گرد می‏گشتی که اندر شهر کیست ** کاو بر ارکان بصیرت متکی‏است‏

گرد می‏گشتی که اندر شهر کیست ** کاو بر ارکان بصیرت متکی‏است‏ 2220

He would roam about, asking, “Who is there in the city that is relying on (spiritual) insight?”

گفت حق اندر سفر هر جا روی ** باید اول طالب مردی شوی‏

God has said, “Whithersoever thou goest in thy travels, thou must first seek after a (holy) man.”

قصد گنجی کن که این سود و زیان ** در تبع آید تو آن را فرع دان‏

Go in quest of a treasure, for (worldly) profit and loss come second: regard them as the branch (not as the root).

هر که کارد قصد گندم باشدش ** کاه خود اندر تبع می‏آیدش‏

Whoever sows is in quest of wheat; the chaff comes to him indeed, (but only) secondarily.

که بکاری بر نیاید گندمی ** مردمی جو مردمی جو مردمی‏

If you sow chaff, no wheat will come up: seek a man, seek a man, a man!

قصد کعبه کن چو وقت حج بود ** چون که رفتی مکه هم دیده شود 2225

When it is the season of pilgrimage, go in quest of the Ka‘ba; when you have gone (with that purpose), Mecca also will be seen.

قصد در معراج دید دوست بود ** در تبع عرش و ملایک هم نمود

In the Mi‘ráj (Ascension of the Prophet) the quest was (for) vision of the Beloved; ’twas but secondarily that the empyrean and the angels were also shown.

حکایت‏

Story.

خانه‏ی نو ساخت روزی نو مرید ** پیر آمد خانه‏ی او را بدید

A novice one day built a new house; the Pír came (and) saw his house.

گفت شیخ آن نو مرید خویش را ** امتحان کرد آن نکو اندیش را

The Shaykh said to his new disciple—he put to the test him that had good thoughts—

روزن از بهر چه کردی ای رفیق ** گفت تا نور اندر آید زین طریق‏

“Wherefore hast thou made a window, O comrade?” Said he, “In order that light may come in by this way.”