The fox said, “There are no dregs in my pure liquor, but the illusions of imagination are not small.2640
گفت روبه صاف ما را درد نیست ** لیک تخییلات وهمی خورد نیست
All this is your imagination, O simpleton, for I bear no malice and rancour against you.
این همه وهم توست ای ساده‌دل ** ورنه بر تو نه غشی دارم نه غل
Do not regard me from (the standpoint of) your evil fancy: wherefore do you cherish ill thoughts against your lovers?
از خیال زشت خود منگر به من ** بر محبان از چه داری س ظن
Think well of the sincere, even though unkindness come from them in appearance.
ظن نیکو بر بر اخوان صفا ** گرچه آید ظاهرا زیشان جفا
When this evil fancy and imagination is manifested, it severs a hundred thousand friends from one another.
این خیال و وهم بد چون شد پدید ** صد هزاران یار را از هم برید
If an affectionate (friend) has behaved unjustly and made a trial (of one's loyalty), understanding is needed to prevent one from thinking ill (of him).2645
مشفقی گر کرد جور و امتحان ** عقل باید که نباشد بدگمان
In particular, I, who have a bad name, was not evil-natured (in regard to you): what you saw was nothing evil, it was (only) a magic spell;
خصاه من بدرگ نبودم زشت‌اسم ** آنک دیدی بد نبد بود آن طلسم
And if, hypothetically, that purpose (of mine) had been evil, (still) friends pardon such a fault.”
ور بدی بد آن سگالش قدرا ** عفو فرمایند یاران زان خطا
The world of imagination and the phantom of hope and fear is a great obstacle to the traveller (on the mystic Way).
عالم وهم و خیال طمع و بیم ** هست ره‌رو را یکی سدی عظیم
The pictures (illusions) of this picture-making phantasy were harmful (even) to one like Khalíl (Abraham), who was (firm as) a mountain.
نقشهای این خیال نقش‌بند ** چون خلیلی را که که بد شد گزند
The noble Abraham said, “This is my Lord,” when he fell into the world (fell under the sway) of imagination.2650
گفت هذا ربی ابراهیم راد ** چونک اندر عالم وهم اوفتاد
That person who bored the pearl of interpretation, interpreted the mention of the star thus—
ذکر کوکب را چنین تاویل گفت ** آن کسی که گوهر تاویل سفت
(That) the world of imagination and blinding phantasy uprooted such a mountain (of wisdom) from its foundation,
عالم وهم و خیال چشم‌بند ** آنچنان که را ز جای خویش کند
So that the words, “This is my Lord,” were uttered by him: what, (then), must be the case with a goose or an ass?
تا که هذا ربی آمد قال او ** خربط و خر را چه باشد حال او
Understandings (strong) as mountains have been submerged in the seas of imagination and the whirlpools of phantasy.
غرق گشته عقلهای چون جبال ** در بحار وهم و گرداب خیال
Mountains are put to shame by this Flood: where is any safety (to be found) but in the Ship (Ark) of Noah?2655
کوهها را هست زین طوفان فضوح ** کو امانی جز که در کشتی نوح
By this phantasy, which infests the road of Faith like a brigand, the followers of the (true) Religion have become (split into) two and seventy sects.
زین خیال ره‌زن راه یقین ** گشت هفتاد و دو ملت اهل دین
The man of sure faith is delivered from imagination and phantasy: he does not call a hair of the eyebrow the new moon,
مرد ایقان رست از وهم و خیال ** موی ابرو را نمی‌گوید هلال
While he that has not the (spiritual) light of ‘Umar as his support is waylaid (deceived) by a crooked hair of the eyebrow.
وآنک نور عمرش نبود سند ** موی ابروی کژی راهش زند
A hundred thousand awful and terrible ships have been shattered to pieces in the sea of imagination.
صد هزاران کشتی با هول و سهم ** تخته تخته گشته در دریای وهم
The least (of them is) the energetic and ingenious Pharaoh: his moon was eclipsed in the mansion of imagination.2660
کمترین فرعون چست فیلسوف ** ماه او در برج وهمی در خسوف
Nobody knows who is the cuckold, and he that knows has no doubt concerning himself.
کس نداند روسپی‌زن کیست آن ** وانک داند نیستش بر خود گمان
Since thine own imagination keeps thee giddy-headed, wherefore shouldst thou revolve round the imagination of another?
چون ترا وهم تو دارد خیره‌سر ** از چه گردی گرد وهم آن دگر
I am helpless against my own egoism: why hast thou, full of egoism, sat down beside me?
عاجزم من از منی خویشتن ** چه نشستی پر منی تو پیش من