- You are fire and naphtha: you are fire: I cannot help being burned by you. Who is there whose raiment is not torn to pieces by your hand?
- آتشی از تو نسوزم چاره نیست ** کیست کز دست تو جامهش پاره نیست
- Inasmuch as it is your nature, O fire, to be a cause of burning, there is no help but you must burn something. 2655
- طبعت ای آتش چو سوزانیدنی است ** تا نسوزانی تو چیزی چاره نیست
- This is God's curse (on you), that He makes you burn (things) and makes you the master of all thieves.
- لعنت این باشد که سوزانت کند ** اوستاد جمله دزدانت کند
- You have spoken with God and heard (Him speak) face to face: what should I be (able to do) before your deceit, O enemy?
- با خدا گفتی شنیدی رو برو ** من چه باشم پیش مکرت ای عدو
- Your stock of knowledge is like the sound of (the fowler's) whistle: it is the cry of birds, but it is bird-ensnaring.
- معرفتهای تو چون بانگ صفیر ** بانگ مرغانی است لیکن مرغ گیر
- That (whistle) has waylaid myriads of birds, the bird (in each case) being duped (by the fancy) that a friend is come.
- صد هزاران مرغ را آن ره زده ست ** مرغ غره کاشنایی آمده ست
- When it hears in the air the sound of the whistle, it comes (down) from the air and is made captive here. 2660
- در هوا چون بشنود بانگ صفیر ** از هوا آید شود اینجا اسیر
- Through your deceit the people of Noah are in lamentation: they have hearts charred and bosoms (torn) to shreds.
- قوم نوح از مکر تو در نوحهاند ** دل کباب و سینه شرحه شرحهاند
- You gave ‘Ád in this world to the wind (of destruction): you cast (them) into torment and sorrows.
- عاد را تو باد دادی در جهان ** در فگندی در عذاب و اندهان
- Through you was the stoning of the people of Lot: through you were they sunk in the black rain-water.
- از تو بود آن سنگسار قوم لوط ** در سیاه آبه ز تو خوردند غوط
- Through you was the brain of Nimrod crumbled, O you that have raised thousands of turmoils!
- مغز نمرود از تو آمد ریخته ** ای هزاران فتنهها انگیخته
- Through you the intelligence of Pharaoh, the acute and sage, became blinded, (so that) he found no understanding. 2665
- عقل فرعون ذکی فیلسوف ** کور گشت از تو نیابید او وقوف
- Through you also Bú Lahab became an unworthy one; through you also Bu ’l- Hakam became a Bú Jahl.
- بو لهب هم از تو نااهلی شده ** بو الحکم هم از تو بو جهلی شده
- O you that on this chessboard, for the sake of remembrance, have checkmated hundreds of thousands of masters,
- ای بر این شطرنج بهر یاد را ** مات کرده صد هزار استاد را
- O you by whose difficult attacking moves (our) hearts have been burned and your (own) heart has been blackened,
- ای ز فرزین بندهای مشکلت ** سوخته دلها سیه گشته دلت
- You are the sea of cunning, (and all) the creatures (are but) a drop: you are like a mountain and (we) simple ones (are but) a mote.
- بحر مکری تو خلایق قطرهای ** تو چو کوهی وین سلیمان ذرهای
- Who shall escape from your cunning, O adversary? We are drowned in the flood, except them that are protected (by God). 2670
- کی رهد از مکر تو ای مختصم ** غرق طوفانیم الا من عصم
- By you many a fortunate star has been burned: by you many an army and host have been scattered.”
- بس ستارهی سعد از تو محترق ** بس سپاه و جمع از تو مفترق
- How Iblís again replied to Mu‘áwiya.
- باز جواب گفتن ابلیس معاویه را
- Iblís said to him, “Unravel these knot (and apprehend the matter): I am the touchstone for the false coin and the true.
- گفت ابلیسش گشای این عقد را ** من محکم قلب را و نقد را
- God hath made me the test of lion and cur, God hath made me the test of genuine coin and counterfeit.
- امتحان شیر و کلبم کرد حق ** امتحان نقد و قلبم کرد حق
- When have I blackened the false coin's face? I am the money-changer: I have (only) valued it.
- قلب را من کی سیه رو کردهام ** صیرفیام قیمت او کردهام
- To the good I act as guide, the dry branches I rip off. 2675
- نیکوان را ره نمایی میکنم ** شاخههای خشک را بر میکنم
- I lay these (different) sorts of fodder (before people)—for what purpose? In order that it may be seen of what kind the animal is.
- این علفها مینهم از بهر چیست ** تا پدید آید که حیوان جنس کیست
- When a wolf bears young to an antelope, and there is some doubt whether it (the young one) has the nature of wolf or antelope,
- گرگ از آهو چو زاید کودکی ** هست در گرگیش و آهویی شکی
- Drop you grass and bones in front of it (and see) to which side it quickly steps.
- تو گیاه و استخوان پیشش بریز ** تا کدامین سو کند او گام تیز
- If it comes towards the bones, it is canine; and if it craves the grass, it is assuredly of the antelope race.
- گر به سوی استخوان آید سگ است ** ور گیا خواهد یقین آهو رگ است
- A wrath and a mercy were wedded to one another: from these twain was born the world of good and evil. 2680
- قهر و لطفی جفت شد با همدگر ** زاد از این هر دو جهانی خیر و شر
- Offer grass and bones, offer the food of the flesh and the food of the spirit.
- تو گیاه و استخوان را عرضه کن ** قوت نفس و قوت جان را عرضه کن
- If he seek the food of the flesh, he is bobtailed (worthless), and if he desire the food of the spirit, he is a (spiritual) chief.
- گر غذای نفس جوید ابتر است ** ور غذای روح خواهد سرور است
- If he serve the body, he is an ass; and if he go into the sea of the spirit, he will find pearls.
- گر کند او خدمت تن هست خر ** ور رود در بحر جان یابد گهر
- Although these twain—good and evil—are different, yet these twain are (engaged) in one work.
- گر چه این دو مختلف خیر و شراند ** لیک این هر دو به یک کار اندراند
- The prophets offer devotions, the enemies (of God) offer lusts. 2685
- انبیا طاعات عرضه میکنند ** دشمنان شهوات عرضه میکنند
- How should I make the good man bad? I am not God. I am (only) a prompter, I am not their creator.
- نیک را چون بد کنم یزدان نیام ** داعیم من خالق ایشان نیام
- (How) should I make the fair foul? I am not the Lord. I am (only) a mirror for the foul and the fair.
- خوب را من زشت سازم رب نهام ** زشت را و خوب را آیینهام
- The Hindoo burnt a mirror in vexation, saying, ‘This (mirror) causes a man to look black-faced.’
- سوخت هندو آینه از درد را ** کاین سیه رو مینماید مرد را
- He (God) hath made me an informer and truth-teller, that I may tell where the ugly one is and where the beautiful.
- او مرا غماز کرد و راست گو ** تا بگویم زشت کو و خوب کو
- I am a witness: how is prison (the right place) for a witness? I do not deserve (to go to) prison, God is the witness (to my innocence). 2690
- من گواهم بر گوا زندان کجاست ** اهل زندان نیستم ایزد گواست
- Wherever I see a fruitful sapling, I foster (it) diligently like a nurse.
- هر کجا بینم نهال میوهدار ** تربیتها میکنم من دایهوار
- Wherever I see a sour and dry tree, I cut it down, in order that the musk may be delivered (separated) from the dung.
- هر کجا بینم درخت تلخ و خشک ** میبرم تا وارهد از پشک مشک
- The dry (tree) says to the gardener, ‘O young man, why do you cut off my head without fault (on my part)?’
- خشک گوید باغبان را کای فتی ** مر مرا چه میبری سر بیخطا
- The gardener says, ‘Be silent, O evil-natured one! Is not thy dryness sin enough in thee?’
- باغبان گوید خمش ای زشت خو ** بس نباشد خشکی تو جرم تو
- The dry (tree) says, ‘I am straight, I am not crooked: why are you houghing me (who am) without guilt?’ 2695
- خشک گوید راستم من کژ نیام ** تو چرا بیجرم میبری پیم
- The gardener says, ‘Hadst thou been blest, would that thou wert crooked (if only) thou wert moist (full of sap).
- باغبان گوید اگر مسعودیای ** کاشکی کژ بودیای تر بودیای
- Thou wouldst have drawn (into thyself) the Water of Life: thou wouldst have been steeped in the Water of Life.
- جاذب آب حیاتی گشتهای ** اندر آب زندگی آغشتیای
- Thy seed and thy root were bad, and thou hast not been joined to a good tree.
- تخم تو بد بوده است و اصل تو ** با درخت خوش نبوده وصل تو
- If the sour branch be joined to a sweet one, that sweetness will strike (impress itself) on its nature.’”
- شاخ تلخ ار با خوشی وصلت کند ** آن خوشی اندر نهادش بر زند
- How Mu‘áwiya dealt sternly with Iblís.
- عنف کردن معاویه با ابلیس
- Said the Amír, “O brigand, do not argue: there is no way for you (to penetrate) into me, (so) do not seek the way. 2700
- گفت امیر ای راه زن حجت مگو ** مر ترا ره نیست در من ره مجو
- You are a brigand, and I am a stranger and merchant: how should I purchase any garments that you may bring?
- ره زنی و من غریب و تاجرم ** هر لباساتی که آری کی خرم
- Do not prowl about my property, infidel as you are: you are not one to buy the property of anybody.
- گرد رخت من مگرد از کافری ** تو نه ای رخت کسی را مشتری
- The brigand is not a buyer for (from) any person, and if he seem to be a buyer, ’tis (only his) deceit and artfulness.
- مشتری نبود کسی را راه زن ** ور نماید مشتری مکر است و فن