The water-carrier sought a pot with no water in it, and the carpenter a house with no door.
جست سقا کوزای کش آب نیست ** وان دروگر خانهای کش باب نیست
At the moment of pursuing (their object) they rushed into (relative) nonexistence; then (afterwards) they all are fleeing from non-existence.
وقت صید اندر عدم بد حملهشان ** از عدم آنگه گریزان جملهشان
Since your hope is (in) non-existence, why (this) avoidance of it? Why (this) strife with what is congenial to your desire?
چون امیدت لاست زو پرهیز چیست ** با انیس طمع خود استیز چیست
Since that non-existence is congenial to your desire, why this avoidance of nonentity and non-existence?
چون انیس طمع تو آن نیستیست ** از فنا و نیست این پرهیز چیست
O (dear) soul, if you are not inwardly congenial to non-existence, why are you waiting in ambush for non-existence?1375
گر انیس لا نهای ای جان به سر ** در کمین لا چرایی منتظر
You have torn your heart away from all that you own, you have cast the net of your heart into the sea of non-existence.
زانک داری جمله دل برکندهای ** شست دل در بحر لا افکندهای
Wherefore, then, (this) flight from this sea of (heart's) desire that has put hundreds of thousands of prey into your net?
پس گریز از چیست زین بحر مراد ** که بشستت صد هزاران صید داد
Wherefore have you given the name “death” to (what is really) provision (for the spirit)? Observe the sorcery that has caused the provision (barg) to seem to you death (marg).
از چه نام برگ را کردی تو مرگ ** جادوی بین که نمودت مرگ برگ
The magic of His (God's) doing has bound both your eyes, so that desire for the (worldly) pit has come over your soul.
هر دو چشمت بست سحر صنعتش ** تا که جان را در چه آمد رغبتش
Through the contrivance of the Creator, in its (your soul's) fancy all the expanse above the pit is (full of) poison and snakes;1380
در خیال او ز مکر کردگار ** جمله صحرا فوق چه زهرست و مار