The doctor who sets broken bones goes to the place where the person with the fractured leg is.
خواجهی اشکسته بند آن جا رود ** که در آن جا پای اشکسته بود
How shall the excellence of the art of medicine be made manifest when there is no emaciated invalid?
کی شود چون نیست رنجور نزار ** آن جمال صنعت طب آشکار
How shall the (power of the) Elixir be shown if the vileness and baseness of coppers is not notorious?
خواری و دونی مسها بر ملا ** گر نباشد کی نماید کیمیا
Defects are the mirror of the quality of perfection, and that vileness is the mirror of power and glory,3210
نقصها آیینهی وصف کمال ** و آن حقارت آینهی عز و جلال
Because (every) contrary is certainly made evident by its contrary; because honey is perceived (to be sweet by contrast) with vinegar.
ز آن که ضد را ضد کند پیدا یقین ** ز آن که با سرکه پدید است انگبین
Whoever has seen and recognised his own deficiency has galloped with ten horses (made rapid progress) in perfecting himself.
هر که نقص خویش را دید و شناخت ** اندر استکمال خود ده اسبه تاخت
The reason why he (any one) is not flying towards the Lord of glory is that he supposes himself to be perfect.
ز آن نمیپرد به سوی ذو الجلال ** کاو گمانی میبرد خود را کمال
There is no worse malady in your soul, O haughty one, than the conceit of perfection.
علتی بدتر ز پندار کمال ** نیست اندر جان تو ای ذو دلال
Much blood must flow from your heart and eye, that self-complacency may go out of you.3215
از دل و از دیدهات بس خون رود ** تا ز تو این معجبی بیرون رود
The fault of Iblís lay in thinking “I am better (than Adam),” and this disease is in the soul of every (human) creature.
علت ابلیس انا خیری بده ست ** وین مرض در نفس هر مخلوق هست
Though he regard himself as very broken (in spirit), know that it is (a case of) clear water (on the surface) and dung under the stream.
گر چه خود را بس شکسته بیند او ** آب صافی دان و سرگین زیر جو
When he (the Devil) stirs you in trial, immediately the water becomes dung-coloured.
چون بشوراند ترا در امتحان ** آب سرگین رنگ گردد در زمان
There is dung in the bed of the stream, my man, though to you the stream appears pure.
در تگ جو هست سرگین ای فتی ** گر چه جو صافی نماید مر ترا
’Tis the Pír full of wisdom, well-acquainted with the Way, that digs a channel for the gardens of the Universal Soul.3220
هست پیر راه دان پر فطن ** باغهای نفس کل را جوی کن
Who is able to cleanse the channel of his (sensual) self? Man's knowledge is made beneficial (only) by God's knowledge.
جوی خود را کی تواند پاک کرد ** نافع از علم خدا شد علم مرد
How shall the sword fashion its own hilt? Go, entrust (the cure of) this wound to a surgeon.
کی تراشد تیغ دستهی خویش را ** رو به جراحی سپار این ریش را
Flies gather on every wound, so that no one sees the foulness of his wound.
بر سر هر ریش جمع آمد مگس ** تا نبیند قبح ریش خویش کس
Those flies are your (evil) thoughts and your (love of) possessions: your wound is the darkness of your (spiritual) states;
آن مگس اندیشهها و آن مال تو ** ریش تو آن ظلمت احوال تو
And if the Pír lays a plaster on your wound, at once the pain and lamentation are stilled,3225
ور نهد مرهم بر آن ریش تو پیر ** آن زمان ساکن شود درد و نفیر
So that he (the patient) fancies it (the wound) is healed, (whereas in reality) the (healing) ray of the plaster has shone upon the (wounded) spot.
تا که پندارد که صحت یافته ست ** پرتو مرهم بر آن جا تافته ست
Beware! Do not (scornfully) turn your head away from the plaster, O you who are wounded in the back, but recognise that that (healing of the wound) proceeds from the ray: do not regard it as (proceeding) from your own constitution.
هین ز مرهم سر مکش ای پشت ریش ** و آن ز پرتو دان مدان از اصل خویش
How the writer of the (Qur’ánic) Revelation fell into apostasy because (when) the ray of the Revelation shot upon him, he recited the (revealed) verse before the Prophet, on whom be peace, (had dictated it to him); then he said, “So I too am one upon whom Revelation has descended.”
مرتد شدن کاتب وحی به سبب آن که پرتو وحی بر او زد آن آیت را پیش از پیغامبر صلی الله علیه و اله بخواند گفت پس من هم محل وحیم
Before (the time of) ‘Uthmán there was a scribe who used to be diligent in writing down the Revelation.
پیش از عثمان یکی نساخ بود ** کاو به نسخ وحی جدی مینمود
Whenever the Prophet dictated the Revelation, he would write out the same (portion) on the leaf.
چون نبی از وحی فرمودی سبق ** او همان را وانبشتی بر ورق
The beams of that Revelation would shine upon him, and he would find Wisdom within him.3230
پرتو آن وحی بر وی تافتی ** او درون خویش حکمت یافتی
The substance of that Wisdom was dictated by the Prophet: by this (small) amount (of reflected Wisdom) that meddling fool was led astray,
عین آن حکمت بفرمودی رسول ** زین قدر گمراه شد آن بو الفضول