تا هوا تازه ست ایمان تازه نیست ** کاین هوا جز قفل آن دروازه نیست‌‌

So long as desire is fresh, faith is not fresh, for ’tis this desire that locks (against thee) that gate.

کرده‌‌ای تاویل حرف بکر را ** خویش را تاویل کن نی ذکر را 1080

Thou hast interpreted (and altered the meaning of) the virgin (uncorrupted) Word: interpret (alter) thyself, not the (Divine) Book.

بر هوا تاویل قرآن می‌‌کنی ** پست و کژ شد از تو معنی سنی‌‌

Thou interpretest the Qur’án according to thy desire: by thee the sublime meaning is degraded and perverted.

زیافت تاویل رکیک مگس‌‌

The baseness of the foul interpretation given by the fly.

آن مگس بر برگ کاه و بول خر ** همچو کشتی‌‌بان همی‌‌افراشت سر

The fly was lifting up his head, like a pilot, on a blade of straw and (a pool of) ass's urine.

گفت من دریا و کشتی خوانده‌‌ام ** مدتی در فکر آن می‌‌مانده‌‌ام‌‌

“I have called (them) sea and ship,” said he; “I have been pondering over that (interpretation) for a long while.

اینک این دریا و این کشتی و من ** مرد کشتیبان و اهل و رایزن‌‌

Look! here is this sea and this ship, and I am the pilot and skilled (in navigation) and judicious.”

بر سر دریا همی‌‌راند او عمد ** می‌‌نمودش آن قدر بیرون ز حد 1085

He was propelling the raft on the “sea”: that (small) quantity appeared to him illimitable.

بود بی‌‌حد آن چمین نسبت بدو ** آن نظر که بیند آن را راست کو

That urine was boundless in relation to him: where was the vision that should see it truly?

عالمش چندان بود کش بینش است ** چشم چندین بحر هم چندینش است‌‌

His world extends (just) as far as his sight reaches; his eye is so big, his “sea” is big in the same proportion.

صاحب تاویل باطل چون مگس ** وهم او بول خر و تصویر خس‌‌

So with the false interpreter (of the Qur’án): like the fly, his imagination is (foul as) ass's urine and his conception (worthless as) a straw.