The bough is made green and fresh by the weeping cloud, for the (same) reason that the candle is made brighter by (its) weeping.480
ز ابر گریان شاخ سبز و تر شود ** ز آنکه شمع از گریه روشنتر شود
Wheresoever people are lamenting, sit you there (and lament), because you have a better right to moan (than they have),
هر کجا نوحه کنند آن جا نشین ** ز آنکه تو اولیتری اندر حنین
Inasmuch as they are (concerned) with parting from that which passes away, and are forgetful of the ruby of everlasting-ness that belongs to the mine (of Reality);
ز آن که ایشان در فراق فانیاند ** غافل از لعل بقای کانیاند
Inasmuch as the stamp of blind imitation is (as) a lock upon the heart;-go, scrape off (dissolve) its lock with tears-;
ز آن که بر دل نقش تقلید است بند ** رو به آب چشم بندش را برند
Inasmuch as imitation is the bane of every good quality; imitation is (but) a straw, (even) if it is a mighty mountain.
ز آن که تقلید آفت هر نیکویی است ** که بود تقلید اگر کوه قوی است
If a blind man is big and choleric, deem him (only) a piece of flesh, since he has no eye (eye-sight).485
گر ضریری لمترست و تیز خشم ** گوشت پارهش دان چو او را نیست چشم
Though he (the blind imitator) speak words finer than a hair, his heart has no knowledge of these words.
گر سخن گوید ز مو باریکتر ** آن سرش را ز آن سخن نبود خبر
He has a certain intoxication from his own words, but there is a good way (distance) between him and the Wine.
مستیی دارد ز گفت خود و لیک ** از بر وی تا به می راهی است نیک
He is like a river-bed: it does not drink any water; the water passes through it to the water-drinkers.
همچو جوی است او نه او آبی خورد ** آب از او بر آب خواران بگذرد
The water does not settle in the river-bed because the river-bed is not thirsty and water-drinking.
آب در جو ز آن نمیگیرد قرار ** ز آن که آن جو نیست تشنه و آب خوار