Thy work is the transmutation of essences and (the showing of) munificence; my work is mistake and forgetfulness and error.
کار تو تبدیل اعیان و عطا ** کار من سهوست و نسیان و خطا
Transmute mistake and forgetfulness into knowledge: I am all choler, make me patience and forbearance.
سهو و نسیان را مبدل کن به علم ** من همه خلمم مرا کن صبر و حلم
O Thou who makest nitrous earth to be bread, and O Thou who makest dead bread to be life,
ای که خاک شوره را تو نان کنی ** وی که نان مرده را تو جان کنی
O Thou who makest the distracted soul to be a Guide, and O Thou who makest the wayless wanderer to be a Prophet,
ای که جان خیره را رهبر کنی ** وی که بی‌ره را تو پیغمبر کنی
Thou makest a piece of earth to be heaven, Thou givest increase in the earth from the stars.785
می‌کنی جزو زمین را آسمان ** می‌فزایی در زمین از اختران
Whosoever makes the Water of Life to consist of (the pleasures of) this world, death comes to him sooner than to the others.
هر که سازد زین جهان آب حیات ** زوترش از دیگران آید ممات
The eye of the heart (the inward eye) that contemplated the (spiritual) firmament perceived that here (in the sensible world) is a continual alchemy.
دیده‌ی دل کو به گردون بنگریست ** دید که اینجا هر دمی میناگریست
The harmonious cohesion of the patched garment, (which is) the body, without being stitched (together), is (owing to) the transmutation of essences and (to) an all-embracing elixir.
قلب اعیانست و اکسیری محیط ** ایتلاف خرقه‌ی تن بی‌مخیط
From the day when thou camest into existence, thou wert fire or air or earth.
تو از آن روزی که در هست آمدی ** آتشی یا بادی یا خاکی بدی
If thou hadst remained in that condition, how should this (present) height have been reached by thee?790
گر بر آن حالت ترا بودی بقا ** کی رسیدی مر ترا این ارتقا
The Transmuter did not leave thee in thy first (state of) existence: He established a better (state of) existence in the place of that (former one);
از مبدل هستی اول نماند ** هستی بهتر به جای آن نشاند
And so on till (He gave thee) a hundred thousand states of existence, one after the other, the second (always) better than the beginning.
هم‌چنین تا صد هزاران هستها ** بعد یکدیگر دوم به ز ابتدا
Regard (all change as derived) from the Transmuter, leave (ignore) the intermediaries, for by (regarding) the intermediaries thou wilt be come far from their Origin.
از مبدل بین وسایط را بمان ** کز وسایط دور گردی ز اصل آن
Wherever the intermediaries increase, union (with the Origin) is removed: (in proportion as) the intermediaries are less, the delight of (attaining to) union is greater.
واسطه هر جا فزون شد وصل جست ** واسطه کم ذوق وصل افزونترست
By knowing the intermediaries thy bewilderment (in God) is diminished: thy bewilderment gives thee admission to the (Divine) Presence.795
از سبب‌دانی شود کم حیرتت ** حیرت تو ره دهد در حضرتت
Thou hast gained these (successive) lives from (successive) deaths: why hast thou averted thy face from dying in Him?
این بقاها از فناها یافتی ** از فنااش رو چرا برتافتی
What loss was thine (what loss didst thou suffer) from those deaths, that thou hast clung (so tenaciously) to (this earthly) life, O rat?
زان فناها چه زیان بودت که تا ** بر بقا چفسیده‌ای ای نافقا
Since thy second (life) is better than thy first, therefore seek to die (to the world), and worship the Transmuter.
چون دوم از اولینت بهترست ** پس فنا جو و مبدل را پرست
O contumacious man, thou hast experienced a hundred thousand resurrections at every moment from the beginning of thy existence until now:
صد هزاران حشر دیدی ای عنود ** تاکنون هر لحظه از بدو وجود
From inanimateness (thou didst move) unconsciously towards (vegetal) growth, and from (vegetal) growth towards (animal) life and tribulation;800
از جماد بی‌خبر سوی نما ** وز نما سوی حیات و ابتلا
Again, towards reason and goodly discernments; again, towards (what lies) outside of these five (senses) and six (directions).
باز سوی عقل و تمییزات خوش ** باز سوی خارج این پنج و شش
These footprints are (extend) as far as the shore of the Ocean; then the footprints disappear in the Ocean;
تا لب بحر این نشان پایهاست ** پس نشان پا درون بحر لاست
Because, from (Divine) precaution, the resting-places (appointed for the traveller) on the dry land are (like) villages and dwellings and caravanserays,
زانک منزلهای خشکی ز احتیاط ** هست دهها و وطنها و رباط
(While) on the contrary the resting-places of the Ocean, when its billows swell, have no floor or roof (to shelter the traveller) during (his) stay and detention.
باز منزلهای دریا در وقوف ** وقت موج و حبس بی‌عرصه و سقوف
These (Oceanic) stages have no visible beacon: these resting-places have neither sign nor name.805
نیست پیدا آن مراحل را سنام ** نه نشانست آن منازل را نه نام