Man resembles a tree, and the root is the covenant (with God): the root must be cherished with all one's might.
چون درختست آدمی و بیخ عهد ** بیخ را تیمار می‌باید به جهد
A corrupt (infirm) covenant is a rotten root and is cut off (deprived) of fruit and grace.
عهد فاسد بیخ پوسیده بود ** وز ثمار و لطف ببریده بود
Although the boughs and leaves of the date-palm are green, greenness is no benefit (when conjoined) with corruption of the root;
شاخ و برگ نخل گر چه سبز بود ** با فساد بیخ سبزی نیست سود
And if it (the bough) have no green leaves, while it hath a (good) root, at the last a hundred leaves will put forth their hands.
ور ندارد برگ سبز و بیخ هست ** عاقبت بیرون کند صد برگ دست
Be not duped by his (the learned man's) knowledge; seek (to know whether he keeps) the covenant: knowledge is like a husk, and his covenant is its kernel.1170
تو مشو غره به علمش عهد جو ** علم چون قشرست و عهدش مغز او
Explaining that when the evil-doer becomes settled in evil-doing and sees the effect of the (spiritual) fortune of the doers of righteousness, he from envy becomes a devil and preventer of good, like Satan; for he whose stack is burnt desires that all (others) should have their stacks burnt: ‘hast thou seen him who forbids a servant (of God) when he performs the (ritual) prayer?’
در بیان آنک مرد بدکار چون متمکن شود در بدکاری و اثر دولت نیکوکاران ببیند شیطان شود و مانع خیر گردد از حسد هم‌چون شیطان کی خرمن سوخته همه را خرمن سوخته خواهد ارایت الذی ینهی عبدا اذا صلی
When you see that the loyal have profited, thereat you become envious, like a devil.
وافیان را چون ببینی کرده سود ** تو چو شیطانی شوی آنجا حسود
Whenever a man's temperament and constitution is feeble, he does not wish any one to be sound in body.
هرکرا باشد مزاج و طبع سست ** او نخواهد هیچ کس را تن‌درست
If you dislike (to have) the jealousy of Iblís, come (away) from the door of pretension (and advance) to the portal of loyalty.
گر نخواهی رشک ابلیسی بیا ** از در دعوی به درگاه وفا
When thou hast not loyalty, at least do not talk (presumptuously), for words are for the most part self-assertion—‘we’ and ‘I.’
چون وفاات نیست باری دم مزن ** که سخن دعویست اغلب ما و من
These words, (whilst they stay) in the breast, are an income consisting of (spiritual) kernels: in silence the spiritual kernel grows a hundredfold.1175
این سخن در سینه دخل مغزهاست ** در خموشی مغز جان را صد نماست
When it (the word) comes on to the tongue, the kernel is expended: refrain from expending, in order that the goodly kernel may remain (with you).
چون بیامد در زبان شد خرج مغز ** خرج کم کن تا بماند مغز نغز
The man who speaks little hath strong thoughts: when the husk, namely speech, becomes excessive, the kernel goes.
مرد کم گوینده را فکرست زفت ** قشر گفتن چون فزون شد مغز رفت
(When) the rind is excessive, the kernel is thin: the rind becomes thin when it (the kernel) becomes perfect and goodly.
پوست افزون بود لاغر بود مغز ** پوست لاغر شد چو کامل گشت و نغز
Look at these three (fruits) when they have passed beyond immaturity: the walnut and the almond and the pistachio.
بنگر این هر سه ز خامی رسته را ** جوز را و لوز را و پسته را
Whoever disobeys (God) becomes a devil, for he becomes envious of the fortune of the righteous.1180
هر که او عصیان کند شیطان شود ** که حسود دولت نیکان شود
When you have acted loyally in (keeping) your covenant with God, God will graciously keep His covenant with you.
چونک در عهد خدا کردی وفا ** از کرم عهدت نگه دارد خدا
You have shut your eyes to keeping faith with God, you have not hearkened to (the words) remember Me, I will remember you.
از وفای حق تو بسته دیده‌ای ** اذکروا اذکرکم نشنیده‌ای
Give ear, listen to (the words) keep My covenant, in order that (the words) I will keep your covenant may come from the Friend.
گوش نه اوفوا به عهدی گوش‌دار ** تا که اوفی عهدکم آید ز یار
What is our covenant and loan, O sorrowful one? (It is) like sowing a dry seed in the earth.
عهد و قرض ما چه باشد ای حزین ** هم‌چو دانه‌ی خشک کشتن در زمین
From that (sowing) neither do glory and grandeur accrue to the earth, nor riches to the owner of the earth.1185
نه زمین را زان فروغ و لمتری ** نه خداوند زمین را توانگری
(’Tis nothing) except an indication, as though to say, ‘I need this kind (of produce), the origin whereof Thou didst create from non-existence.
جز اشارت که ازین می‌بایدم ** که تو دادی اصل این را از عدم
I ate, and (now) I bring the seed as a token, begging Thee to send to us such bounty (as before).’
خوردم و دانه بیاوردم نشان ** که ازین نعمت به سوی ما کشان
Abandon, then, the dry (verbal) prayer, O fortunate one; for the tree demands (presupposes) the scattering of seed.
پس دعای خشک هل ای نیک‌بخت ** که فشاند دانه می‌خواهد درخت
(But) if you have no seed, on account of that prayer God will bestow on you a palm-tree, saying, ‘How well did he labour!’
گر نداری دانه ایزد زان دعا ** بخشدت نخلی که نعم ما سعی
Like Mary: she had (heartfelt) pain, but no seed: an artful One made green that (withered) palm-tree (for her sake).1190
هم‌چو مریم درد بودش دانه نی ** سبز کرد آن نخل را صاحب‌فنی