- That beggar in tattered cloak became miserably drunken with the people’s worship and feelings of amazement.
- گشت مستک آن گدای ژندهدلق ** از سجود و از تحیرهای خلق
- Riches are a snake, for therein are poisons; and popular favour and worship is a dragon.
- مال مار آمد که در وی زهرهاست ** و آن قبول و سجدهی خلق اژدهاست
- Ah, do not assume a virtue (which thou dost not possess), O Pharaoh: thou art a jackal, do not in any wise behave as a peacock.
- های ای فرعون ناموسی مکن ** تو شغالی هیچ طاووسی مکن
- If thou appear in the direction of the peacocks, thou art in capable of (their) display and thou wilt be put to shame.
- سوی طاووسان اگر پیدا شوی ** عاجزی از جلوه و رسوا شوی
- Moses and Aaron were as peacocks: they flapped the wings of display upon thy head and face. 785
- موسی و هارون چو طاووسان بدند ** پر جلوه بر سر و رویت زدند
- Thy foulness and disgrace were exposed, thou didst fall head-long from thy height.
- زشتیت پیدا شد و رسواییت ** سرنگون افتادی از بالاییت
- When thou sawest the touchstone, thou becamest black, like adulterated coin: the leonine figure vanished, and the dog was revealed.
- چون محک دیدی سیه گشتی چو قلب ** نقش شیری رفت و پیدا گشت کلب
- O foul mangy dog, through greed and exuberant insolence do not clothe thyself in the lion’s skin.
- ای سگگرگین زشت از حرص و جوش ** پوستین شیر را بر خود مپوش
- The roar of the lion will demand from thee the test (of thy sincerity). The figure of a lion , and then the dispositions of dogs!
- غرهی شیرت بخواهد امتحان ** نقش شیر و آنگه اخلاق سگان
- Explanation of (the text), And thou wilt surely know them in the perversion of their speech.
- تفسیر ولتعرفنهم فی لحن القول
- God said to the Prophet in the course (of the Qur’án), “One sign of the hypocritical is easier (to perceive than other signs): 790
- گفت یزدان مر نبی را در مساق ** یک نشانی سهلتر ز اهل نفاق
- Though the hypocrite be big, handsome, and terrible, thou wilt recognise him in his perverse enunciation and speech.”
- گر منافق زفت باشد نغز و هول ** وا شناسی مر ورا در لحن و قول
- When you are buying earthenware pots, you make a trial, O purchaser.
- چون سفالین کوزهها را میخری ** امتحانی میکنی ای مشتری
- You give the pot a tap with your hand: why? In order that you may know the cracked one by the sound (which it makes).
- میزنی دستی بر آن کوزه چرا ** تا شناسی از طنین اشکسته را
- The voice of the cracked one is different; the voice is a cháwúsh (beadle): it goes in front of it (the pot).
- بانگ اشکسته دگرگون میبود ** بانگ چاووشست پیشش میرود
- The voice comes in order to make it known: it determines (the character of) it, as the verb (determines the form of) the masdar (verbal noun). 795
- بانگ میآید که تعریفش کند ** همچو مصدر فعل تصریفش کند
- When the subject of (Divine) probation cropped up, the story of Hárút at once came into my memory.
- چون حدیث امتحان رویی نمود ** یادم آمد قصهی هاروت زود
- The Story of Hárút and Márút and their boldness in encountering the probations of God most High.
- قصهی هاروت و ماروت و دلیری ایشان بر امتحانات حق تعالی
- Before this (occasion), we had told a little of it: what, indeed, should we tell? (We can tell only) one (item) of its thousands.
- پیش ازین زان گفته بودیم اندکی ** خود چه گوییم از هزارانش یکی
- I wished to speak of the (spiritual) truths (contained) in it, (but) till now they have remained (untold) on account of hindrances.
- خواستم گفتن در آن تحقیقها ** تا کنون وا ماند از تعویقها
- (Now) once again a little of its much shall be told—the description (as it were) of a single limb of the elephant.
- حملهی دیگر ز بسیارش قلیل ** گفته آید شرح یک عضوی ز پیل
- Listen to (the tale of) Hárút and Márút, O thou to whose face we are (devoted) slaves and servants. 800
- گوش کن هاروت را ماروت را ** ای غلام و چاکران ما روت را
- They (Hárút and Márút) were intoxicated with the spectacle of God and with the marvels of the King's gradual temptation (of them).
- مست بودند از تماشای اله ** وز عجایبهای استدراج شاه
- Such intoxication arises (even) from God's gradual temptation, so that (you may judge) what intoxications are wrought by the ascension to God.
- این چنین مستیست ز استدراج حق ** تا چه مستیها کند معراج حق
- The bait in His snare produced intoxication like this: what things, (then), can the table of His bounty reveal!
- دانهی دامش چنین مستی نمود ** خوان انعامش چهها داند گشود
- They were drunken and freed from the noose: they were uttering rapturous cries in the fashion of lovers;
- مست بودند و رهیده از کمند ** های هوی عاشقانه میزدند
- (But) in their road there was one ambush and trial: its mighty wind would sweep the mountain away like straw. 805
- یک کمین و امتحان در راه بود ** صرصرش چون کاه که را میربود