(No); thou leavest those houri-like figures and displayest thyself to a half-blind old woman.
در عجوزه چیست که ایشان را نبود ** که ترا زان نقشها با خود ربود
What is there in the old woman that was not in them, so that she rapt thee away from those figures (and attracted thee) to herself?
تو نگویی من بگویم در بیان ** عقل و حس و درک و تدبیرست و جان 145
(If) thou wilt not say (what it is), I will tell (thee) plainly: ’tis reason and sense and perception and consideration and soul.
در عجوزه جان آمیزشکنیست ** صورت گرمابهها را روح نیست
In the old woman there is a soul that mingles (with the body): the pictured forms in the hot-baths have no (rational) spirit.
صورت گرمابه گر جنبش کند ** در زمان او از عجوزه بر کند
If the pictured form in the hot-bath should move, it would at once separate thee from the old woman.
جان چه باشد با خبر از خیر و شر ** شاد با احسان و گریان از ضرر
What is soul? (Soul is) conscious of good and evil, rejoicing on account of kindness, weeping on account of injury.
چون سر و ماهیت جان مخبرست ** هر که او آگاهتر با جانترست
Since consciousness is the inmost nature and essence of the soul, the more aware one is the more spiritual is he.
روح را تاثیر آگاهی بود ** هر که را این بیش اللهی بود 150
Awareness is the effect of the spirit: any one who has this in excess is a man of God.
چون خبرها هست بیرون زین نهاد ** باشد این جانها در آن میدان جماد
Since there are consciousnesses beyond this (bodily) nature, in that (spiritual) arena these (sensual) souls are (like) inanimate matter.
جان اول مظهر درگاه شد ** جان جان خود مظهر الله شد
The first soul is the theatre of the (Divine) court; the Soul of the soul is verily the theatre of God (Himself).
آن ملایک جمله عقل و جان بدند ** جان نو آمد که جسم آن بدند
The angels were entirely reason and spirit (till) there came a new Spirit of which they were the body.
از سعادت چون بر آن جان بر زدند ** همچو تن آن روح را خادم شدند
When, by happy fortune, they attached themselves to that Spirit, they became subservient to that Spirit, as the body (is subservient to the spirit dwelling in it).
آن بلیس از جان از آن سر برده بود ** یک نشد با جان که عضو مرده بود 155
Hence Iblís (Satan) had turned his head away from the Spirit: he did not become one with it because he was a dead limb.
چون نبودش آن فدای آن نشد ** دست بشکسته مطیع جان نشد
Since he had it not, he did not become devoted to it: the broken hand does not obey the spirit (which rules the body).
جان نشد ناقص گر آن عضوش شکست ** کان بدست اوست تواند کرد هست
(But) the Spirit is not impaired though its limb is broken, for that (limb) is in its power, and it can bring it to life.
سر دیگر هست کو گوش دگر ** طوطیی کو مستعد آن شکر
There is another mystery (to be told), (but) where is another ear? Where is a parrot capable of (eating) that sugar?
طوطیان خاص را قندیست ژرف ** طوطیان عام از آن خور بسته طرف
For the elect parrots there is a profound (occult) candy: to that food the eyes of the vulgar parrots are closed.
کی چشد درویش صورت زان زکات ** معنیست آن نه فعولن فاعلات 160
How should one who has (only) the appearance of a dervish taste of that purity? It is spiritual reality, not (mere) fa‘úlun fá‘ilát (amphibrachs and cretics).
از خر عیسی دریغش نیست قند ** لیک خر آمد به خلقت که پسند
Candy is not withheld from the ass of Jesus by him (Jesus), but the ass is naturally pleased with straw.
قند خر را گر طرب انگیختی ** پیش خر قنطار شکر ریختی
If candy had roused delight in the ass, he would have poured hundredweights of sugar in front of the ass.
معنی نختم علی افواههم ** این شناس اینست رهرو را مهم
Know that this is the (inner) meaning of We seal their mouths: this (knowledge) is important for the traveller on the Way,
تا ز راه خاتم پیغامبران ** بوک بر خیزد ز لب ختم گران
That perchance, by (his following) the Way of the Seal of the prophets, the heavy seal may be lifted from his lips.