کرد با وی شاه آن کاری که گفت ** خلق حیران مانده ز ان مکر نهفت
The king did to him that deed (mutilation) which he had proposed: the people remained in amazement at that hidden (mysterious) plot.
راند او را جانب نصرانیان ** کرد در دعوت شروع او بعد از آن
He (the king) drove him away to the Christians. After that, he (the vizier) began to proselytise.
قبول کردن نصارا مکر وزیر را
How the Christians let themselves be duped by the vizier.
صد هزاران مرد ترسا سوی او ** اندک اندک جمع شد در کوی او
Myriads of Christian men gathered round him, little by little, in his abode,
او بیان می‌‌کرد با ایشان به راز ** سر انگلیون و زنار و نماز
(While) he secretly expounded to them the mysteries of Gospel and girdle and prayer.
او به ظاهر واعظ احکام بود ** لیک در باطن صفیر و دام بود365
Outwardly he was a preacher of (religious) ordinances, but inwardly he was (as) the whistle and snare (of the fowler).
بهر این بعضی صحابه از رسول ** ملتمس بودند مکر نفس غول
On this account some Companions (of Mohammed) begged of the Prophet (that he would acquaint them with) the deceitfulness of the ghoul-like soul,
کاو چه آمیزد ز اغراض نهان ** در عبادتها و در اخلاص جان
Saying, “What of hidden selfish interests does it mingle in acts of worship and in pure spiritual devotion?”
فضل طاعت را نجستندی از او ** عیب ظاهر را بجستندی که کو
They were not seeking from him excellence of piety; they were inquiring where lay the outward defect.
مو به مو و ذره ذره مکر نفس ** می‌‌شناسیدند چون گل از کرفس
Hair by hair, speck by speck, they were recognising the deceitfulness of the fleshly soul as (plainly as the difference of) the rose from parsley.
موشکافان صحابه هم در آن ** وعظ ایشان خیره گشتندی به جان370
Even the hair-splitters (the most scrupulous) of the Companions used to become distraught in spirit at the (Prophet's) admonition to them (the inquirers).