چون ز مفلس زر تقاضا می‌کنی ** زر ببخشش در سر ای شاه غنی
Since Thou art demanding gold from an insolvent, give him gold in secret, O rich King!
بی تو نظم و قافیه شام و سحر ** زهره کی دارد که آید در نظر
Without Thee, how should poesy and rhyme dare to come into sight at eve or morn?
نظم و تجنیس و قوافی ای علیم ** بنده‌ی امر توند از ترس و بیم
Poesy and homonymy and rhymes, O Knowing One, are the slaves of Thy Command from fear and dread,
چون مسبح کرده‌ای هر چیز را ** ذات بی تمییز و با تمییز را1495
Inasmuch as Thou hast made everything a glorifier (of Thee) —the undiscerning entity and the discerning (alike).
هر یکی تسبیح بر نوعی دگر ** گوید و از حال آن این بی‌خبر
Each glorifies (Thee) in a different fashion, and that one is unaware of the state of this one.
آدمی منکر ز تسبیح جماد ** و آن جماد اندر عبادت اوستاد
Man disbelieves in the glorification uttered by inanimate things, but those inanimate things are masters in (performing) worship.
بلک هفتاد و دو ملت هر یکی ** بی‌خبر از یکدگر واندر شکی
Nay, the two-and-seventy sects, every one, are unaware of (the real state of) each other and in a (great) doubt.
چون دو ناطق را ز حال همدگر ** نیست آگه چون بود دیوار و در
Since two speakers have no knowledge of each other's state, how will (it) be (with) wall and door?
چون من از تسبیح ناطق غافلم ** چون بداند سبحه‌ی صامت دلم1500
Since I am heedless of the glorification uttered by one who speaks, how should my heart know the glorification performed by that which is mute?
هست سنی را یکی تسبیح خاص ** هست جبری را ضد آن در مناص
The Sunní is unaware of the Jabrí's (mode of) glorification; the Jabrí is unaffected by the Sunní's (mode of) glorification.
سنی از تسبیح جبری بی‌خبر ** جبری از تسبیح سنی بی اثر
The Sunní has a particular (mode of) glorification; the Jabrí has the opposite thereof in (taking) refuge (with God).
این همی‌گوید که آن ضالست و گم ** بی‌خبر از حال او وز امر قم
This one (the Jabrí) says, “He (the Sunní) is astray and lost,” (being) unaware of his (real) state and of the (Divine) command, “Arise (and preach)!”
و آن همی گوید که این را چه خبر ** جنگشان افکند یزدان از قدر
And that one (the Sunní) says, “What awareness has this one (the Jabrí)?” God, by fore-ordainment, hath cast them into strife.
گوهر هر یک هویدا می‌کند ** جنس از ناجنس پیدا می‌کند1505
He maketh manifest the real nature of each, He displays the congener by (contrast with) the uncongenial.
قهر را از لطف داند هر کسی ** خواه دانا خواه نادان یا خسی
Every one knows (can distinguish) mercy from vengeance, whether he be wise or ignorant or vile,
لیک لطفی قهر در پنهان شده ** یا که قهری در دل لطف آمده
But a mercy that has become hidden in vengeance, or a vengeance that has sunk into the heart of mercy,
کم کسی داند مگر ربانیی ** کش بود در دل محک جانیی
No one knows except the divine (deified) man in whose heart is a spiritual touchstone.
باقیان زین دو گمانی می‌برند ** سوی لانه‌ی خود به یک پر می‌پرند
The rest hold (only) an opinion of these two (qualities): they fly to their nest with a single wing.
بیان آنک علم را دو پرست و گمان را یک پرست ناقص آمد ظن به پرواز ابترست مثال ظن و یقین در علم
Explaining that Knowledge has two wings, and Opinion (only) one: “Opinion is defective and curtailed in flight”; and a comparison illustrating opinion and certainty in knowledge.
علم را دو پر گمان را یک پرست ** ناقص آمد ظن به پرواز ابترست1510
Knowledge has two wings, Opinion one wing: Opinion is defective and curtailed in flight.
مرغ یک‌پر زود افتد سرنگون ** باز بر پرد دو گامی یا فزون
The one-winged bird soon falls headlong; then again it flies up some two paces or (a little) more.
افت خیزان می‌رود مرغ گمان ** با یکی پر بر امید آشیان
The bird, Opinion, falling and rising, goes on with one wing in hope of (reaching) the nest.
چون ز ظن وا رست علمش رو نمود ** شد دو پر آن مرغ یک‌پر پر گشود
(But) when he has been delivered from Opinion, Knowledge shows its face to him: that one-winged bird becomes two-winged and spreads his wings.
بعد از آن یمشی سویا مستقیم ** نه علی وجهه مکبا او سقیم
After that, he walks erect and straight, not falling flat on his face or ailing.
با دو پر بر می‌پرد چون جبرئیل ** بی گمان و بی مگر بی قال و قیل1515
He flies aloft with two wings, like Gabriel, without opinion and without peradventure and without disputation.
گر همه عالم بگویندش توی ** بر ره یزدان و دین مستوی
If all the world should say to him, “You are on the Way of God and (are following) the right religion,”