Through him the eye of thy reason starts out (of the socket): his (vicious) thrusts deliver thee into the hands of pestilence.
جواب گفتن روبه خر را
The answer of the fox to the ass.
گفت روبه صاف ما را درد نیست ** لیک تخییلات وهمی خورد نیست 2640
The fox said, “There are no dregs in my pure liquor, but the illusions of imagination are not small.
این همه وهم توست ای ساده‌دل ** ورنه بر تو نه غشی دارم نه غل
All this is your imagination, O simpleton, for I bear no malice and rancour against you.
از خیال زشت خود منگر به من ** بر محبان از چه داری س ظن
Do not regard me from (the standpoint of) your evil fancy: wherefore do you cherish ill thoughts against your lovers?
ظن نیکو بر بر اخوان صفا ** گرچه آید ظاهرا زیشان جفا
Think well of the sincere, even though unkindness come from them in appearance.
این خیال و وهم بد چون شد پدید ** صد هزاران یار را از هم برید
When this evil fancy and imagination is manifested, it severs a hundred thousand friends from one another.
مشفقی گر کرد جور و امتحان ** عقل باید که نباشد بدگمان 2645
If an affectionate (friend) has behaved unjustly and made a trial (of one's loyalty), understanding is needed to prevent one from thinking ill (of him).
خصاه من بدرگ نبودم زشت‌اسم ** آنک دیدی بد نبد بود آن طلسم
In particular, I, who have a bad name, was not evil-natured (in regard to you): what you saw was nothing evil, it was (only) a magic spell;
ور بدی بد آن سگالش قدرا ** عفو فرمایند یاران زان خطا
And if, hypothetically, that purpose (of mine) had been evil, (still) friends pardon such a fault.”
عالم وهم و خیال طمع و بیم ** هست ره‌رو را یکی سدی عظیم
The world of imagination and the phantom of hope and fear is a great obstacle to the traveller (on the mystic Way).
نقشهای این خیال نقش‌بند ** چون خلیلی را که که بد شد گزند
The pictures (illusions) of this picture-making phantasy were harmful (even) to one like Khalíl (Abraham), who was (firm as) a mountain.
گفت هذا ربی ابراهیم راد ** چونک اندر عالم وهم اوفتاد 2650
The noble Abraham said, “This is my Lord,” when he fell into the world (fell under the sway) of imagination.
ذکر کوکب را چنین تاویل گفت ** آن کسی که گوهر تاویل سفت
That person who bored the pearl of interpretation, interpreted the mention of the star thus—
عالم وهم و خیال چشم‌بند ** آنچنان که را ز جای خویش کند
(That) the world of imagination and blinding phantasy uprooted such a mountain (of wisdom) from its foundation,
تا که هذا ربی آمد قال او ** خربط و خر را چه باشد حال او
So that the words, “This is my Lord,” were uttered by him: what, (then), must be the case with a goose or an ass?
غرق گشته عقلهای چون جبال ** در بحار وهم و گرداب خیال
Understandings (strong) as mountains have been submerged in the seas of imagination and the whirlpools of phantasy.
کوهها را هست زین طوفان فضوح ** کو امانی جز که در کشتی نوح 2655
Mountains are put to shame by this Flood: where is any safety (to be found) but in the Ship (Ark) of Noah?
زین خیال ره‌زن راه یقین ** گشت هفتاد و دو ملت اهل دین
By this phantasy, which infests the road of Faith like a brigand, the followers of the (true) Religion have become (split into) two and seventy sects.
مرد ایقان رست از وهم و خیال ** موی ابرو را نمی‌گوید هلال
The man of sure faith is delivered from imagination and phantasy: he does not call a hair of the eyebrow the new moon,
وآنک نور عمرش نبود سند ** موی ابروی کژی راهش زند
While he that has not the (spiritual) light of ‘Umar as his support is waylaid (deceived) by a crooked hair of the eyebrow.
صد هزاران کشتی با هول و سهم ** تخته تخته گشته در دریای وهم
A hundred thousand awful and terrible ships have been shattered to pieces in the sea of imagination.