یک مثال ای دل پی فرقی بیار ** تا بدانی جبر را از اختیار

O heart, bring (forward) a parable for the sake of (illustrating) a difference, that thou mayst know (what distinguishes) compulsion from freewill.

دست کان لرزان بود از ارتعاش ** و آن که دستی را تو لرزانی ز جاش‌‌

(Take the case of) a hand that is shaking from (morbid or involuntary) tremor and (the case of) a person whose hand you cause to shake (by knocking it away) from its place.

هر دو جنبش آفریده‌‌ی حق شناس ** لیک نتوان کرد این با آن قیاس‌‌

Know that both (these) movements are created by God, but it is impossible to compare the latter with the former.

ز آن پشیمانی که لرزانیدی‌‌اش ** مرتعش را کی پشیمان دیدی‌‌اش‌‌

You are sorry for having caused it (his hand) to shake: when did you see the man afflicted with (a morbid) tremor (to be) sorry?

بحث عقل است این چه عقل آن حیله‌‌گر ** تا ضعیفی ره برد آن جا مگر 1500

This is the intellectual quest— (but) what (sort of) intellect is that ingenious one? (The object of its quest is) perchance (by its means) a man of weak understanding may find his way to that place (gain some idea of the truth).

بحث عقلی گر در و مرجان بود ** آن دگر باشد که بحث جان بود

(Yet) the intellectual quest, though it be (fine as) pearls and coral, is other than the spiritual quest.

بحث جان اندر مقامی دیگر است ** باده‌‌ی جان را قوامی دیگر است‌‌

The spiritual quest is on another plane: the spiritual wine has another consistency.

آن زمان که بحث عقلی ساز بود ** این عمر با بو الحکم هم راز بود

At the time when the intellectual quest was in keeping (with the circumstances), this ‘Umar was intimate with Bu ’l-Hakam,

چون عمر از عقل آمد سوی جان ** بو الحکم بو جهل شد در حکم آن‌‌

(But) when ‘Umar went away from intellect towards spirit, Bu ’l-Hakam became Bú Jahl (the father of ignorance) in the case of that (spiritual quest).

سوی حس و سوی عقل او کامل است ** گر چه خود نسبت به جان او جاهل است‌‌ 1505

He is perfect on the side of sense-perception and understanding, though indeed he is ignorant in regard to the spirit.