But the arrows never (once) hit a vital spot: this is a matter of luck, not of bravery or cunning.
لیک بر مقتل نیامد تیرها ** کار بخت است این نه جلدی و دها
When (I saw that) martyrdom was not the lot of my spirit, I went immediately into (religious) seclusion and (entered on) a forty days' fast.3785
چون شهیدی روزی جانم نبود ** رفتم اندر خلوت و در چله زود
I threw myself into the Greater Warfare (which consists) in practising austerities and becoming lean.
در جهاد اکبر افکندم بدن ** در ریاضت کردن و لاغر شدن
(One day) there reached my ear the sound of the drums of the holy warriors; for the hard-fighting army was on the march.
بانگ طبل غازیان آمد به گوش ** که خرامیدند جیش غزوکوش
My fleshly soul cried out to me from within: at morningtide I heard (its voice) with my sensuous ear,
نفس از باطن مرا آواز داد ** که به گوش حس شنیدم بامداد
(Saying), ‘Arise! ’Tis time to fight. Go, devote thyself to fighting in the holy war!’
خیز هنگام غزا آمد برو ** خویش را در غزو کردن کن گرو
I answered, ‘O wicked perfidious soul, what hast thou to do with the desire to fight?3790
گفتم ای نفس خبیث بی‌وفا ** از کجا میل غزا تو از کجا
Tell the truth, O my soul! This is trickery. Else (why wouldst thou fight)?—the lustful soul is quit of obedience (to the Divine command).
راست گوی ای نفس کین حیلت‌گریست ** ورنه نفس شهوت از طاعت بریست
Unless thou tell the truth, I will attack thee, I will squeeze (torment) thee more painfully (than before) in maceration.’
گر نگویی راست حمله آرمت ** در ریاضت سخت‌تر افشارمت
Thereupon my soul, mutely eloquent, cried out in guile from within me,
نفس بانگ آورد آن دم از درون ** با فصاحت بی‌دهان اندر فسون
‘Here thou art killing me daily, thou art putting my (vital) spirit (on the rack), like the spirits of infidels.
که مرا هر روز اینجا می‌کشی ** جان من چون جان گبران می‌کشی
No one is aware of my plight—how thou art killing me (by keeping me) without sleep and food.3795
هیچ کس را نیست از حالم خبر ** که مرا تو می‌کشی بی‌خواب و خور
In war I should escape from the body at one stroke, and the people would see my manly valour and self-sacrifice.’
در غزا بجهم به یک زخم از بدن ** خلق بیند مردی و ایثار من
I replied, ‘O wretched soul, a hypocrite thou hast lived and a hypocrite thou wilt die: what (a pitiful thing) art thou!
گفتم ای نفسک منافق زیستی ** هم منافق می‌مری تو چیستی
In both worlds thou hast been a hypocrite, in both worlds thou art such a worthless creature.’
در دو عالم تو مرایی بوده‌ای ** در دو عالم تو چنین بیهوده‌ای
I vowed that I would never put my head outside of (come out of) seclusion, seeing that this body is alive,
نذر کردم که ز خلوت هیچ من ** سر برون نارم چو زنده‌ست این بدن
Because everything that this body does in seclusion it does with no regard to man or woman.3800
زانک در خلوت هر آنچ تن کند ** نه از برای روی مرد و زن کند
During seclusion the intention of (all) its movement and rest is for God's sake only.”
جنبش و آرامش اندر خلوتش ** جز برای حق نباشد نیتش
This is the Greater Warfare, and that (other) is the Lesser Warfare: both are (fit) work for (men like) Rustam and Haydar (‘Alí).
این جهاد اکبرست آن اصغرست ** هر دو کار رستمست و حیدرست
They are not (fit) work for one whose reason and wits fly out of his body when a mouse's tail moves.
کار آن کس نیست کو را عقل و هوش ** پرد از تن چون بجنبد دنب موش
Such a one must stay, like women, far off from the battle-field and the spears.
آن چنان کس را بباید چون زنان ** دور بودن از مصاف و از سنان
That one a Súfí and this one (too) a Súfí! Here's a pity! That one is killed by a needle, while the sword is this one's food.3805
صوفیی آن صوفیی این اینت حیف ** آن ز سوزن کشته این را طعمه سیف
He (the false Súfí) is (only) the figure of a Súfí: he has no soul (life); accordingly, the (true) Súfís get a bad name from Súfís such as these.
نقش صوفی باشد او را نیست جان ** صوفیان بدنام هم زین صوفیان
Upon the door and wall of the body moulded of clay God, in His jealousy, traced the figures of a hundred Súfís (of this sort),
بر در و دیوار جسم گل‌سرشت ** حق ز غیرت نقش صد صوفی نبشت
To the end that by means of magic those figures should move and that Moses' rod should be hidden.
تا ز سحر آن نقشها جنبان شود ** تا عصای موسوی پنهان شود
The truth of the rod swallows up the figures, (but) the Pharaoh-like eye is filled with dust and gravel (and cannot see).
نقشها را میخورد صدق عصا ** چشم فرعونیست پر گرد و حصا
Another Súfí entered the battle-line twenty times for the purpose of fighting3810
صوفی دیگر میان صف حرب ** اندر آمد بیست بار از بهر ضرب
Along with the Moslems when they attacked the infidels; he did not fall back with the Moslems in their retreat.
با مسلمانان به کافر وقت کر ** وانگشت او با مسلمانان به فر
He was wounded, but he bandaged the wound which he had received, and once more advanced to the charge and combat,
زخم خورد و بست زخمی را که خورد ** بار دیگر حمله آورد و نبرد
In order that his body might not die cheaply at one blow and that he might receive twenty blows in the battle.
تا نمیرد تن به یک زخم از گزاف ** تا خورد او بیست زخم اندر مصاف
To him it was anguish that he should give up his soul at one blow and that his soul should escape lightly from the hand of his fortitude.
حیفش آمد که به زخمی جان دهد ** جان ز دست صدق او آسان رهد
Story of the (spiritual) warrior who every day used to take one dirhem separately from a purse containing (pieces of) silver and throw it into a ditch (full of water) for the purpose of thwarting the greed and cupidity of his fleshly soul; and how his soul tempted him, saying, “Since you are going to throw (this money) into the ditch, at least throw it away all at once, so that I may gain deliverance, for despair is one of the two (possible) reliefs”; and how he replied, “I will not give thee this relief either.”
حکایت آن مجاهد کی از همیان سیم هر روز یک درم در خندق انداختی به تفاریق از بهر ستیزه‌ی حرص و آرزوی نفس و وسوسه‌ی نفس کی چون می‌اندازی به خندق باری به یک‌بار بینداز تا خلاص یابم کی الیاس احدی الراحتین او گفته کی این راحت نیز ندهم
A certain man had forty dirhems in his hand: every night he would throw one (of them) into the sea-water,3815
آن یکی بودش به کف در چل درم ** هر شب افکندی یکی در آب یم
In order that the long agony suffered in (the process of) deliberation might become grievous to the illusory soul.
تا که گردد سخت بر نفس مجاز ** در تانی درد جان کندن دراز
He (the valiant Súfí) advanced with the Moslems to attack (the infidels), (but) in the hour of retreat he did not fall back in haste before the enemy.
با مسلمانان بکر او پیش رفت ** وقت فر او وا نگشت از خصم تفت
He was wounded again, (but) he bound up those (wounds) too: twenty times were the spears and arrows (of the enemy) broken by him.
زخم دیگر خورد آن را هم ببست ** بیست کرت رمح و تیر از وی شکست
After that no strength remained (in him): his fell forward (and expired in) the seat of truth because his love was true.
بعد از آن قوت نماند افتاد پیش ** مقعد صدق او ز صدق عشق خویش
Truth consists in giving up the soul (to God). Hark, try to outstrip (the others) in the race! Recite from the Qur’án (the words) men who have been true.3820
صدق جان دادن بود هین سابقوا ** از نبی برخوان رجال صدقوا
All this dying is not the death of the (physical) form: this body is (only) like an instrument for the spirit.
این همه مردن نه مرگ صورتست ** این بدن مر روح را چون آلتست
Oh, there is many a raw (imperfect) one whose blood was shed externally, but whose living fleshly soul escaped to yonder side.
ای بسا خامی که ظاهر خونش ریخت ** لیک نفس زنده آن جانب گریخت
Its instrument was shattered, but the brigand was left alive: the fleshly soul is living though that on which it rode has bled to death.
آلتش بشکست و ره‌زن زنده ماند ** نفس زنده‌ست ارچه مرکب خون فشاند
His (the rider's) horse was killed before his road was traversed: he became naught but ignorant and wicked and miserable.
اسپ کشت و راه او رفته نشد ** جز که خام و زشت و آشفته نشد
If a martyr were made by every (mortal) bloodshed, an infidel killed (in battle) also would be a Bú Sa‘íd.3825
Oh, there is many a trusty martyred soul that has died (to self) in this world, (though) it is going about like the living.
ای بسا نفس شهید معتمد ** مرده در دنیا چو زنده می‌رود
The brigand (animal) spirit has died, though the body, which is its sword, survives: it (the sword) is (still) in the hand of that eager warrior.
روح ره‌زن مرد و تن که تیغ اوست ** هست باقی در کف آن غزوجوست
The sword is that (same) sword, the man is not that (same) man; but this appearance (of identity) is a cause of bewilderment to you.
تیغ آن تیغست مرد آن مرد نیست ** لیک این صورت ترا حیران کنیست
When the soul is transformed, this sword, namely, the body, remains in the hand of (is wielded by) the action of the Beneficent (God).
نفس چون مبدل شود این تیغ تن ** باشد اندر دست صنع ذوالمنن
The one (whose fleshly soul is dead) is a man whose food is entirely (Divine) love; the other is a man hollow as dust.3830
آن یکی مردیست قوتش جمله درد ** این دگر مردی میان‌تی هم‌چو گرد
How an informer described a girl and exhibited the picture of her on paper, and how the Caliph of Egypt fell in love with it and sent an Amír with a mighty army to the gates of Mawsil (Mosul) and made great slaughter and devastation for the purpose (of obtaining the girl).
صفت کردن مرد غماز و نمودن صورت کنیزک مصور در کاغذ و عاشق شدن خلیفه‌ی مصر بر آن صورت و فرستادن خلیفه امیری را با سپاه گران بدر موصل و قتل و ویرانی بسیار کردن بهر این غرض
An informer said to the Caliph of Egypt, “The King of Mawsil is wedded to a houri.
مر خلیفه‌ی مصر را غماز گفت ** که شه موصل به حوری گشت جفت
He holds in his arms a girl like whom there is no (other) beauty in the world.
یک کنیزک دارد او اندر کنار ** که به عالم نیست مانندش نگار
She does not admit of description, for her loveliness is beyond (all) limits: here is her portrait on paper.”
در بیان ناید که حسنش بی‌حدست ** نقش او اینست که اندر کاغذست