ز ابر گریان شاخ سبز و تر شود ** ز آنکه شمع از گریه روشنتر شود480
The bough is made green and fresh by the weeping cloud, for the (same) reason that the candle is made brighter by (its) weeping.
هر کجا نوحه کنند آن جا نشین ** ز آنکه تو اولیتری اندر حنین
Wheresoever people are lamenting, sit you there (and lament), because you have a better right to moan (than they have),
ز آن که ایشان در فراق فانیاند ** غافل از لعل بقای کانیاند
Inasmuch as they are (concerned) with parting from that which passes away, and are forgetful of the ruby of everlasting-ness that belongs to the mine (of Reality);
ز آن که بر دل نقش تقلید است بند ** رو به آب چشم بندش را برند
Inasmuch as the stamp of blind imitation is (as) a lock upon the heart;-go, scrape off (dissolve) its lock with tears-;
ز آن که تقلید آفت هر نیکویی است ** که بود تقلید اگر کوه قوی است
Inasmuch as imitation is the bane of every good quality; imitation is (but) a straw, (even) if it is a mighty mountain.
گر ضریری لمترست و تیز خشم ** گوشت پارهش دان چو او را نیست چشم485
If a blind man is big and choleric, deem him (only) a piece of flesh, since he has no eye (eye-sight).
گر سخن گوید ز مو باریکتر ** آن سرش را ز آن سخن نبود خبر
Though he (the blind imitator) speak words finer than a hair, his heart has no knowledge of these words.
مستیی دارد ز گفت خود و لیک ** از بر وی تا به می راهی است نیک
He has a certain intoxication from his own words, but there is a good way (distance) between him and the Wine.
همچو جوی است او نه او آبی خورد ** آب از او بر آب خواران بگذرد
He is like a river-bed: it does not drink any water; the water passes through it to the water-drinkers.
آب در جو ز آن نمیگیرد قرار ** ز آن که آن جو نیست تشنه و آب خوار
The water does not settle in the river-bed because the river-bed is not thirsty and water-drinking.