What is soul? (Soul is) conscious of good and evil, rejoicing on account of kindness, weeping on account of injury.
جان چه باشد با خبر از خیر و شر ** شاد با احسان و گریان از ضرر
Since consciousness is the inmost nature and essence of the soul, the more aware one is the more spiritual is he.
چون سر و ماهیت جان مخبرست ** هر که او آگاه‌تر با جان‌ترست
Awareness is the effect of the spirit: any one who has this in excess is a man of God.150
روح را تاثیر آگاهی بود ** هر که را این بیش اللهی بود
Since there are consciousnesses beyond this (bodily) nature, in that (spiritual) arena these (sensual) souls are (like) inanimate matter.
چون خبرها هست بیرون زین نهاد ** باشد این جانها در آن میدان جماد
The first soul is the theatre of the (Divine) court; the Soul of the soul is verily the theatre of God (Himself).
جان اول مظهر درگاه شد ** جان جان خود مظهر الله شد
The angels were entirely reason and spirit (till) there came a new Spirit of which they were the body.
آن ملایک جمله عقل و جان بدند ** جان نو آمد که جسم آن بدند
When, by happy fortune, they attached themselves to that Spirit, they became subservient to that Spirit, as the body (is subservient to the spirit dwelling in it).
از سعادت چون بر آن جان بر زدند ** هم‌چو تن آن روح را خادم شدند
Hence Iblís (Satan) had turned his head away from the Spirit: he did not become one with it because he was a dead limb.155
آن بلیس از جان از آن سر برده بود ** یک نشد با جان که عضو مرده بود
Since he had it not, he did not become devoted to it: the broken hand does not obey the spirit (which rules the body).
چون نبودش آن فدای آن نشد ** دست بشکسته مطیع جان نشد
(But) the Spirit is not impaired though its limb is broken, for that (limb) is in its power, and it can bring it to life.
جان نشد ناقص گر آن عضوش شکست ** کان بدست اوست تواند کرد هست