Till (the hour of) coming to the king and to sweet delight, O man of Rayy be on good terms with the man of Merv.
تا رسیدن در شه و در ناز خوش ** رازیا با مرغزی می‌ساز خویش
O “Moses,” in presence of the Pharaoh of the time you must speak softly with mild words.3815
موسیا در پیش فرعون زمن ** نرم باید گفت قولا لینا
If you put water into boiling oil, you will destroy (both) the trivet and the kettle.
آب اگر در روغن جوشان کنی ** دیگدان و دیگ را ویران کنی
Speak softly, but do not speak aught except the truth: do not offer temptation in your mildness of address.
نرم گو لیکن مگو غیر صواب ** وسوسه مفروش در لین الخطاب
The time of afternoon is come: cut short the discourse, O thou whose expression (of the hidden truth) makes (the people of) the age acquainted (with reality).
وقت عصر آمد سخن کوتاه کن ** ای که عصرت عصر را آگاه کن
Do thou tell the clay-eater that sugar is better: do not show injurious softness, do not give him clay.
گو تو مر گل‌خواره را که قند به ** نرمی فاسد مکن طینش مده
Speech would be a spiritual garden to the soul, if it were independent of letters and sounds.3820
نطق جان را روضه‌ی جانیستی ** گر ز حرف و صوت مستغنیستی
Oh, there is many a one in whom this donkey's head amidst the sugar plantation has fixed a thorn!
این سر خر در میان قندزار ** ای بسا کس را که بنهادست خار
He, (seeing it) from afar, supposed that it (the sugar-plantation) is just that (donkey's head), nothing more; (so) he was retiring, like a ram vanquished in fight.
ظن ببرد از دور کان آنست و بس ** چون قج مغلوب وا می‌رفت پس
Know for sure that the (literal) form (of speech) is (like) that donkey's head in the vineyard and highest Paradise of the spiritual reality.
صورت حرف آن سر خر دان یقین ** در رز معنی و فردوس برین