در میان چوب گوید کرم چوب ** مر کرا باشد چنین حلوای خوب
The wood-worm in the midst of wood says, “For whom (else) should be such fine sweetmeat?”
کرم سرگین در میان آن حدث ** در جهان نقلی نداند جز خبث
The dung-worm amidst (all) that pollution knows no dessert in the world but filth.
مناجات
Prayer.
ای خدای بی‌نظیر ایثار کن ** گوش را چون حلقه دادی زین سخن 305
O God who art without peer, show favour! Since Thou hast bestowed on (our) ear this discourse as an ear-ring,
گوش ما گیر و بدان مجلس کشان ** کز رحیقت می‌خورند آن سرخوشان
Take hold of our ear and draw us along to the assembly where the joyous revellers drink of Thy wine.
چون به ما بویی رسانیدی ازین ** سر مبند آن مشک را ای رب دین
Forasmuch as Thou hast caused a waft of its perfume to reach us, do not stopple the head (mouth) of that wine-skin, O Lord of the Judgement!
از تو نوشند ار ذکورند ار اناث ** بی‌دریغی در عطا یا مستغاث
Whether they are male or female, they (all Thy creatures) drink from Thee: O Thou whose help is besought, Thou art stintless in giving.
ای دعا ناگفته از تو مستجاب ** داده دل را هر دمی صد فتح باب
O Thou by whom the unspoken prayer is answered, who bestowest at every moment a hundred bounties on the heart,
چند حرفی نقش کردی از رقوم ** سنگها از عشق آن شد هم‌چو موم 310
Thou hast limned some letters of writing: rocks have become (soft) as wax for love of them.
نون ابرو صاد چشم و جیم گوش ** بر نوشتی فتنه‌ی صد عقل و هوش
Thou hast scribed the nún of the eyebrow, the sád of the eye, and the jím of the ear as a distraction to a hundred minds and understandings.
زان حروفت شد خرد باریک‌ریس ** نسخ می‌کن ای ادیب خوش‌نویس
By those letters of Thine the intellect is made to weave subtle coils (of perplexity): write on, O accomplished Calligrapher!
در خور هر فکر بسته بر عدم ** دم به دم نقش خیالی خوش رقم
At each moment Thou shapest beauteously pictured forms of phantasy, suitable to every thought, upon (the page of) non-existence.
حرفهای طرفه بر لوح خیال ** بر نوشته چشم و عارض خد و خال
On the tablet of phantasy Thou inscribest wondrous letters— eye and profile and cheek and mole.
بر عدم باشم نه بر موجود مست ** زانک معشوق عدم وافی‌ترست 315
I am drunken with desire for non-existence, not for the existent, because the Beloved of (the world of) non-existence is more faithful.
عقل را خط خوان آن اشکال کرد ** تا دهد تدبیرها را زان نورد
He (God) made the intellect a reader of those figured characters, that thereby He might put an end to its contrivances.
تمثیل لوح محفوظ و ادراک عقل هر کسی از آن لوح آنک امر و قسمت و مقدور هر روزه‌ی ویست هم چون ادراک جبرئیل علیه‌السلام هر روزی از لوح اعظم عقل مثال جبرئیلست و نظر او به تفکر به سوی غیبی که معهود اوست در تفکر و اندیشه‌ی کیفیت معاش و بیرون شو کارهای هر روزینه مانند نظر جبرئیلست در لوح و فهم کردن او از لوح
Comparison of the Guarded Tablet (the Logos), and the perception there from by every individual's mind of his daily fate and portion and lot, to the daily perception (of the Divine decree) by Gabriel, on whom be peace, from the Most Great Tablet.
چون ملک از لوح محفوظ آن خرد ** هر صباحی درس هر روزه برد
Like the Angel, the intellect receives (reads) every morning its daily lesson from the Guarded Tablet.
بر عدم تحریرها بین بی‌بنان ** و از سوادش حیرت سوداییان
Behold the inscriptions made without (use of) fingers upon non-existence and the amazement of the madmen at the blackness of them.
هر کسی شد بر خیالی ریش گاو ** گشته در سودای گنجی کنج‌کاو
Every one is infatuated with some phantasy and digs in corners in mad desire for a (buried) treasure.
از خیالی گشته شخصی پرشکوه ** روی آورده به معدنهای کوه 320
By a phantasy one person is filled with (desire for) magnificence and turns his face towards the mines (of precious ore) in the mountains;
وز خیالی آن دگر با جهد مر ** رو نهاده سوی دریا بهر در
And, (inspired) by a phantasy, another sets his face with bitter toil towards the sea for the sake of pearls;
وآن دگر بهر ترهب در کنشت ** وآن یکی اندر حریصی سوی کشت
And another (goes) into a church to perform religious exercises, while another (betakes himself) to sowing in his greed (for gain).
از خیال آن ره‌زن رسته شده ** وز خیال این مرهم خسته شده
Through phantasy that one becomes the waylayer (destroyer) of him who has escaped (unhurt); and through phantasy this (other) becomes the salve (deliverer) of him who has been (sorely) wounded.
در پری‌خوانی یکی دل کرده گم ** بر نجوم آن دیگری بنهاده سم
One loses his soul in the invocation of demons, while another sets his foot upon the stars.
این روشها مختلف بیند برون ** زان خیالات ملون ز اندرون 325
He (the observer) sees that these modes of action in the external world are diverse (since they arise) from the various phantasies within.
این در آن حیران شده کان بر چیست ** هر چشنده آن دگر را نافیست
This man (engaged in some occupation) is amazed at that man (occupied with something else) and says, “What is he about?” Every taster denies the other (whose taste is different).
آن خیالات ار نبد نامتلف ** چون ز بیرون شد روشها مختلف
Unless those phantasies were incongruous, how did the modes of action become diverse externally?