- Soul and heart cannot endure that ferment: to whom shall I speak? There is not in the world a single ear (capable of apprehension).
- جان و دل را طاقت آن جوش نیست ** با که گویم در جهان یک گوش نیست
- Wherever there was an ear, through Him it became an eye; wherever there was a stone, through Him it became a jasper. 515
- هر کجا گوشی بد از وی چشم گشت ** هر کجا سنگی بد از وی یشم گشت
- He is an alchemist—what is alchemy (compared with His action)? He is a giver of miracles (to prophets)—what is magic (compared with these miracles)?
- کیمیا ساز است چه بود کیمیا ** معجزه بخش است چه بود سیمیا
- This uttering of praise (to Him) is (really) the omission of praise on my part, for this (praise) is a proof of (my) being, and being is a sin.
- این ثنا گفتن ز من ترک ثناست ** کین دلیل هستی و هستی خطاست
- It behoves (us) to be not-being in the presence of His Being: in His presence what is (our) being? Blind and blue.
- پیش هست او بباید نیست بود ** چیست هستی پیش او کور و کبود
- Were it not blind it would have been melted (consumed) by Him: it would have known the heat of (the Divine) sun;
- گر نبودی کور از او بگداختی ** گرمی خورشید را بشناختی
- And were it not blue from mourning, how would this region (of phenomenal existence) have (remained) frozen like ice? 520
- ور نبودی او کبود از تعزیت ** کی فسردی همچو یخ این ناحیت
- Setting forth how the vizier incurred perdition (by engaging) in this plot.
- بیان خسارت وزیر در این مکر
- The vizier was ignorant and heedless, like the (Jewish) king: he was wrestling with the eternal and inevitable,
- همچو شه نادان و غافل بد وزیر ** پنجه میزد با قدیم ناگزیر
- With a God so mighty that in a moment He causes a hundred worlds like ours to come into existence from non-existence:
- با چنان قادر خدایی کز عدم ** صد چو عالم هست گرداند به دم
- A hundred worlds like ours He displays to the sight, when He makes your eye seeing by (the light of) Himself.
- صد چو عالم در نظر پیدا کند ** چون که چشمت را به خود بینا کند
- If the world appears to you vast and bottomless, know that to Omnipotence it is not (so much as) an atom.
- گر جهان پیشت بزرگ و بیبنی است ** پیش قدرت ذره ای میدان که نیست
- This world, indeed, is the prison of your souls: oh, go in yonder direction, for there lies your open country. 525
- این جهان خود حبس جانهای شماست ** هین روید آن سو که صحرای شماست
- This world is finite, and truly that (other) is infinite: image and form are a barrier to that Reality.
- این جهان محدود آن خود بی حد است ** نقش و صورت پیش ٱن معنی سد است
- The myriads of Pharaoh's lances were shattered by (the hand of) Moses (armed) with a single staff.
- صد هزاران نیزهی فرعون را ** در شکست از موسیی با یک عصا
- Myriads were the therapeutic arts of Galen: before Jesus and his (life-giving) breath they were a laughing-stock.
- صد هزاران طب جالینوس بود ** پیش عیسی و دمش افسوس بود
- Myriads were the books of (pre-Islamic) poems: at the word of an illiterate (prophet) they were (put to) shame.
- صد هزاران دفتر اشعار بود ** پیش حرف امیی آن عار بود
- (Confronted) with such an all-conquering Lord, how should any one not die (to self), unless he be a vile wretch? 530
- با چنین غالب خداوندی کسی ** چون نمیرد گر نباشد او خسی
- Many a mind (strong and firm) as a mountain did He uproot; the cunning bird He hung up by its two feet.
- بس دل چون کوه را انگیخت او ** مرغ زیرک با دو پا آویخت او
- To sharpen the intelligence and wits is not the (right) way: none but the broken (in spirit) wins the favour of the King.
- فهم و خاطر تیز کردن نیست راه ** جز شکسته مینگیرد فضل شاه
- Oh, many the amassers of treasure, digging holes (in search of treasure), who became an ox's beard (dupe) to that vain schemer (the vizier)!
- ای بسا گنج آگنان کنج کاو ** کان خیال اندیش را شد ریش گاو
- Who is the ox that you should become his beard? What is earth that you should become its stubble?
- گاو که بود تا تو ریش او شوی ** خاک چه بود تا حشیش او شوی
- When a woman became pale-faced (ashamed) of (her) wickedness, God metamorphosed her and made her Zuhra (the planet Venus). 535
- چون زنی از کار بد شد روی زرد ** مسخ کرد او را خدا و زهره کرد
- To make a woman Zuhra was metamorphosis: is it not metamorphosis to become earth and clay, O contumacious one?
- عورتی را زهره کردن مسخ بود ** خاک و گل گشتن نه مسخ است ای عنود
- Your spirit was bearing you towards the highest sphere (of heaven): you went towards the water and the clay amongst the lowest (of the low).
- روح میبردت سوی چرخ برین ** سوی آب و گل شدی در اسفلین
- By this fall you metamorphosed yourself from that (state of) existence which was the envy of the (spiritual) intelligences.
- خویشتن را مسخ کردی زین سفول ** ز آن وجودی که بد آن رشک عقول