And if she ate, how should the fodder be digested by her, if she were aware of the purpose of the fodder?
پس ستون این جهان خود غفلتست ** چیست دولت کین دوادو با لتست1330
Heedlessness (delusion), then, is in sooth the pillar (support) of this world: what is dawlat (worldly fortune)? for this dawádaw (running to and fro) is (accompanied) with lat (blows).
اولش دو دو به آخر لت بخور ** جز درین ویرانه نبود مرگ خر
The beginning thereof is daw, daw (run, run); in the end (it is) lat khwar (suffer blows): the death of the ass is not (occurring) except in this wilderness.
تو به جد کاری که بگرفتی به دست ** عیبش این دم بر تو پوشیده شدست
Whenever thou hast earnestly taken a work in hand, its faultiness has become veiled to thee at this moment.
زان همی تانی بدادن تن به کار ** که بپوشید از تو عیبش کردگار
Thou art able to give thyself up to the work, (only) because the Creator veils its faultiness from thee.
همچنین هر فکر که گرمی در آن ** عیب آن فکرت شدست از تو نهان
Likewise, (with) every thought in which thou art hot (eager), the faultiness of that thought of thine has become hidden from thee.
بر تو گر پیدا شدی زو عیب و شین ** زو رمیدی جانت بعد المشرقین1335
If its faultiness and disgrace were made visible to thee, thy soul would flee from it (as far as) the distance between east and west.
حال که آخر زو پشیمان می‌شوی ** گر بود این حال اول کی دوی
The state (of mind) in which at last thou repentest of it (of a faulty action)—if this should be thy state (of mind) at first, how wouldst thou run (for the sake of that action)?
پس بپوشید اول آن بر جان ما ** تا کنیم آن کار بر وفق قضا
Therefore He (God) at first veiled (the real nature of) that from our souls, in order that we might perform that action in accordance with the Divine destiny.
چون قضا آورد حکم خود پدید ** چشم وا شد تا پشیمانی رسید
When the Divine destiny brought its ordainment into view, the eye was opened, so that repentance arrived.
این پشیمانی قضای دیگرست ** این پشیمانی بهل حق را پرست
This repentance is another (manifestation of the) Divine destiny: abandon this repentance, worship God!
And if thou make (it) a habit and become addicted to repentance, because of this (habitual) repentance thou wilt become more repentant.
نیم عمرت در پریشانی رود ** نیم دیگر در پشیمانی رود
One half of thy life will pass in distraction and the other half will pass in repentance.
ترک این فکر و پریشانی بگو ** حال و یار و کار نیکوتر بجو
Take leave of this (anxious) thought and repentance: seek a better (spiritual) state and friend and work.
ور نداری کار نیکوتر به دست ** پس پشیمانیت بر فوت چه است
And if thou hast no better work in hand, then for the omission of what (work) is thy repentance?
گر همی دانی ره نیکو پرست ** ور ندانی چون بدانی کین به دست
If thou knowest the good way, worship (God); and if thou dost not know (it), how dost thou know that this way (in which thou art going) is evil?
بد ندانی تا ندانی نیک را ** ضد را از ضد توان دید ای فتی1345
Thou dost not know evil till thou knowest good: (only) from (one) contrary is it possible to discern (the other) contrary, O youth.
چون ز ترک فکر این عاجز شدی ** از گناه آنگاه هم عاجز بدی
Since (as thou sayest) thou wert rendered impotent to abandon the thought of this (repentance), at that time thou wert also impotent to commit sin.
چون بدی عاجز پشیمانی ز چیست ** عاجزی را باز جو کز جذب کیست
Since thou wert impotent (to commit sin), on account of what is thy repentance? Inquire concerning impotence, by whose pull (exertion of power) is it (produced)?
عاجزی بی‌قادری اندر جهان ** کس ندیدست و نباشد این بدان
No one has seen impotence in the world without power, nor will it (ever) be (so). Know this (for sure).
همچنین هر آرزو که می‌بری ** تو ز عیب آن حجابی اندری
Similarly, (with) every desire that thou cherishest, thou art debarred from (perceiving) its faultiness;
ور نمودی علت آن آرزو ** خود رمیدی جان تو زان جست و جو1350
And if the viciousness of that desire had been shown, thy soul of its own accord would have recoiled from seeking (to gratify it).
گر نمودی عیب آن کار او ترا ** کس نبردی کش کشان آن سو ترا
If He (God) had shown unto thee the faultiness of that work, no one, dragging (thee) along (by force), would have taken thee in that direction;
وان دگر کار کز آن هستی نفور ** زان بود که عیبش آمد در ظهور
And (as regards) that other work from which thou art exceedingly averse, the reason is that its faultiness has come into clear view.