بخش 21 - آمن بودن بلعم باعور کی امتحانها کرد حضرت او را و از آنها روی سپید آمده بود

Bal‘am the son of Bá‘úr and the accursed Iblís were disgraced at the ultimate test.

He (the boastful hypocrite), by his pretension, desires to be (reputed) rich, (but) his belly is execrating his moustache,

Crying, “Display that which he is hiding! He has consumed me (with anguish): O God, expose him!”

All the members of his body are his adversaries, for he prates of spring (while) they are in December.

Vain talk repels acts of kindness and tears off the bough of pity from the trunk of the tree.

Bring forward (practise) honesty, or else be silent, and then behold pity and enjoy it.

That belly became the adversary of his moustache and secretly had recourse to prayer,

Crying, “O God, expose this idle brag of the base, in order that the pity of the noble may be moved towards me.”

The belly's prayer was answered: the ardency of need put out a flag.

God hath said, “Though thou be a profligate and idolater, I will answer when thou callest Me.”

Do thou cleave fast unto prayer and ever cry out: in the end it will deliver thee from the hands of the ghoul.

When the belly committed itself to God, the cat came and carried off the skin of that sheep's tail.

They ran after the cat, (but) she fled. The child (of the braggart), from fear of his scolding, changed colour (turned pale).

The little child came into (the midst of) the company and took away the prestige of the boastful man.

It said, “The sheep's tail with which every morning you greased your lips and moustaches—

The cat came and suddenly snatched it away: I ran hard, but the effort was of no use.”

Those who were present laughed from astonishment, and their feelings of pity began to be moved again.

They invited him (to eat) and kept him full-fed, they sowed the seed of pity in his soil.

When he had tasted honesty from the noble, he without arrogance (humbly) became devoted to honesty.