In Book Three, Section 42 of the *Masnavi*, God commands Moses to grant Pharaoh's request for a forty-day delay. This illustrates the theological concept of *Imhal* (divine respite). By allowing the oppressor time to gather forces and exhaust his worldly schemes, God demonstrates that no amount of human plotting can overcome Divine decree. The respite serves to heighten the ultimate defeat of Pharaoh's arrogance, as God assures Moses that every worldly stratagem devised during this period will be completely inverted by Divine power.

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## Original content
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گفت نه نه مهلتم باید نهاد 
عشوه ها کم ده، تو کم پیمای باد
حق تعالی وحی کردش در زمان 
مهلتش ده متسع مهراس از آن
این چهل روزش بده مهلت بطوع 
تا سگالد مکرها او نوع نوع
تا بکوشد او که نی من خفته ام 
تیز رو گو پیش ره بگرفته ام
حیله هاشان را همه برهم زنم 
و آنچ افزایند من بر کم زنم
آب را آرند من آتش کنم 
نوش و خوش گیرند و من ناخوش کنم
مهر پیوندند و من ویران کنم 
آنک اندر وهم نارند آن کنم
تو مترس و مهلتش ده دم دراز 
گو سپه گرد آر و صد حیلت بساز

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## English translation
He said, "No, no; I must be granted a respite. Give fewer blandishments; speak less empty wind." God Most High revealed to him at once: "Give him ample respite; do not fear it. Give him these forty days' respite willingly, so that he may devise many kinds of schemes. Let him strive, for I am not asleep; say to the swift goer, 'I have gone ahead and blocked the road.' I will confound all their stratagems, and what they increase I will reduce. They will bring water; I will make it fire. They will take it as sweet and pleasant; I will make it unpleasant. They will bind ties of affection; I will destroy them. I will do what they cannot bring into imagination. Do not fear; give him a long respite. Say: gather an army and contrive a hundred tricks."

دفتر سوم - بخش ۴۲ - جواب فرعون موسی را و وحی آمدن موسی را علیه‌السلام / Book Three - Section 42 - Pharaoh's Answer to Moses and the Coming of Revelation to Moses, Peace Be Upon Him

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Ganjoor

## Original content
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گفت امر آمد برو مهلت تو را 
من بجای خود شدم رستی ز ما
او همی شد و اژدها اندر عقب 
چون سگ صیاد دانا و محب
چون سگ صیاد جنبان کرده دم 
سنگ را می کرد ریگ او زیر سم
سنگ و آهن را به دم در می کشید 
خرد می خایید آهن را پدید
در هوا می کرد خود بالای برج 
که هزیمت می شد از وی روم و گرج
کفک می انداخت چون اشتر ز کام 
قطره ای بر هر که زد می شد جذام
ژغژغ دندان او دل می شکست 
جان شیران سیه می شد ز دست
چون به قوم خود رسید آن مجتبی 
شدق او بگرفت باز او شد عصا
تکیه بر وی کرد و می گفت ای عجب 
پیش ما خورشید و پیش خصم شب
ای عجب چون می نبیند این سپاه 
عالمی پر آفتاب چاشتگاه
چشم باز و گوش باز و این ذکا 
خیره ام در چشم بندی خدا
من ازیشان خیره ایشان هم ز من 
از بهاری خار ایشان، من سمن
پیششان بردم بسی جام رحیق 
سنگ شد آبش به پیش این فریق
دسته گل بستم و بردم به پیش 
هر گلی چون خار گشت و نوش نیش
آن نصیب جان بی خویشان بود 
چونک با خویش اند پیدا کی شود
خفتهٔ بیدار باید پیش ما 
تا به بیداری ببیند خوابها
دشمن این خواب خوش شد فکر خلق 
تا نخسپد فکرتش بستست حلق
حیرتی باید که روبد فکر را 
خورده حیرت فکر را و ذکر را
هر که کاملتر بود او در هنر 
او به معنی پس، به صورت پیشتر
راجعون گفت و رجوع این سان بود 
که گله وا گردد و خانه رود
چونک واگردید گله از ورود 
پس فتد آن بز که پیش آهنگ بود
پیش افتد آن بز لنگ پسین 
اضحک الرجعی وجوه العابسین
از گزافه کی شدند این قوم لنگ 
فخر را دادند و بخریدند ننگ
پا شکسته می روند این قوم حج 
از حرج راهیست پنهان تا فرج
دل ز دانشها بشستند این فریق 
زانک این دانش نداند آن طریق
دانشی باید که اصلش زان سرست 
زانک هر فرعی به اصلش رهبرست
هر پری بر عرض دریا کی پرد 
تا لدن علم لدنی می برد
پس چرا علمی بیاموزی به مرد 
کش بباید سینه را زان پاک کرد
پس مجو پیشی ازین سر لنگ باش 
وقت وا گشتن تو پیش آهنگ باش
آخرون السابقون باش ای ظریف 
بر شجر سابق بود میوهٔ طریف
گرچه میوه آخر آید در وجود 
اولست او زانک او مقصود بود
چون ملایک گوی لا علم لنا 
تا بگیرد دست تو علمتنا
گر درین مکتب ندانی تو هجا 
همچو احمد پری از نور حجی
گر نباشی نامدار اندر بلاد 
گم نه ای الله اعلم بالعباد
اندر آن ویران که آن معروف نیست 
از برای حفظ گنجینهٔ زریست
موضع معروف کی بنهند گنج 
زین قبل آمد فرج در زیر رنج
خاطر آرد بس شکال اینجا ولیک 
بسکلد اشکال را استور نیک
هست عشقش آتشی اشکال سوز 
هر خیالی را بروبد نور روز
هم از آن سو جو جواب ای مرتضا 
کین سؤال آمد از آن سو مر تو را
گوشهٔ بی گوشهٔ دل شه رهیست 
تاب لا شرقی و لا غرب از مهیست
تو ازین سو و از آن سو چون گدا 
ای که معنی چه می جویی صدا
هم از آن سو جو که وقت درد تو 
می شوی در ذکر یا ربی دوتو
وقت درد و مرگ آن سو می نمی 
چونک دردت رفت چونی اعجمی
وقت محنت گشته ای الله گو 
چونک محنت رفت گویی راه کو
این از آن آمد که حق را بی گمان 
هر که بشناسد بود دایم بر آن
وانک در عقل و گمان هستش حجاب 
گاه پوشیدست و گه بدریده جیب
عقل جزوی گاه چیره گه نگون 
عقل کلی آمن از ریب المنون
عقل بفروش و هنر حیرت بخر 
رو به خواری، نه بخارا ای پسر
ما چه خود را در سخن آغشته ایم 
کز حکایت ما حکایت گشته ایم
من عدم و افسانه گردم در حنین 
تا تقلب یابم اندر ساجدین
این حکایت نیست پیش مرد کار 
وصف حالست و حضور یار غار
آن اساطیر اولین که گفت عاق 
حرف قرآن را بد آثار نفاق
لامکانی که درو نور خداست 
ماضی و مستقبل و حال از کجاست
ماضی و مستقبلش نسبت به تست 
هر دو یک چیزند پنداری که دوست
یک تنی او را پدر ما را پسر 
بام زیر زید و بر عمرو آن زبر
نسبت زیر و زبر شد زان دو کس 
سقف سوی خویش یک چیزست بس
نیست مثل آن مثالست این سخن 
قاصر از معنی نو حرف کهن
چون لب جو نیست مشکا لب ببند 
بی لب و ساحل بدست این بحر قند

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## English translation
He said, 'The command has come: go; you have respite. I have returned to my own place; you are delivered from us.' He went, and the dragon followed behind, like a skilled, loving hunting dog. Like a hunting dog wagging its tail, it made stone into sand beneath its foot. It drew stone and iron in with its breath; it openly chewed iron into pieces. It raised itself in the air above the tower, so that Romans and Georgians fled in rout from it. It cast foam from its mouth like a camel; whoever was struck by a drop became leprous. The gnashing of its teeth broke hearts; the souls of black lions were lost from their hands. When that chosen one reached his people, he took hold of its jaw, and it again became a staff. He leaned on it and said, 'How strange: before us, sun, and before the enemy, night. How strange that this army does not see a world full of the forenoon sun. Open eye, open ear, and this intelligence: I am bewildered at God's eye-binding. I am bewildered by them, and they by me; from spring they are thorns, and I am jasmine. I brought many cups of pure wine before them; before this group its water became stone. I tied a bouquet and brought it before them; every flower became a thorn, and sweetness a sting. That portion belongs to souls free of self; since they are with self, how can it become manifest? A waking sleeper is needed before us, so that while awake he may see dreams. People's thinking has become the enemy of this sweet sleep; lest his thought fall asleep, it has seized his throat. Bewilderment is needed to sweep thought away; bewilderment has consumed thought and remembrance. Whoever is more complete in spiritual skill is later in meaning though earlier in form. He said, "We are returning," and return is like this: the flock turns back and goes home. When the flock turns back from the watering place, the goat that had led falls behind. The lame goat that was last comes forward; the return makes scowling faces laugh. Did these people become lame at random? They gave away pride and bought disgrace. Broken-footed, these people go on pilgrimage; from hardship there is a hidden road to relief. This group washed their hearts of knowledges, because this knowledge does not know that road. A knowledge is needed whose root is from that side, for every branch leads to its root. How can any feather fly across the breadth of the sea until "from Us" carries it to ladunni knowledge? So why teach a man a knowledge from which the breast must later be cleansed? Therefore do not seek precedence from this side; be lame. At the time of return, be the one who leads. Be "the last are the first," O subtle one; on the tree the fresh fruit is prior. Although the fruit comes last into existence, it is first because it was the intended end. Like the angels, say, "We have no knowledge," so that "You have taught us" may take your hand. If in this school you do not know the alphabet, like Ahmad you will fly by the light of discernment. If you are not renowned in the lands, you are not lost: God knows the servants best. In the ruin that is not famous, there is protection for a treasury of gold. Who would place treasure in a famous place? For this reason relief came beneath suffering. The mind brings many objections here, but a good mount breaks apart the objections. His love is a fire that burns objections; daylight sweeps away every fantasy. Seek the answer from that same side, O approved one, for this question came to you from that side. The cornerless corner of the heart is a royal road; the radiance of "neither eastern nor western" is from a moon. You, from this side and that side, are like a beggar: O you who seek meaning, why do you seek an echo? Seek from that side, for at the time of your pain you bend double in the invocation, "O my Lord." At the time of pain and death you incline toward that side; when your pain is gone, why do you become foreign-tongued? In the time of affliction you become one who says "Allah"; when affliction is gone you say, "Where is the road?" This is because whoever knows the Real without doubt remains constantly in that state. But one whose veil lies in reason and supposition is sometimes covered and sometimes tears his collar. The partial intellect is sometimes victorious and sometimes overthrown; the universal intellect is secure from mortal doubt. Sell intellect and buy the craft of bewilderment; turn toward humility, not Bukhara, my son. Why have we so steeped ourselves in speech that, because of the story, we ourselves have become a story? I become nonexistence and legend in longing, so that I may find transformation among those who prostrate. For the person of spiritual work this is not a story; it is a description of state and the presence of the Companion of the Cave. Those 'tales of the ancients' which the rebel called the words of the Qur'an were marks of hypocrisy. In the placeless realm where the light of God is, where are past, future, and present? Its past and future are relative to you; both are one thing, though you suppose them two. One body is father to him and son to us; the roof is below Zayd and above Amr. The relation of below and above came from those two people; toward itself the roof is only one thing. This speech is not the same as that reality; it is an analogy. The new meaning falls short in old letters. Since there is no bank of the stream, close the water-skin's mouth; without lip or shore, this sea of sugar is in hand.'

دفتر سوم - بخش ۴۳ - مهلت دادن موسی علیه‌السلام فرعون را تا ساحران را جمع کند از مداین / Book Three - Section 43 - Moses, Peace Be Upon Him, Giving Respite to Pharaoh to Gather the Sorcerers from the Cities

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