Both thy anger and thy pleasure are (only) reflected from others, (like) the joy of the procuress and the rage of the night-patrol.
خشم و ذوقت هر دو عکس دیگران ** شادی قواده و خشم عوان
Pray, what (harm) did that poor fellow do to the night-patrol that he should punish and torment him in revenge?
آن عوان را آن ضعیف آخر چه کرد ** که دهد او را به کینه زجر و درد
How long (wilt thou follow) the glittering phantom reflected (from another)?Strive to make this (experience) actual for thyself,
تا بکی عکس خیال لامعه ** جهد کن تا گرددت این واقعه
So that thy words will be (prompted) by thy immediate feelings, and thy flight will be made with thine own wings and pinions.4665
تا که گفتارت ز حال تو بود ** سیر تو با پر و بال تو بود
’Tis with alien feathers that the arrow captures its prey; consequently it gets no share of the bird's flesh;
صید گیرد تیر هم با پر غیر ** لاجرم بی‌بهره است از لحم طیر
(But) the falcon brings its quarry from the mountains itself; consequently the king lets it eat partridge and starling.
باز صید آرد به خود از کوهسار ** لاجرم شاهش خوراند کبک و سار
The speech that is not (derived) from (Divine) inspiration springs from self-will: it is like dust (floating) in the air and among the motes (in the sunbeams).
منطقی کز وحی نبود از هواست ** هم‌چو خاکی در هوا و در هباست
If this saying appear to the Khwája to be erroneous, recite a few lines at the beginning of (the Súra) Wa’l-Najm.
گر نماید خواجه را این دم غلط ** ز اول والنجم بر خوان چند خط
Down to (the words), Mohammed does not speak from self-will: ’tis only (a speech) gained by inspiration.4670
تا که ما ینطق محمد عن هوی ** ان هو الا بوحی احتوی
O Ahmad (Mohammed), since thou despairest not of (receiving) inspiration, leave investigation and conjecture to the corporealists;
احمدا چون نیستت از وحی یاس ** جسمیان را ده تحری و قیاس