The Jewish King Who Slew the Christians
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 1, section 12 of 171: Story of the Jewish king who for bigotry's sake used to slay the Christians (داستان آن پادشاه جهود که نصرانیان را می‌‌کشت از بهر تعصب). Below, each of its 28 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
Story of the Jewish king who for bigotry’s sake used to slay the Christians داستان آن پادشاه جهود که نصرانیان را می‌‌کشت از بهر تعصب
بود شاهی در جهودان ظلم ساز
دشمن عیسی و نصرانی گداز
Amongst the Jews there was a king who wrought oppression, an enemy of Jesus and a destroyer of Christians.
عهد عیسی بود و نوبت آن او
جان موسی او و موسی جان او
Twas the epoch of Jesus and the turn was his: he was the soul of Moses, and Moses the soul of him;
شاه احول کرد در راه خدا
آن دو دمساز خدایی را جدا
(But) the squint-eyed (double-seeing) king separated in the way of God those two Divine (prophets) who were (really) in accord (with each other).
گفت استاد احولی را کاندر آ
رو برون آر از وثاق آن شیشه را
The master said to a squint-eyed (pupil), “Come on; go, fetch that bottle out of the room.”
گفت احول ز ان دو شیشه من کدام
پیش تو آرم بکن شرح تمام
Said the squint-eyed one: “Which of the two bottles shall I bring to you? Explain fully.”
گفت استاد آن دو شیشه نیست رو
احولی بگذار و افزون بین مشو
“There are not two bottles,” replied the master; “go, leave off squinting and do not be seeing more (than one).”
گفت ای استا مرا طعنه مزن
گفت استا ز ان دو یک را در شکن
“O master,” said he, “don’t chide me.” Said the master, “Smash one of those two.”
شیشه یک بود و به چشمش دو نمود
چون شکست او شیشه را دیگر نبود
The bottle was one, though in his eyes it seemed two; when he broke the bottle, there was no other.
چون یکی بشکست هر دو شد ز چشم
مردم احول گردد از میلان و خشم
When one was broken, both vanished from sight: a man is made squint-eyed by (evil) propensity and anger.
خشم و شهوت مرد را احول کند
ز استقامت روح را مبدل کند
Anger and lust make a man squint-eyed, they change the spirit (so that it departs) from rectitude.
چون غرض آمد هنر پوشیده شد
صد حجاب از دل به سوی دیده شد
When self-interest appears, virtue becomes hidden: a hundred veils rise from the heart to the eye.
چون دهد قاضی به دل رشوت قرار
کی شناسد ظالم از مظلوم زار
When the cadi lets bribery gain hold of his heart, how should he know the wronger from the wretched victim of wrong?
شاه از حقد جهودانه چنان
گشت احول کالامان یا رب امان
The king, from Jewish rancour, became so squint-eyed that (we cry), “Mercy, O Lord, mercy (save us from such an affliction)!”
صد هزاران مومن مظلوم کشت
که پناهم دین موسی را و پشت
He slew hundreds of thousands of wronged (innocent) believers, saying, “I am the protection and support of the religion of Moses.”
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