Where is the thought of the (holy) men in relation to the child of the (mystic) Way? Where is his fancy in comparison with true realisation?
طفل راه را فکرت مردان کجاست ** کو خیال او و کو تحقیق راست
The thought of children is (of) the nurse or milk or raisins and walnuts or weeping and crying.
فکر طفلان دایه باشد یا که شیر ** یا مویز و جوز یا گریه و نفیر
The imitator is like a sick child, although he may have (at his disposal) subtle argumentation and (logical) proofs.
آن مقلد هست چون طفل علیل ** گر چه دارد بحث باریک و دلیل
That profundity in (dealing with) proofs and difficult problems is severing him from (spiritual) insight.1290
آن تعمق در دلیل و در شکال ** از بصیرت می‌کند او را گسیل
It took away (from him) the stock (of insight), which is the collyrium of his inmost consciousness, and applied itself to the discussion of (formal) problems.
مایه‌ای کو سرمه‌ی سر ویست ** برد و در اشکال گفتن کار بست
O imitator, turn back from Bukhárá: go to self-abasement (ba-khwárí) that thou mayst become a (spiritual) hero,
ای مقلد از بخارا باز گرد ** رو به خواری تا شوی تو شیرمرد
And that thou mayst behold within (thee) another Bukhárá, in the assembly-place whereof the champions are unlearned.
تا بخارای دگر بینی درون ** صفدران در محفلش لا یفقهون
Although the courier is a swift runner on land, when he goes to sea his sinews are broken.
پیک اگر چه در زمین چابک‌تگیست ** چون به دریا رفت بسکسته رگیست
He is only (like those of whom God says in the Qur’án) We have borne them on the land; (but) that one who is borne on the sea—he is somebody.1295
او حملناهم بود فی‌البر و بس ** آنک محمولست در بحر اوست کس
The King (God) hath great bounty: run (to receive it), O thou who hast become in pawn to an imagination and fancy.
بخشش بسیار دارد شه بدو ** ای شده در وهم و تصویری گرو
From conformity that simple disciple, too, was weeping in concert with the venerable (Shaykh);
آن مرید ساده از تقلید نیز ** گریه‌ای می‌کرد وفق آن عزیز
(For), like the deaf man, he regarded the (Shaykh's) weeping in the manner of a conformist and was unaware of the cause.
او مقلدوار هم‌چون مرد کر ** گریه می‌دید و ز موجب بی‌خبر
When he had wept a long while, he paid his respects and departed: the (Shaykh's) favourite disciple came quickly after him,
چون بسی بگریست خدمت کرد و رفت ** از پیش آمد مرید خاص تفت
And said, “O thou who art weeping like a witless cloud in concert with the weeping of the Shaykh (possessed) of insight,1300
گفت ای گریان چو ابر بی‌خبر ** بر وفاق گریه‌ی شیخ نظر
For God's sake, for God's sake, for God's sake, O loyal disciple, although in (thy) conformity thou art seeking (spiritual) profit,
الله الله الله ای وافی مرید ** گر چه درتقلید هستی مستفید
Take heed not to say, ‘I saw that (spiritual) king weeping, and I wept like him’; for that is denial (of his exalted state).”
تا نگویی دیدم آن شه می‌گریست ** من چو او بگریستم که آن منکریست
A weeping full of ignorance and conformity and (mere) opinion is not like the weeping of that trusted one.
گریه‌ی پر جهل و پر تقلید و ظن ** نیست هم‌چون گریه‌ی آن متمن
Do not judge (one) weeping by the analogy of (another) weeping: ’tis a long way from this weeping to that (weeping).
تو قیاس گریه بر گریه مساز ** هست زین گریه بدان راه دراز
That (weeping) is after a thirty years' (spiritual) warfare: the intellect can never get there.1305
هست آن از بعد سی‌ساله جهاد ** عقل آنجا هیچ نتواند فتاد
Beyond reason there are a hundred stages: deem not the intellect to be acquainted with that caravan.
هست زان سوی خرد صد مرحله ** عقل را واقف مدان زان قافله
His weeping is neither from sorrow nor from joy: (only) the spirit knows the weeping of (him who is) the fountain of beauties.
گریه‌ی او نه از غمست و نه از فرح ** روح داند گریه‌ی عین الملح
His weeping, his laughter—(both) are of Yonder (World) and transcend all that the intellect may conceive.
گریه‌ی او خنده‌ی او آن سریست ** زانچ وهم عقل باشد آن بریست
His tears are like his eye: how should the sightless eye become a (seeing) eye?
آب دیده‌ی او چو دیده‌ی او بود ** دیده‌ی نادیده دیده کی شود
That which he sees cannot be touched (apprehended) either by the analogical judgement of the intellect or by way of the senses.1310
آنچ او بیند نتان کردن مساس ** نه از قیاس عقل و نه از راه حواس
Night flees when Light comes from afar: what, then, should the darkness of Night know concerning Light?
شب گریزد چونک نور آید ز دور ** پس چه داند ظلمت شب حال نور