Do not steal thy head away from the crown-giving one whose head is exalted, for he will untie a hundred knots from the foot of thy heart.
سر مدزد از سر فراز تاجده ** کو ز پای دل گشاید صد گره
Whom shall I tell? Where in the village is any (spiritually) living one? Where is any one that runs towards the Water of Life?
با کی گویم در همه ده زنده کو ** سوی آب زندگی پوینده کو
Thou art fleeing from Love because of a single humiliation: what dost thou know of Love except the name?
تو به یک خواری گریزانی ز عشق ** تو به جز نامی چه میدانی ز عشق
Love hath a hundred disdains and prides: Love is gained by means of a hundred blandishments.
عشق را صد ناز و استکبار هست ** عشق با صد ناز میآید به دست
Since Love is loyal, it purchases (desires) him that is loyal: it does not look at a disloyal comrade.1165
عشق چون وافیست وافی میخرد ** در حریف بیوفا میننگرد
Man resembles a tree, and the root is the covenant (with God): the root must be cherished with all one's might.
چون درختست آدمی و بیخ عهد ** بیخ را تیمار میباید به جهد
A corrupt (infirm) covenant is a rotten root and is cut off (deprived) of fruit and grace.
عهد فاسد بیخ پوسیده بود ** وز ثمار و لطف ببریده بود
Although the boughs and leaves of the date-palm are green, greenness is no benefit (when conjoined) with corruption of the root;
شاخ و برگ نخل گر چه سبز بود ** با فساد بیخ سبزی نیست سود
And if it (the bough) have no green leaves, while it hath a (good) root, at the last a hundred leaves will put forth their hands.
ور ندارد برگ سبز و بیخ هست ** عاقبت بیرون کند صد برگ دست
Be not duped by his (the learned man's) knowledge; seek (to know whether he keeps) the covenant: knowledge is like a husk, and his covenant is its kernel.1170
تو مشو غره به علمش عهد جو ** علم چون قشرست و عهدش مغز او
Explaining that when the evil-doer becomes settled in evil-doing and sees the effect of the (spiritual) fortune of the doers of righteousness, he from envy becomes a devil and preventer of good, like Satan; for he whose stack is burnt desires that all (others) should have their stacks burnt: ‘hast thou seen him who forbids a servant (of God) when he performs the (ritual) prayer?’
در بیان آنک مرد بدکار چون متمکن شود در بدکاری و اثر دولت نیکوکاران ببیند شیطان شود و مانع خیر گردد از حسد همچون شیطان کی خرمن سوخته همه را خرمن سوخته خواهد ارایت الذی ینهی عبدا اذا صلی