صد زبان و هر زبانش صد لغت ** زرق و دستانش نیاید در صفت
(He hath) a hundred tongues, and each tongue of him (hath) a hundred languages: his fraud and guile come not into (the bounds of) description.
مدعی گاو نفس آمد فصیح ** صد هزاران حجت آرد ناصحیح
The claimant for the cow, the fleshly soul, is eloquent and brings forward hundreds of thousands of unsound pleas.
شهر را بفریبد الا شاه را ** ره نتاند زد شه آگاه را
He deceives (all in) the city except the king: he cannot waylay the sagacious king.
نفس را تسبیح و مصحف در یمین ** خنجر و شمشیر اندر آستین
The fleshly soul hath glorification of God (on its tongue), and the Qur’án in its right hand; (but) in its sleeve (it hath) dagger and sword.
مصحف و سالوس او باور مکن ** خویش با او هم‌سر و هم‌سر مکن2555
Do not believe its Qur’án and hypocritical ostentation, do not make yourself its confidant and comrade;
سوی حوضت آورد بهر وضو ** واندر اندازد ترا در قعر او
(For) it will take you to the tank to perform the ritual ablution, and will cast you to the bottom thereof.
عقل نورانی و نیکو طالبست ** نفس ظلمانی برو چون غالبست
The intellect is luminous and a seeker of good: how (then) does the dark fleshly soul prevail over it?
زانک او در خانه عقل تو غریب ** بر در خود سگ بود شیر مهیب
(It prevails) because it is at home, (while) your intellect is a stranger: the dog at his own door is (like) a terrible lion.
باش تا شیران سوی بیشه روند ** وین سگان کور آنجا بگروند
Wait till the lions go (back) to the jungle and these blind dogs’ will believe (in them) there.
مکر نفس و تن نداند عام شهر ** او نگردد جز بوحی القلب قهر2560
The common folk of the city do not know the deceit of the fleshly soul and of the body: it (the fleshly soul) is not subdued save by (Divine) inspiration in the heart.
هر که جنس اوست یار او شود ** جز مگر داود کان شیخت بود
Every one that is its congener becomes its friend, except, to be sure, the David who is your Shaykh;
کو مبدل گشت و جنس تن نماند ** هر که را حق در مقام دل نشاند
For he has been transmuted, and whomsoever God hath seated in the abode of the heart, he( that person) is no more the body’s congener.
خلق جمله علتی‌اند از کمین ** یار علت می‌شود علت یقین
All the (other) people are (rendered) infirm by (that which lies in) ambush (within them): ‘tis certain that infirmity associates with infirmity.
هر خسی دعوی داودی کند ** هر که بی تمییز کف در وی زند
Every worthless fellow pretends to be (a) David; every one who lacks discernment lays hold of him (attaches himself to him):
از صیادی بشنود آواز طیر ** مرغ ابله می‌کند آن سوی سیر2565
He hears the bird’s note from a fowler and, (like a) foolish bird, he keeps going in that direction.
نقد را از نقل نشناسد غویست ** هین ازو بگریز اگر چه معنویست
‘He dos not distinguish fact from fiction: he is misguided. Come, flee from him, even if he is spiritual (in appearance).
رسته و بر بسته پیش او یکیست ** گر یقین دعوی کند او در شکیست
What has grown (genuinely) and what has been tied on (artificially) is (all) one to him: though he may claim (to possess) intuitive certainty, he is (really) in a (great) doubt.
این چنین کس گر ذکی مطلقست ** چونش این تمییز نبود احمقست
If such a one is absolutely keen-witted, (still), when he has not this (power of) discernment, he is a fool.
هین ازو بگریز چون آهو ز شیر ** سوی او مشتاق ای دانا دلیر
Hark, flee from him as the deer from the lion: do not hasten boldly towards him, O wise man!
گریختن عیسی علیه السلام فراز کوه از احمقان
How Jesus, on whom be peace, fled to the top of a mountain (to escape) from the fools.
عیسی مریم به کوهی می‌گریخت ** شیرگویی خون او می‌خواست ریخت2570
Jesus, son of Mary, was fleeing to a mountain: you would say that a lion wished to shed his blood.
آن یکی در پی دوید و گفت خیر ** در پیت کس نیست چه گریزی چو طیر
A certain man ran after him and said, “(Is it) well (with thee)? There is no one in pursuit of thee: why dost thou flee, like a bird?”
با شتاب او آنچنان می‌تاخت جفت ** کز شتاب خود جواب او نگفت
(But) he (Jesus) still kept running with haste so (quickly) that on account of his haste he did not answer him.
یک دو میدان در پی عیسی براند ** پس بجد جد عیسی را بخواند
He pushed on in pursuit of Jesus for the distance of one or two fields, and then invoked Jesus with the utmost earnestness,
کز پی مرضات حق یک لحظه بیست ** که مرا اندر گریزت مشکلیست
Saying, “For the sake of pleasing God, stop one moment, for I have a difficulty concerning thy flight.
از کی این سو می‌گریزی ای کریم ** نه پیت شیر و نه خصم و خوف و بیم2575
From whom art thou fleeing in this direction, O noble one? There is no lion pursuing thee, no enemy, and there is no fear or danger.”