Suppose the (monarch's) empire is the empire of the West and the East: since it will not remain, deem it to be (as fleeting as) a lightning-flash.
ملک را تو ملک غرب و شرق گیر ** چون نمیماند تو آن را برق گیر
O thou whose heart is slumbering (heedless), know that the kingdom that does not remain unto everlasting is (but) a dream.
مملکت کان مینماند جاودان ** ای دلت خفته تو آن را خواب دان
Consider what thou wilt do with (all) that vanity and vainglory; for (ultimately) it will grip thy throat like an executioner.
تا چه خواهی کرد آن باد و بروت ** که بگیرد همچو جلادی گلوت
Know that even in this world there is a safe refuge: do not listen to the hypocrite who says there is none.
هم درین عالم بدان که مامنیست ** از منافق کم شنو کو گفت نیست
The argument of those who disbelieve in the after-life, and a demonstration of the weakness of that argument, since their argument amounts to “We do not see any other (world) than this.”
حجت منکران آخرت و بیان ضعف آن حجت زیرا حجت ایشان به دین باز میگردد کی غیر این نمیبینیم
This is his (the hypocrite's) argument: he says at every moment, “If there were anything else, I should have seen it.”3930
حجتش اینست گوید هر دمی ** گر بدی چیزی دگر هم دیدمی
If a child does not see the various aspects of reason, will a rational person ever abandon reason?
گر نبیند کودکی احوال عقل ** عاقلی هرگز کند از عقل نقل
And if a rational person does not see the various aspects of Love, (yet) the auspicious moon of Love does not wane.
ور نبیند عاقلی احوال عشق ** کم نگردد ماه نیکوفال عشق
Joseph's beauty was not seen by the eyes of his brethren, (but) when did it (ever) disappear from the heart of Jacob?
حسن یوسف دیدهی اخوان ندید ** از دل یعقوب کی شد ناپدید
The (physical) eye of Moses regarded the staff (rod) as wood; the eye of the Invisible beheld (in it) a serpent and (cause of) panic.
مر عصا را چشم موسی چوب دید ** چشم غیبی افعی و آشوب دید
The eye of the head was in conflict with the eye of the heart: the eye of the heart prevailed (over the other) and displayed the proof.3935
چشم سر با چشم سر در جنگ بود ** غالب آمد چشم سر حجت نمود