رو که نشناسم ترا از من بجه ** عارف بی‌خویشم و بهلول ده700
(Saying), “Begone, I do not know thee: spring away from me. I am a gnostic who is beside himself and (I am) the Buhlúl of the village.”
تو توهم می‌کنی از قرب حق ** که طبق‌گر دور نبود از طبق
Thou art conceiving a false opinion of thy nearness to God, thinking that the Tray-maker is not far from the tray;
این نمی‌بینی که قرب اولیا ** صد کرامت دارد و کار و کیا
(And) thou dost not see this, that the nearness of the saints (to God) hath a hundred miracles and pomps and powers.
آهن از داوود مومی می‌شود ** موم در دستت چو آهن می‌بود
By David iron is made (soft as) a piece of wax; in thy hand wax is (hard) as iron.
قرب خلق و رزق بر جمله‌ست عام ** قرب وحی عشق دارند این کرام
Nearness (to God) in respect of (His) creating and sustaining (us) is common to all, (but only) these noble ones possess the nearness (consisting) of the inspiration of Love.
قرب بر انواع باشد ای پدر ** می‌زند خورشید بر کهسار و زر705
Nearness is of various kinds, O father: the sun strikes (both) on the mountains and on the gold (in the mine);
لیک قربی هست با زر شید را ** که از آن آگه نباشد بید را
But between the sun and the gold there is a nearness (affinity) of which the bíd-tree hath no knowledge.
شاخ خشک و تر قریب آفتاب ** آفتاب از هر دو کی دارد حجاب
(Both) the dry and fresh bough are near to the sun: how should the sun be screened off from either?
لیک کو آن قربت شاخ طری ** که ثمار پخته از وی می‌خوری
But where is the nearness of the sappy bough, from which you eat ripe fruit?
شاخ خشک از قربت آن آفتاب ** غیر زوتر خشک گشتن گو بیاب
From nearness to the sun let the dry bough get (if it can) anything besides withering sooner!