A hoopoe brought the letter with the (royal) sign-manual from Solomon—a few eloquent words.
هدهدی نامه بیاورد و نشان ** از سلیمان چند حرفی با بیان
(When) she read those pregnant sayings, she did not look with contempt on the messenger.
خواند او آن نکتهای با شمول ** با حقارت ننگرید اندر رسول
Her body saw him as a hoopoe, (but) her spirit saw him as the ‘Anqá; her senses saw him as a fleck of foam, (but) her heart saw him as the sea.
جسم هدهد دید و جان عنقاش دید ** حس چو کفی دید و دل دریاش دید
Because of these two-coloured (diverse) talismans (appearance and reality) the intellect is at war with the senses, as Mohammed with the likes of Abú Jahl.1605
عقل با حس زین طلسمات دو رنگ ** چون محمد با ابو جهلان به جنگ
The infidels regarded Ahmad (Mohammed) as (only) a man, since they did not see in him (the Prophetic nature which was manifested by the miracle) the moon was cleft asunder.
کافران دیدند احمد را بشر ** چون ندیدند از وی انشق القمر
Throw dust on your sense-perceiving eye: the sensuous eye is the enemy of intellect and religion.
خاک زن در دیدهی حس بین خویش ** دیدهی حس دشمن عقل است و کیش
God has called the sensuous eye blind; He has said that it is an idolater and our foe,
دیدهی حس را خدا اعماش خواند ** بت پرستش گفت و ضد ماش خواند
Because it saw the foam and not the sea, because it saw the present and not to-morrow.
ز انکه او کف دید و دریا را ندید ** ز انکه حالی دید و فردا را ندید
The master of to-morrow and of the present (is) before it; (yet) of a (whole) treasure it sees only a groat.1610
خواجهی فردا و حالی پیش او ** او نمیبیند ز گنجی جز تسو
(If) a mote bring a message from yonder Sun, the sun would become a slave to that mote.
ذرهای ز آن آفتاب آرد پیام ** آفتاب آن ذره را گردد غلام