آنچنان کرد و از آن افزون که گفت ** او بخفت و بخت و اقبالش نخفت
Thus He did, and (even) more than He said: he (the Prophet) slept (the sleep of death), but his fortune and prosperity slumbered not.
جان بابا چونک ساحر خواب شد ** کار او بی رونق و بی‌تاب شد1215
“O soul of thy father, when a magician goes to sleep, his work becomes tarnished and dim.”
هر دو بوسیدند گورش را و تفت ** تا بمصر از بهر آن پیگار زفت
Both (the magician's sons) kissed his grave and turned away (and came) to Egypt for the purpose of this mighty struggle.
چون به مصر از بهر آن کار آمدند ** طالب موسی و خانه‌ی او شدند
When they came to Egypt for the sake of that enterprise, they sought after Moses and his house.
اتفاق افتاد کان روز ورود ** موسی اندر زیر نخلی خفته بود
It chanced that on the day of their arrival Moses was asleep under a palm-tree,
پس نشان دادندشان مردم بدو ** که برو آن سوی نخلستان بجو
So the folk gave them a clue to him, saying, “Go, seek yonder in the direction of the palm-grove.”
چون بیامد دید در خرمابنان ** خفته‌ای که بود بیدار جهان1220
When he (the magician's son) came (thither), he espied amongst the date trees a sleeper who was the wake fullest man in the world.
بهر نازش بسته او دو چشم سر ** عرش و فرشش جمله در زیر نظر
For pleasure's sake he had shut the two eyes of his head, (but) all Heaven and Earth were under his gaze.
ای بسا بیدارچشم و خفته‌دل ** خود چه بیند دید اهل آب و گل
Oh, (there is) many a one whose eye is awake and whose heart is asleep: what, in truth, should be seen by the eyes of creatures of water and clay?
آنک دل بیدار دارد چشم سر ** گر بخسپد بر گشاید صد بصر
(But) he that keeps his heart awake—though the eye of his head may sleep, it (his heart) will open a hundred eyes.
گر تو اهل دل نه‌ای بیدار باش ** طالب دل باش و در پیکار باش
If you are not one of (illumined) heart, be awake (keep vigil), be a seeker of the (illumined) heart, and be (always) in strife (with your fleshly soul);
ور دلت بیدار شد می‌خسپ خوش ** نیست غایب ناظرت از هفت و شش1225
But if your heart hath been awakened, sleep sound: thy (spiritual) eye is not absent from the seven (heavens) and the six (directions).
گفت پیغامبر که خسپد چشم من ** لیک کی خسپد دلم اندر وسن
The Prophet said, “Mine eye slumbers, but when doth my heart slumber in drowsiness?”
شاه بیدارست حارس خفته گیر ** جان فدای خفتگان دل‌بصیر
The King is awake: suppose the guardsman is asleep, (what does it matter?). May (my) soul be sacrificed to the sleepers whose hearts are seeing!
وصف بیداری دل ای معنوی ** در نگنجد در هزاران مثنوی
The description of the heart's wakefulness, O spiritual man, would not be contained in thousands of rhymed couplets.
چون بدیدندش که خفتست او دراز ** بهر دزدی عصا کردند ساز
When they (the magicians) saw that he was sleeping outstretched, they made preparations for stealing the rod.
ساحران قصد عصا کردند زود ** کز پسش باید شدن وانگه ربود1230
The magicians quickly approached the rod, saying, “We must go behind him and then snatch it (from him).”
اندکی چون پیشتر کردند ساز ** اندر آمد آن عصا در اهتزاز
When they prepared (to approach) a little nearer, the rod began to shake.
آنچنان بر خود بلرزید آن عصا ** کان دو بر جا خشک گشتند از وجا
The rod quivered upon itself in such wise (that) both (magicians) on the spot became petrified by the shock (of terror).
بعد از آن شد اژدها و حمله کرد ** هر دوان بگریختند و روی‌زرد
After that, it turned into a dragon and made a rush (at them): both fled, and pale of countenance
رو در افتادن گرفتند از نهیب ** غلط غلطان منهزم در هر نشیب
Began to fall on their faces from affright, tumbling panic-stricken down every slope.
پس یقینشان شد که هست از آسمان ** زانک می‌دیدند حد ساحران1235
Then to them it became certain that he (Moses) was from Heaven, since they were seeing the limit of (the power of) magicians.
بعد از آن اطلاق و تبشان شد پدید ** کارشان تا نزع و جان کندن رسید
Afterwards diarrhoea and fever appeared in them, and their case reached the last gasp and the death-agony.
پس فرستادند مردی در زمان ** سوی موسی از برای عذر آن
Then at once they sent a man to Moses to excuse that (which they had done),
کامتحان کردیم و ما را کی رسد ** امتحان تو اگر نبود حسد
Saying, “We have put (thee) to the test, and how should (the thought of) testing thee occur to us unless there be envy (as a motive)?