حلق بخشید او عصای عدل را ** خورد آن چندان عصا و حبل را
He (God) bestowed a throat on the rod of justice, (so that) it devoured all those many rods and ropes;
واندرو افزون نشد زان جمله اکل ** زانک حیوانی نبودش اکل و شکل
And in it was no increase from all that eating, because its eating and its form were not animal.
مر یقین را چون عصا هم حلق داد ** تا بخورد او هر خیالی را که زاد
To Faith also He gave a throat like (that of) the rod, so that it devoured every vain fancy that was born.
پس معانی را چو اعیان حلقهاست ** رازق حلق معانی هم خداست40
Hence the spiritual and intelligible things, like the concrete (sensible) things, have throats, and the giver of food to the throat of the spiritual and intelligible things is also (none but) God.
پس ز مه تا ماهی هیچ از خلق نیست ** که بجذب مایه او را حلق نیست
Therefore from the Moon to the Fish there is nothing in creation that hath not a throat in respect of its drawing sustenance (from God).
حلق جان از فکر تن خالی شود ** آنگهان روزیش اجلالی شود
(When) the spirit's throat is emptied of thought for the body, then its apportioned sustenance becomes Majestical.
شرط تبدیل مزاج آمد بدان ** کز مزاج بد بود مرگ بدان
Know that the necessary condition (for gaining this sustenance) is the transformation of the (sensual) nature, for the death of evil men is (arises) from (their) evil nature.
چون مزاج آدمی گل‌خوار شد ** زرد و بدرنگ و سقیم و خوار شد
When it has become natural to a human being to eat clay, he grows pale and ill-complexioned and sickly and miserable;
چون مزاج زشت او تبدیل یافت ** رفت زشتی از رخش چون شمع تافت45
(But) when his ugly nature has been transformed, the ugliness departs from his face, and he shines like a candle.
دایه‌ای کو طفل شیرآموز را ** تا بنعمت خوش کند پدفوز را
Where is a nurse for the suckling babe?—that with kindness she may sweeten the inner part of its mouth,