جسم هدهد دید و جان عنقاش دید ** حس چو کفی دید و دل دریاش دید
Her body saw him as a hoopoe, (but) her spirit saw him as the ‘Anqá; her senses saw him as a fleck of foam, (but) her heart saw him as the sea.
عقل با حس زین طلسمات دو رنگ ** چون محمد با ابو جهلان به جنگ1605
Because of these two-coloured (diverse) talismans (appearance and reality) the intellect is at war with the senses, as Mohammed with the likes of Abú Jahl.
کافران دیدند احمد را بشر ** چون ندیدند از وی انشق القمر
The infidels regarded Ahmad (Mohammed) as (only) a man, since they did not see in him (the Prophetic nature which was manifested by the miracle) the moon was cleft asunder.
خاک زن در دیدهی حس بین خویش ** دیدهی حس دشمن عقل است و کیش
Throw dust on your sense-perceiving eye: the sensuous eye is the enemy of intellect and religion.
دیدهی حس را خدا اعماش خواند ** بت پرستش گفت و ضد ماش خواند
God has called the sensuous eye blind; He has said that it is an idolater and our foe,
ز انکه او کف دید و دریا را ندید ** ز انکه حالی دید و فردا را ندید
Because it saw the foam and not the sea, because it saw the present and not to-morrow.
خواجهی فردا و حالی پیش او ** او نمیبیند ز گنجی جز تسو1610
The master of to-morrow and of the present (is) before it; (yet) of a (whole) treasure it sees only a groat.
ذرهای ز آن آفتاب آرد پیام ** آفتاب آن ذره را گردد غلام
(If) a mote bring a message from yonder Sun, the sun would become a slave to that mote.
قطرهای کز بحر وحدت شد سفیر ** هفت بحر آن قطره را باشد اسیر
The drop that has become an envoy from the Sea of Unity— the seven seas would be captive to that drop.
گر کف خاکی شود چالاک او ** پیش خاکش سر نهد افلاک او
If a handful of earth become His courier, His heavens will lay their heads (in homage) before His earth.