** تا عوانان را به قهر تست راه
Hearken to this good counsel in the Traditions (of the Prophet)—“Your worst enemy is between your two sides.”
در خبر بشنو تو این پند نکو ** بیم جنبیکم لکم اعدی عدو
Do not listen to the pompous talk of this enemy, (but) flee, for she is like Iblís in obstinately wrangling and quarrelling.
طمطراق این عدو مشنو گریز ** کو چو ابلیسست در لج و ستیز
For the sake of this world and for contention's sake she has made the everlasting torment (seem) easy (of small account) to you.
بر تو او از بهر دنیا و نبرد ** آن عذاب سرمدی را سهل کرد
What wonder, if she makes death (seem) easy? By her magic she does a hundred times as much (as this).
چه عجب گر مرگ را آسان کند ** او ز سحر خویش صد چندان کند
Magic makes a straw a mountain by artifice; (or) again, it weaves a mountain like a straw.4070
سحر کاهی را به صنعت که کند ** باز کوهی را چو کاهی می‌تند
It makes ugly things beautiful by means of sleight; it makes beautiful things ugly by means of (false) opinion.
زشتها را نغز گرداند به فن ** نغزها را زشت گرداند به ظن
The work of magic is this, that it breathes (incantations) and at every breath (moment) transforms realities.
کار سحر اینست کو دم می‌زند ** هر نفس قلب حقایق می‌کند
At one time it shows a man in the guise of an ass, (at another time) it makes an ass (look like) a man and a notable.
آدمی را خر نماید ساعتی ** آدمی سازد خری را وآیتی
Such a magician is within you and latent: truly, there is a concealed magic in temptation (exerted by the fleshly soul);
این چنین ساحر درون تست و سر ** ان فی الوسواس سحرا مستتر
(But) in the world in which are these magic arts, there are magicians who defeat sorcery.4075
اندر آن عالم که هست این سحرها ** ساحران هستند جادویی‌گشا
In the plain where this fresh (virulent) poison grew, there has also grown the antidote, O son.
اندر آن صحرا که رست این زهر تر ** نیز روییدست تریاق ای پسر
The antidote says to you, “Seek from me a shield, for I am nearer than the poison to thee.
گویدت تریاق از من جو سپر ** که ز زهرم من به تو نزدیکتر
Her (the fleshly soul's) words are magic and thy ruin; my words are (lawful) magic and the counter-charm to her magic.”
گفت او سحرست و ویرانی تو ** گفت من سحرست و دفع سحر او
How the fault-finders repeated their advice to the guest of the guest-killing mosque.
مکرر کردن عاذلان پند را بر آن مهمان آن مسجد مهمان کش
The Prophet said, “Verily, there is a magic in eloquence”; and that goodly hero spake the truth.
گفت پیغامبر که ان فی البیان ** سحرا و حق گفت آن خوش پهلوان
“Hey, do not commit a foolhardy act, (but) depart, O generous man, and do not make the mosque and us suspected on this account;4080
هین مکن جلدی برو ای بوالکرم ** مسجد و ما را مکن زین متهم
For an enemy will speak form enmity, and to-morrow the villain will rouse a fire (of suspicion) against us,
که بگوید دشمنی از دشمنی ** آتشی در ما زند فردا دنی
Saying, ‘Some wicked man strangled him, (knowing that) on the pretext of the mosque he was safe (from suspicion),
که بتاسانید او را ظالمی ** بر بهانه‌ی مسجد او بد سالمی
So that he might impute the murder to the mosque and, since the mosque has a bad name, might escape.’
تا بهانه‌ی قتل بر مسجد نهد ** چونک بدنامست مسجد او جهد
Do not lay any suspicion upon us, O man of valiant spirit, for we are not secure from the craft of (our) enemies.
تهمتی بر ما منه ای سخت‌جان ** که نه‌ایم آمن ز مکر دشمنان
Come now, depart! Do not be foolhardy, do not cherish vain desire, for it is impossible to measure (the planet) Saturn by the ell.4085
هین برو جلدی مکن سودا مپز ** که نتان پیمود کیوان را بگز
Many like thee have prated of (their) luck, (and in the end) they have torn out their beards, one by one, piecemeal.
چون تو بسیاران بلافیده ز بخت ** ریش خود بر کنده یک یک لخت لخت
Hey, begone ! Cut short this palaver ! Do not cast thyself and us into woe!"
هین برو کوتاه کن این قیل و قال ** خویش و ما را در میفکن در وبال
How the guest answered them and adduced the parable of the guardian of the cornfield who, by making a noise with the tomtom, sought to drive away from the cornfield a camel on whose back they were beating the big kettle-drum of (Sultan) Mahmúd.
جواب گفتن مهمان ایشان را و مثل آوردن بدفع کردن حارس کشت به بانگ دف از کشت شتری را کی کوس محمودی بر پشت او زدندی
He said, “O friends, I am not one of the devils, that (the strength of) my sinews should fail at a single lá hawl.
گفت ای یاران از آن دیوان نیم ** که ز لا حولی ضعیف آید پیم
A boy, who was the guardian of a cornfield, used to beat a tomtom in order to keep off the birds,
کودکی کو حارس کشتی بدی ** طبلکی در دفع مرغان می‌زدی
So that the birds, at (the sound of) the tomtom, were scared away from the field, and the field became safe from evil birds.4090
تا رمیدی مرغ زان طبلک ز کشت ** کشت از مرغان بد بی خوف گشت
When the Sultan, the noble King Mahmúd, pitched a great tent in that neighbourhood as he passed on the way
چونک سلطان شاه محمود کریم ** برگذر زد آن طرف خیمه‌ی عظیم
With an army like the stars of heaven (in number), numerous and victorious, one that pierces the ranks (of the enemy) and takes possession of empire—
با سپاهی همچو استاره‌ی اثیر ** انبه و پیروز و صفدر ملک‌گیر
There was a camel that carried the kettle-drum: ’twas a Bactrian (camel), going in front (of the army) like a cock:
اشتری بد کو بدی حمال کوس ** بختیی بد پیش‌رو همچون خروس
Day and night he (the driver) used loudly to beat the big kettle-drum and the (ordinary) drum on its back in returning (from an expedition) and in setting out.
بانگ کوس و طبل بر وی روز و شب ** می‌زدی اندر رجوع و در طلب
That camel entered the cornfield, and the boy beat his tom--tom to protect the corn.4095
اندر آن مزرع در آمد آن شتر ** کودک آن طبلک بزد در حفظ بر