Your intellect is like the camel-driver, and you are the camel: it drives you in every direction under its bitter control.
عقل تو همچون شتربان تو شتر ** می‌‌کشاند هر طرف در حکم مر
The saints are the intellect of intellect, and (all) intellects (from the beginning) to the end are (under their control) like camels.
عقل عقلند اولیا و عقلها ** بر مثال اشتران تا انتها
Come now, look upon them with (profound) consideration: there is (but) one guide, and a hundred thousand souls (following him).
اندر ایشان بنگر آخر ز اعتبار ** یک قلاووز است جان صد هزار
What is the guide and what the camel-driver? Get thee an eye that may behold the Sun!2500
چه قلاووز و چه اشیربان بیاب ** دیده‌ای کان دیده بیند آفتاب
A world has been left nailed fast in night, waiting expectantly, depending on the sun and the day.
نک جهان در شب بمانده میخ دوز ** منتظر موقوف خورشید است و روز
Here is a sun hidden in a mote, a fierce lion in the fleece of a lamb.
اینت خورشیدی نهان در ذره‌‌ای ** شیر نر در پوستین بره‌‌ای
Here is an ocean hidden beneath straw: beware, do not step on this straw with hesitancy.
اینت دریایی نهان در زیر کاه ** پا بر این که هین منه با اشتباه
(But) a feeling of hesitancy and doubt in the heart (of the foolish) is a Divine mercy in regard to the (spiritual) guide.
اشتباهی و گمانی در درون ** رحمت حق است بهر رهنمون
Every prophet came alone into this world: that Guide was inwardly alone, and (yet) he had a hundred unseen worlds within him.2505
هر پیمبر فرد آمد در جهان ** فرد بود و صد جهانش در نهان
By his power he enchanted the macrocosm (universe), he enfolded himself in a very small frame.
عالم کبری به قدرت سحر کرد ** کرد خود را در کهین نقشی نورد
The foolish deemed him to be lonely and weak: how is he weak who has become the King's companion?
ابلهانش فرد دیدند و ضعیف ** کی ضعیف است آن که با شه شد حریف
The foolish said, “He is a man, nothing more”: woe to him that recks not of the end!
ابلهان گفتند مردی بیش نیست ** وای آن کاو عاقبت اندیش نیست
How the eyes of (external) sense regarded Sálih and his she-camel as despicable and without a champion; (for) when God is about to destroy an army He makes their adversaries appear despicable and few in their sight, even though the adversary be superior in strength: “and He was making you few in their eyes, that God might bring to pass a thing that was to be done.”
حقیر و بی‌‌خصم دیدن دیده‌‌های حس صالح و ناقه‌‌ی صالح را، چون خواهد که حق لشکری را هلاک کند در نظر ایشان حقیر نماید خصمان را و اندک اگر چه غالب باشد آن خصم و يقللکم فی أعينهم ليقضي الله أمرا کان مفعولا
The she-camel of Sálih was in (outward) form a camel: that bitter (graceless) tribe hamstrung (and slaughtered) her in their folly.
ناقه‌‌ی صالح به صورت بد شتر ** پی بریدندش ز جهل آن قوم مر
When they became her foes on account of the water (which she shared with them), they were blind to bread and blind to water (ungrateful for the blessings of God).2510
از برای آب چون خصمش شدند ** نان کور و آب کور ایشان بدند
God's she-camel drank water from brook and cloud: they (really) withheld God's water from God.
ناقة الله آب خورد از جوی و میغ ** آب حق را داشتند از حق دریغ
The she-camel of Sálih became, like the bodies of righteous men, an ambush for the destruction of the wicked,
ناقه‌‌ی صالح چو جسم صالحان ** شد کمینی در هلاک طالحان
That (you may see) what (the Divine command), Let God's she-camel have her portion of water, wrought against that people, through the ordainment of death and woe.
تا بر آن امت ز حکم مرگ و درد ** ناقة الله و سقیاها چه کرد
The vengeance, which is God's minister, demanded from them an entire town as the blood-price of a single camel.
The spirit is like Sálih, and the body is the she-camel: the spirit is in union (with God), the body in want (distress).2515
روح همچون صالح و تن ناقه است ** روح اندر وصل و تن در فاقه است
The Sálih-spirit is not susceptible to afflictions: the blows fall on the camel (body), not on the essence (spirit).
روح صالح قابل آفات نیست ** زخم بر ناقه بود بر ذات نیست
No one gains victory over their (the saints') hearts: harm comes (only) to the oyster-shell, not to the pearl.
کس نیابد بر دل ایشان ظفر ** بر صدف آمد ضرر نی بر گهر
The Sálih-spirit is not capable of being hurt: the light of God is not subject to infidels.
روح صالح قابل آزار نیست ** نور یزدان سغبه‌‌ی کفار نیست
God became secretly united with a body, that they (the infidels) might hurt (it) and suffer tribulation,
حق از آن پیوست با جسمی نهان ** تاش آزارند و بینند امتحان
Not knowing that to hurt this (body) is to hurt (offend) Him: the water in this jar is joined with the water in the river.2520
بی‌‌خبر کآزار این آزار اوست ** آب این خم متصل با آب جوست
God connected (the spirit) with a body, in order that he (the prophet or saint) might become a refuge for the whole world.
ز آن تعلق کرد با جسمی اله ** تا که گردد جمله عالم را پناه
Be a slave to the camel, which is the saint's body, that you may become the fellow servant of the Sálih-spirit.
ناقه‌‌ی جسم ولی را بنده باش ** تا شوی با روح صالح خواجه‌‌تاش
Sálih said (to the people of Thamúd), “Inasmuch as ye have shown this envy, after three days the punishment will arrive from God.
گفت صالح چون که کردید این حسد ** بعد سه روز از خدا نقمت رسد
After three more days there will come from the Taker of life a calamity that hath three signs.
بعد سه روز دگر از جان ستان ** آفتی آید که دارد سه نشان
The colour of all your faces will be changed, (they will be of) colours different to look at.2525
رنگ روی جمله تان گردد دگر ** رنگ رنگ مختلف اندر نظر
On the first day your faces will be like saffron, on the second your faces will be red like arghawán (flowers of the Judas-tree).
روز اول رویتان چون زعفران ** در دوم رو سرخ همچون ارغوان
On the third, all your faces will become black: after that, the vengeance of God will arrive.
در سوم گردد همه روها سیاه ** بعد از آن اندر رسد قهر اله
If ye desire from me the sign of this threatened chastisement, the she-camel's foal has run towards the mountains:
گر نشان خواهید از من زین وعید ** کره‌‌ی ناقه به سوی که دوید
If ye can catch him, there is help (for you); else the bird of hope hath surely escaped from the snare.”
گر توانیدش گرفتن چاره هست ** ور نه خود مرغ امید از دام جست
None was able to overtake the foal: he went into the mountains and vanished.2530
کس نتانست اندر آن کره رسید ** رفت در کهسارها شد ناپدید
Sálih said, “Ye see, the (Divine) destiny has been divulged and has beheaded the phantom of your hope.”
گفت دیدید آن قضا مبرم شده ست ** صورت اومید را گردن زده ست
What is the she-camel's foal? His (the saint's) heart, which ye may bring back to its place (win again) by means of well-doing and piety.
کره‌‌ی ناقه چه باشد خاطرش ** که بجا آرید ز احسان و برش
If his heart comes back (is reconciled), ye are saved from that (Divine punishment); otherwise ye are despairing and biting your fore-arms (in remorse).
گر بجا آید دلش رستید از آن ** ور نه نومیدید و ساعد را گزان
When they heard this dark threat, they cast down their eyes and waited for it (to be fulfilled).
چون شنیدند این وعید منکدر ** چشم بنهادند و آن را منتظر
On the first day they saw their faces yellow: from despair they were sighing heavily.2535
روز اول روی خود دیدند زرد ** می‌‌زدند از ناامیدی آه سرد
On the second day the faces of all became red: the time for hope and repentance was (irretrievably) lost.
سرخ شد روی همه روز دوم ** نوبت اومید و توبه گشت گم
On the third day all their faces became black: the prediction of Sálih came true without (possibility of) dispute.
شد سیه روز سوم روی همه ** حکم صالح راست شد بی‌‌ملحمه
When they all gave themselves up to despair, they fell on their knees, like (crouching) birds.
چون همه در ناامیدی سر زدند ** همچو مرغان در دو زانو آمدند
Gabriel, the trusted (angel), brought in the Qur’án the description of this kneeling, (which is described by the word) játhimín.
در نبی آورد جبریل امین ** شرح این زانو زدن را جاثمین
Do thou kneel at the time when they (the saints) are teaching thee and bidding thee dread such a kneeling as this.2540
زانو آن دم زن که تعلیمت کنند ** وز چنین زانو زدن بیمت کنند
They (the people of Thamúd) were waiting for the stroke of vengeance: the vengeance came and annihilated that town.
منتظر گشتند زخم قهر را ** قهر آمد نیست کرد آن شهر را
Sálih went from his solitude to the town: he beheld the town amidst (wrapt in) smoke and naphtha.
صالح از خکوت بسوی شهر رفت ** شهر دید اندر میان دود و نفت
He heard (the sound of) wailing from their limbs: the lamentation was plain (to hear), those who uttered it (were) invisible.
ناله از اجزای ایشان می‌‌شنید ** نوحه پیدا نوحه گویان ناپدید
He heard wailings from their bones: their spirits shedding tears, like hailstones.
ز استخوانهاشان شنید او ناله‌‌ها ** اشک ریز از جانشان چون ژاله‌‌ها
Sálih heard that and set to weeping: he began to lament for them that made lamentation.2545
صالح آن بشنید و گریه ساز کرد ** نوحه بر نوحه گران آغاز کرد
He said, “O people that lived in vanity, and on account of you I wept before God!
گفت ای قومی به باطل زیسته ** وز شما من پیش حق بگریسته