When they conceal their amber, they quickly make your submission (to God) rebellion (against Him).
آن چنان که مرتبه‌‌ی حیوانی است ** کاو اسیر و سغبه‌‌ی انسانی است
That (position which you hold in relation to them) is like the stage of animality, which is captive and subject to (the stage of) humanity.
مرتبه‌‌ی انسان به دست اولیا ** سغبه چون حیوان شناسش ای کیا2495
Know that the stage of humanity is subject to the power of the saints as the animal (is subject to man), O master.
بنده‌‌ی خود خواند احمد در رشاد ** جمله عالم را بخوان قل یا عباد
Ahmad (Mohammed) in righteousness called (the people of) the whole world his servants: read (the text), “Say, O My servants.”
عقل تو همچون شتربان تو شتر ** می‌‌کشاند هر طرف در حکم مر
Your intellect is like the camel-driver, and you are the camel: it drives you in every direction under its bitter control.
عقل عقلند اولیا و عقلها ** بر مثال اشتران تا انتها
The saints are the intellect of intellect, and (all) intellects (from the beginning) to the end are (under their control) like camels.
اندر ایشان بنگر آخر ز اعتبار ** یک قلاووز است جان صد هزار
Come now, look upon them with (profound) consideration: there is (but) one guide, and a hundred thousand souls (following him).
چه قلاووز و چه اشیربان بیاب ** دیده‌ای کان دیده بیند آفتاب2500
What is the guide and what the camel-driver? Get thee an eye that may behold the Sun!
نک جهان در شب بمانده میخ دوز ** منتظر موقوف خورشید است و روز
A world has been left nailed fast in night, waiting expectantly, depending on the sun and the day.
اینت خورشیدی نهان در ذره‌‌ای ** شیر نر در پوستین بره‌‌ای
Here is a sun hidden in a mote, a fierce lion in the fleece of a lamb.
اینت دریایی نهان در زیر کاه ** پا بر این که هین منه با اشتباه
Here is an ocean hidden beneath straw: beware, do not step on this straw with hesitancy.
اشتباهی و گمانی در درون ** رحمت حق است بهر رهنمون
(But) a feeling of hesitancy and doubt in the heart (of the foolish) is a Divine mercy in regard to the (spiritual) guide.
هر پیمبر فرد آمد در جهان ** فرد بود و صد جهانش در نهان2505
Every prophet came alone into this world: that Guide was inwardly alone, and (yet) he had a hundred unseen worlds within him.
عالم کبری به قدرت سحر کرد ** کرد خود را در کهین نقشی نورد
By his power he enchanted the macrocosm (universe), he enfolded himself in a very small frame.
ابلهانش فرد دیدند و ضعیف ** کی ضعیف است آن که با شه شد حریف
The foolish deemed him to be lonely and weak: how is he weak who has become the King's companion?
ابلهان گفتند مردی بیش نیست ** وای آن کاو عاقبت اندیش نیست
The foolish said, “He is a man, nothing more”: woe to him that recks not of the end!
حقیر و بی‌‌خصم دیدن دیده‌‌های حس صالح و ناقه‌‌ی صالح را، چون خواهد که حق لشکری را هلاک کند در نظر ایشان حقیر نماید خصمان را و اندک اگر چه غالب باشد آن خصم و يقللکم فی أعينهم ليقضي الله أمرا کان مفعولا
How the eyes of (external) sense regarded Sálih and his she-camel as despicable and without a champion; (for) when God is about to destroy an army He makes their adversaries appear despicable and few in their sight, even though the adversary be superior in strength: “and He was making you few in their eyes, that God might bring to pass a thing that was to be done.”
ناقه‌‌ی صالح به صورت بد شتر ** پی بریدندش ز جهل آن قوم مر
The she-camel of Sálih was in (outward) form a camel: that bitter (graceless) tribe hamstrung (and slaughtered) her in their folly.
از برای آب چون خصمش شدند ** نان کور و آب کور ایشان بدند2510
When they became her foes on account of the water (which she shared with them), they were blind to bread and blind to water (ungrateful for the blessings of God).
ناقة الله آب خورد از جوی و میغ ** آب حق را داشتند از حق دریغ
God's she-camel drank water from brook and cloud: they (really) withheld God's water from God.
ناقه‌‌ی صالح چو جسم صالحان ** شد کمینی در هلاک طالحان
The she-camel of Sálih became, like the bodies of righteous men, an ambush for the destruction of the wicked,
تا بر آن امت ز حکم مرگ و درد ** ناقة الله و سقیاها چه کرد
That (you may see) what (the Divine command), Let God's she-camel have her portion of water, wrought against that people, through the ordainment of death and woe.
The vengeance, which is God's minister, demanded from them an entire town as the blood-price of a single camel.
روح همچون صالح و تن ناقه است ** روح اندر وصل و تن در فاقه است2515
The spirit is like Sálih, and the body is the she-camel: the spirit is in union (with God), the body in want (distress).
روح صالح قابل آفات نیست ** زخم بر ناقه بود بر ذات نیست
The Sálih-spirit is not susceptible to afflictions: the blows fall on the camel (body), not on the essence (spirit).
کس نیابد بر دل ایشان ظفر ** بر صدف آمد ضرر نی بر گهر
No one gains victory over their (the saints') hearts: harm comes (only) to the oyster-shell, not to the pearl.
روح صالح قابل آزار نیست ** نور یزدان سغبه‌‌ی کفار نیست
The Sálih-spirit is not capable of being hurt: the light of God is not subject to infidels.
حق از آن پیوست با جسمی نهان ** تاش آزارند و بینند امتحان
God became secretly united with a body, that they (the infidels) might hurt (it) and suffer tribulation,
بی‌‌خبر کآزار این آزار اوست ** آب این خم متصل با آب جوست2520
Not knowing that to hurt this (body) is to hurt (offend) Him: the water in this jar is joined with the water in the river.
ز آن تعلق کرد با جسمی اله ** تا که گردد جمله عالم را پناه
God connected (the spirit) with a body, in order that he (the prophet or saint) might become a refuge for the whole world.
ناقه‌‌ی جسم ولی را بنده باش ** تا شوی با روح صالح خواجه‌‌تاش
Be a slave to the camel, which is the saint's body, that you may become the fellow servant of the Sálih-spirit.
گفت صالح چون که کردید این حسد ** بعد سه روز از خدا نقمت رسد
Sálih said (to the people of Thamúd), “Inasmuch as ye have shown this envy, after three days the punishment will arrive from God.
بعد سه روز دگر از جان ستان ** آفتی آید که دارد سه نشان
After three more days there will come from the Taker of life a calamity that hath three signs.
رنگ روی جمله تان گردد دگر ** رنگ رنگ مختلف اندر نظر2525
The colour of all your faces will be changed, (they will be of) colours different to look at.
روز اول رویتان چون زعفران ** در دوم رو سرخ همچون ارغوان
On the first day your faces will be like saffron, on the second your faces will be red like arghawán (flowers of the Judas-tree).
در سوم گردد همه روها سیاه ** بعد از آن اندر رسد قهر اله
On the third, all your faces will become black: after that, the vengeance of God will arrive.
گر نشان خواهید از من زین وعید ** کره‌‌ی ناقه به سوی که دوید
If ye desire from me the sign of this threatened chastisement, the she-camel's foal has run towards the mountains:
گر توانیدش گرفتن چاره هست ** ور نه خود مرغ امید از دام جست
If ye can catch him, there is help (for you); else the bird of hope hath surely escaped from the snare.”
کس نتانست اندر آن کره رسید ** رفت در کهسارها شد ناپدید2530
None was able to overtake the foal: he went into the mountains and vanished.
گفت دیدید آن قضا مبرم شده ست ** صورت اومید را گردن زده ست
Sálih said, “Ye see, the (Divine) destiny has been divulged and has beheaded the phantom of your hope.”
کره‌‌ی ناقه چه باشد خاطرش ** که بجا آرید ز احسان و برش
What is the she-camel's foal? His (the saint's) heart, which ye may bring back to its place (win again) by means of well-doing and piety.
گر بجا آید دلش رستید از آن ** ور نه نومیدید و ساعد را گزان
If his heart comes back (is reconciled), ye are saved from that (Divine punishment); otherwise ye are despairing and biting your fore-arms (in remorse).
چون شنیدند این وعید منکدر ** چشم بنهادند و آن را منتظر
When they heard this dark threat, they cast down their eyes and waited for it (to be fulfilled).
روز اول روی خود دیدند زرد ** می‌‌زدند از ناامیدی آه سرد2535
On the first day they saw their faces yellow: from despair they were sighing heavily.
سرخ شد روی همه روز دوم ** نوبت اومید و توبه گشت گم
On the second day the faces of all became red: the time for hope and repentance was (irretrievably) lost.