بخش 6 - قصهٔ آن صوفی کی زن خود را بیگانه‌ای بگرفت

A Súfí came (back) to his house in the daytime: the house had (only) one door, and his wife was with a cobbler.

Uxor copulata erat cum servo (amatore) suo in illo uno cubiculo propter corporis libidinem.

When in the forenoon the Súfí knocked on the door with all his might, both (the lovers) were at a loss (what to do): (there was) neither device nor way (of escape).

It was never known (it was unprecedented) for him to return home from the shop at that time,

But on that day the alarmed man purposely returned to his house at an unseasonable hour, because of a fancy (suspicion).

The wife's confidence was (based) on the fact that he had never come home from his work at this time.

By (Divine) destiny, her reasoning did not come (turn out to be) right: though He (God) is the Coverer (of sins), still He will impose the penalty.

When you have done evil, be afraid, do not be secure, since it (the evil) is seed, and God will cause it to grow.

For awhile He covers it up, to the end that sorrow and shame for (having committed) that evil may come to you.

In the time of ‘Umar, that Prince of the Faithful gave a thief over to the executioner and officer of police.

The thief cried out, saying, ‘O Prince of the land, this is my first offence. Mercy!’

‘God forfend,’ said ‘Umar, ‘that God should inflict severe punishment the first time.

He covers up (the sin) many times in order to manifest His grace; then again, He chastises (the sinner) in order to manifest His justice,

To the end that both these attributes may be displayed, and the former be hope-inspiring and the latter deterrent.’

The woman, too, had committed this wickedness many times: it passed lightly (over her) and seemed light to her.

The feeble intelligence (which she had) was unaware that the pitcher does not for ever come (back) whole from the brook.

That (Divine) destiny brought her to such straits as sudden death does (in the case of) the (religious) hypocrite,

(When there is) neither way (of escape) nor comrade (to help) nor (hope of) quarter, (and when) the Angel (of Death) has put out his hand to (seize) the soul.

(Such is the state of the hypocrite), even as this woman in that chamber of iniquity was paralysed, she and her companion, by the tribulation.

The Súfí said to himself, ‘O ye two miscreants, I will take vengeance on you, but with patience.

(I will not act in haste) but at this moment I will feign ignorance, that every ear may not hear this bell.’

He (God) who manifests the right takes vengeance on you secretly, little by little, like the malady of phthisis.

The man suffering from phthisis dwindles incessantly like ice, but at every moment he thinks he is better.

(He is) like the hyena which they (the hunters) are catching, and which is duped by their saying, ‘Where is this hyena?’

That woman had no secret room; she had no subterranean cellar or passage, no way to the top (of the house),

No oven where he (her lover) might be concealed, nor any sack that might be a screen for him.

’Twas like the broad plain of Resurrection Day—no hollow or hillock or place of refuge.

God hath described this distressful place, (which is) for the scene of the (Last) Congregation, (in the words) thou wilt not see therein any unevenness.