-
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 ریخت 4050
- 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 کیش 4055
- 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 بماند 4060
- For God hath called the Devil Khannás (the slinker), because he resembles the head of the little hedgehog.
-
می نهان گردد سر آن خارپشت ** دمبدم از بیم صیاد درشت
- The head of the hedgehog is continually being hidden because of its fear of the cruel hunter,
-
تا چو فرصت یافت سر آرد برون ** زین چنین مکری شود مارش زبون
- Until, when it has found an opportunity, it puts out its head: by such a stratagem the snake becomes its prey.
-
گرنه نفس از اندرون راهت زدی ** رهزنان را بر تو دستی کی بدی
- If the fleshly soul had not waylaid you from within, how would the brigands have any power to lay a hand upon you?
-
زان عوان مقتضی که شهوتست ** دل اسیر حرص و آز و آفتست
- On account of the exigent myrmidon, who is Lust, the heart is captive to greed and cupidity and bane.
-
زان عوان سر شدی دزد و تباه ** تا عوانان را به قهر تست راه 4065
- 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.
-
در خبر بشنو تو این پند نکو ** بیم جنبیکم لکم اعدی عدو
- Hearken to this good counsel in the Traditions (of the Prophet)—“Your worst enemy is between your two sides.”
-
طمطراق این عدو مشنو گریز ** کو چو ابلیسست در لج و ستیز
- Do not listen to the pompous talk of this enemy, (but) flee, for she is like Iblís in obstinately wrangling and quarrelling.
-
بر تو او از بهر دنیا و نبرد ** آن عذاب سرمدی را سهل کرد
- For the sake of this world and for contention's sake she has made the everlasting torment (seem) easy (of small account) to you.
-
چه عجب گر مرگ را آسان کند ** او ز سحر خویش صد چندان کند
- What wonder, if she makes death (seem) easy? By her magic she does a hundred times as much (as this).
-
سحر کاهی را به صنعت که کند ** باز کوهی را چو کاهی میتند 4070
- Magic makes a straw a mountain by artifice; (or) again, it weaves a mountain like a straw.