عقل کل را گفت مازاغ البصر ** عقل جزوی میکند هر سو نظر
Concerning the Universal Intellect He (God) hath said, “The sight did not rove (má zágh),” (but) the particular intellect is looking in every direction.
عقل مازاغ است نور خاصگان ** عقل زاغ استاد گور مردگان1310
The Intellect whose sight does not rove (‘aql-i má zágh) is the light of the elect; the crow-intellect (‘aql-i zágh) is the sexton for the (spiritually) dead.
جان که او دنبالهی زاغان پرد ** زاغ او را سوی گورستان برد
The spirit that flies after crows—the crow carries it towards the graveyard.
هین مدو اندر پی نفس چو زاغ ** کو به گورستان برد نه سوی باغ
Beware! Do not run in pursuit of the crow-like fleshly soul, for it carries (thee) to the graveyard, not towards the orchard.
گر روی رو در پی عنقای دل ** سوی قاف و مسجد اقصای دل
If thou go, go in pursuit of the ‘Anqá of the heart, towards the Qáf and Farther Mosque of the heart.
نوگیاهی هر دم ز سودای تو ** میدمد در مسجد اقصای تو
Every moment from thy cogitation a new plant is growing in thy Farther Mosque.
تو سلیمانوار داد او بده ** پی بر از وی پای رد بر وی منه1315
Do thou, like Solomon, give it its due: investigate it, do not lay upon it the foot of rejection,
زانک حال این زمین با ثبات ** باز گوید با تو انواع نبات
Because the various sorts of plants declare to thee the (inward) state of this firm-set earth.
در زمین گر نیشکر ور خود نیست ** ترجمان هر زمین نبت ویست
Whether in the earth there are sugar-canes or only (common) reeds, every earth (soil) is interpreted by its plants.
پس زمین دل که نبتش فکر بود ** فکرها اسرار دل را وا نمود
Therefore the heart's soil, whereof thought was (ever) the plant—(those) thoughts have revealed the heart's secrets.
گر سخنکش یابم اندر انجمن ** صد هزاران گل برویم چون چمن
If I find in the company him that draws the discourse (from me towards himself), I, like the garden, will grow hundreds of thousands of roses;
ور سخنکش یابم آن دم زن به مزد ** میگریزد نکتهها از دل چو دزد1320
And if at that time I find (there) the scoundrel who kills the discourse, the deep sayings will flee, like a thief, from my heart.
جنبش هر کس به سوی جاذبست ** جذب صدق نه چو جذب کاذبست
The movement of every one is towards the Drawer: the true drawing is not like the false drawing.
میروی گه گمره و گه در رشد ** رشته پیدا نه و آنکت میکشد
Sometimes thou art going astray, sometimes aright: the cord is not visible, nor He who is drawing thee.
اشتر کوری مهار تو رهین ** تو کشش میبین مهارت را مبین
Thou art a blind camel, and thy toggle is in (His) keeping: do thou regard the act of drawing, do not regard thy toggle.
گر شدی محسوس جذاب و مهار ** پس نماندی این جهان دارالغرار
If the Drawer and the toggle became perceptible (to the senses), then this world would no longer remain the abode of heedlessness (delusion).
گبر دیدی کو پی سگ میرود ** سخرهی دیو ستنبه میشود1325
(If) the infidel saw that he was going after a cur and was being made subject to the hideous Devil,
در پی او کی شدی مانند حیز ** پی خود را واکشیدی گبر نیز
How should he go at its heels like a catamite (base sycophant)? The infidel too would step back.
گاو گر واقف ز قصابان بدی ** کی پی ایشان بدان دکان شدی
If the cow were acquainted with the butchers, how should she follow them to that (butcher's) shop,
یا بخوردی از کف ایشان سبوس ** یا بدادی شیرشان از چاپلوس
Or eat bran from their hands, or give them milk on account of (their) coaxing (her)?
And if she ate, how should the fodder be digested by her, if she were aware of the purpose of the fodder?
پس ستون این جهان خود غفلتست ** چیست دولت کین دوادو با لتست1330
Heedlessness (delusion), then, is in sooth the pillar (support) of this world: what is dawlat (worldly fortune)? for this dawádaw (running to and fro) is (accompanied) with lat (blows).
اولش دو دو به آخر لت بخور ** جز درین ویرانه نبود مرگ خر
The beginning thereof is daw, daw (run, run); in the end (it is) lat khwar (suffer blows): the death of the ass is not (occurring) except in this wilderness.
تو به جد کاری که بگرفتی به دست ** عیبش این دم بر تو پوشیده شدست
Whenever thou hast earnestly taken a work in hand, its faultiness has become veiled to thee at this moment.
زان همی تانی بدادن تن به کار ** که بپوشید از تو عیبش کردگار
Thou art able to give thyself up to the work, (only) because the Creator veils its faultiness from thee.