- O mouth, verily thou art the mouth of Hell; and, O world, thou art like the intermediate state.
- ای دهان تو خود دهانهای دوزخی ** وی جهان تو بر مثال برزخی
- The everlasting light is beside this low world, the pure milk is beside rivers of blood.
- نور باقی پهلوی دنیای دون ** شیر صافی پهلوی جوهای خون
- When you take one step in it (the world) without precaution, your milk will be turned to blood through commixture.
- چون در او گامی زنی بیاحتیاط ** شیر تو خون میشود از اختلاط
- Adam took one step in sensual pleasure: separation from his high place in Paradise became a collar on the neck of his (fleshly) soul. 15
- یک قدم زد آدم اندر ذوق نفس ** شد فراق صدر جنت طوق نفس
- The angels were fleeing from him as from a devil: how many tears did he shed for the sake of a single loaf!
- همچو دیو از وی فرشته میگریخت ** بهر نانی چند آب چشم ریخت
- Although the sin which he had compassed was (but) a hair, yet that hair had grown in his eyes.
- گر چه یک مو بد گنه کاو جسته بود ** لیک آن مو در دو دیده رسته بود
- Adam was the eye of the Eternal Light: a hair in the eye is a great mountain.
- بود آدم دیدهی نور قدیم ** موی در دیده بود کوه عظیم
- If Adam had taken counsel in that (matter), he would not have uttered excuses in penitence,
- گر در آن آدم بکردی مشورت ** در پشیمانی نگفتی معذرت
- Because when one intellect is joined with another intellect, it prevents evil action and evil speech; 20
- ز آن که با عقلی چو عقلی جفت شد ** مانع بد فعلی و بد گفت شد
- (But) when the fleshly soul is associated with another fleshly soul, the partial (individual) intellect becomes idle and useless.
- نفس با نفس دگر چون یار شد ** عقل جزوی عاطل و بیکار شد
- When because of loneliness you fall into despair, you become (bright as) a sun (if you go) under the shadow (protection) of the friend.
- چون ز تنهایی تو نومیدی شوی ** زیر سایهی یار خورشیدی شوی
- Go, seek at once the friend of God: when you have done so, God is your friend.
- رو بجو یار خدایی را تو زود ** چون چنان کردی خدا یار تو بود
- He who has fixed his gaze upon seclusion (and made it his object), after all ’tis from the friend (of God) that he has learned that (lesson).
- آن که در خلوت نظر بر دوخته ست ** آخر آن را هم ز یار آموخته ست
- One must seclude one's self from strangers, (but) not from the friend: the fur-coat is for winter, not for spring. 25
- خلوت از اغیار باید نه ز یار ** پوستین بهر دی آمد نه بهار
- (If) the intellect is paired with another intellect, light increases and the way becomes plain;
- عقل با عقل دگر دو تا شود ** نور افزون گشت و ره پیدا شود
- (But if) the fleshly soul makes merry with another fleshly soul, darkness increases, the way becomes hidden.
- نفس با نفس دگر خندان شود ** ظلمت افزون گشت و ره پنهان شود
- The friend is thine eye, O huntsman: keep him pure from (unsoiled by) sticks and straws.
- یار چشم تست ای مرد شکار ** از خس و خاشاک او را پاک دار
- Beware! Do not make a dust with thy tongue's broom, do not make a present of rubbish to thine eye.
- هین به جاروب زبان گردی مکن ** چشم را از خس ره آوردی مکن
- Since the true believer is a mirror for the true believer, his face is safe from defilement. 30
- چون که مومن آینهی مومن بود ** روی او ز آلودگی ایمن بود
- The friend is a mirror for the soul in sorrow: breathe not on the face of the mirror, O my soul!
- یار آیینه ست جان را در حزن ** در رخ آیینهای جان دم مزن
- Lest it cover its face to (conceal itself from) thee at once, thou must swallow (suppress) thy breath at every moment.
- تا نپوشد روی خود را در دمت ** دم فرو خوردن بباید هر دمت
- Art thou less than earth? When a plot of earth finds a friend, that is, a springtide, it finds (gains) a hundred thousand flowers.
- کم ز خاکی چون که خاکی یار یافت ** از بهاری صد هزار انوار یافت
- The tree that is united with a friend, that is, the sweet air (of spring), blossoms from head to foot;
- آن درختی کاو شود با یار جفت ** از هوای خوش ز سر تا پا شکفت
- In autumn, when it sees (meets with) a repugnant companion, it withdraws its face and head under the coverlet 35
- در خزان چون دید او یار خلاف ** در کشید او رو و سر زیر لحاف
- And says, “A bad comrade is (the means of) stirring up trouble: since he has come, my (best) course is to sleep.
- گفت یار بد بلا آشفتن است ** چون که او آمد طریقم خفتن است