- When they are freed from the hand (dominion) of self, they clap a hand; when they escape from their own imperfection, they make a dance.
- چون رهند از دست خود دستی زنند ** چون جهند از نقص خود رقصی کنند
- From within them musicians strike the tambourine; at their ecstasy the seas burst into foam.
- مطربانشان از درون دف میزنند ** بحرها در شورشان کف میزنند
- You see it not, but for their ears the leaves too on the boughs are clapping hands.
- تو نبینی لیک بهر گوششان ** برگها بر شاخها هم کفزنان
- You do not see the clapping of the leaves: one must have the spiritual ear, not this ear of the body. 100
- تو نبینی برگها را کف زدن ** گوش دل باید نه این گوش بدن
- Close the ear of the head to jesting and lying, that you may see the resplendent city of the soul.
- گوش سر بر بند از هزل و دروغ ** تا ببینی شهر جان با فروغ
- The ear of Mohammed draws out the hidden meaning in the words (of the religious hypocrites), for God saith of him in the Qur’án, “He is an ear.”
- سر کشد گوش محمد در سخن ** کش بگوید در نبی حق هو اذن
- This Prophet is entirely ear and eye; we are refreshed by him: he is (as) the suckler and we (as) the (infant) boy.
- سر به سر گوشست و چشم است این نبی ** تازه زو ما مرضعست او ما صبی
- This discourse hath no end. Go back to those who had to do with the elephant, and start at the beginning.
- این سخن پایان ندارد باز ران ** سوی اهل پیل و بر آغاز ران
- The remainder of the Story of those who molested the young elephants.
- بقیهی قصهی متعرضان پیلبچگان
- “The elephant takes a sniff at every mouth and keeps poking round the belly of every man, 105
- هر دهان را پیل بویی میکند ** گرد معدهی هر بشر بر میتند
- To see where she will find the roasted flesh of her young, so that she may manifest her vengeance and strength.”
- تا کجا یابد کباب پور خویش ** تا نماید انتقام و زور خویش
- You eat the flesh of God's servants: you backbite them, you will suffer retribution.
- گوشتهای بندگان حق خوری ** غیبت ایشان کنی کیفر بری
- Beware, for he that smells your mouths is the Creator: how shall any one save his life except him that is true (to God)?
- هان که بویای دهانتان خالقست ** کی برد جان غیر آن کو صادقست
- Woe to the scoffer whose smell shall be tested in the grave by Munkar or Nakír!
- وای آن افسوسیی کش بویگیر ** باشد اندر گور منکر یا نکیر
- There is no possibility of withdrawing the mouth from those mighty ones, nor of sweetening the mouth with medicinal ointments. 110
- نه دهان دزدیدن امکان زان مهان ** نه دهان خوش کردن از دارودهان
- (In the grave) there is no water and oil to cover the face, there is no way of evasion (open) to intelligence and sagacity.
- آب و روغن نیست مر روپوش را ** راه حیلت نیست عقل و هوش را
- How many a time will the blows of their maces beat upon the head and rump of every vain gabbler!
- چند کوبد زخمهای گرزشان ** بر سر هر ژاژخا و مرزشان
- Look at the effect of the mace of ‘Azrá’íl, (even) if you do not see the wood and iron in (their material) forms.
- گرز عزرائیل را بنگر اثر ** گر نبینی چوب و آهن در صور
- Sometimes too they appear in (material) form: the patient (himself) is aware thereof.
- هم بصورت مینماید گه گهی ** زان همان رنجور باشد آگهی
- The patient says, “O my friends, what is this sword over my head?” 115
- گوید آن رنجور ای یاران من ** چیست این شمشیر بر ساران من
- (They reply), “We do not see it; this must be fancy.” What fancy is this? (Nay), for it is (the hour of) departure (to the other world).
- ما نمیبینیم باشد این خیال ** چه خیالست این که این هست ارتحال
- What fancy is this, from terror of which this inverted sphere (the sky) has now become (as insubstantial as) a phantom?
- چه خیالست این که این چرخ نگون ** از نهیب این خیالی شد کنون
- To the sick man the maces and swords became perceptible (visible), and his head dropped down.
- گرزها و تیغها محسوس شد ** پیش بیمار و سرش منکوس شد
- He sees that that (vision) is for his sake: the eye of foe and friend (alike) is barred from it.
- او همیبیند که آن از بهر اوست ** چشم دشمن بسته زان و چشم دوست
- Worldly greed vanished, his eye became keen: his eye became illumined at the moment of bloodshed (death). 120
- حرص دنیا رفت و چشمش تیز شد ** چشم او روشن گه خونریز شد
- That eye of his, from the result of his pride and his anger, became (like) the cock that crows unseasonably.
- مرغ بیهنگام شد آن چشم او ** از نتیجهی کبر او و خشم او