The flowers that bloom from earth become faded; the flowers that bloom from the heart—oh, what a joy!
علم‌های با مزه‌ی دانسته‌مان ** زان گلستان یک دو سه گل‌دسته دان
Know that (all) the delightful sciences known to us are (only) two or three bunches of flowers from that Garden.
زان زبون این دو سه گل دسته‌ایم ** که در گلزار بر خود بسته‌ایم
We are devoted to these two or three bunches of flowers because we have shut the Garden-door on ourselves.
آن‌چنان مفتاح‌ها هر دم بنان ** می‌فتد ای جان دریغا از بنان
Alas, O (dear) soul, (that) on account of (thy greed for) bread such (admirable) keys are always dropping from thy fingers!
ور دمی هم فارغ آرندت ز نان ** گرد چادر گردی و عشق زنان
And if for a moment thou art relieved from preoccupation with bread, thou danglest about the chádar and (givest thyself up to) thy passion for women;
باز استسقات چون شد موج‌زن ** ملک شهری بایدت پر نان و زن 4655
And then, when (the sea of) thy dropsy (lust) breaks into billows, thou must needs have under thy sway a (whole) city full of bread and women.
مار بودی اژدها گشتی مگر ** یک سرت بود این زمانی هفت‌سر
(At first) thou wert (only) a snake: (now) indeed thou hast become a dragon. Thou hadst (only) one head: now thou hast seven heads.
اژدهای هفت‌سر دوزخ بود ** حرص تو دانه‌ست و دوزخ فخ بود
Hell is a seven-headed dragon: thy greed is the bait and Hell the snare.
دام را بدران بسوزان دانه را ** باز کن درهای نو این خانه را
Pull the snare to pieces, burn the bait, open new doors in this (bodily) tenement!
چون تو عاشق نیستی ای نرگدا ** هم‌چو کوهی بی‌خبر داری صدا
O sturdy beggar, unless thou art a lover (of God), thou hast (only) an echo, like the unconscious mountain.
کوه را گفتار کی باشد ز خود ** عکس غیرست آن صدا ای معتمد 4660
How should the mountain possess a voice of its own? The echo is reflected from another, O trusty man.
گفت تو زان سان که عکس دیگریست ** جمله احوالت به جز هم عکس نیست
In the same fashion as thy speech is the reflexion of another, so all thy feelings are nothing but a reflexion.
خشم و ذوقت هر دو عکس دیگران ** شادی قواده و خشم عوان
Both thy anger and thy pleasure are (only) reflected from others, (like) the joy of the procuress and the rage of the night-patrol.
آن عوان را آن ضعیف آخر چه کرد ** که دهد او را به کینه زجر و درد
Pray, what (harm) did that poor fellow do to the night-patrol that he should punish and torment him in revenge?
تا بکی عکس خیال لامعه ** جهد کن تا گرددت این واقعه
How long (wilt thou follow) the glittering phantom reflected (from another)?Strive to make this (experience) actual for thyself,
تا که گفتارت ز حال تو بود ** سیر تو با پر و بال تو بود 4665
So that thy words will be (prompted) by thy immediate feelings, and thy flight will be made with thine own wings and pinions.
صید گیرد تیر هم با پر غیر ** لاجرم بی‌بهره است از لحم طیر
’Tis with alien feathers that the arrow captures its prey; consequently it gets no share of the bird's flesh;
باز صید آرد به خود از کوهسار ** لاجرم شاهش خوراند کبک و سار
(But) the falcon brings its quarry from the mountains itself; consequently the king lets it eat partridge and starling.
منطقی کز وحی نبود از هواست ** هم‌چو خاکی در هوا و در هباست
The speech that is not (derived) from (Divine) inspiration springs from self-will: it is like dust (floating) in the air and among the motes (in the sunbeams).
گر نماید خواجه را این دم غلط ** ز اول والنجم بر خوان چند خط
If this saying appear to the Khwája to be erroneous, recite a few lines at the beginning of (the Súra) Wa’l-Najm.
تا که ما ینطق محمد عن هوی ** ان هو الا بوحی احتوی 4670
Down to (the words), Mohammed does not speak from self-will: ’tis only (a speech) gained by inspiration.