حرفهای طرفه بر لوح خیال ** بر نوشته چشم و عارض خد و خال
On the tablet of phantasy Thou inscribest wondrous letters— eye and profile and cheek and mole.
بر عدم باشم نه بر موجود مست ** زانک معشوق عدم وافی‌ترست 315
I am drunken with desire for non-existence, not for the existent, because the Beloved of (the world of) non-existence is more faithful.
عقل را خط خوان آن اشکال کرد ** تا دهد تدبیرها را زان نورد
He (God) made the intellect a reader of those figured characters, that thereby He might put an end to its contrivances.
تمثیل لوح محفوظ و ادراک عقل هر کسی از آن لوح آنک امر و قسمت و مقدور هر روزه‌ی ویست هم چون ادراک جبرئیل علیه‌السلام هر روزی از لوح اعظم عقل مثال جبرئیلست و نظر او به تفکر به سوی غیبی که معهود اوست در تفکر و اندیشه‌ی کیفیت معاش و بیرون شو کارهای هر روزینه مانند نظر جبرئیلست در لوح و فهم کردن او از لوح
Comparison of the Guarded Tablet (the Logos), and the perception there from by every individual's mind of his daily fate and portion and lot, to the daily perception (of the Divine decree) by Gabriel, on whom be peace, from the Most Great Tablet.
چون ملک از لوح محفوظ آن خرد ** هر صباحی درس هر روزه برد
Like the Angel, the intellect receives (reads) every morning its daily lesson from the Guarded Tablet.
بر عدم تحریرها بین بی‌بنان ** و از سوادش حیرت سوداییان
Behold the inscriptions made without (use of) fingers upon non-existence and the amazement of the madmen at the blackness of them.
هر کسی شد بر خیالی ریش گاو ** گشته در سودای گنجی کنج‌کاو
Every one is infatuated with some phantasy and digs in corners in mad desire for a (buried) treasure.
از خیالی گشته شخصی پرشکوه ** روی آورده به معدنهای کوه 320
By a phantasy one person is filled with (desire for) magnificence and turns his face towards the mines (of precious ore) in the mountains;
وز خیالی آن دگر با جهد مر ** رو نهاده سوی دریا بهر در
And, (inspired) by a phantasy, another sets his face with bitter toil towards the sea for the sake of pearls;
وآن دگر بهر ترهب در کنشت ** وآن یکی اندر حریصی سوی کشت
And another (goes) into a church to perform religious exercises, while another (betakes himself) to sowing in his greed (for gain).
از خیال آن ره‌زن رسته شده ** وز خیال این مرهم خسته شده
Through phantasy that one becomes the waylayer (destroyer) of him who has escaped (unhurt); and through phantasy this (other) becomes the salve (deliverer) of him who has been (sorely) wounded.