لیک نفس نحس و آن شیطان زشت ** می‌کشندت سوی کفران و کنشت

لیک نفس نحس و آن شیطان زشت ** می‌کشندت سوی کفران و کنشت 2915

But thy ill-omened carnal soul and the wicked Devil are dragging thee towards infidelity and the fire-temple.”

گفت ای منصف چو ایشان غالب‌اند ** یار او باشم که باشد زورمند

He replied, “O reasonable man, since they are predominant I shall (necessarily) be on the side of the stronger.

یار آن تانم بدن کو غالبست ** آن طرف افتم که غالب جاذبست

I can side (only) with him who is predominant: I (must) fall in the direction to which the predominant one is pulling (me).

چون خدا می‌خواست از من صدق زفت ** خواست او چه سود چون پیشش نرفت

Since (according to thy assertion) God was desiring of me a firm belief (in Islam), what is the use of His desire when He does not succeed (in attaining His object)?

نفس و شیطان خواست خود را پیش برد ** وآن عنایت قهر گشت و خرد و مرد

The carnal soul and the Devil have carried their will to success, while that act of (Divine) favour has been defeated and pulverised.

تو یکی قصر و سرایی ساختی ** اندرو صد نقش خوش افراختی 2920

(’Tis as if) thou hadst built a palace and pavilion and erected therein a hundred beautiful (ornamental) designs,

خواستی مسجد بود آن جای خیر ** دیگری آمد مر آن را ساخت دیر

And desired that that goodly place should be a mosque— and (then) some one else had come and made it a Christian monastery;

یا تو بافیدی یکی کرباس تا ** خوش بسازی بهر پوشیدن قبا

Or (as if) thou hadst woven a piece of linen cloth, in order deftly to make it a coat for some one to wear,

تو قبا می‌خواستی خصم از نبرد ** رغم تو کرباس را شلوار کرد

And (when) thou wert desiring (it to be) a coat, a rival, from (motives of) hostility, made the linen stuff into a pair of trousers in spite of thee.

چاره کرباس چه بود جان من ** جز زبون رای آن غالب شدن

What resource has the linen, my dear friend, but to submit to the purpose of the one who is predominant?