Whosoever in perplexity is sorely troubled, God has spoken the riddle into his ear,
در تردد هر که او آشفته است ** حق به گوش او معما گفته است
That He may imprison him in two (doubtful) thoughts, (namely), “Shall I do that? He said that (bade me do that) or the contrary thereof?”
تا کند محبوسش اندر دو گمان ** آن کنم کاو گفت یا خود ضد آن
From (the decree of) God also, one side obtains the preponderance, and from that (Divine) quarter he chooses one of the two (alternatives).
هم ز حق ترجیح یابد یک طرف ** ز آن دو یک را بر گزیند ز آن کنف
If thou wouldst not have the mind of thy spirit in (a state of) perplexity, do not stuff this cotton-wool into thy spiritual ear,
گر نخواهی در تردد هوش جان ** کم فشار این پنبه اندر گوش جان
So that thou mayst understand those riddles of His, so that thou mayst apprehend (both) the secret sign and the open.1460
تا کنی فهم آن معماهاش را ** تا کنی ادراک رمز و فاش را
Then the spiritual ear becomes the place where wahy (inspiration) descends. What is wahy? A speech hidden from sense-perception.
پس محل وحی گردد گوش جان ** وحی چه بود گفتنی از حس نهان
The spiritual ear and eye are other than this sense-perception, the ear of (discursive) reason and the ear of opinion are destitute of this (inspiration).
گوش جان و چشم جان جز این حس است ** گوش عقل و گوش ظن زین مفلس است
The word “compulsion” (jabr) made me impatient (uncontrollable) for love's sake, while it confined in (the prison of) compulsion him who is not a lover.
لفظ جبرم عشق را بی‌‌صبر کرد ** و آن که عاشق نیست حبس جبر کرد
This is union with God, and it is not compulsion: this is the shining forth of the moon, this is not a cloud.
این معیت با حق است و جبر نیست ** این تجلی مه است این ابر نیست
And if this be compulsion, it is not the compulsion of (suffered by) the vulgar: it is not the compulsion of (exerted by) the evil-commanding self-willed (soul).1465
ور بود این جبر جبر عامه نیست ** جبر آن اماره‌‌ی خودکامه نیست