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جمله عالم خود عرض بودند تا ** اندر این معنی بیامد هل أتی
- Indeed, all created beings were accidents (once), so that in this sense (the text) was revealed—Did there not come…?
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این عرضها از چه زاید از صور ** وین صور هم از چه زاید از فکر
- Whence arise these accidents? From ideas. And whence arise these ideas? From thoughts.
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این جهان یک فکرت است از عقل کل ** عقل چون شاه است و صورتها رسل
- This world is one thought (emanating) from the Universal Intellect: the Intellect is like a king, and the ideas (are his) envoys.
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عالم اول جهان امتحان ** عالم ثانی جزای این و آن
- The first world is the world of probation; the second world is the (world of) recompense for this and that.
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چاکرت شاها جنایت میکند ** آن عرض زنجیر و زندان میشود 980
- Thy servant, O King, commits a sin: that accident becomes (a substance, namely) chains and prison.
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بندهات چون خدمت شایسته کرد ** آن عرض نه خلعتی شد در نبرد
- When thy slave performed goodly service, did not that accident become a robe of honour in the battle (between the flesh and the spirit)?
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این عرض با جوهر آن بیضه است و طیر ** این از آن و آن از این زاید به سیر
- This accident with the substance (belonging to it) is egg and bird: this is produced by that, and that by this, in succession.”
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گفت شاهنشه چنین گیر المراد ** این عرضهای تو یک جوهر نزاد
- The King said, “Take the meaning (to be) so: (why then) have these accidents of yours not produced any substance?”
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گفت مخفی داشته ست آن را خرد ** تا بود غیب این جهان نیک و بد
- “(Divine) Wisdom,” replied the slave, “has kept it concealed, in order that this world of good and evil may be a mystery,
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ز انکه گر پیدا شدی اشکال فکر ** کافر و مومن نگفتی جز که ذکر 985
- Because, if the (substantial) forms of thought were to become manifest, infidel and believer (alike) would speak naught but praise (of God).