بخش 195 - گفتن شیطان قریش را کی به جنگ احمد آیید کی من یاریها کنم وقبیلهٔ خود را بیاری خوانم و وقت ملاقات صفین گریختن

As (for example) Satan became the hundred-and-first in the army (of the Quraysh) and spake beguiling words, saying, “Verily, I am a protector for you.”

When the Quraysh had assembled at his bidding, and the two armies confronted each other, Satan espied a host of angels on a road beside the ranks of the Faithful.

(He espied) those troops that ye saw not, drawn up in ranks; and from terror his soul became (like) a fire-temple.

Turning on his heel, he began to retreat, saying, “I behold a marvellous host”—

That is, “I fear God: I have no help from Him. Get ye gone! Verily, I see what ye see not.”

Hárith said, “Hey, O thou that hast the form of Suráqa, why wert not thou saying such-like words yesterday?”

He replied, “At this moment I see destruction (before me).” He (Hárith) said, “Thou seest the most puny of the Arabs.

Thou art seeing naught but this; but, O thou disgrace, that was the time of talk, and this is the time of battle.

Yesterday thou wert saying, ‘I pledge myself that victory and Divine aid will always be yours.’

So that (after) we swallowed those (deceitful) words of thine and came (to battle), thou hast gone to the bath-stove and we have become the fuel.”

When Hárith said this to Suráqa, that accursed one was enraged at his reproaches.

He angrily withdrew his hand from his (Hárith's) hand, since his heart was pained by his words.

Satan smote his (Hárith's) breast and fled: by means of this plot he shed the blood of those wretched men.

After he had ruined so great a multitude, he then said, “Lo, I am quit of you.”

He smote him on the breast and overthrew him; then he turned to flee, since terror urged him on.

The fleshly soul and the Devil both have (ever) been one person (essentially); (but) they have manifested themselves in two forms,

Like the angel and the intellect, which were (really) one, (but) became two forms for the sake of His (God's) wise purposes.

You have such an enemy as this in your inward part: he is the preventer of the intellect, and the adversary of the spirit and of religion.

At one moment he dashes forward like the Libyan lizard; then (again) in flight he darts away into a hole.

Just now he has (many) holes in the (human) heart, and from every hole he is putting out his head.

The name that denotes the Devil's becoming hidden from (men's) souls and going into that hole is khunús (slinking back),

For his khunús is like the khunús of the hedgehog: like the head of the hedgehog, he pops in and out;

For God hath called the Devil Khannás (the slinker), because he resembles the head of the little hedgehog.

The head of the hedgehog is continually being hidden because of its fear of the cruel hunter,

If the fleshly soul had not waylaid you from within, how would the brigands have any power to lay a hand upon you?

On account of the exigent myrmidon, who is Lust, the heart is captive to greed and cupidity and bane.

On account of that inward myrmidon you have become thievish and depraved, so that the way is (open) for the (external) myrmidons to coerce you.

Hearken to this good counsel in the Traditions (of the Prophet)—“Your worst enemy is between your two sides.”

For the sake of this world and for contention's sake she has made the everlasting torment (seem) easy (of small account) to you.

What wonder, if she makes death (seem) easy? By her magic she does a hundred times as much (as this).

Magic makes a straw a mountain by artifice; (or) again, it weaves a mountain like a straw.

It makes ugly things beautiful by means of sleight; it makes beautiful things ugly by means of (false) opinion.

The work of magic is this, that it breathes (incantations) and at every breath (moment) transforms realities.

At one time it shows a man in the guise of an ass, (at another time) it makes an ass (look like) a man and a notable.

Such a magician is within you and latent: truly, there is a concealed magic in temptation (exerted by the fleshly soul);

(But) in the world in which are these magic arts, there are magicians who defeat sorcery.

In the plain where this fresh (virulent) poison grew, there has also grown the antidote, O son.

The antidote says to you, “Seek from me a shield, for I am nearer than the poison to thee.

Her (the fleshly soul's) words are magic and thy ruin; my words are (lawful) magic and the counter-charm to her magic.”