دیده‌ای عمری تو داد و داوری ** وانگه از نادیدگان ناشی‌تری
During a (whole) life-time thou hast seen the justice and jurisdiction (of God), and then (after all) thou art more ignorant than the blind.
هر که شاگردیش کرد استاد شد ** تو سپس‌تر رفته‌ای ای کور لد
Whoever serves Him as a pupil becomes a master, (but) thou hast gone backwards, O blind fool!
خود نبود از والدینت اختبار ** هم نبودت عبرت از لیل و نهار
Verily thou hast learned nothing from thy parents, nor hast thou taken a lesson from night and day.
مثل
Parable.
عارفی پرسید از آن پیر کشیش ** که توی خواجه مسن‌تر یا که ریش 1780
A (Súfí) gnostic asked an old Christian priest, “Sire, art thou the more advanced in age, or thy beard?”
گفت نه من پیش ازو زاییده‌ام ** بی ز ریشی بس جهان را دیده‌ام
He replied, “Nay; I was born before it: I have seen much of the world without a beard.”
گفت ریشت شد سپید از حال گشت ** خوی زشت تو نگردیدست وشت
He (the Súfí) said, “Thy beard has turned white, it has changed, (but) thy evil disposition has not become good.”
او پس از تو زاد و از تو بگذرید ** تو چنین خشکی ز سودای ثرید
It (thy beard) was born after thee and (yet) it has surpassed thee: thou art so dry (vain and unprofitable) because of thy passion for tharíd.
تو بر آن رنگی که اول زاده‌ای ** یک قدم زان پیش‌تر ننهاده‌ای
Thou art (still) of the same complexion with which thou wast born: thou hast not taken one step forward.
هم‌چنان دوغی ترش در معدنی ** خود نگردی زو مخلص روغنی 1785
Still thou art (as) sour buttermilk in the churn: in sooth thou hast not extracted any oil (butter) from it.
هم خمیری خمر طینه دری ** گرچه عمری در تنور آذری
Still thou art (as) dough in the jar of clay, though thou hast been a (whole) lifetime in the fiery oven.
چون حشیشی پا به گل بر پشته‌ای ** گرچه از باد هوس سرگشته‌ای
Thou art like a herb on a hillock: (thy) foot (is fixed immovably) in the earth, though thy head is tossed (to and fro) by the wind of passion.
هم‌چو قوم موسی اندر حر تیه ** مانده‌ای بر جای چل سال ای سفیه
Like the people of Moses in the heat of the Desert, thou hast remained forty years in (the same) place, O foolish man.
می‌روی هر روز تا شب هروله ** خویش می‌بینی در اول مرحله
Daily thou marchest rapidly till nightfall and findest thyself (still) in the first stage of thy journey.
نگذری زین بعد سیصد ساله تو ** تا که داری عشق آن گوساله تو 1790
Thou wilt never traverse this three hundred years' distance so long as thou hast love for the calf.
تا خیال عجل از جانشان نرفت ** بد بریشان تیه چون گرداب زفت
Until the fancy (illusion) of the calf went out of their hearts, the Desert was to them like a blazing whirlpool.
غیر این عجلی کزو یابیده‌ای ** بی‌نهایت لطف و نعمت دیده‌ای
Besides this calf which thou hast obtained from Him (God), thou hast experienced infinite graces and bounties.
گاو طبعی زان نکوییهای زفت ** از دلت در عشق این گوساله رفت
Thou hast the nature of a cow; hence in thy love for this calf (those) mighty benefits have vanished from thy heart.
باری اکنون تو ز هر جزوت بپرس ** صد زبان دارند این اجزای خرس
Prithee now, ask each part of thee: these dumb parts have a hundred tongues
ذکر نعمتهای رزاق جهان ** که نهان شد آن در اوراق زمان 1795
To recall the bounties of the World-Provider which are hidden in the pages of Time.
روز و شب افسانه‌جویانی تو چست ** جزو جزو تو فسانه‌گوی تست
By day and night thou art eagerly seeking (to hear) stories, while each several part of thee is telling thee the story (of His bounties).
جزو جزوت تا برستست از عدم ** چند شادی دیده‌اند و چند غم
(Ever) since each several part of thee grew up from non-existence, how much joy have they experienced and how much pain!
زانک بی‌لذت نروید هیچ جزو ** بلک لاغر گردد از هی پیچ جزو
For without pleasure no part will grow; on the contrary, at every spasm (of pain) the part (affected) becomes thin (dwindles).
جزو ماند و آن خوشی از یاد رفت ** بل نرفت آن خفیه شد از پنج و هفت
The part remained (in being), but the pleasure vanished from memory; nay, it did not vanish, (though) it became concealed from the five (senses) and the seven (members of the body).
هم‌چو تابستان که از وی پنبه‌زاد ** ماند پنبه رفت تابستان ز یاد 1800
(’Tis) like summer, from which cotton is born: the cotton remains, the summer is no more remembered;
یا مثال یخ که زاید از شتا ** شد شتا پنهان و آن یخ پیش ما
Or like the ice which is born of winter: winter disappears, but the ice is with us.