The curly lock that sheds (a fragrance of) musk and takes away the reason—at last it is like the ugly white tail of a donkey.
زلف جعد مشکبار عقل‌بر ** آخرا چون دم زشت خنگ خر
Observe its (the World's) existence, (how) at first (it is) pleasing and joyous; and observe its shamefulness and corruption in the end;
خوش ببین کونش ز اول باگشاد ** وآخر آن رسواییش بین و فساد
For it showed the snare plainly: it plucked out the fool's moustache in thy presence.1610
زانک او بنمود پیدا دام را ** پیش تو بر کند سبلت خام را
Do not say, then, “The World deceived me by its imposture; otherwise, my reason would have fled from its snare.”
پس مگو دنیا به تزویرم فریفت ** ورنه عقل من ز دامش می‌گریخت
Come now, see (how) the golden collar and shoulder-belt have become a shackle and gyve and chain.
طوق زرین و حمایل بین هله ** غل و زنجیری شدست و سلسله
Reckon every particle of the World (to be) like this: bring its beginning and its end into consideration.
همچنین هر جزو عالم می‌شمر ** اول و آخر در آرش در نظر
The more any one regards the end (ákhir) the more blessed he is; the more any one regards the stable (ákhur) the more banned he is.
هر که آخربین‌تر او مسعودتر ** هر که آخربین‌تر او مطرودتر
Regard every one's face as the glorious moon: when the beginning has been seen, see the end (also),1615
روی هر یک چون مه فاخر ببین ** چونک اول دیده شد آخر ببین
Lest thou become a man blind of one eye, like Iblís: he, like a person docked (deprived of perfect sight), sees (the one) half and not (the other) half.
تا نباشی هم‌چو ابلیس اعوری ** نیم بیند نیم نی چون ابتری
He saw the clay (tín) of Adam but did not see his obedience to God (dín): he saw in him this world but did not see that (spirit) which beholds yonder world.
دید طین آدم و دینش ندید ** این جهان دید آن جهان‌بینش ندید