همچو شیطان در سپه شد صد یکم ** خواند افسون که اننی جار لکم
As (for example) Satan became the hundred-and-first in the army (of the Quraysh) and spake beguiling words, saying, “Verily, I am a protector for you.”
چون قریش از گفت او حاضر شدند ** هر دو لشکر در ملاقان آمدند
When the Quraysh had assembled at his bidding, and the two armies confronted each other,
دید شیطان از ملایک اسپهی ** سوی صف مومنان اندر رهی
Satan espied a host of angels on a road beside the ranks of the Faithful.
آن جنودا لم تروها صف زده ** گشت جان او ز بیم آتشکده
(He espied) those troops that ye saw not, drawn up in ranks; and from terror his soul became (like) a fire-temple.
پای خود وا پس کشیده می‌گرفت ** که همی‌بینم سپاهی من شگفت4040
Turning on his heel, he began to retreat, saying, “I behold a marvellous host”—
ای اخاف الله ما لی منه عون ** اذهبوا انی اری ما لاترون
That is, “I fear God: I have no help from Him. Get ye gone! Verily, I see what ye see not.”
گفت حارث ای سراقه شکل هین ** دی چرا تو می‌نگفتی اینچنین
Hárith said, “Hey, O thou that hast the form of Suráqa, why wert not thou saying such-like words yesterday?”
گفت این دم من همی‌بینم حرب ** گفت می‌بینی جعاشیش عرب
He replied, “At this moment I see destruction (before me).” He (Hárith) said, “Thou seest the most puny of the Arabs.
می‌نبینی غیر این لیک ای تو ننگ ** آن زمان لاف بود این وقت جنگ
Thou art seeing naught but this; but, O thou disgrace, that was the time of talk, and this is the time of battle.
دی همی‌گفتی که پایندان شدم ** که بودتان فتح و نصرت دم‌بدم4045
Yesterday thou wert saying, ‘I pledge myself that victory and Divine aid will always be yours.’
دی زعیم الجیش بودی ای لعین ** وین زمان نامرد و ناچیز و مهین
Yesterday thou wert the surety for the army, O accursed one, and now thou art cowardly, good-for-nothing, and vile,
تا بخوردیم آن دم تو و آمدیم ** تو بتون رفتی و ما هیزم شدیم
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.”
چونک حارث با سراقه گفت این ** از عتابش خشمگین شد آن لعین
When Hárith said this to Suráqa, that accursed one was enraged at his reproaches.
دست خود خشمین ز دست او کشید ** چون ز گفت اوش درد دل رسید
He angrily withdrew his hand from his (Hárith's) hand, since his heart was pained by his words.
سینه‌اش را کوفت شیطان و گریخت ** خون آن بیچارگان زین مکر ریخت4050
Satan smote his (Hárith's) breast and fled: by means of this plot he shed the blood of those wretched men.
چونک ویران کرد چندین عالم او ** پس بگفت این بری منکم
After he had ruined so great a multitude, he then said, “Lo, I am quit of you.”
کوفت اندر سینه‌اش انداختش ** پس گریزان شد چو هیبت تاختش
He smote him on the breast and overthrew him; then he turned to flee, since terror urged him on.
نفس و شیطان هر دو یک تن بوده‌اند ** در دو صورت خویش را بنموده‌اند
The fleshly soul and the Devil both have (ever) been one person (essentially); (but) they have manifested themselves in two forms,
چون فرشته و عقل کایشان یک بدند ** بهر حکمتهاش دو صورت شدند
Like the angel and the intellect, which were (really) one, (but) became two forms for the sake of His (God's) wise purposes.
دشمنی داری چنین در سر خویش ** مانع عقلست و خصم جان و کیش4055
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.
یکنفس حمله کند چون سوسمار ** پس بسوراخی گریزد در فرار
At one moment he dashes forward like the Libyan lizard; then (again) in flight he darts away into a hole.
در دل او سوراخها دارد کنون ** سر ز هر سوراخ می‌آرد برون
Just now he has (many) holes in the (human) heart, and from every hole he is putting out his head.
نام پنهان گشتن دیو از نفوس ** واندر آن سوراخ رفتن شد خنوس
The name that denotes the Devil's becoming hidden from (men's) souls and going into that hole is khunús (slinking back),
که خنوسش چون خنوس قنفذست ** چون سر قنفذ ورا آمد شذست
For his khunús is like the khunús of the hedgehog: like the head of the hedgehog, he pops in and out;
که خدا آن دیو را خناس خواند ** کو سر آن خارپشتک را بماند4060
For God hath called the Devil Khannás (the slinker), because he resembles the head of the little hedgehog.