نیست هر عقلی حقیری پایدار ** وقت حرص و وقت خشم و کارزار
Not every despicable understanding remains steadfast in the hour of desire and anger and combat.
وصف ضعیف دلی و سستی صوفی سایه پرورد مجاهده ناکرده درد و داغ عشق ناچشیده به سجده و دست‌بوس عام و به حرمت نظر کردن و بانگشت نمودن ایشان کی امروز در زمانه صوفی اوست غره شده و بوهم بیمار شده هم‌چون آن معلم کی کودکان گفتند کی رنجوری و با این وهم کی من مجاهدم مرا درین ره پهلوان می‌دانند با غازیان به غزا رفته کی به ظاهر نیز هنر بنمایم در جهاد اکبر مستثناام جهاد اصغر خود پیش من چه محل دارد خیال شیر دیده و دلیریها کرده و مست این دلیری شده و روی به بیشه نهاده به قصد شیر و شیر به زبان حال گفته کی کلا سوف تعلمون ثم کلا سوف تعلمون
Description of the pusillanimity and weakness of the Súfí who has been brought up in ease and has never struggled with himself or experienced the pain and searing anguish of (Divine) love, and has been deluded by the homage and hand-kissing of the vulgar and their gazing on him with veneration and pointing at him with their fingers and saying, “He is the (most famous) Súfí in the world to-day”; and has been made sick by vain imagination, like the teacher who was told by the children that he was ill. In the conceit of being a (spiritual) warrior and regarded as a hero in this (spiritual) Way, he goes on campaign with the soldiers engaged in the war against the infidels. “I will show my valour outwardly too,” says he; “I am unparalleled in the Greater Warfare: what difficulty, forsooth, should the Lesser Warfare present to me?” He has beheld the phantasm of a lion and performed (imaginary) feats of bravery and become intoxicated with this bravery and has set out for the jungle to seek the lion. (But) the lion says with mute eloquence, “Nay, ye will see! and again, nay, ye will see!”
رفت یک صوفی به لشکر در غزا ** ناگهان آمد قطاریق و وغا
A Súfí went with the army to fight the infidels: suddenly came the clangours and din of war.
ماند صوفی با بنه و خیمه و ضعاف ** فارسان راندند تا صف مصاف
The Súfí stayed behind with the baggage-train and tents and invalids, (while) the horsemen rode into the line of battle.
مثقلان خاک بر جا ماندند ** سابقون السابقون در راندند
The earth-bound heavies remained in their place; the foremost in the march, the foremost in the march, rode on.
جنگها کرده مظفر آمدند ** باز گشته با غنایم سودمند 3740
After the combat, they came (back) victorious: they returned in possession of profit and (laden) with spoils.
ارمغان دادند کای صوفی تو نیز ** او برون انداخت نستد هیچ چیز
They gave (him) a present (from the battle-field), saying, “Thou too, O Súfí!” (but) he cast it out (of the tent) and would not take anything.
پس بگفتندش که خشمینی چرا ** گفت من محروم ماندم از غزا
Then they said to him, “Why art thou angry?” He answered, “I have been deprived of (my share in) the fighting.”
زان تلطف هیچ صوفی خوش نشد ** که میان غزو خنجر کش نشد
The Súfí was not at all pleased with that act of kindness, because he had not drawn the sword in the holy war.
پس بگفتندش که آوردیم اسیر ** آن یکی را بهر کشتن تو بگیر
So they said to him, “We have brought prisoners in: do thou take that one to kill.
سر ببرش تا تو هم غازی شوی ** اندکی خوش گشت صوفی دل‌قوی 3745
Cut off his head, in order that thou too mayst be a holy warrior.” (Thereupon) the Súfí was somewhat pleased and encouraged;