دید زاغی زاغ مرده در دهان ** بر گرفته تیز می‌آمد چنان
He espied a crow which had taken up a dead crow in its mouth and was approaching (ever) so quickly.
از هوا زیر آمد و شد او به فن ** از پی تعلیم او را گورکن1305
It came down from the air and began skilfully to dig a grave for it (the dead crow) for the purpose of teaching (him).
پس به چنگال از زمین انگیخت گرد ** زود زاغ مرده را در گور کرد
Then with its talons it raised dust from the ground and speedily put the dead crow in the grave.
دفن کردش پس بپوشیدش به خاک ** زاغ از الهام حق بد علم‌ناک
It buried it, then it covered it with earth: the crow was endowed with knowledge through the inspiration (given) of God.
گفت قابیل آه شه بر عقل من ** که بود زاغی ز من افزون به فن
Qábíl cried, “Oh, fie on my intellect! for a crow is superior to me in skill.”
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.
همچنین هر فکر که گرمی در آن ** عیب آن فکرت شدست از تو نهان
Likewise, (with) every thought in which thou art hot (eager), the faultiness of that thought of thine has become hidden from thee.
بر تو گر پیدا شدی زو عیب و شین ** زو رمیدی جانت بعد المشرقین1335
If its faultiness and disgrace were made visible to thee, thy soul would flee from it (as far as) the distance between east and west.
حال که آخر زو پشیمان می‌شوی ** گر بود این حال اول کی دوی
The state (of mind) in which at last thou repentest of it (of a faulty action)—if this should be thy state (of mind) at first, how wouldst thou run (for the sake of that action)?
پس بپوشید اول آن بر جان ما ** تا کنیم آن کار بر وفق قضا
Therefore He (God) at first veiled (the real nature of) that from our souls, in order that we might perform that action in accordance with the Divine destiny.
چون قضا آورد حکم خود پدید ** چشم وا شد تا پشیمانی رسید
When the Divine destiny brought its ordainment into view, the eye was opened, so that repentance arrived.
این پشیمانی قضای دیگرست ** این پشیمانی بهل حق را پرست
This repentance is another (manifestation of the) Divine destiny: abandon this repentance, worship God!
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;