پیش ظاهربین چه قلب و چه سره ** او چه داند چیست اندر قوصره
To one who regards (only) the appearance, what is (the difference between) the adulterated and genuine coin? How should he know what is in the date-basket?
ای بسا زر سیه کرده بدود ** تا رهد از دست هر دزدی حسود
Oh, there is much gold made black with smoke, that it may be saved from (falling into) the hands of every envious thief.
ای بسا مس زر اندوده به زر ** تا فروشد آن به عقل مختصر
Oh, there is much copper gilded with gold, that he (the counterfeiter) may sell it to (those of) small understanding.
ما که باطن‌بین جمله‌ی کشوریم ** دل ببینیم و به ظاهر ننگریم
We, who see the inward (reality) of the whole world, see the heart and look not on the outward form.”
قاضیانی که به ظاهر می‌تنند ** حکم بر اشکال ظاهر می‌کنند2175
The cadis who are concerned with the outward form (the letter of the law) give judgement according to outward appearances.
چون شهادت گفت و ایمانی نمود ** حکم او مومن کنند این قوم زود
When he (the suspected person) has uttered the profession of the Faith and has shown some (formal sign of) true belief, at once these people (the cadis) pronounce him a true believer.
بس منافق کاندرین ظاهر گریخت ** خون صد مومن به پنهانی بریخت
There is many a hypocrite who has taken refuge in this out ward form and has shed the blood of a hundred true believers in secret.
جهد کن تا پیر عقل و دین شوی ** تا چو عقل کل تو باطن‌بین شوی
Endeavour to become old in intelligence and religion, that you may become, like the Universal Intelligence, a seer of the in ward (reality).
از عدم چون عقل زیبا رو گشاد ** خلعتش داد و هزارش نام داد
When the beauteous Intelligence unveiled its face (revealed itself) from non-existence, He (God) gave it a robe of honour and a thousand names.
کمترین زان نامهای خوش‌نفس ** این که نبود هیچ او محتاج کس2180
Of those sweet-breathing names the least is this, that it (the Intelligence) is not in need of any one.
گر به صورت وا نماید عقل رو ** تیره باشد روز پیش نور او
If the Intelligence display its face in visible form, day will be dark beside its light;
ور مثال احمقی پیدا شود ** ظلمت شب پیش او روشن بود
And if the shape of foolishness become visible, beside it the darkness of night will be radiant,
کو ز شب مظلم‌تر و تاری‌ترست ** لیک خفاش شقی ظلمت‌خرست
For it is darker and more murky than night; but the miserable bat is a buyer (seeker) of darkness.
اندک اندک خوی کن با نور روز ** ورنه خفاشی بمانی بیفروز
Little by little accustom yourself to the daylight, else you will remain a bat deprived of splendour.
عاشق هر جا شکال و مشکلیست ** دشمن هر جا چراغ مقبلیست2185
He (the bat-like person) is the lover of every place where there is difficulty and perplexing doubt, and the enemy of every place where there is the lamp of (spiritual) felicity
ظلمت اشکال زان جوید دلش ** تا که افزون‌تر نماید حاصلش
His heart seeks the darkness of perplexity in order that his acquirements may seem greater (than they are),
تا ترا مشغول آن مشکل کند ** وز نهاد زشت خود غافل کند
So that he may preoccupy you with that difficult question and make you oblivious of his own evil nature.
علامت عاقل تمام و نیم‌عاقل و مرد تمام و نیم‌مرد و علامت شقی مغرور لاشی
The marks of the wholly intelligent and the half-intelligent and the whole man and the half-man and the deluded worthless wretch doomed to perdition.
عاقل آن باشد که او با مشعله‌ست ** او دلیل و پیشوای قافله‌ست
The intelligent man is he who hath the lamp: he is the guide and leader of the caravan.
پیرو نور خودست آن پیش‌رو ** تابع خویشست آن بی‌خویش‌رو
That leader is one who goes after his own light: that selfless traveller is the follower of himself.
مومن خویشست و ایمان آورید ** هم بدان نوری که جانش زو چرید2190
He is the one that puts faith in himself; and do ye too put faith in the light on which his soul has browsed.
دیگری که نیم‌عاقل آمد او ** عاقلی را دیده‌ی خود داند او
The other, who is the half-intelligent, deems an (entirely) intelligent person to be his eye,
دست در وی زد چو کور اندر دلیل ** تا بدو بینا شد و چست و جلیل
And has clutched him as the blind man clutches the guide, so that through him he has become seeing and active and illustrious.
وآن خری کز عقل جوسنگی نداشت ** خود نبودش عقل و عاقل را گذاشت
But (as for) the ass who had not a single barley-corn's weight of intelligence, who possessed no intelligence himself and forsook the intelligent (guide),
ره نداند نه کثیر و نه قلیل ** ننگش آید آمدن خلف دلیل
(Who) knows neither much nor little of the way (and yet) disdains to go behind the guide,