او شنیده بود از دور این خبر ** که اسیر پیرزن گشت آن پسر3160
He had heard from afar the news that that boy had been captivated by an old woman,
کان عجوزه بود اندر جادوی ** بی‌نظیر و آمن از مثل و دوی
A crone who in witchery was unrivalled and secure from likeness and duality.
دست بر بالای دستست ای فتی ** در فن و در زور تا ذات خدا
Hand is above hand, O youth, in skill and in strength up to the Essence of God.
منتهای دستها دست خداست ** بحر بی‌شک منتهای سیلهاست
The ultimate end of (all) hands is the Hand of God: the ultimate end of (all) torrents is undoubtedly the sea.
هم ازو گیرند مایه ابرها ** هم بدو باشد نهایت سیل را
From it the clouds take their origin, and in it too the torrent hath an end.
گفت شاهش کین پسر از دست رفت ** گفت اینک آمدم درمان زفت3165
The king said to him, “This boy has passed out of control (has lost his wits).” He (the magician) said, “Look you, I am come as a potent remedy.
نیست همتا زال را زین ساحران ** جز من داهی رسیده زان کران
None of these sorcerers is equal to the old woman except me, the sagacious one, who have arrived from yonder shore.
چون کف موسی به امر کردگار ** نک برآرم من ز سحر او دمار
Lo, by command of the Creator, I, like the hand of Moses, will utterly destroy her sorcery;
که مرا این علم آمد زان طرف ** نه ز شاگردی سحر مستخف
For to me this knowledge hath come from yonder region, not from having been schooled in the sorcery which is held cheap (by the wise).
آمدم تا بر گشایم سحر او ** تا نماند شاه‌زاده زردرو
I am come to undo her sorcery, so that the prince may not remain pale-faced.
سوی گورستان برو وقت سحور ** پهلوی دیوار هست اسپید گور3170
Go to the graveyard at the hour of the meal taken before dawn: beside the wall is a whitened tomb.
سوی قبله باز کاو آنجای را ** تا ببینی قدرت و صنع خدا
Dig up that place in the direction of the qibla, that thou mayst behold the power and the working of God.”
بس درازست این حکایت تو ملول ** زبده را گویم رها کردم فضول
This story is very long, and you (O reader) are weary: I will relate the cream (of it), I dismiss what is superfluous.
آن گره‌های گران را بر گشاد ** پس ز محنت پور شه را راه داد
He (the magician) untied those heavy knots: then he gave to the king's son a way (of escape) from the affliction.
آن پسر با خویش آمد شد دوان ** سوی تخت شاه با صد امتحان
The boy came to himself and with a hundred tribulations went running towards the throne of the king.
سجده کرد و بر زمین می‌زد ذقن ** در بغل کرده پسر تیغ و کفن3175
He made prostration and was beating his chin on the earth: the boy held in his arms a sword and winding-sheet.
شاه آیین بست و اهل شهر شاد ** وآن عروس ناامید بی‌مراد
The king ordered the city to be decorated, and the citizens and the despairing disappointed bride rejoiced.
عالم از سر زنده گشت و پر فروز ** ای عجب آن روز روز امروز روز
The (whole) world revived once more and was filled with radiance: (the people said), “Oh, what a wondrous difference between that day (of sorrow) and to-day!”
یک عروسی کرد شاه او را چنان ** که جلاب قند بد پیش سگان
The king made such a (lavish) wedding-feast for him that sugared julep was (placed) before the dogs.
جادوی کمپیر از غصه بمرد ** روی و خوی زشت فا مالک سپرد
The old witch died of vexation and gave up her hideous face and (foul) nature to Málik.
شاه‌زاده در تعجب مانده بود ** کز من او عقل و نظر چون در ربود3180
The prince was left in amazement: (he said to himself), “How did she rob me of understanding and insight?”
نو عروسی دید هم‌چون ماه حسن ** که همی زد بر ملیحان راه حسن
He beheld a newly wedded bride like the beauteous moon, who was (as a brigand) infesting the road of beauty (and occupying it) against (all) the (other) fair ones.
گشت بیهوش و برو اندر فتاد ** تا سه روز از جسم وی گم شد فاد
He became senseless and fell on his face: for three days the heart (consciousness) vanished from his body.
سه شبان روز او ز خود بیهوش گشت ** تا که خلق از غشی او پر جوش گشت
Three days and nights he became unconscious of himself, so that the people were (sorely) perturbed by his swoon.
از گلاب و از علاج آمد به خود ** اندک اندک فهم گشتش نیک و بد
By means of rose-water and (other) remedies he came to himself (again): little by little, good and evil were apprehended by him (once more).
بعد سالی گفت شاهش در سخن ** کای پسر یاد آر از آن یار کهن3185
After a year the king said to him jokingly in conversation, “O son, bethink thee of that old friend (of thine),
یاد آور زان ضجیع و زان فراش ** تا بدین حد بی‌وفا و مر مباش
Bethink thee of that bedfellow and that bed: do not be so faithless and harsh!”
گفت رو من یافتم دار السرور ** وا رهیدم از چه دار الغرور
“Go to!” said he; “I have found the abode of joy, I am delivered from the pit of the abode of delusion.”
هم‌چنان باشد چو مومن راه یافت ** سوی نور حق ز ظلمت روی تافت
’Tis even so: when the true believer has found the way towards the Light of God, he averts his face from the darkness (of this world).
در بیان آنک شه‌زاده آدمی بچه است خلیفه‌ی خداست پدرش آدم صفی خلیفه‌ی حق مسجود ملایک و آن کمپیر کابلی دنیاست کی آدمی‌بچه را از پدر ببرید به سحر و انبیا و اولیا آن طبیب تدارک کننده
Explaining that the prince is Man, the vicegerent of God, and that his father is Adam, the chosen one, the vicegerent of God, he to whom the angels bowed in worship; and that the old hag of Kábul is the World which separated Man from his Father by sorcery, while the prophets and saints are (like) the physician who applied the remedy.
ای برادر دانک شه‌زاده توی ** در جهان کهنه زاده از نوی
O brother, know that thou art the prince born anew in the old world.
کابلی جادو این دنیاست کو ** کرد مردان را اسیر رنگ و بو3190
The witch of Kábul is this World which made men captive to colour and perfume.
چون در افکندت دریغ آلوده روذ ** دم به دم می‌خوان و می‌دم قل اعوذ
Since she hath cast thee into this polluted stream, continually recite and utter (the words), Say, I take refuge.
تا رهی زین جادوی و زین قلق ** استعاذت خواه از رب الفلق
In order that thou mayst be delivered from this witchery and this distress, beg of the Lord of the daybreak that thou mayst say “I take refuge.”
زان نبی دنیات را سحاره خواند ** کو به افسون خلق را در چه نشاند
The Prophet called this world of thine an enchantress because through her spells she lodged mankind in the pit.
هین فسون گرم دارد گنده پیر ** کرده شاهان را دم گرمش اسیر
Beware! The stinking hag hath hot (potent) spells: her hot breath hath made kings captive.
در درون سینه نفاثات اوست ** عقده‌های سحر را اثبات اوست3195
She is the witches who blow (on knots) within (thy) breast: she is the (means of) maintaining the knots of sorcery.
ساحره‌ی دنیا قوی دانا زنیست ** حل سحر او به پای عامه نیست
The sorceress, (who is) the World, is a mightily cunning woman: ’tis not in the power of the vulgar to undo her sorcery;
ور گشادی عقد او را عقلها ** انبیا را کی فرستادی خدا
And if (men's) understandings could loose her knot, how should God have sent the prophets?
هین طلب کن خوش‌دمی عقده‌گشا ** رازدان یفعل الله ما یشا
Hark, seek one whose breath is pure, a looser of knots, one who knows the mystery of God doeth whatso He willeth.
هم‌چو ماهی بسته است او به شست ** شاه زاده ماند سالی و تو شصت
She (the World) hath imprisoned thee, like a fish, in her net: the prince remained (there) one year, and thou sixty.
شصت سال از شست او در محنتی ** نه خوشی نه بر طریق سنتی3200
From (being enmeshed in) her net thou art in tribulation sixty years: neither art thou happy nor (dost thou walk) in the way of the Sunna.
فاسقی بدبخت نه دنیات خوب ** نه رهیده از وبال و از ذنوب
Thou art a miserable unrighteous man: neither is thy worldly life good (happy) nor art thou delivered from guilt and sins.
نفخ او این عقده‌ها را سخت کرد ** پس طلب کن نفخه‌ی خلاق فرد
Her (the World's) breathing hath made these knots tight: seek, then, the breathing of the unique Creator,
تا نفخت فیه من روحی ترا ** وا رهاند زین و گوید برتر آ
In order that “I breathed of My spirit into him” may deliver thee from this (sorcery) and say (to thee), “Come higher!”
جز به نفخ حق نسوزد نفخ سحر ** نفخ قهرست این و آن دم نفح مهر
The breathing of sorcery is not consumed save by the breathing of God: this (the former) is the breathing of (Divine) wrath, (while) that (the latter) exhalation is the breathing of (Divine) love.
رحمت او سابقست از قهر او ** سابقی خواهی برو سابق بجو3205
His mercy is prior to His wrath: (if) thou desirest priority (in spiritual rank), go, seek that (attribute) which is prior,
تا رسی اندر نفوس زوجت ** کای شه مسحور اینک مخرجت
That thou mayst attain unto the souls that are wedded; for lo, this, O ensorcelled prince, is thy way of escape.
با وجود زال ناید انحلال ** در شبیکه و در بر آن پر دلال
With the existence of the old woman, there can be no undoing (of the knots), (whilst thou art) in the net and in the arms of that (paramour) full of blandishments.
نه بگفتست آن سراج امتان ** این جهان و آن جهان را ضرتان
Hath not the Lamp of the peoples called this world and that world the two fellow-wives (who are always quarrelling with each other)?
پس وصال این فراق آن بود ** صحت این تن سقام جان بود
Therefore union with this (world) is separation from that (world): the health of this body is the sickness of the spirit.