The Twelve Tribes of the Christians
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 1, section 21 of 171: Explanation of the twelve tribes of the Christians (بیان دوازده سبط از نصارا). Below, each of its 10 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
Explanation of the twelve tribes of the Christians بیان دوازده سبط از نصارا
قوم عیسی را بد اندر دار و گیر
حاکمانشان ده امیر و دو امیر
The people of Jesus had twelve amírs as rulers in authority over them.
هر فریقی مر امیری را تبع
بنده گشته میر خود را از طمع
Each party followed one amír and had become devoted to its own amír from desire (of worldly gain).
این ده و این دو امیر و قومشان
گشته بند آن وزیر بدنشان
These twelve amírs and their followers became in bondage to (a prey to) that vizier of evil sign.
اعتماد جمله بر گفتار او
اقتدای جمله بر رفتار او
They all put trust in his words, they all took his procedure as a pattern.
پیش او در وقت و ساعت هر امیر
جان بدادی گر بدو گفتی بمیر
Each amír would have given up his life in his presence at the time and hour (on the spot), if he (the vizier) had bidden him die.
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