نزد موسی نام چوبش بد عصا ** نزد خالق بود نامش اژدها1240
In the eyes of Moses the name of his rod was ‘staff’; in the eyes of the Creator its name was ‘dragon.’
بد عمر را نام اینجا بت پرست ** لیک مومن بود نامش در الست
Here the name of ‘Umar was ‘idolater,’ but in Alast. his name was ‘believer.’
آن که بد نزدیک ما نامش منی ** پیش حق این نقش بد که با منی
That of which the name, with us, was ‘seed’ was, in the sight of God, this figure (of thee) who art (now) with me.
صورتی بود این منی اندر عدم ** پیش حق موجود نه بیش و نه کم
This ‘seed’ was a form (idea) in non-existence (potentiality), existent with God, neither more nor less (than the form in which it appeared externally).
حاصل آن آمد حقیقت نام ما ** پیش حضرت کان بود انجام ما
In brief, that which is our end is really our name with God.
مرد را بر عاقبت نامی نهد ** نه بر آن کاو عاریت نامی نهد1245
He bestows on a man a name according to his final state, not according to that (state) to which He gives the name of ‘a loan.’
چشم آدم چون به نور پاک دید ** جان و سر نامها گشتش پدید
Inasmuch as the eye of Adam saw by means of the Pure Light, the soul and inmost sense of the names became evident to him.
چون ملک انوار حق در وی بیافت ** در سجود افتاد و در خدمت شتافت
Since the angels perceived in him the rays of God, they fell in worship and hastened to do homage.
مدح این آدم که نامش می‌‌برم ** قاصرم گر تا قیامت بشمرم
If until the Resurrection I reckon up the praise of this Adam whose name I am celebrating, I fall short (of what is due).
این همه دانست و چون آمد قضا ** دانش یک نهی شد بر وی خطا
All this he knew; (yet) when the Divine destiny came, he was at fault in the knowledge of a single prohibition,
کای عجب نهی از پی تحریم بود ** یا به تاویلی بد و توهیم بود1250
Wondering whether the prohibition was for the purpose of making unlawful (the thing prohibited), or whether it admitted of an interpretation and was a cause of perplexity.
در دلش تاویل چون ترجیح یافت ** طبع در حیرت سوی گندم شتافت
When (the view that it admitted of) interpretation prevailed in his mind, his nature hastened in bewilderment towards the wheat.
باغبان را خار چون در پای رفت ** دزد فرصت یافت، کالا برد تفت
When the thorn went into the foot of the gardener (Adam), the thief (Satan) found an opportunity and quickly carried off the goods.
چون ز حیرت رست باز آمد به راه ** دید برده دزد رخت از کارگاه
As soon as he escaped from bewilderment, he returned into the (right) road; (then) he saw that the thief had carried off the wares from the shop.
ربنا إنا ظلمنا گفت و آه ** یعنی آمد ظلمت و گم گشت راه
He cried, ‘O Lord, we have done wrong,’ and ‘Alas,’ that is to say, ‘darkness came and the way was lost.’
پس قضا ابری بود خورشید پوش ** شیر و اژدرها شود زو همچو موش1255
Divine destiny, then, is a cloud that covers the sun: thereby lions and dragons become as mice.
من اگر دامی نبینم گاه حکم ** من نه تنها جاهلم در راه حکم
If I (the hoopoe) do not see a snare in the hour of Divine ordainment, ’tis not I alone who am ignorant in the course of Divine ordainment.”
ای خنک آن کاو نکو کاری گرفت ** زور را بگذاشت او زاری گرفت
Oh, happy he that clave to righteousness, he (that) let (his own) strength go and took to supplication!