مر مغی را گفت مردی کای فلان ** هین مسلمان شو بباش از مومنان
A certain man said to a Magian, “O such-and-such, hark, become a Moslem, be one of the true believers!”
گفت اگر خواهد خدا مومن شوم ** ور فزاید فضل هم موقن شوم
He replied, “If God will, I shall become a true believer; and if He increase His grace, I shall become possessed of intuitive faith.”
گفت می‌خواهد خدا ایمان تو ** تا رهد از دست دوزخ جان تو
He (the Moslem) said, “God wills thy true belief, in order that thy spirit may be delivered from the hand (power) of Hell;
لیک نفس نحس و آن شیطان زشت ** می‌کشندت سوی کفران و کنشت 2915
But thy ill-omened carnal soul and the wicked Devil are dragging thee towards infidelity and the fire-temple.”
گفت ای منصف چو ایشان غالب‌اند ** یار او باشم که باشد زورمند
He replied, “O reasonable man, since they are predominant I shall (necessarily) be on the side of the stronger.
یار آن تانم بدن کو غالبست ** آن طرف افتم که غالب جاذبست
I can side (only) with him who is predominant: I (must) fall in the direction to which the predominant one is pulling (me).
چون خدا می‌خواست از من صدق زفت ** خواست او چه سود چون پیشش نرفت
Since (according to thy assertion) God was desiring of me a firm belief (in Islam), what is the use of His desire when He does not succeed (in attaining His object)?
نفس و شیطان خواست خود را پیش برد ** وآن عنایت قهر گشت و خرد و مرد
The carnal soul and the Devil have carried their will to success, while that act of (Divine) favour has been defeated and pulverised.
تو یکی قصر و سرایی ساختی ** اندرو صد نقش خوش افراختی 2920
(’Tis as if) thou hadst built a palace and pavilion and erected therein a hundred beautiful (ornamental) designs,
خواستی مسجد بود آن جای خیر ** دیگری آمد مر آن را ساخت دیر
And desired that that goodly place should be a mosque— and (then) some one else had come and made it a Christian monastery;