And if thou make (it) a habit and become addicted to repentance, because of this (habitual) repentance thou wilt become more repentant.
نیم عمرت در پریشانی رود ** نیم دیگر در پشیمانی رود
One half of thy life will pass in distraction and the other half will pass in repentance.
ترک این فکر و پریشانی بگو ** حال و یار و کار نیکوتر بجو
Take leave of this (anxious) thought and repentance: seek a better (spiritual) state and friend and work.
ور نداری کار نیکوتر به دست ** پس پشیمانیت بر فوت چه است
And if thou hast no better work in hand, then for the omission of what (work) is thy repentance?
گر همی دانی ره نیکو پرست ** ور ندانی چون بدانی کین به دست
If thou knowest the good way, worship (God); and if thou dost not know (it), how dost thou know that this way (in which thou art going) is evil?
بد ندانی تا ندانی نیک را ** ضد را از ضد توان دید ای فتی1345
Thou dost not know evil till thou knowest good: (only) from (one) contrary is it possible to discern (the other) contrary, O youth.
چون ز ترک فکر این عاجز شدی ** از گناه آنگاه هم عاجز بدی
Since (as thou sayest) thou wert rendered impotent to abandon the thought of this (repentance), at that time thou wert also impotent to commit sin.
چون بدی عاجز پشیمانی ز چیست ** عاجزی را باز جو کز جذب کیست
Since thou wert impotent (to commit sin), on account of what is thy repentance? Inquire concerning impotence, by whose pull (exertion of power) is it (produced)?
عاجزی بی‌قادری اندر جهان ** کس ندیدست و نباشد این بدان
No one has seen impotence in the world without power, nor will it (ever) be (so). Know this (for sure).
همچنین هر آرزو که می‌بری ** تو ز عیب آن حجابی اندری
Similarly, (with) every desire that thou cherishest, thou art debarred from (perceiving) its faultiness;
ور نمودی علت آن آرزو ** خود رمیدی جان تو زان جست و جو1350
And if the viciousness of that desire had been shown, thy soul of its own accord would have recoiled from seeking (to gratify it).
گر نمودی عیب آن کار او ترا ** کس نبردی کش کشان آن سو ترا
If He (God) had shown unto thee the faultiness of that work, no one, dragging (thee) along (by force), would have taken thee in that direction;
وان دگر کار کز آن هستی نفور ** زان بود که عیبش آمد در ظهور
And (as regards) that other work from which thou art exceedingly averse, the reason is that its faultiness has come into clear view.
ای خدای رازدان خوش‌سخن ** عیب کار بد ز ما پنهان مکن
O God who knowest the secret and who art gracious in speech, do not hide from us the faultiness of the evil work;
عیب کار نیک را منما به ما ** تا نگردیم از روش سرد و هبا
(And) do not show unto us the faultiness of the good work, lest we become cold (disgusted) and distracted from journeying (in the Way).
هم بر آن عادت سلیمان سنی ** رفت در مسجد میان روشنی1355
According to that (aforesaid) habit, the exalted Solomon went into the Mosque in the brightness (of dawn).
قاعده‌ی هر روز را می‌جست شاه ** که ببیند مسجد اندر نو گیاه
The king was seeking (to observe) the daily rule of seeing the new plants in the Mosque.
دل ببیند سر بدان چشم صفی ** آن حشایش که شد از عامه خفی
The heart with that pure eye (which it possesses) sees occultly the (spiritual) herbs that are invisible to the vulgar.
قصه‌ی صوفی کی در میان گلستان سر به زانو مراقب بود یارانش گفتند سر برآور تفرج کن بر گلستان و ریاحین و مرغان و آثار رحمةالله تعالی
Story of the Súfí who, head on knee, was engaged in (spiritual) meditation in the garden: his friends said to him, "Lift up thy head and enjoy the garden and the sweet herbs and the birds and the marks of the mercy of God most High."
صوفیی در باغ از بهر گشاد ** صوفیانه روی بر زانو نهاد
In the orchard a certain Súfí laid his face in Súfí fashion upon his knee for the sake of (mystical) revelation;
پس فرو رفت او به خود اندر نغول ** شد ملول از صورت خوابش فضول
Then he sank deep down into himself. An impertinent fellow was annoyed by his semblance of slumber.
که چه خسپی آخر اندر رز نگر ** این درختان بین و آثار و خضر1360
“Why,” said he, “dost thou sleep? Nay, look at the vines, behold these trees and marks (of Divine mercy) and green plants.
امر حق بشنو که گفتست انظروا ** سوی این آثار رحمت آر رو
Hearken to the command of God, for He hath said, ‘Look ye’: turn thy face towards these marks of (Divine) mercy.”
گفت آثارش دلست ای بوالهوس ** آن برون آثار آثارست و بس
He replied, “O man of vanity, its marks are (within) the heart: that (which is) without is only the marks of the marks.”