He heard wailings from their bones: their spirits shedding tears, like hailstones. ز استخوانهاشان شنید او ناله‌‌ها ** اشک ریز از جانشان چون ژاله‌‌ها
Sálih heard that and set to weeping: he began to lament for them that made lamentation. 2545 صالح آن بشنید و گریه ساز کرد ** نوحه بر نوحه گران آغاز کرد
He said, “O people that lived in vanity, and on account of you I wept before God! گفت ای قومی به باطل زیسته ** وز شما من پیش حق بگریسته
God said (to me), ‘Have patience with their iniquity: give them counsel, not much remains of their (allotted) period.’ حق بگفته صبر کن بر جورشان ** پندشان ده بس نماند از دورشان
I said, ‘Counsel is barred by ill-treatment: the milk of counsel gushes forth from love and joy. من بگفته پند شد بند از جفا ** شیر پند از مهر جوشد وز صفا
Much ill-treatment have ye bestowed on me, (so that) the milk of counsel is curdled in my veins.’ بس که کردید از جفا بر جای من ** شیر پند افسرد در رگهای من
God said to me, ‘I will give thee a boon, I will lay a plaster on those wounds (of thine).’ 2550 حق مرا گفته ترا لطفی دهم ** بر سر آن زخمها مرهم نهم
God made my heart clear as the sky, He swept your oppression out of my mind. صاف کرده حق دلم را چون سما ** روفته از خاطرم جور شما
I went (back) once more to admonition, I spake parables and words (sweet) as sugar, در نصیحت من شده بار دگر ** گفته امثال و سخنها چون شکر
I produced fresh milk from the sugar, I mingled milk and honey with my words. شیر تازه از شکر انگیخته ** شیر و شهدی با سخن آمیخته
In you those words became like poison, because ye were filled with poison from the root and foundation. در شما چون زهر گشته آن سخن ** ز آن که زهرستان بدید از بیخ و بن
How should I be grieved that grief is overthrown? Ye were grief (to me), O obstinate people. 2555 چون شوم غمگین که غم شد سر نگون ** غم شما بودید ای قوم حرون
Does any one lament the death of grief? Does any one tear out his hair when the sore on his head is removed?” هیچ کس بر مرگ غم نوحه کند ** ریش سر چون شد کسی مو بر کند
(Then) he turned to himself and said, “O mourner, those folk are not worth thy mourning.” رو به خود کرد و بگفت ای نوحه‌‌گر ** نوحه‌‌ات را می‌‌نیرزد آن نفر
Do not recite incorrectly, O thou who recitest correctly the perspicuous (Qur'án) “Say, how shall I be grieved for an unjust people?” کژ مخوان ای راست خواننده‌‌ی مبین ** کیف آسی قل لقوم ظالمین
Again he felt a weeping in his eye and heart: an uncaused (involuntary) compassion shone forth in him. باز اندر چشم و دل او گریه یافت ** رحمتی بی‌‌علتی در وی بتافت
He was raining drops of water (shedding tears)—and he had become distraught— an uncaused drop from the Ocean of Bounty. 2560 قطره می‌‌بارید و حیران گشته بود ** قطره‌‌ی بی‌‌علت از دریای جود
His intellect was saying, “Wherefore is this weeping? Ought one to weep for such scoffers? عقل او می‌‌گفت کین گریه ز چیست ** بر چنان افسوسیان شاید گریست
Tell me, what art thou weeping for? For their fraud? For the host of (their) ill-omened exactions of vengeance? بر چه می‌‌گریی بگو بر فعلشان ** بر سپاه کینه توز بدنشان
For their murky hearts full of rust? For their venomous snake-like tongues? بر دل تاریک پر زنگارشان ** بر زبان زهر همچون مارشان
For their sagsár-like breath and teeth? For their mouths and eyes teeming with scorpions? بر دم و دندان سگسارانه‌‌شان ** بر دهان و چشم کژدم خانه‌‌شان
For their wrangling and sneering and scoffing? Give thanks, since God has imprisoned (restrained) them. 2565 بر ستیز و تسخر و افسوسشان ** شکر کن چون کرد حق محبوسشان
Their hands are perverse, their feet perverse, their eyes perverse, their love perverse, their peace perverse, their anger perverse.” دستشان کژ پایشان کژ چشم کژ ** مهرشان کژ صلح‌‌شان کژ خشم کژ
For the sake of blind conformity and (for the sake of following) traditional ideas, they set their feet (trampled) on the camels of Reason, this venerable Guide. از پی تقلید و معقولات نقل ** پا نهاده بر جمال پیر عقل
They were not eager for a guide (pír-khar): they all had become (like) an old donkey (pír khar) from paying hypocritical observance to each other's eyes and ears. پیر خر نی جمله گشته پیر خر ** از ریای چشم و گوش همدگر