It (really) learned to talk from that accomplished man, but it is ignorant of his meaning and mystery.1435
گفت را آموخت زان مرد هنر ** لیک از معنی و سرش بی‌خبر
It received speech, word by word, from Man; (but) what should the little parrot know of Man except this?
از بشر بگرفت منطق یک به یک ** از بشر جز این چه داند طوطیک
Similarly, the disciple full (of egoism) sees himself in the mirror of the Shaykh's body.
هم‌چنان در آینه‌ی جسم ولی ** خویش را بیند مردی ممتلی
How should he see Universal Reason behind the mirror at the time of speech and discourse?
از پس آیینه عقل کل را ** کی ببیند وقت گفت و ماجرا
He supposes that a man is speaking; and the other (Universal Reason) is a mystery of which he is ignorant.
او گمان دارد که می‌گوید بشر ** وان گر سرست و او زان بی‌خبر
He learns the words, but the eternal mystery he cannot know, for he is a parrot, not a boon-companion.1440
حرف آموزد ولی سر قدیم ** او نداند طوطی است او نی ندیم
Likewise, people learn the note of birds, for this speech (of birds) is an affair of the mouth and throat;
هم صفیر مرغ آموزند خلق ** کین سخن کار دهان افتاد و حلق
But (all are) ignorant of the birds' meaning, except an august Solomon of goodly insight.
لیک از معنی مرغان بی‌خبر ** جز سلیمان قرانی خوش‌نظر
Many learned the language of (true) dervishes and gave lustre therewith to the pulpit and assembly-place.
حرف درویشان بسی آموختند ** منبر و محفل بدان افروختند
Either nothing was bestowed upon them except those (formal) expressions, or at last (the Divine) mercy came and revealed the (right) way.
یا به جز آن حرفشان روزی نبود ** یا در آخر رحمت آمد ره نمود
A mystic saw a bitch big with young, in whose womb the young were barking. He remained in amazement, saying, “The reason of a dog's barking is to keep watch (against strangers): to bark in the mother's womb is not (for the purpose of) keeping watch; and, again, barking may be a call for help, or its cause may be a desire for milk, etc.; and there is no such purpose in this case.” When he came to himself, he made supplication to God—and none knoweth the interpretation thereof except Allah. Answer came: “It represents the state of a party who pretend to (spiritual) insight and utter (mystical) sayings without having come forth from the veil (of materiality) and before the eyes of their hearts have been opened. Thence neither to themselves do strength and support accrue, nor to their hearers any guidance and right direction.”
صاحب‌دلی دید سگ حامله در شکم آن سگ‌بچگان بانگ می‌کردند در تعجب ماند کی حکمت بانگ سگ پاسبانیست بانگ در اندرون شکم مادر پاسبانی نیست و نیز بانگ جهت یاری خواستن و شیر خواستن باشد و غیره و آنجا هیچ این فایده‌ها نیست چون به خویش آمد با حضرت مناجات کرد و ما یعلم تاویله الا الله جواب آمد کی آن صورت حال قومیست از حجاب بیرون نیامده و چشم دل باز ناشده دعوی بصیرت کنند و مقالات گویند از آن نی ایشان را قوتی و یاریی رسد و نه مستمعان را هدایتی و رشدی