- Yesternight this (breath) presented itself (to me) in a different guise (but) some morsels (of food) came in and barred the way. 1960
- دوش دیگر لون این میداد دست ** لقمهی چندی در آمد ره ببست
- For a morsel's sake a Luqmán has become (held in custody as) a pledge: ’tis the time for Luqmán: begone, O morsel!
- بهر لقمه گشته لقمانی گرو ** وقت لقمان است ای لقمه برو
- These pricks (of the flesh) for desire of a morsel! Seek ye always (to draw forth) the thorn from the sole of Luqmán.
- از هوای لقمهی این خار خار ** از کف لقمان همیجویید خار
- In his sole there is (really) no thorn or even the shadow of it, but because of concupiscence ye have not that discernment.
- در کف او خار و سایهش نیز نیست ** لیکتان از حرص آن تمییز نیست
- Know that the thorn is that which thou, because thou art very greedy and very blind, hast deemed to be a date.
- خار دان آن را که خرما دیدهای ** ز آن که بس نان کور و بس نادیدهای
- Inasmuch as Luqmán's spirit is the rose-garden of God, why is the foot of his spirit wounded by a thorn? 1965
- جان لقمان که گلستان خداست ** پای جانش خستهی خاری چراست
- This thorn-eating existence is (like) a camel, and upon this camel one born of Mustafá (Mohammed) is mounted.
- اشتر آمد این وجود خار خوار ** مصطفی زادی بر این اشتر سوار
- O camel, on thy back is a bale of roses, from the perfume of which a hundred rosaries grew within thee.
- اشترا تنگ گلی بر پشت تست ** کز نسیمش در تو صد گلزار رست
- Thy inclination is towards thorn-bushes and sand: I wonder what roses thou wilt gather from worthless thorns.
- میل تو سوی مغیلان است و ریگ ** تا چه گل چینی ز خار مردهریگ
- O thou who in this search hast roamed from one quarter to another, how long wilt thou say, “Where, where is this rose-garden?”
- ای بگشته زین طلب از کو به کو ** چند گویی کین گلستان کو و کو
- Until thou extract this thorn in thy foot, thine eye is dark (blind): how wilt thou go about? 1970
- پیش از آن کین خار پا بیرون کنی ** چشم تاریک است جولان چون کنی
- Man, who is not contained in the world, becomes hidden in the point of a thorn!
- آدمی کاو مینگنجد در جهان ** در سر خاری همیگردد نهان
- Mustafá (Mohammed) came (into the world) to make harmony: (he would say) “Speak to me, O Humayrá, speak!”
- مصطفی آمد که سازد هم دمی ** کلمینی یا حمیراء کلمی
- O Humayrá, put the horse-shoe in the fire, that by means of thy horse-shoe this mountain may become (glowing with love, like) rubies.
- ای حمیراء آتش اندر نه تو نعل ** تا ز نعل تو شود این کوه لعل
- This “Humayrá” is a feminine word, and the Arabs call the (word for) “spirit” feminine;
- این حمیراء لفظ تانیث است و جان ** نام تانیثاش نهند این تازیان
- But there is no fear (harm) to the Spirit from being feminine: the Spirit has no association (nothing in common) with man and woman. 1975
- لیک از تانیث جان را باک نیست ** روح را با مرد و زن اشراک نیست
- It is higher than feminine and masculine: this is not that spirit which is composed of dryness and moisture.
- از مونث وز مذکر برتر است ** این نه آن جان است کز خشک و تر است
- This is not that spirit which is increased by (eating) bread, or which is sometimes like this and sometimes like that.
- این نه آن جان است کافزاید ز نان ** یا گهی باشد چنین گاهی چنان
- It is a doer of (what is) sweet, and (it is) sweet, and the essence of sweetness. Without (inward) sweetness there is no sweetness, O taker of bribes!
- خوش کننده ست و خوش و عین خوشی ** بیخوشی نبود خوشی ای مرتشی
- When thou art (made) sweet by sugar, it may be that at some time that sugar will vanish from thee;
- چون تو شیرین از شکر باشی بود ** کان شکر گاهی ز تو غایب شود
- (But) when thou becomest sugar from the effect produced by faithfulness, then how should sugar be parted from sugar? 1980
- چون شکر گردی ز تاثیر وفا ** پس شکر کی از شکر باشد جدا
- When the lover (of God) is fed from (within) himself with pure wine, there reason becomes lost, lost, O comrade.
- عاشق از خود چون غذا یابد رحیق ** عقل آن جا گم شود گم ای رفیق
- Partial (discursive) reason is a denier of Love, though it may give out that it is a confidant.
- عقل جزوی عشق را منکر بود ** گر چه بنماید که صاحب سر بود
- It is clever and knowing, but it is not naught (devoid of self-existence): until the angel has become naught, he is an Ahriman (Devil).
- زیرک و داناست اما نیست نیست ** تا فرشته لا نشد اهریمنی است
- It (partial reason) is our friend in word and deed, (but) when you come to the case of inward feeling (ecstasy), it is naught (of no account).
- او به قول و فعل یار ما بود ** چون به حکم حال آیی لا بود