من چه دانستم که تبدیلی کند ** در نهاد من مرا نیلی کند3530
How did I know that He would work a transformation in my nature and make me a (spiritual) Nile?
سوی چشم خود یکی نیلم روان ** برقرارم پیش چشم دیگران
To my own eye, I am a flowing Nile, (but) to the eyes of others I am at rest.”
هم‌چنانک این جهان پیش نبی ** غرق تسبیحست و پیش ما غبی
Just as, to the Prophet, this world is plunged in glorification of God, while to us it is heedless (insensible).
پیش چشمش این جهان پر عشق و داد ** پیش چشم دیگران مرده و جماد
To his eye, this world is filled with love and bounty; to the eyes of others it is dead and inert.
پست و بالا پیش چشمش تیزرو ** از کلوخ و خشت او نکته شنو
To his eye, vale and hill are moving swiftly: he hears subtle discourse from clod and brick.
با عوام این جمله بسته و مرده‌ای ** زین عجب‌تر من ندیدم پرده‌ای3535
To the vulgar, all this (world) is a bound and dead (thing): I have not seen a veil (of blindness) more wonderful than this.
گورها یکسان به پیش چشم ما ** روضه و حفره به چشم اولیا
To our eye, (all) the graves are alike; to the eyes of the saints, (one is) a garden (in Paradise), and (another is) a pit (in Hell).
عامه گفتندی که پیغامبر ترش ** از چه گشتست و شدست او ذوق‌کش
The vulgar would say, “Wherefore has the Prophet become sour (of visage) and why has he become pleasure-killing?”
خاص گفتندی که سوی چشمتان ** می‌نماید او ترش ای امتان
The elect would say, “To your eyes, O peoples, he appears to be sour;
یک زمان درچشم ما آیید تا ** خنده‌ها بینید اندر هل اتی
(But) come for once into our eyes, that ye may behold the laughs (of delight described) in (the Súra beginning with the words) Hal atá (Did not there come?).”