هر که او عاقل بود از جان ماست ** روح او و ریح او ریحان ماست
Whoso is intelligent, he is (dear to us as) our soul :his breeze and wind is our sweet basil.’
عقل دشنامم دهد من راضیم ** زانک فیضی دارد از فیاضیم
(If) intelligence revile me, I am well-pleased, because it possesses something that has emanated from my emanative activity.
نبود آن دشنام او بی‌فایده ** نبود آن مهمانیش بی‌مایده1950
Its revilement is not without use, its hospitality is not without a table;
احمق ار حلوا نهد اندر لبم ** من از آن حلوای او اندر تبم
(But) if the fool put sweetmeat on my lip, I am in a fever from (tasting) his sweetmeat.”
این یقین دان گر لطیف و روشنی ** نیست بوسه‌ی کون خر را چاشنی
If you are goodly and enlightened, know this for sure, (that) kissing the arse of an ass hath no (delicious) savour.
سبلتت گنده کند بی‌فایده ** جامه از دیگش سیه بی‌مایده
He (the unsavoury fool) uselessly makes your moustache fetid; your dress is blackened by his kettle without (there being) a table (of food).
مایده عقلست نی نان و شوی ** نور عقلست ای پسر جان را غذی
Intelligence is the table, not bread and roast-meat: the light of intelligence, O son, is the nutriment for the soul.
نیست غیر نور آدم را خورش ** از جز آن جان نیابد پرورش1955
Man hath no food but the light: the soul does not obtain nourishment from aught but that.
زین خورشها اندک اندک باز بر ** کین غذای خر بود نه آن حر
Little by little cut (yourself) off from the (material) foods –– for these are the nutriment of an ass, not that of a free (noble) man ––
تا غذای اصل را قابل شوی ** لقمه‌های نور را آکل شوی
So that you may become capable of (absorbing) the original nutriment and may eat habitually the dainty morsels of the light.
عکس آن نورست کین نان نان شدست ** فیض آن جانست کین جان جان شدست
‘Tis (from) the reflexion of that light that this bread has become bread; ‘tis (from) the overflowing of that (rational) soul that this (animal) soul has become soul.
چون خوری یکبار از ماکول نور ** خاک ریزی بر سر نان و تنور
When you eat once of the light you will pour earth over the (material) bread and oven.
عقل دو عقلست اول مکسبی ** که در آموزی چو در مکتب صبی1960
Intelligence consists of two intelligences; the former is the acquired one which you learn, like a boy at school,
از کتاب و اوستاد و فکر و ذکر ** از معانی وز علوم خوب و بکر
From book and teacher and reflexion and (committing to) memory, and from concepts, and from excellent and virgin (hitherto unstudied) sciences.
عقل تو افزون شود بر دیگران ** لیک تو باشی ز حفظ آن گران
(By this means) your intelligence becomes superior to (that of) others; but through preserving (retaining in your mind) that (knowledge) you are heavily burdened.
لوح حافظ باشی اندر دور و گشت ** لوح محفوظ اوست کو زین در گذشت
You, (occupied) in wandering and going about (in search of knowledge), are a preserving (recording) tablet; the preserved tablet is he that has passed beyond this.
عقل دیگر بخشش یزدان بود ** چشمه‌ی آن در میان جان بود
The other intelligence is the gift of God: its fountain is in the midst of the soul.
چون ز سینه آب دانش جوش کرد ** نه شود گنده نه دیرینه نه زرد1965
When the water of (God-given) knowledge gushes from the breast, it does not become fetid or old or yellow (impure);
ور ره نبعش بود بسته چه غم ** کو همی‌جوشد ز خانه دم به دم
And if its way of issue (to outside) be stopped, what harm? for it gushes continually from the house (of the heart).
عقل تحصیلی مثال جویها ** کان رود در خانه‌ای از کویها
The acquired intelligence is like the conduits which run into a house from the streets:
راه آبش بسته شد شد بی‌نوا ** از درون خویشتن جو چشمه را
(If) its (the house’s) water-way is blocked, it is without any supply (of water) Seek the fountain from within yourself!
قصه‌ی آنک کسی به کسی مشورت می‌کرد گفتش مشورت با دیگری کن کی من عدوی توم
Story that some one was consulting another, who said, "Consult some one else, for I am your enemy."
مشورت می‌کرد شخصی با کسی ** کز تردد وا ردهد وز محبسی
A certain person was consulting some one, that he might be delivered from perplexity and from a quandary.
گفت ای خوش‌نام غیر من بجو ** ماجرای مشورت با او بگو1970
“O man of good name,” he replied, “seek another, not me, and explain to him the matter for consultation.
من عدوم مر ترا با من مپیچ ** نبود از رای عدو پیروز هیچ
I am an enemy to you: do not attach yourself to me; one is never successful (never wins success) from the counsel of an enemy.
رو کسی جو که ترا او هست دوست ** دوست بهر دوست لاشک خیرجوست
Go, seek one who is a friend to you: undoubtedly a friend seeks (what is) good for his friend.