One person may be father in relation to thee; in regard to another individual he may be son.
آن یکی شخص ترا باشد پدر ** در حق شخصی دگر باشد پسر
In regard to another he may be wrath and a foe; in regard to another he may be graciousness and a friend.3675
در حق دیگر بود قهر و عدو ** در حق دیگر بود لطف و نکو
(He hath) hundreds of thousands of names, (but) he is one man: the owner of every quality belonging to him is blind to (incapable of) giving any (true) description (of him).
صد هزاران نام و او یک آدمی ** صاحب هر وصفش از وصفی عمی
Whoever seeks the (mere) name, if he is entrusted (with a confidential mission) he is hopeless and in distraction, even as thou art.
هر که جوید نام اگر صاحب ثقه است ** همچو تو نومید و اندر تفرقه است
Why dost thou stick to the name ‘tree,’ so that thou art left bitterly disappointed and ill-fortuned?
تو چه بر چفسی بر این نام درخت ** تا بمانی تلخ کام و شور بخت
Pass on from the name and look at the attributes, in order that the attributes may show thee the way to the essence.”
در گذر از نام و بنگر در صفات ** تا صفاتت ره نماید سوی ذات
The disagreement of mankind is caused by names: peace ensues when they advance to the reality (denoted by the name).3680
اختلاف خلق از نام اوفتاد ** چون به معنی رفت آرام اوفتاد
How four persons quarrelled about grapes, which were known to each of them by a different name.
منازعت چهار کس جهت انگور که هر یکی به نام دیگر فهم کرده بود آن را
A certain man gave a dirhem to four persons: one of them (a Persian) said, “I will spend this on angúr.”
چار کس را داد مردی یک درم ** آن یکی گفت این به انگوری دهم
The second one was an Arab: he said, “No, I want ‘inab, not angúr, O rascal!”
آن یکی دیگر عرب بد گفت لا ** من عنب خواهم نه انگور ای دغا
The third was a Turk; and he said, “This (money) is mine: I don't want ‘inab, I want uzum.”
آن یکی ترکی بدو گفت ای گزم ** من نمیخواهم عنب خواهم ازم