حماني وصلَ أبناءِ القسوس

بحبِّ الفُرسِ بهروزُ المجوسي

The priests brought together the children of Hamani

Behrouz the Magian, through his Persian love's decree, / Kept me from the sons of priests and their company.

With love of the Persians did Bahroz the Magian shine

Pure in his birth from that chaotic stain, / Which Christians for their clergy license and ordain.

نقيّ في الولادةِ عن مشوشٍ

يرخّصهُ النصارى للقُسوس

Pure in birth from any stain

And from the Jews' filth at the circumcision rite, / Who suck the pus and pour it in the chalice bright.

Licensed by the Christians for priesthood

If one praises the True Faith with glory and with might, / He says, 'My creed avoids him as a parasitic mite.'

وعن دنَس اليهود لدى اختتان

يمصُّ القيحَ يُسكبُ في القدوس

And from the filth of the Jews in circumcision

A noble scion of the Kanus clan, / Far above La'us in the ranks of man.

He sucks the pus, pours it out on the Holies

Estranged from Hind, Rabab, and all that crew, / From Umm al-Junaydib and Lamis too.

وإن قيلَ الحنيفُ حمّى وعزّاً

يقل ديني تجنّبهُ كسوسِ

And if it is said the Hanif had fever and honor

Pious of soul, in radiant tunic dressed, / Graceful in stature as a gazelle at rest.

He says my religion avoids it like leprosy

I poured out a lover’s grief for him to hear, / Upon a Thursday, when the meeting time was near.

شريف النجر من رهطِ الكنوس

تناءى في المناصب عن لعوسِ

Noble stock from the tribe of Kanus

I said, while trembling with a fearful start, / 'Even a meager union satisfies my heart.'

He held office far from the vile

By Ashfahr, Yanid, and the river’s stream, / By Mah and Mehrar, and the truth they deem.

وهندٍ والربابِ وفرتناهم

وعن أم الجُنَيدبِ مع لميس

And a Hindu and a harp-player and their wantonness

By what the groups recite in Basyag’s page, / The book of Zarud, the Magian sage.

And the mother of Junaydib with her noisiness

By holy Mehregan and Nowruz’s right, / And by the sword that glimmers in the light.

تقيّ النفسِ أزهرُ قرطقيّ

رشيق القدّ كالظبي النعوس

Devout of soul, the brightest Qarmatian

By verses read in Sharwin’s ancient crease, / And tales of Ramin and his lover Vis.

Slender of form like a roebuck, shy and skittish

Speak but a word to make my spirit whole, / For your estrangement fevers deep my soul.

شكوتُ إليه كربةَ مستهّامٍ

وكان لقاؤنا يوم الخميس

I complained to him of the trouble of Mistaham

He said, 'Away, you scoundrel, get you hence! / Seek you one whose faith allows no touching of the sense?'

And our meeting was on Thursday

فقلتُ ونحن في وجلٍ شديد

رضينا من وصالكَ بالخسيسِ

So I said while in terrible anguish

We were content with your company, worthless as it was

بأشفَهرٍ ويا نيدٍ ونهر

وحقِّ الماهِ والمهرار بيسِ

By Ashvahar and Ya Nid and Nahr

And the truth of the new moon and Miharar Bays

بما يتلونَ في البسياق زُمراً

كتابَ زرودِ داعيةِ المجوسِ

By what they recite in bands

The book of Zurvan, summoner of the Magians

بحقِّ المهر كانِ ونؤكروز

ومرحف امساه الكبيسِ

By the truth of Mihr Kan, and Nukruz

And Marduf named it Kabbis

وما يتلون في شروين دستي

ومن حرداب رامين وويس

And what they recite in Shurwin Dusti

And from Hardab Ramin and Ways

لما كلّمتني ورددتَ نفسي

فإنّي من جفائِكَ في رسيس

When you spoke to me and restored my soul

Surely I am, because of your coldness, in grief

فقالَ إليك عنّي يا دفهري

أترجو مَن يدينُ بلا مسيسِ

So he said to me, O Dafari

Do I hope for one who worships without Messiah?