بخش 54 - مناجات

O Giver of (spiritual) nutriment and steadfastness and stability, give Thy creatures deliverance from this instability.

Grant unto the soul—for it is bent (crooked)—to stand upright (to persevere with rectitude) in the work wherein it ought to be stable.

Bestow patience upon them and heavy balance-scales: deliver them from the guile of impostors;

And redeem them from envy, O Gracious One, lest from envy they be devils accursed.

How do the vulgar burn with envy for the fleeting happiness of riches and (pleasures of) the body!

Behold the kings, how they lead armies (to battle) and slay their own kinsmen because of envy.

The lovers of filthy dolls (darlings) have sought each other's blood and life.

Read Wís and Rámín and Khusraw and Shírín: (you will see) what those fools did because of envy.

(You will see) that the lover perished and the beloved too: they are naught and their passion also is naught.

Holy is the god who brings non-existence into collision with itself and makes non-existence to be in love with non-existence.

Envies arise in the heart that is no (real) heart: thus doth Being subject not being to compulsion.

These women, who are kinder than all (other creatures)—(even amongst them) two fellow-wives devour each other from envy,

So that (you may judge) in what degree of envy are the men who indeed are stony-hearted.

If the Law had not exercised a gracious spell (over them), every one would have torn the body of his rival to pieces.

The Law makes a plan for repelling evil: it puts the demon into the bottle of (legal) proof—

Witness and oath and shrinking (from the oath)—till (at last) the insolent demon goes into the bottle (prison).

(The Law is) like the balance whereby the two adversaries are surely united in contentment, (whether) in jest or earnest.

Know for sure that the Law is like the measure and scales by means of which the litigants are saved from wrangling and enmity.

If there be no pair of scales, how shall the litigant escape from disputing when he suspects fraud and deceit?

(If), then, there is all this jealousy and litigation and injustice in respect of this foul faithless carcase,

How, then, must it be when genies and men become envious in respect of that fortune and felicity (hereafter)?

Truly those devils are envious of old: never for a moment do they cease from waylaying;

And the sons of Adam who have sown (the seed of) disobedience—they too have become devils from enviousness.

Read in the Qur’án how by Divine transformation the devils of mankind have become homogeneous with the Devil.

When the Devil fails to tempt (any one), he seeks aid from these human (devils).

Saying, ‘Ye are my friends: (perform) an act of friendship towards me; ye are on my side: (perform) an act of partiality.’

If they waylay any one in the world, both kinds of devils come off rejoicing;

And if any one has saved his soul and become eminent in religion, those two jealous (parties) keep up lamentation.

Both gnash their teeth in envy at any one upon whom the (spiritual) Teacher has bestowed wisdom.”