And the loveliness of that fascinating cheek on which this heart (of man) burns like rue-seed (on the fire),
وآن صفای عارض آن دلبران ** که بسوزد چون سپند این دل بر آن
Face and mole and eyebrow and lip like cornelian, ’twas as though God shone forth through a subtile veil.960
رو و خال و ابرو و لب چون عقیق ** گوییا حق تافت از پردهی رقیق
He (Iblís) deemed that coquetry and light springing gait to be like the revelation of Divine glory through a thin veil.
دید او آن غنج و برجست سبک ** چون تجلی حق از پردهی تنک
Commentary on “We created Man in the best (physical and mental) proportion, then We reduced him to the lowest of the low”; and on “And to whomsoever We grant long life, We cause him to relapse in constitution.”
تفسیر خلقنا الانسان فی احسن تقویم ثم رددناه اسفل سافلین و تفسیر و من نعمره ننکسه فی الخلق
The beauty personified in Adam, to which the angels bow down, is afterwards deposed (from its former perfection), like Adam (when he fell from Paradise).
آدم حسن و ملک ساجد شده ** همچو آدم باز معزول آمده
It cries, “Alas, after existence non-existence!” He (God) says, “Thy crime is this, that thou hast lived too long.”
گفت آوه بعد هستی نیستی ** گفت جرمت این که افزون زیستی
Gabriel, dragging it by the hair, leads it away, saying, "Begone from this Paradise and from the company of the fair ones."
جبرئیلش میکشاند مو کشان ** که برو زین خلد و از جوق خوشان
It says, “What is (the meaning of) this abasement after exaltation?” He (Gabriel) replies, “That (exaltation) is a gift (of God), and this (abasement) is (His) judgement on thee.”965
گفت بعد از عز این اذلال چیست ** گفت آن دادست و اینت داوریست
(It cries), “O Gabriel, thou didst (formerly) bow down (to me) with (all) thy soul: why art thou now driving me from Paradise?
جبرئیلا سجده میکردی به جان ** چون کنون میرانیم تو از جنان
My robes are flying from me in (this hour of) tribulation, like leaves from the date-palm in the season of autumn.”
حله میپرد ز من در امتحان ** همچو برگ از نخ در فصل خزان
The countenance whose splendour was moon-like becomes with old age like the back of the Libyan lizard;
آن رخی که تاب او بد ماهوار ** شد به پیری همچو پشت سوسمار
And the fair head and crown (of the head) that once were radiant become ugly and bald at the time of eld;
وان سر و فرق گش شعشع شده ** وقت پیری ناخوش و اصلع شده
And the tall proud figure, piercing the ranks like a spear-point, in old age is bent double like a bow.970
وان قد صف در نازان چون سنان ** گشته در پیری دو تا همچون کمان
The colour of red anemone becomes the colour of saffron; his lion-like strength becomes as the courage of women.
رنگ لاله گشته رنگ زعفران ** زور شیرش گشته چون زهرهی زنان
He that used to grip a man in his arms by skill (in wrestling), (now) they take hold of his arms (to support him) at the time of departure.
آنک مردی در بغل کردی به فن ** میبگیرندش بغل وقت شدن
Truly these are marks of pain and decay: every one of them is a messenger of death.
این خود آثار غم و پژمردگیست ** هر یکی زینها رسول مردگیست
Commentary on “The lowest of the low, except those who have believed and wrought good works; for they shall have a reward that is not cut off.”
تفسیر اسفل سافلین الا الذین آمنوا و عملوا الصالحات فلهم اجر غیر مومنون
But if his physician be the Light of God, there is no loss or crushing blow (that he will suffer) from old age and fever.
لیک گر باشد طبیبش نور حق ** نیست از پیری و تب نقصان و دق
His weakness is like the weakness of the intoxicated, for in his weakness he is the envy of a Rustam.975
سستی او هست چون سستی مست ** که اندر آن سستیش رشک رستمست
If he die, his bones are drowned in (spiritual) savour; every mote of him is (floating) in the beams of the light of love-desire.
گر بمیرد استخوانش غرق ذوق ** ذره ذرهش در شعاع نور شوق
And he who hath not that (Light) is an orchard without fruit, which the autumn brings to ruin.
وآنک آنش نیست باغ بیثمر ** که خزانش میکند زیر و زبر
The roses remain not; (only) the black thorns remain: it becomes pale and pithless like a heap of straw.
گل نماند خارها ماند سیاه ** زرد و بیمغز آمده چون تل کاه
O God, I wonder what fault did that orchard commit, that these (beautiful) robes should be stripped from it.
تا چه زلت کرد آن باغ ای خدا ** که ازو این حلهها گردد جدا
“It paid regard to itself, and self-regard is a deadly poison. Beware, O thou who art put to the trial!”980
خویشتن را دید و دید خویشتن ** زهر قتالست هین ای ممتحن
The minion for love of whom the world wept—the world (now) is repulsing him from itself: what is (his) crime?
شاهدی کز عشق او عالم گریست ** عالمش میراند از خود جرم چیست
“The crime is that he put on a borrowed adornment and pretended that these robes were his own property.
جرم آنک زیور عاریه بست ** کرد دعوی کین حلل ملک منست
We take them back, in order that he may know for sure that the stack is Ours and the fair ones are (only) gleaners;
واستانیم آن که تا داند یقین ** خرمن آن ماست خوبان دانهچین