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

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.

گر مگس تاویل بگذارد به رای ** آن مگس را بخت گرداند همای‌‌

If the fly leave off interpreting by (following his own) opinion, Fortune will turn that fly into a humáy.