چون که عمر اندر ره خشکی گذشت ** گاه کوه و گاه صحرا گاه دشت‌‌

Since thy life has passed in travelling on land, now mountain, now river, now desert,

آب حیوان از کجا خواهی تو یافت ** موج دریا را کجا خواهی شکافت‌‌

Whence wilt thou gain the Water of Life? Where wilt thou cleave the waves of the Sea?

موج خاکی وهم و فهم و فکر ماست ** موج آبی محو و سکر است و فناست‌‌ 575

The waves of earth are our imagination and understanding and thought; the waves of water are (mystical) self-effacement and intoxication and death (faná).

تا در این سکری از آن سکری تو دور ** تا از این مستی از آن جامی تو دور

Whilst thou art in this (sensual) intoxication, thou art far from that (mystical) intoxication; whilst thou art drunken with this, thou art blind to that cup.

گفت‌‌وگوی ظاهر آمد چون غبار ** مدتی خاموش خو کن هوش دار

Outward speech and talk is as dust: do thou for a time make a habit of silence. Take heed!

مکرر کردن مریدان که خلوت را بشکن

How the disciples repeated their request that he should interrupt his seclusion.

جمله گفتند ای حکیم رخنه جو ** این فریب و این جفا با ما مگو

They all said: “O sage who seekest a crevice (means of evasion), say not to us this (word of) guile and harshness.

چار پا را قدر طاقت بار نه ** بر ضعیفان قدر قوت کار نه‌‌

Lay on the beast a burden in proportion to its endurance, lay on the weak a task in proportion to their strength.

دانه‌‌ی هر مرغ اندازه‌‌ی وی است ** طعمه‌‌ی هر مرغ انجیری کی است‌‌ 580

The bait for every bird is according to its (the bird's) measure (capacity): how should a fig be the food (lure) for every bird?

طفل را گر نان دهی بر جای شیر ** طفل مسکین را از آن نان مرده گیر

If you give a babe bread instead of milk, take it (for granted) that the poor babe will die of the bread;

چون که دندانها بر آرد بعد از آن ** هم بخود گردد دلش جویای نان‌‌

(Yet) afterwards, when it grows teeth, that babe will of its own accord its heart will crave bread.