بخش 44 - 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).

It cries, “Alas, after existence non-existence!” He (God) says, “Thy crime is this, that thou hast lived too long.”

Gabriel, dragging it by the hair, leads it away, saying, “Begone from this Paradise and from the company of the fair ones.”

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.”

(It cries), “O Gabriel, thou didst (formerly) bow down (to me) with (all) thy soul: why art thou now driving me from Paradise?

My robes are flying from me in (this hour of) tribulation, like leaves from the date-palm in the season of autumn.”

The countenance whose splendour was moon-like becomes with old age like the back of the Libyan lizard;

And the fair head and crown (of the head) that once were radiant become ugly and bald at the time of eld;

And the tall proud figure, piercing the ranks like a spear-point, in old age is bent double like a bow.

The colour of red anemone becomes the colour of saffron; his lion-like strength becomes as the courage of women.

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.

Truly these are marks of pain and decay: every one of them is a messenger of death.