Till it is joined once more to the whole, it is dead: it has no consciousness of life;
تا نپیوندد بکل بار دگر ** مرده باشد نبودش از جان خبر
And if it move, yet it has no support: the newly severed limb also moves.
ور بجنبد نیست آن را خود سند ** عضو نو ببریده هم جنبش کند
If the part be severed and fall asunder from this (spiritual) whole, this is not the (kind of) whole that is liable to defect.
جزو ازین کل گر برد یکسو رود ** این نه آن کلست کو ناقص شود
Separation from it and conjunction with it are not (really) predicable; the defective thing has been mentioned (only) for the sake of comparison.1940
قطع و وصل او نیاید در مقال ** چیز ناقص گفته شد بهر مثال
Return to the story of Daqúqí.
بازگشتن به قصه‌ی دقوقی
He (the Prophet) once compared ‘Alí to a lion, (but) the lion is not like him, though he (the Prophet) used (this expression).
مر علی را در مثالی شیر خواند ** شیر مثل او نباشد گرچه راند
From comparison (mithál) and likeness (mithl) and the difference between those (terms) push on, O youth, towards the story of Daqúqí:
از مثال و مثل و فرق آن بران ** جانب قصه‌ی دقوقی ای جوان
That one who in giving legal judgements was the Imám of the people and in piety bore away the ball from the angels;
آنک در فتوی امام خلق بود ** گوی تقوی از فرشته می‌ربود
That one who checkmated (eclipsed) the moon in wayfaring, while the Religion (itself) was jealous of his religiousness.
آنک اندر سیر مه را مات کرد ** هم ز دین‌داری او دین رشک خورد
Notwithstanding such piety and devotions and (nights passed in) performance of the ritual prayer, he was always seeking the elect (the saints) of God.1945
با چنین تقوی و اوراد و قیام ** طالب خاصان حق بودی مدام
In travel his chief object was that he might come in touch for a moment with an elect servant (of God).
در سفر معظم مرادش آن بدی ** که دمی بر بنده‌ی خاصی زدی