- In answer to him God most High by the mysterious way spoke clearly into the ear of Shu‘ayb,
- حق تعالی گفت در گوش شعیب ** در جواب او فصیح از راه غیب
- Saying, “(Tell him), Thou hast said, ‘How many sins have I committed! And (still) God in His kindness hath not punished me for my trespasses.’
- که بگفتی چند کردم من گناه ** و ز کرم نگرفت در جرمم اله
- Thou art saying the opposite and reverse (of the truth), O fool, O thou that hast abandoned the road and taken to the wilderness!
- عکس میگویی و مقلوب ای سفیه ** ای رها کرده ره و بگرفته تیه
- How oft, how oft do I chastise thee, and thou unaware! Thou art lying (bound) in chains from head to foot.
- چند چندت گیرم و تو بیخبر ** در سلاسل ماندهای پا تا به سر
- Thy rust, coat on coat, O black pot, hath marred the visage of thy heart. 3370
- زنگ تو بر تویت ای دیگ سیاه ** کرد سیمای درونت را تباه
- Layers of rust have collected upon thy heart, so that it hath become blind to (the spiritual) mysteries.”
- بر دلت زنگار بر زنگارها ** جمع شد تا کور شد ز اسرارها
- If that smoke should beat upon a new pot, the traces of it would show, though it were (only as much as) a barley-corn,
- گر زند آن دود بر دیگ نوی ** آن اثر بنماید ار باشد جوی
- Because everything is made manifest by (its) contrary: upon a white object the black becomes conspicuous;
- ز انکه هر چیزی به ضد پیدا شود ** بر سپیدی آن سیه رسوا شود
- (But) when the pot has been blackened, then after this who will at once perceive the effect of the smoke upon it?
- چون سیه شد دیگ پس تاثیر دود ** بعد از این بروی که بیند زود زود
- The ironsmith who is an Ethiopian—the smoke is of the same colour as his face; 3375
- مرد آهنگر که او زنگی بود ** دود را با روش هم رنگی بود
- The Greek who does the work of an ironsmith—his face, from gathering smoke, becomes piebald (spotted with black).
- مرد رومی کاو کند آهنگری ** رویش ابلق گردد از دود آوری
- Therefore he will quickly recognise the effect of sin, so that he will soon lament (and) say, “O God!”
- پس بداند زود تاثیر گناه ** تا بنالد زود گوید ای اله
- (But) when he persists (in sin) and makes a practice of evil, and puts dust in the eye of meditation,
- چون کند اصرار و بد پیشه کند ** خاک اندر چشم اندیشه کند
- He thinks of penitence no more: that sin becomes so sweet to his heart that (in the end) he comes to be without the Faith (he turns infidel).
- توبه نندیشد دگر شیرین شود ** بر دلش آن جرم تا بیدین شود
- That repenting and (crying) “O Lord!” are gone from him: fivefold rust has settled on the mirror (of his heart). 3380
- آن پشیمانی و یا رب رفت از او ** شست بر آیینه زنگ پنج تو
- The coats of rust have began to eat his iron (mirror): the rust has begun to lessen its sheen.
- آهنش را زنگها خوردن گرفت ** گوهرش را زنگ کم کردن گرفت
- When you write upon white paper, that writing may be read at sight.
- چون نویسی کاغذ اسپید بر ** آن نبشته خوانده آید در نظر
- When you write script over that which has been (already) written, it is not understood: the reading of it will be erroneous;
- چون نویسی بر سر بنوشته خط ** فهم ناید خواندنش گردد غلط
- For that (second) blackness has fallen (been made) upon blackness; (hence) both scripts have become obscure and have given no meaning.
- کان سیاهی بر سیاهی اوفتاد ** هر دو خط شد کور و معنیی نداد
- And if you write a third time on the top of it, then you make it black as a soul full of wickedness. 3385
- ور سوم باره نویسی بر سرش ** پس سیه کردی چو جان کافرش
- What help is there, then, but (to take) refuge with (God) the Helper? Despair is copper, and the elixir for it is (God's) regard.
- پس چه چاره جز پناه چارهگر ** ناامیدی مس و اکسیرش نظر
- Lay your despairs before Him, that ye may escape from irremediable pain.
- ناامیدیها به پیش او نهید ** تا ز درد بیدوا بیرون جهید
- When Shu‘ayb had told him these deep sayings, at that breath of the spirit roses blossomed in his heart.
- چون شعیب این نکتهها با او بگفت ** ز آن دم جان در دل او گل شکفت
- His soul hearkened to the inspiration from Heaven; he said, (however), “If He hath punished me, where is the sign?”
- جان او بشنید وحی آسمان ** گفت اگر بگرفت ما را کو نشان
- He (Shu‘ayb) cried, “O Lord, he rebuts me, he seeks the sign of that punishment.” 3390
- گفت یا رب دفع من میگوید او ** آن گرفتن را نشان میجوید او