The king did to him that deed (mutilation) which he had proposed: the people remained in amazement at that hidden (mysterious) plot.
کرد با وی شاه آن کاری که گفت ** خلق حیران مانده ز ان مکر نهفت
He (the king) drove him away to the Christians. After that, he (the vizier) began to proselytise.
راند او را جانب نصرانیان ** کرد در دعوت شروع او بعد از آن
How the Christians let themselves be duped by the vizier.
قبول کردن نصارا مکر وزیر را
Myriads of Christian men gathered round him, little by little, in his abode,
صد هزاران مرد ترسا سوی او ** اندک اندک جمع شد در کوی او
(While) he secretly expounded to them the mysteries of Gospel and girdle and prayer.
او بیان می‌‌کرد با ایشان به راز ** سر انگلیون و زنار و نماز
Outwardly he was a preacher of (religious) ordinances, but inwardly he was (as) the whistle and snare (of the fowler).365
او به ظاهر واعظ احکام بود ** لیک در باطن صفیر و دام بود
On this account some Companions (of Mohammed) begged of the Prophet (that he would acquaint them with) the deceitfulness of the ghoul-like soul,
بهر این بعضی صحابه از رسول ** ملتمس بودند مکر نفس غول
Saying, “What of hidden selfish interests does it mingle in acts of worship and in pure spiritual devotion?”
کاو چه آمیزد ز اغراض نهان ** در عبادتها و در اخلاص جان
They were not seeking from him excellence of piety; they were inquiring where lay the outward defect.
فضل طاعت را نجستندی از او ** عیب ظاهر را بجستندی که کو
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.
مو به مو و ذره ذره مکر نفس ** می‌‌شناسیدند چون گل از کرفس
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).370
موشکافان صحابه هم در آن ** وعظ ایشان خیره گشتندی به جان