We, thousands of men brave as lions, (fighting) with two or three feeble and half-dead naked fellows,
ما هزاران مرد شیر الپ ارسلان ** با دو سه عریان سست نیم‌جان
Are left helpless like this: is it on account of (our) wrong-doing or (unlucky) stars, or is it sorcery?
این چنین درمانده‌ایم از کژرویست ** یا ز اخترهاست یا خود جادویست
His fortune tore up our fortune; our throne was overturned by his throne.
بخت ما را بر درید آن بخت او ** تخت ما شد سرنگون از تخت او
If his cause became mighty (was made to prevail) by sorcery, we too practised sorcery: how did not it succeed?4485
کار او از جادوی گر گشت زفت ** جادوی کردیم ما هم چون نرفت
[Commentary on the verse (of the Qur’án), “If ye ask for a decision, the decision has indeed come to you. O railers, ye were saying, ‘Give the decision and victory to us or to Mohammed, whichever is in the right’; and ye were saying this in order that it might be supposed that ye were seeking the right disinterestedly. Now We have given the victory to Mohammed, to the end that ye may see the champion of the right.”]
تفسیر این آیت کی ان تستفتحوا فقد جائکم الفتح ایه‌ای طاعنان می‌گفتید کی از ما و محمد علیه السلام آنک حق است فتح و نصرتش ده و این بدان می‌گفتید تا گمان آید کی شما طالب حق‌اید بی غرض اکنون محمد را نصرت دادیم تا صاحب حق را ببینید
We besought the idols and God, saying, ‘Destroy us if we are untrue.
از بتان و از خدا در خواستیم ** که بکن ما را اگر ناراستیم
Whichever is right and true, between us and him, give the victory to that one and desire him to be victorious.’
آنک حق و راستست از ما و او ** نصرتش ده نصرت او را بجو
Ofttimes we made this invocation and (bowed down in) prayer before Lát and ‘Uzzá and Manát,
این دعا بسیار کردیم و صلات ** پیش لات و پیش عزی و منات
Saying, ‘If he is in the right, make him manifest; if he is not in the right, make him subject to us.’
که اگر حقست او پیداش کن ** ور نباشد حق زبون ماش کن
When we recognised (what had come to pass), he was the one to whom victory was given: we all were darkness, he was the light.4490
چونک وا دیدیم او منصور بود ** ما همه ظلمت بدیم او نور بود
This is our answer (from God)—‘(Concerning) that which ye desired (to know), it has become evident that ye are the untrue.’”
این جواب ماست کانچ خواستید ** گشت پیدا که شما ناراستید
Then, again, they were blindfolding (hiding) this thought from their reflective faculty and banishing it from their memory,
باز این اندیشه را از فکر خویش ** کور می‌کردند و دفع از ذکر خویش
Saying, “This thought too has arisen from our ill-luck, (namely, the thought) that his being in the right should be perfectly established (proven beyond doubt) in our minds.
کین تفکرمان هم از ادبار رست ** که صواب او شود در دل درست
What, indeed, does it matter if he has prevailed (against us) several times? Time (Fortune) brings every one to predominance (now and then).
خود چه شد گر غالب آمد چند بار ** هر کسی را غالب آرد روزگار
We also were made successful by the Days (Fortune), and at times became victorious over him.”4495
ما هم از ایام بخت‌آور شدیم ** بارها بر وی مظفر آمدیم
(But) again they were saying (to themselves), “Although he was defeated, it was not disgraceful and vile like our defeat,”
باز گفتندی که گرچه او شکست ** چون شکست ما نبود آن زشت و پست
Because in (the hour of) defeat (his) good fortune gave him underhand a hundred secret joys;
زانک بخت نیک او را در شکست ** داد صد شادی پنهان زیردست
For he did not at all resemble one defeated, as he felt no sorrow or distress thereat,
کو باشکسته نمی‌مانست هیچ ** که نه غم بودش در آن نه پیچ پیچ
Since to be vanquished is the mark of the true believers; yet in the true believer's defeat there is goodness.
چون نشان مومنان مغلوبیست ** لیک در اشکست ممن خوبیست
If you crush some musk or ambergris, you will fill a (whole) world with (a scent like) the exhalation of sweet herbs;4500
گر تو مشک و عنبری را بشکنی ** عالمی از فوح ریحان پر کنی
And if you suddenly crush the dung of an ass, the houses will be filled to the top with stench.
ور شکستی ناگهان سرگین خر ** خانه‌ها پر گند گردد تا به سر
At the moment of the (Prophet's) ignominious return from Hudaybiya, the empire of Lo, We have opened (to thee the way to a conspicuous) victory proclaimed itself.
وقت واگشت حدیبیه بذل ** دولت انا فتحنا زد دهل
The hidden reason why God most High gave the title of “victory” to the return of the Prophet, on whom be peace, from Hudaybiya without having gained his purpose: as (God said), “Lo, We have opened (to thee the way to) victory”; for it was a locking in appearance (only), and in reality an opening, just as the crushing of musk is apparently a crushing, but really the confirmation of its muskiness and the exhibition of its virtues in their perfection.
سر آنک بی‌مراد بازگشتن رسول علیه السلام از حدیبیه حق تعالی لقب آن فتح کرد کی انا فتحنا کی به صورت غلق بود و به معنی فتح چنانک شکستن مشک به ظاهر شکستن است و به معنی درست کردنست مشکی او را و تکمیل فواید اوست
From the (Divine) empire came to him the message, “Go, be not saddened by the withholding of this victory,
آمدش پیغام از دولت که رو ** تو ز منع این ظفر غمگین مشو
For in this present abasement of thee there are victories: lo, such and such a fortress, such and such a town, are (given) to thee.”