Sun and moon (shall be) like two black oxen: God will fasten a yoke upon their necks.
آفتاب و مه چو دو گاو سیاه ** یوغ بر گردن ببنددشان اله
How a philosopher showed disbelief at the recitation of (the text), “if your water shall have sunk into the ground.”
انکار فلسفی بر قرائت إن أصبح ماؤکم غورا
A teacher of Qur’án-recitation was reading from the page of the Book, “(if) your water (shall have) sunk into the ground: (that is, if) I stop the water from (reaching) the spring,
مقریی میخواند از روی کتاب ** ماؤکم غورا ز چشمه بندم آب
And hide the water in the depths, and make the springs dry and a place of drought,
آب را در غورها پنهان کنم ** چشمهها را خشک و خشکستان کنم
Who shall bring the water to the spring again except Me who have no like, the Gracious, the Glorious?”1635
آب را در چشمه کی آرد دگر ** جز من بیمثل با فضل و خطر
A contemptible philosopher and logician was passing beside the school at that moment.
فلسفی منطقی مستهان ** میگذشت از سوی مکتب آن زمان
When he heard the verse (of the Qur’án), he said in disapproval, “We bring the water (back) with a mattock;
چون که بشنید آیت او از ناپسند ** گفت آریم آب را ما با کلند
With strokes of the spade and (with) the sharpness of the axe we bring the water up from below.”
ما بزخم بیل و تیزی تبر ** آب را آریم از پستی ز بر
At night he fell asleep and saw (in dream) a lion-hearted man (who) gave (him) a blow on the face and blinded both his eyes,
شب بخفت و دید او یک شیر مرد ** زد طپانچه هر دو چشمش کور کرد
And said, “O wretch, if you are speaking the truth, bring up some light with an axe from these two springs of vision.”1640
گفت زین دو چشمهی چشم ای شقی ** با تبر نوری بر آر ار صادقی
At (dawn of) day he jumped up and found (he had) two blind eyes: from both his eyes the overflowing light had vanished.
روز بر جست و دو چشم کور دید ** نور فایض از دو چشمش ناپدید
If he had moaned and asked pardon (of God), the departed light would have appeared (again) through (God's) kindness;
گر بنالیدی و مستغفر شدی ** نور رفته از کرم ظاهر شدی
But (the power of) asking pardon, also, is not in (our) hands: the savour of repentance is not the dessert of every inebriate.
لیک استغفار هم در دست نیست ** ذوق توبه نقل هر سر مست نیست
The wickedness of (his) actions and the disastrousness of (his) denial (of the Truth) had barred the way of repentance to his heart.
زشتی اعمال و شومی جحود ** راه توبه بر دل او بسته بود
His heart became in hardness as the face of a rock: how should repentance cleave it for sowing?1645
دل به سختی همچو روی سنگ گشت ** چون شکافد توبه آن را بهر کشت
Where is one like Shu‘ayb, that by prayer he may make the mountain earth (fit) for sowing?
چون شعیبی کو که تا او را دعا ** بهر کشتن خاک سازد کوه را
Through the supplication and (firm) belief of that Friend (Abraham) the thing that was hard and impossible became possible.
از نیاز و اعتقاد آن خلیل ** گشت ممکن امر صعب و مستحیل
Or, (to give another example), through the Muqawqis' begging the Prophet a stony ground became a goodly cornfield.
یا به دریوزهی مقوقس از رسول ** سنگلاخی مزرعی شد با اصول
So, contrariwise, a man's disbelief turns gold into copper and peace into war.
همچنین بر عکس آن انکار مرد ** مس کند زر را و صلحی را نبرد
This falseness draws after it an evil transformation: it turns ground capable (of tillage) into stones and pebbles.1650
کهربای مسخ آمد این دغا ** خاک قابل را کند سنگ و حصا
Nor is it granted to every heart to fall down in prayer: the wages of (Divine) mercy are not the (allotted) portion of every hireling.
هر دلی را سجده هم دستور نیست ** مزد رحمت قسم هر مزدور نیست
Beware! Do not commit crime and sin in reliance on (the thought), “I will repent and come to (take) refuge (with God).”
هین بپشت آن مکن جرم و گناه ** که کنم توبه در آیم در پناه
For (true) repentance, there must needs be a glow (of inward feeling) and a flood (of tears): (such) lightning and clouds are the condition indispensable to repentance.
میبباید تاب و آبی توبه را ** شرط شد برق و سحابی توبه را
There must needs be fire and water (rain) for the fruit: clouds and lightning are necessary for this accomplishment.
آتش و آبی بباید میوه را ** واجب آید ابر و برق این شیوه را
Until there is the lightning of the heart and the rain-clouds of the two eyes, how shall the fire of (Divine) menace and wrath be allayed?1655
تا نباشد برق دل و ابر دو چشم ** کی نشیند آتش تهدید و خشم
How shall the herbage grow, (the herbage) of the delight of union (with God)? How shall the fountains of clear water gush forth?
کی بروید سبزهی ذوق وصال ** کی بجوشد چشمهها ز آب زلال