بینوا از نان و خوان آسمان ** پیش او ننداخت حق یک استخوان
(He is) without (any) portion of the bread and viands of Heaven: God did not throw a single bone to him.
او ندا کرده که خوان بنهادهام ** نایب حقم خلیفه زادهام
He has proclaimed, ‘I have laid out the dishes, I am the Vicar of God, I am the son of the (spiritual) Khalífa:
الصلا ساده دلان پیچ پیچ ** تا خورید از خوان جودم سیر هیچ
Welcome (to the feast), O simple-hearted ones, tormented (with hunger), that from my bounteous table ye may eat your fill’—of nothing.
سالها بر وعدهی فردا کسان ** گرد آن در گشته فردا نارسان
Some persons, (relying) on the promise of ‘To-morrow,’ have wandered for years around that door, (but) ‘To-morrow’ never comes.
دیر باید تا که سر آدمی ** آشکارا گردد از بیش و کمی2280
It needs a long time for the inmost conscience of a man to become evident, more and less (both in great and small matters),
زیر دیوار بدن گنج است یا ** خانهی مار است و مور و اژدها
(So that we may know whether) beneath the wall of his body there is treasure, or whether there is the house of snake and ant and dragon.
چون که پیدا گشت کاو چیزی نبود ** عمر طالب رفت آگاهی چه سود
When it became clear that he was naught (worthless), (by that time) the life of the seeker (disciple) had passed: what use (was) the knowledge (to him)?
در بیان آن که نادر افتد که مریدی در مدعی مزور اعتقاد به صدق ببندد که او کسی است و بدین اعتقاد به مقامی برسد که شیخش در خواب ندیده باشد و آب و آتش او را گزند نکند و شیخش را گزند کند و لیکن به نادر نادر
Explaining how it may happen, (though) rarely, that a disciple sincerely puts his faith in a false impostor (and believes) that he is a (holy) personage, and by means of this faith attains unto a (spiritual) degree which his Shaykh has never (even) dreamed of, and (then) fire and water do him no hurt, though they hurt his Shaykh; but this occurs very seldom.
لیک نادر طالب آید کز فروغ ** در حق او نافع آید آن دروغ
But exceptionally comes (the case of) a disciple to whom, because of his (spiritual) illumination, that falsehood (of the impostor) is beneficial.
او به قصد نیک خود جایی رسد ** گر چه جان پنداشت و آن آمد جسد
He, by his goodly purpose, attains unto a (high) degree, although he fancied (the impostor to be) soul, and that (soul) proved to be (only) body.
چون تحری در دل شب قبله را ** قبله نی و آن نماز او روا2285
(It is) like trying to find the qibla in the heart (depth) of night: the qibla is not (found), but his (the seeker's) prayer is valid.