- ’Tis wrong to praise thee to the prisoners (of sensuality): I will tell (thy praise) in the assembly of the spiritual.
- مدح تو حیفست با زندانیان ** گویم اندر مجمع روحانیان
- ’Tis fraud to discourse of thee to the worldly: I will keep it hidden like the secret of love.
- شرح تو غبنست با اهل جهان ** همچو راز عشق دارم در نهان
- Praise consists in describing (excellent qualities) and in rending the veil (of ignorance): the Sun is independent of exposition and description.
- مدح تعریفست در تخریق حجاب ** فارغست از شرح و تعریف آفتاب
- The praiser of the Sun is (really) pronouncing an encomium on himself, for (he says implicitly), “My eyes are clear and not inflamed.”
- مادح خورشید مداح خودست ** که دو چشمم روشن و نامرمدست
- To blame the Sun of the world is to blame one's self, for (it implies), “My eyes are blind and dark and bad.” 10
- ذم خورشید جهان ذم خودست ** که دو چشمم کور و تاریک به دست
- Do thou pity any one in the world who has become envious of the fortunate Sun.
- تو ببخشا بر کسی کاندر جهان ** شد حسود آفتاب کامران
- Can he ever mask it (the Sun) from (men's) eyes and (prevent it) from giving freshness to things rotten?
- تو اندش پوشید هیچ از دیدهها ** وز طراوت دادن پوسیدهها
- Or can they diminish its infinite light or rise in resistance to its power?
- یا ز نور بیحدش توانند کاست ** یا به دفع جاه او توانند خاست
- Whosoever is envious of (him who is) the World—verily, that envy is everlasting death.
- هر کسی کو حاسد کیهان بود ** آن حسد خود مرگ جاویدان بود
- Thy dignity hath transcended intellectual apprehension: in describing thee the intellect has become an idle fool. 15
- قدر تو بگذشت از درک عقول ** عقل اندر شرح تو شد بوالفضول
- (Yet), although this intellect is too weak to declare (what thou art), one must weakly make a movement (attempt) in that (direction).
- گر چه عاجز آمد این عقل از بیان ** عاجزانه جنبشی باید در آن
- Know that when the whole of a thing is unattainable the whole of it is not (therefore to be) relinquished.
- ان شیا کله لا یدرک ** اعلموا ان کله لا یترک
- If you cannot drink (all) the flood-rain of the clouds, (yet) how can you give up water-drinking?
- گر نتانی خورد طوفان سحاب ** کی توان کردن بترک خورد آب
- If thou wilt not communicate the mystery, (at least) refresh (our) apprehensions with the husk thereof.
- راز را گر مینیاری در میان ** درکها را تازه کن از قشر آن
- (My) spoken words are (only) a husk in relation to thee, but they are a good kernel for other understandings. 20
- نطقها نسبت به تو قشرست لیک ** پیش دیگر فهمها مغزست نیک
- The sky is low in relation to the empyrean; else, in respect of the earth-mound, it is exceedingly high.
- آسمان نسبت به عرش آمد فرود ** ورنه بس عالیست سوی خاکتود
- I will tell thy description in order that they (my hearers) may take their way (towards thee) ere they grieve at the loss of that (opportunity).
- من بگویم وصف تو تا ره برند ** پیش از آن کز فوت آن حسرت خورند
- Thou art the Light of God and a mighty drawer of the soul to God. His creatures are in the darkness of vain imagination and opinion.
- نور حقی و به حق جذاب جان ** خلق در ظلمات وهماند و گمان
- Reverence is the necessary condition for this goodly Light to bestow a salve on these sightless ones.
- شرط تعظیمست تا این نور خوش ** گردد این بیدیدگان را سرمهکش
- The ready sharp-eared man gains the Light—he who is not in love with darkness like a mouse. 25
- نور یابد مستعد تیزگوش ** کو نباشد عاشق ظلمت چو موش
- The weak-eyed (bat-like) ones that go about at night, how shall they make a circuit round the Cresset of the Faith?
- سستچشمانی که شب جولان کنند ** کی طواف مشعلهی ایمان کنند
- Difficult subtle points of disputation are the chains of (hold in bondage) the nature that has become dark (blind) to the (true) Religion.
- نکتههای مشکل باریک شد ** بند طبعی که ز دین تاریک شد
- So long as he (such an one) decks out the warp and woof of (his own) cleverness, he cannot open his eyes to the Sun.
- تا بر آراید هنر را تار و پود ** چشم در خورشید نتواند گشود
- He does not lift up branches (to the sky) like a date-palm: he has bored holes in the earth after the fashion of mice.
- همچو نخلی برنیارد شاخها ** کرده موشانه زمین سوراخها
- This humankind have four heart-oppressing qualities: these four have become the gibbet of Reason. 30
- چار وصفست این بشر را دلفشار ** چارمیخ عقل گشته این چهار
- Commenting on “Take four birds and turn them towards thee.”
- تفسیر خذ اربعة من الطیر فصرهن الیک