What is the name of this vizier who tears off the clothes (of the poor)?” The company (of courtiers) said to him, “His name too is Hasan.”1235
چیست نام این وزیر جامه‌کن ** قوم گفتندش که نامش هم حسن
He (the poet) cried, “O Lord, how are the names of that one and this one the same? Alas, O Lord of the Judgement!
گفت یا رب نام آن و نام این ** چون یکی آمد دریغ ای رب دین
That Hasan by name (was such) that by a single pen of his a hundred viziers and ministers are disposed to liberality.
آن حسن نامی که از یک کلک او ** صد وزیر و صاحب آید جودخو
This Hasan (is such) that from the ugly beard of this Hasan thou canst weave, O (dear) soul, a hundred ropes.”
این حسن کز ریش زشت این حسن ** می‌توان بافید ای جان صد رسن
When a king listens to such a minister, he (the minister) disgraces the king and his kingdom unto everlasting.
بر چنین صاحب چو شه اصغا کند ** شاه و ملکش را ابد رسوا کند
The resemblance of the bad judgement of this base vizier in corrupting the king's generosity to (that of) the vizier of Pharaoh, namely, Hámán, in corrupting the readiness of Pharaoh to receive (the true Faith).
مانستن بدرایی این وزیر دون در افساد مروت شاه به وزیر فرعون یعنی هامان در افساد قابلیت فرعون
How many a time did Pharaoh soften and become submissive when he was hearing that Word from Moses!—1240
چند آن فرعون می‌شد نرم و رام ** چون شنیدی او ز موسی آن کلام
That Word (which was such) that from the sweetness of that incomparable Word the rock would have yielded milk.
آن کلامی که بدادی سنگ شیر ** از خوشی آن کلام بی‌نظیر
Whenever he took counsel with Hámán, who was his vizier and whose nature it was to hate,
چون بهامان که وزیرش بود او ** مشورت کردی که کینش بود خو
Then he (Hámán) would say, “Until now thou hast been the Khedive: wilt thou become, through deception, the slave to a wearer of rags?”
پس بگفتی تا کنون بودی خدیو ** بنده گردی ژنده‌پوشی را بریو
Those words would come like a stone shot by a mangonel (ballista) and strike upon his glass house.
هم‌چو سنگ منجنیقی آمدی ** آن سخن بر شیشه خانه‌ی او زدی
All that the Kalím of sweet address built up in a hundred days he (Hámán) would destroy in one moment.1245
هر چه صد روز آن کلیم خوش‌خطاب ** ساختی در یک‌دم او کردی خراب
Thy intellect is the vizier and is overcome by sensuality: in (the realm of) thy being it is a brigand (that attacks thee) on the Way to God.
عقل تو دستور و مغلوب هواست ** در وجودت ره‌زن راه خداست
(If) a godly monitor give thee good advice, it will artfully put those words (of his) aside,
ناصحی ربانیی پندت دهد ** آن سخن را او به فن طرحی نهد
Saying, “These (words) are not well-founded: take heed, don't be carried away (by them); they are not (worth) so much: come to thyself (be sensible), don't be crazed.”
کین نه بر جایست هین از جا مشو ** نیست چندان با خود آ شیدا مشو
Alas for the king whose vizier is this (carnal intellect): the place (abode) of them both is vengeful Hell.
وای آن شه که وزیرش این بود ** جای هر دو دوزخ پر کین بود
Happy is the king whose helper in affairs is a vizier like Ásaf.1250
شاد آن شاهی که او را دست‌گیر ** باشد اندر کار چون آصف وزیر
When the just king is associated with him, his (the king's) name is light upon light.
شاه عادل چون قرین او شود ** نام آن نور علی نور این بود
A king like Solomon and a vizier like Ásaf are light upon light and ambergris upon ‘abír.
چون سلیمان شاه و چون آصف وزیر ** نور بر نورست و عنبر بر عبیر
(When) the king (is like) Pharaoh and his vizier like Hámán, ill-fortune is inevitable for both.
شاه فرعون و چو هامانش وزیر ** هر دو را نبود ز بدبختی گزیر
Then it is (a case of) darkness, one part over another: neither intellect nor fortune shall be their friend on the Day of Judgement.
پس بود ظلمات بعضی فوق بعض ** نه خرد یار و نه دولت روز عرض
I have not seen aught but misery in the vile: if thou hast seen (aught else), convey (to them) the salaam (of felicitation) from me.1255
من ندیدم جز شقاوت در لام ** گر تو دیدستی رسان از من سلام
The king is as the spirit, and the vizier as the intellect: the corrupt intellect brings the spirit into movement (towards corruption).
هم‌چو جان باشد شه و صاحب چو عقل ** عقل فاسد روح را آرد بنقل
When the angelical intellect became a Hárút, it became the teacher in magic to two hundred devils.
آن فرشته‌ی عقل چون هاروت شد ** سحرآموز دو صد طاغوت شد
Do not take the particular (individual) intellect as thy vizier: make the Universal Intellect thy vizier, O king.
عقل جزوی را وزیر خود مگیر ** عقل کل را ساز ای سلطان وزیر
Do not make sensuality thy vizier, else thy pure spirit will cease from prayer,
مر هوا را تو وزیر خود مساز ** که برآید جان پاکت از نماز
For this sensuality is full of greed and sees (only) the immediate present, (whereas) the Intellect takes thought for the Day of Judgement.1260
کین هوا پر حرص و حالی‌بین بود ** عقل را اندیشه یوم دین بود
The two eyes of the Intellect are (fixed) on the end of things: it endures the pain of the thorn for the sake of that Rose
عقل را دو دیده در پایان کار ** بهر آن گل می‌کشد او رنج خار
Which does not fade and drop in autumn—far from it be the wind (breath) of every nose that cannot smell!
که نفرساید نریزد در خزان ** باد هر خرطوم اخشم دور از آن
How the Demon sat on the place (throne) of Solomon, on whom be peace, and imitated his actions; and concerning the manifest difference between the two Solomons, and how the Demon called himself Solomon son of David.
نشستن دیو بر مقام سلیمان علیه‌السلام و تشبه کردن او به کارهای سلیمان علیه‌السلام و فرق ظاهر میان هر دو سلیمان و دیو خویشتن را سلیمان بن داود نام کردن
Even if thou hast intellect, associate and consult with another intellect, O father.
ورچه عقلت هست با عقل دگر ** یار باش و مشورت کن ای پدر
With two intellects thou wilt be delivered from many afflictions: thou wilt plant thy foot on the summit of the heavens.
با دو عقل از بس بلاها وا رهی ** پای خود بر اوج گردونها نهی
If the Demon called himself Solomon and won the kingdom and made the empire subject (to him),1265
دیو گر خود را سلیمان نام کرد ** ملک برد و مملکت را رام کرد
(It was because) he had seen (and imitated) the form of Solomon's action; (but) within the form the spirit of demonry was appearing.
صورت کار سلیمان دیده بود ** صورت اندر سر دیوی می‌نمود
The people said, “This Solomon is without excellence: there are (great) differences between (that) Solomon and (this) Solomon.”
خلق گفتند این سلیمان بی‌صفاست ** از سلیمان تا سلیمان فرقهاست
He (the former) is like wakefulness, this one is like sleep; (there is as much difference) as between that Hasan and this Hasan.
او چو بیداریست این هم‌چون وسن ** هم‌چنانک آن حسن با این حسن
The Demon would reply, “God has bestowed on Ahriman a pleasing form (aspect) in the likeness of me.
دیو می‌گفتی که حق بر شکل من ** صورتی کردست خوش بر اهرمن
God hath given my aspect to the Devil: let him not cast you into his net!1270
دیو را حق صورت من داده است ** تا نیندازد شما را او بشست
If he appear with the pretence (that he is really I), beware! Do not have regard to his (outward) form.”
گر پدید آید به دعوی زینهار ** صورت او را مدارید اعتبار
The Demon was saying this to them from guile, but in good (enlightened) hearts the reverse of this was apparent.
دیوشان از مکر این می‌گفت لیک ** می‌نمود این عکس در دلهای نیک
There is no playing tricks with the discerning man, especially (with) him whose discernment and intelligence speak of the Unseen.
نیست بازی با ممیز خاصه او ** که بود تمییز و عقلش غیب‌گو
No magic and no imposture and fraud will bind a veil upon the owners of (spiritual) empire.
هیچ سحر و هیچ تلبیس و دغل ** می‌نبندد پرده بر اهل دول
Hence they were saying to themselves in reply (to the Demon), “Thou art going upside down, O thou who art addressed falsely (by the name of Solomon).1275
پس همی گفتند با خود در جواب ** بازگونه می‌روی ای کژ خطاب
Upside down likewise thou wilt go Hellward, the lowest among the low.
بازگونه رفت خواهی همچنین ** سوی دوزخ اسفل اندر سافلین
If he (Solomon) has been deposed and reduced to poverty, (yet) the radiant full-moon is on his forehead.
او اگر معزول گشتست و فقیر ** هست در پیشانیش بدر منیر
If thou hast carried off the (royal) signet-ring, (yet) thou art (as) a Hell frozen like (the region of) piercing cold.
تو اگر انگشتری را برده‌ای ** دوزخی چون زمهریر افسرده‌ای
On account of (the Demon's) ostentation and vain show and pomp and grandeur how (should we lay) the head (in obeisance before him)? for we will not lay (before him) even a hoof.
ما ببوش و عارض و طاق و طرنب ** سر کجا که خود همی ننهیم سنب
And if heedlessly we should lay the forehead (on the ground in homage) to him, a preventing hand will rise up from the earth,1280
ور به غفلت ما نهیم او را جبین ** پنجه‌ی مانع برآید از زمین
(As though to say), ‘Do not lay the head before this headlong-fallen one; beware, do not bow down to this ill-fated wretch!’”
که منه آن سر مرین سر زیر را ** هین مکن سجده مرین ادبار را
I would have given a very soul-quickening exposition of this (story), were it not for the indignation and jealousy of God.
کردمی من شرح این بس جان‌فزا ** گر نبودی غیرت و رشک خدا
Still, be content and accept this (insufficient) amount, that I may explain (the whole of) this at another time.
هم قناعت کن تو بپذیر این قدر ** تا بگویم شرح این وقتی دگر
He (the Demon), having called himself by the name of the prophet Solomon, makes it a mask to deceive every (foolish) boy.
نام خود کرده سلیمان نبی ** روی‌پوشی می‌کند بر هر صبی