یک گره را بر هوا درهم زدی ** تا چو خشخاش استخوان ریزان شدی 4820
One party it hurled against each other in the air, so that their bones crumbled like poppy-seed.
آن سیاست را که لرزید آسمان ** مثنوی اندر نگنجد شرح آن
There is no room in the Mathnawí to describe fully that chastisement whereat Heaven trembled.
گر به طبع این می‌کنی ای باد سرد ** گرد خط و دایره‌ی آن هود گرد
If, O icy wind, thou art doing this by (thine own) nature, (then) try to invade the line and circle drawn by Húd!
ای طبیعی فوق طبع این ملک بین ** یا بیا و محو کن از مصحف این
O natural philosopher, perceive that this kingdom (of God) is above Nature, or else come and (if thou canst) wipe out this (narrative) from the Holy Book!
مقریان را منع کن بندی بنه ** یا معلم را به مال و سهم ده
Prohibit those who recite the Qur’án (professionally) and impose a ban (upon them), or punish the teacher and put terror into him!
عاجزی و خیره کن عجز از کجاست ** عجز تو تابی از آن روز جزاست 4825
Thou art helpless and unable to understand the cause of this helplessness: thy helplessness is a reflexion (foretaste) of the Day of Retribution.
عجزها داری تو در پیش ای لجوج ** وقت شد پنهانیان را نک خروج
O perverse man, thou hast many a helpless plight before thee: (when) the hour comes, lo, the hide-aways will emerge!
خرم آن کین عجز و حیرت قوت اوست ** در دو عالم خفته اندر ظل دوست
Happy is he whose (spiritual) food is this helplessness and bewilderment and who in both worlds is sleeping in the shadow (protection) of the Beloved.
هم در آخر عجز خود را او بدید ** مرده شد دین عجایز را گزید
He (such an one) is conscious of being helpless both in the stable (of the present life) and in the last (future) state: he is dead (to self), he has adopted “the old women's religion.”
چون زلیخا یوسفش بر وی بتافت ** از عجوزی در جوانی راه یافت
(He is) like Zalíkhá, (who), when Joseph beamed upon her, found the way from decrepitude to youth.
زندگی در مردن و در محنتست ** آب حیوان در درون ظلمتست 4830
Life depends on dying (to self) and on suffering tribulation: the Water of Life is in the (Land of) Darkness.
رجوع کردن به قصه‌ی پروردن حق تعالی نمرود را بی‌واسطه‌ی مادر و دایه در طفلی
Resuming the Story of the most High God's bringing up Nimrod in his childhood without the intervention of mother and nurse.
حاصل آن روضه چو باغ عارفان ** از سموم صرصر آمد در امان
“In short, that garden, like the (spiritual) orchard of gnostics, was secure from the simoom and the sarsar wind.
یک پلنگی طفلکان نو زاده بود ** گفتم او را شیر ده طاعت نمود
A leopardess (there) had newly given birth to cubs: I bade her give milk to him (Nimrod), and she obeyed.
پس بدادش شیر و خدمتهاش کرد ** تا که بالغ گشت و زفت و شیرمرد
So she gave him milk and tended him till he grew up and became strong and valiant.
چون فطامش شد بگفتم با پری ** تا در آموزید نطق و داوری
When he was weaned, I told the peris (Jinn) to teach him how to discourse and deal justice.
پرورش دادم مر او را زان چمن ** کی بگفت اندر بگنجد فن من 4835
I gave him nourishment from that garden: how should (the description of) My artfulness be contained in words.
داده من ایوب را مهر پدر ** بهر مهمانی کرمان بی‌ضرر
I bestowed on Job a father's love in order that he might entertain the worms hospitably and do them no harm.
داده کرمان را برو مهر ولد ** بر پدر من اینت قدرت اینت ید
I bestowed on the worms love for him like that of children for their father. Look, here is (a token of My) Power, here is (a token of My) Hand!
مادران را داب من آموختم ** چون بود لطفی که من افروختم
I have taught mothers to care (for their children): how (infinite) must be the kindness that I have kindled!
صد عنایت کردم و صد رابطه ** تا ببیند لطف من بی‌واسطه
(Unto him) I showed a hundred favours and (knit) a hundred ties (of obligation), that he might experience My kindness directly,
تا نباشد از سبب در کش‌مکش ** تا بود هر استعانت از منش 4840
And not be distracted by any secondary cause, to the end that every call for help should be made by him to Me,
ورنه تا خود هیچ عذری نبودش ** شکوتی نبود ز هر یار بدش
Or at least that he should have no excuse (for turning elsewhere) and no occasion to complain of any evil companion.
این حضانه دید با صد رابطه ** که بپروردم ورا بی‌واسطه
He enjoyed this tender care (cemented) by a hundred ties, for I fostered him (Myself) without an intermediary.
شکر او آن بود ای بنده‌ی جلیل ** که شد او نمرود و سوزنده‌ی خلیل
His thanks, O honoured servant, were this, that he became Nimrod and the burner of Khalíl (Abraham)”—
هم‌چنان کین شاه‌زاده شکر شاه ** کرد استکبار و استکثار جاه
Just as this prince, in return for the favours of the King, showed arrogance and sought to aggrandise himself,
که چرا من تابع غیری شوم ** چونک صاحب ملک و اقبال نوم 4845
Saying, “Why should I become the follower of another when I possess empire and new (splendid) fortune?”
لطف‌های شه که ذکر آن گذشت ** از تجبر بر دلش پوشیده گشت
(Hence) the King's favours, of which the tale has been told above, were veiled from his heart (in oblivion) by his outrageous insolence—
هم‌چنان نمرود آن الطاف را ** زیر پا بنهاد از جهل و عمی
“Even so did Nimrod ignorantly and blindly trample underfoot those favours (of Mine).
این زمان کافر شد و ره می‌زند ** کبر و دعوی خدایی می‌کند
Now he has become an infidel and is waylaying (the faithful): he is acting with arrogance and pretending to Divinity.
رفته سوی آسمان با جلال ** با سه کرکس تا کند با من قتال
By means of three vultures he has gone (flown) towards august Heaven in order to battle with Me,
صد هزاران طفل بی‌تلویم را ** کشته تا یابد وی ابراهیم را 4850
And has killed a hundred thousand innocent children (in the hope) that he may find Abraham;
که منجم گفته کاندر حکم سال ** زاد خواهد دشمنی بهر قتال
For the astrologers declared that, according to the forecast for the year, there would be born an adversary to combat him,
هین بکن در دفع آن خصم احتیاط ** هر که می‌زایید می‌کشت از خباط
(And said), ‘Hark, take precautions to repel that enemy’; (so) in his craziness he would fain kill every child that was born.
کوری او رست طفل وحی کش ** ماند خون‌های دگر در گردنش
(But), to confound him, the inspired child was saved; the blood of (all) the others remained (as a burden of guilt) upon his neck.
از پدر یابید آن ملک ای عجب ** تا غرورش داد ظلمات نسب
Oh, ’tis wonderful! Did he obtain that empire from his father so that (in consequence) he was befooled by the darkness of noble lineage?
دیگران را گر ام و اب شد حجاب ** او ز ما یابید گوهرها به جیب 4855
(Nay); if father and mother were an obstacle (cause of delusion) to others, he derived the jewels in his pocket from Me.”
گرگ درنده‌ست نفس بد یقین ** چه بهانه می‌نهی بر هر قرین
Assuredly thy wicked carnal soul is a rapacious wolf: why art thou laying the blame on every comrade (neighbour)?
در ضلالت هست صد کل را کله ** نفس زشت کفرناک پر سفه
In its misguidedness the foul disbelieving unconscionable carnal soul is (like) a cap for (concealing the diseased condition of) a hundred baldpates.
زین سبب می‌گویم این بنده‌ی فقیر ** سلسله از گردن سگ برمگیر
For this reason, O poor slave (of God), I am always saying, “Do not remove the collar from the neck of the cur.”
گر معلم گشت این سگ هم سگست ** باش ذلت نفسه کو بدرگست
(Even) if this cur has become a teacher, it is a cur still: be thou one whose carnal soul is abased, for it is evil-natured.
فرض می‌آری به جا گر طایفی ** بر سهیلی چون ادیم طایفی 4860
Thou wilt perform thy bounden duty if thou go round about (one like) Suhayl (Canopus, and absorb his light) as Tá’if hide (absorbs the rays),
تا سهیلت وا خرد از شر پوست ** تا شوی چون موزه‌ای هم‌پای دوست
In order that Suhayl may redeem thee from the vices of the skin (corporeality), and that thou mayst fit the foot of the Beloved like a boot.
جمله قرآن شرح خبث نفس‌هاست ** بنگر اندر مصحف آن چشمت کجاست
The entire Qur’án is a description of the viciousness of carnal souls: look into the Holy Book! Where is thine eye?
ذکر نفس عادیان کالت بیافت ** در قتال انبیا مو می‌شکافت
(’Tis) an account of the carnal soul of people like ‘Ád, which (whenever it) found weapons took the utmost pains to combat the prophets.
قرن قرن از شوم نفس بی‌ادب ** ناگهان اندر جهان می‌زد لهب
From generation to generation, the wickedness of the undisciplined carnal soul was the cause of the world being suddenly set on fire (by Divine wrath).
رجوع کردن بدان قصه کی شاه‌زاده بدان طغیان زخم خورد از خاطر شاه پیش از استکمال فضایل دیگر از دنیا برفت
Returning to the Story of the prince who was smitten by a (mortal) blow from the heart of the King and departed from this world before he was fully endowed with the other (spiritual) excellences.
قصه کوته کن که رای نفس کور ** برد او را بعد سالی سوی گور 4865
Abridge the tale: after a year (had passed) the indignation of that jealous one (the King of China) brought him (the prince) to the grave.
شاه چون از محو شد سوی وجود ** چشم مریخیش آن خون کرده بود
When the King emerged from the state of self-effacement (mahw) into consciousness, (he found that) his martial eye had wrought that bloodshed.
چون به ترکش بنگرید آن بی‌نظیر ** دید کم از ترکشش یک چوبه تیر
When the peerless (King) looked at his quiver he perceived that one arrow was missing from his quiver.
گفت کو آن تیر و از حق باز جست ** گفت که اندر حلق او کز تیر تست
He said (to himself), “Where is that arrow?” and requested God (to inform him). He (God) replied, “In his (the prince's) throat, for ’tis by thy arrow (that he has been slain).”
عفو کرد آن شاه دریادل ولی ** آمده بد تیر اه بر مقتلی
The King, whose heart was like an ocean, pardoned him; but, alas, the arrow had struck a vital spot.