I was seeing death at the time of birth from thee: sore was my dread of falling from thee;
مرگ میدیدم گه زادن ز تو ** سخت خوفم بود افتادن ز تو
(But) when I was born, I escaped from the narrow prison (of the womb) into a world of pleasant air and beautiful colour.
چون بزادم رستم از زندان تنگ ** در جهان خوش هوای خوب رنگ
Now I deem the (earthly) world to be like the womb, since in this fire I have seen such rest:
من جهان را چون رحم دیدم کنون ** چون در این آتش بدیدم این سکون
In this fire I have seen a world wherein every atom possesses the (life-giving) breath of Jesus.
اندر این آتش بدیدم عالمی ** ذره ذره اندر او عیسی دمی
Lo, (it is) a world apparently non-existent (but) essentially existent, while that (other) world is apparently existent (but) has no permanence.795
نک جهان نیست شکل هست ذات ** و آن جهان هست شکل بیثبات
Come in, mother, (I beseech thee) by the right of motherhood: see this fire, how it hath no fieriness.
اندر آ مادر به حق مادری ** بین که این آذر ندارد آذری
Come in, mother, for felicity is come; come in, mother, do not let fortune slip from thy hand.
اندر آ مادر که اقبال آمده ست ** اندر آ مادر مده دولت ز دست
Thou hast seen the power of that (Jewish) cur: come in, that thou mayst see the power and the grace of God.
قدرت آن سگ بدیدی اندر آ ** تا ببینی قدرت و لطف خدا
’Tis (only) out of pity that I am drawing thy feet (hither), for indeed such is my rapture that I have no care for thee.
من ز رحمت میکشانم پای تو ** کز طرب خود نیستم پروای تو
Come in and call the others also, for the King has spread a (festal) table within the fire.800
اندر آ و دیگران را هم بخوان ** کاندر آتش شاه بنهاده ست خوان
O true believers, come in, all of you: except the sweetness (‘adhbí) of (the true) religion all is torment (‘adháb).
اندر آیید ای مسلمانان همه ** غیر عذب دین عذاب است آن همه
Oh, come in, all of you, like moths; (come) into this fortune which hath a hundred springtimes.”
اندر آیید ای همه پروانهوار ** اندر این بهره که دارد صد بهار
(Thus) he was crying amidst that multitude: the souls of the people were filled with awe.
بانگ میزد در میان آن گروه ** پر همیشد جان خلقان از شکوه
After that, the folk, men and women (alike), cast themselves unwittingly into the fire—
خلق خود را بعد از آن بیخویشتن ** میفگندند اندر آتش مرد و زن
Without custodian, without being dragged, for love of the Friend, because from Him is the sweetening of every bitterness—805
بیموکل بیکشش از عشق دوست ** ز آن که شیرین کردن هر تلخ از اوست
Until it came to pass that the (king's) myrmidons were holding back the people, saying, “Do not enter the fire!”
تا چنان شد کان عوانان خلق را ** منع میکردند کاتش در میا
The Jew became black-faced (covered with shame) and dismayed; he became sorry and sick at heart,
آن یهودی شد سیه رو و خجل ** شد پشیمان زین سبب بیمار دل
Because the people grew more loving (ardent) in their Faith and more firm in mortification (faná) of the body.
کاندر ایمان خلق عاشقتر شدند ** در فنای جسم صادقتر شدند
Thanks (be to God), the Devil's plot caught him in its toils; thanks (be to God), the Devil saw himself disgraced.
مکر شیطان هم در او پیچید شکر ** دیو هم خود را سیه رو دید شکر
That which he was rubbing (the shame he was inflicting) on the faces of those persons (the Christians) was all accumulated on the visage of that vile wretch.810
آن چه میمالید در روی کسان ** جمع شد در چهرهی آن ناکس آن
He who was busy rending the garment (honour and integrity) of the people—his own (garment) was rent, (while) they were unhurt.
آن که میدرید جامهی خلق چست ** شد دریده آن او ایشان درست
How the mouth remained awry of a man who pronounced the name of Mohammed, on whom be peace, derisively.
کج ماندن دهان آن مرد که نام محمد را علیه السلام به تسخر خواند
He made his mouth wry and called (the name of) Mohammed in derision: his mouth remained awry.
آن دهان کژ کرد و از تسخر بخواند ** مر محمد را دهانش کژ بماند
He came back, saying, “Pardon me, O Mohammed, O thou to whom belong the (Divine) favours and knowledge (derived) immediately from God.
باز آمد کای محمد عفو کن ** ای ترا الطاف و علم من لدن
In my folly I was ridiculing thee, (but) I myself was related to ridicule and deserving it.”
من ترا افسوس میکردم ز جهل ** من بدم افسوس را منسوب و اهل
When God wishes to rend the veil of any one (expose him to shame), He turns his inclination towards reviling holy men.815
چون خدا خواهد که پردهی کس درد ** میلش اندر طعنهی پاکان برد