The way of (physical) sense-perception is the way of asses, O rider: have shame, O thou that art jostling (vying) with asses!
راه حس راه خران است ای سوار ** ای خران را تو مزاحم شرم دار
Besides these five (physical) senses there are five (spiritual) senses: those (latter) are like red gold, while these (physical) senses are like copper.
پنج حسی هست جز این پنج حس ** آن چو زر سرخ و این حسها چو مس
In the bazaar where the people of the Last Congregation (on the Day of Judgment) are (purchasers), how should they buy the copper sense like (as though it were) the sense of gold?50
اندر آن بازار کایشان ماهرند ** حس مس را چون حس زر کی خرند
The bodily sense is eating the food of darkness; the spiritual sense is feeding from a Sun.
حس ابدان قوت ظلمت میخورد ** حس جان از آفتابی میچرد
O thou that hast borne the baggage of thy senses to the Unseen, put forth thy hand, like Moses, from thy bosom.
ای ببرده رخت حسها سوی غیب ** دست چون موسی برون آور ز جیب
O thou whose attributes are (those of) the Sun of Divine knowledge, while the sun in heaven is confined to a single attribute,
ای صفاتت آفتاب معرفت ** و آفتاب چرخ بند یک صفت
Now thou becomest the Sun, and now the Sea; now the mountain of Qáf, and now the ‘Anqá.
گاه خورشید و گهی دریا شوی ** گاه کوه قاف و گه عنقا شوی
In thine essence thou art neither this nor that, O thou that art greater than (all) imaginations and more than (all) more!55
تو نه این باشی نه آن در ذات خویش ** ای فزون از وهمها و ز بیش بیش
The Spirit is associated (endued) with knowledge and reason: what has the Spirit to do with Arabic and Turkish?
روح با علم است و با عقل است یار ** روح را با تازی و ترکی چه کار
Both the muwahhid (who asserts the transcendence of God) and the mushabbih (who asserts His immanence) are bewildered by thee, O thou who, being without image (external appearance), art (appearing) in so many forms.
از تو ای بینقش با چندین صور ** هم مشبه هم موحد خیرهسر
Sometimes He (God) makes the mushabbih (who regards Him as immanent in phenomena) a muwahhid (an asserter of His transcendence); sometimes (these) forms are waylaying the muwahhid (so that he cannot gain access to God who transcends all forms).
گه مشبه را موحد میکند ** گه موحد را صور ره میزند
Sometimes Abu ’l-Hasan in drunkenness (ecstasy) says to thee, “O thou whose teeth are small (whose years are few), O thou whose body is tender!”
گه ترا گوید ز مستی بو الحسن ** یا صغیر السن یا رطب البدن
Sometimes he is laying waste (ruining and defacing) his own image: he is doing that in order to assert the transcendence of the Beloved (God).60
گاه نقش خویش ویران میکند ** از پی تنزیه جانان میکند
The doctrine held by the eye of sense is Mu‘tazilism, whereas the eye of Reason is Sunnite (orthodox) in respect of (its) union (vision of God).
چشم حس را هست مذهب اعتزال ** دیدهی عقل است سنی در وصال
Those in thrall to sense-perception are Mu‘tazilites, (though) from misguidedness they represent themselves as Sunnites.
سخرهی حساند اهل اعتزال ** خویش را سنی نمایند از ضلال
Any one who remains in (bondage to) sense-perception is a Mu‘tazilite; though he may say he is a Sunnite, ’tis from ignorance.
هر که در حس ماند او معتزلی ست ** گر چه گوید سنیم از جاهلی ست
Any one who has escaped from (the bondage of) sense-perception is a Sunnite: the man endowed with (spiritual) vision is the eye of sweet-paced (harmonious) Reason.
هر که بیرون شد ز حس سنی وی است ** اهل بینش چشم عقل خوش پی است
If the animal sense could see the King (God), then the ox and the ass would behold Allah.65
گر بدیدی حس حیوان شاه را ** پس بدیدی گاو و خر الله را
If, besides the animal sense, thou hadst not another sense outside of (unconditioned by) the desire of the flesh,
گر نبودی حس دیگر مر ترا ** جز حس حیوان ز بیرون هوا
Then how should the sons of Adam have been honoured? How by means of the common sense should they have become privileged (to know these mysteries)?
پس بنی آدم مکرم کی بدی ** کی به حس مشترک محرم شدی
Your calling (God) “formless” (transcending forms) or “formed” (immanent in forms) is vain, without your departure from form (unless you yourself are freed from sense perception).
نا مصور یا مصور گفتننت ** باطل آمد بی ز صورت رستنت
(Whether God is) “formless” or “formed,” He is with him that is all kernel and has gone forth from the husk.
نامصور یا مصور پیش اوست ** کاو همه مغز است و بیرون شد ز پوست
If you are blind, ’tis no crime in the blind; (but) if not, go (persevere in purifying yourself), for patience is the key to success.70
گر تو کوری نیست بر اعمی حرج ** ور نه رو کالصبر مفتاح الفرج
The medicine of patience will burn the veils over your eye and will also effect the opening of your breast (to Divine knowledge).
پردههای دیده را داروی صبر ** هم بسوزد هم بسازد شرح صدر
When the mirror of your heart becomes clear and pure, you will behold images (which are) outside of (the world of) water and earth.
آینهی دل چون شود صافی و پاک ** نقشها بینی برون از آب و خاک