- Their palaver has duped me: how long will this Time deceive me, how long?”
- دمدمه‌‌ی ایشان مرا از خر فگند ** چند بفریبد مرا این دهر چند
- The prince that hath no strength in his beard is left sorely in the lurch when by reason of his folly he looks neither backwards nor forwards.
- سخت درماند امیر سست ریش ** چون نه پس بیند نه پیش از احمقیش
- The road is smooth, and under it are pitfalls: amidst the names there is a dearth of meaning. 1060
- راه هموار است و زیرش دامها ** قحط معنی در میان نامها
- Words and names are like pitfalls: the sweet (flattering) word is the sand for (the sand that sucks up) the water of our life.
- لفظها و نامها چون دامهاست ** لفظ شیرین ریگ آب عمر ماست
- The one sand whence water gushes is seldom to be found: go, seek it.
- آن یکی ریگی که جوشد آب ازو ** سخت کمیاب است رو آن را بجو
- He that searches after wisdom becomes a fountain of wisdom; he becomes independent of acquisition and (ways and) means.
- منبع حکمت شود حکمت طلب ** فارغ آید او ز تحصیل و سبب
- The guarding tablet becomes a Guarded Tablet; his understanding becomes enriched by the Spirit.
- لوح حافظ لوح محفوظی شود ** عقل او از روح محظوظی شود
- When his understanding has been his teacher at the beginning, after this the understanding becomes his pupil. 1065
- چون معلم بود عقلش ز ابتدا ** بعد از این شد عقل شاگردی و را
- The understanding says, like Gabriel, “O Ahmad (Mohammed), if I take one (more) step, it will burn me;
- عقل چون جبریل گوید احمدا ** گر یکی گامی نهم سوزد مرا
- Do thou leave me, henceforth advance (alone): this is my limit, O sultan of the soul!”
- تو مرا بگذار زین پس پیش ران ** حد من این بود ای سلطان جان