بنده‌‌ی خود خواند احمد در رشاد ** جمله عالم را بخوان قل یا عباد
Ahmad (Mohammed) in righteousness called (the people of) the whole world his servants: read (the text), “Say, O My servants.”
عقل تو همچون شتربان تو شتر ** می‌‌کشاند هر طرف در حکم مر
Your intellect is like the camel-driver, and you are the camel: it drives you in every direction under its bitter control.
عقل عقلند اولیا و عقلها ** بر مثال اشتران تا انتها
The saints are the intellect of intellect, and (all) intellects (from the beginning) to the end are (under their control) like camels.
اندر ایشان بنگر آخر ز اعتبار ** یک قلاووز است جان صد هزار
Come now, look upon them with (profound) consideration: there is (but) one guide, and a hundred thousand souls (following him).
چه قلاووز و چه اشیربان بیاب ** دیده‌ای کان دیده بیند آفتاب2500
What is the guide and what the camel-driver? Get thee an eye that may behold the Sun!
نک جهان در شب بمانده میخ دوز ** منتظر موقوف خورشید است و روز
A world has been left nailed fast in night, waiting expectantly, depending on the sun and the day.
اینت خورشیدی نهان در ذره‌‌ای ** شیر نر در پوستین بره‌‌ای
Here is a sun hidden in a mote, a fierce lion in the fleece of a lamb.
اینت دریایی نهان در زیر کاه ** پا بر این که هین منه با اشتباه
Here is an ocean hidden beneath straw: beware, do not step on this straw with hesitancy.
اشتباهی و گمانی در درون ** رحمت حق است بهر رهنمون
(But) a feeling of hesitancy and doubt in the heart (of the foolish) is a Divine mercy in regard to the (spiritual) guide.
هر پیمبر فرد آمد در جهان ** فرد بود و صد جهانش در نهان2505
Every prophet came alone into this world: that Guide was inwardly alone, and (yet) he had a hundred unseen worlds within him.
عالم کبری به قدرت سحر کرد ** کرد خود را در کهین نقشی نورد
By his power he enchanted the macrocosm (universe), he enfolded himself in a very small frame.
ابلهانش فرد دیدند و ضعیف ** کی ضعیف است آن که با شه شد حریف
The foolish deemed him to be lonely and weak: how is he weak who has become the King's companion?
ابلهان گفتند مردی بیش نیست ** وای آن کاو عاقبت اندیش نیست
The foolish said, “He is a man, nothing more”: woe to him that recks not of the end!
حقیر و بی‌‌خصم دیدن دیده‌‌های حس صالح و ناقه‌‌ی صالح را، چون خواهد که حق لشکری را هلاک کند در نظر ایشان حقیر نماید خصمان را و اندک اگر چه غالب باشد آن خصم و يقللکم فی أعينهم ليقضي الله أمرا کان مفعولا
How the eyes of (external) sense regarded Sálih and his she-camel as despicable and without a champion; (for) when God is about to destroy an army He makes their adversaries appear despicable and few in their sight, even though the adversary be superior in strength: “and He was making you few in their eyes, that God might bring to pass a thing that was to be done.”
ناقه‌‌ی صالح به صورت بد شتر ** پی بریدندش ز جهل آن قوم مر
The she-camel of Sálih was in (outward) form a camel: that bitter (graceless) tribe hamstrung (and slaughtered) her in their folly.
از برای آب چون خصمش شدند ** نان کور و آب کور ایشان بدند2510
When they became her foes on account of the water (which she shared with them), they were blind to bread and blind to water (ungrateful for the blessings of God).
ناقة الله آب خورد از جوی و میغ ** آب حق را داشتند از حق دریغ
God's she-camel drank water from brook and cloud: they (really) withheld God's water from God.
ناقه‌‌ی صالح چو جسم صالحان ** شد کمینی در هلاک طالحان
The she-camel of Sálih became, like the bodies of righteous men, an ambush for the destruction of the wicked,
تا بر آن امت ز حکم مرگ و درد ** ناقة الله و سقیاها چه کرد
That (you may see) what (the Divine command), Let God's she-camel have her portion of water, wrought against that people, through the ordainment of death and woe.