What is there in the old woman that was not in them, so that she rapt thee away from those figures (and attracted thee) to herself?
در عجوزه چیست که ایشان را نبود ** که ترا زان نقشها با خود ربود
(If) thou wilt not say (what it is), I will tell (thee) plainly: ’tis reason and sense and perception and consideration and soul.145
تو نگویی من بگویم در بیان ** عقل و حس و درک و تدبیرست و جان
In the old woman there is a soul that mingles (with the body): the pictured forms in the hot-baths have no (rational) spirit.
در عجوزه جان آمیزش‌کنیست ** صورت گرمابه‌ها را روح نیست
If the pictured form in the hot-bath should move, it would at once separate thee from the old woman.
صورت گرمابه گر جنبش کند ** در زمان او از عجوزه بر کند
What is soul? (Soul is) conscious of good and evil, rejoicing on account of kindness, weeping on account of injury.
جان چه باشد با خبر از خیر و شر ** شاد با احسان و گریان از ضرر
Since consciousness is the inmost nature and essence of the soul, the more aware one is the more spiritual is he.
چون سر و ماهیت جان مخبرست ** هر که او آگاه‌تر با جان‌ترست
Awareness is the effect of the spirit: any one who has this in excess is a man of God.150
روح را تاثیر آگاهی بود ** هر که را این بیش اللهی بود
Since there are consciousnesses beyond this (bodily) nature, in that (spiritual) arena these (sensual) souls are (like) inanimate matter.
چون خبرها هست بیرون زین نهاد ** باشد این جانها در آن میدان جماد
The first soul is the theatre of the (Divine) court; the Soul of the soul is verily the theatre of God (Himself).
جان اول مظهر درگاه شد ** جان جان خود مظهر الله شد
The angels were entirely reason and spirit (till) there came a new Spirit of which they were the body.
آن ملایک جمله عقل و جان بدند ** جان نو آمد که جسم آن بدند
When, by happy fortune, they attached themselves to that Spirit, they became subservient to that Spirit, as the body (is subservient to the spirit dwelling in it).
از سعادت چون بر آن جان بر زدند ** هم‌چو تن آن روح را خادم شدند
Hence Iblís (Satan) had turned his head away from the Spirit: he did not become one with it because he was a dead limb.155
آن بلیس از جان از آن سر برده بود ** یک نشد با جان که عضو مرده بود
Since he had it not, he did not become devoted to it: the broken hand does not obey the spirit (which rules the body).
چون نبودش آن فدای آن نشد ** دست بشکسته مطیع جان نشد
(But) the Spirit is not impaired though its limb is broken, for that (limb) is in its power, and it can bring it to life.
جان نشد ناقص گر آن عضوش شکست ** کان بدست اوست تواند کرد هست
There is another mystery (to be told), (but) where is another ear? Where is a parrot capable of (eating) that sugar?
سر دیگر هست کو گوش دگر ** طوطیی کو مستعد آن شکر
For the elect parrots there is a profound (occult) candy: to that food the eyes of the vulgar parrots are closed.
طوطیان خاص را قندیست ژرف ** طوطیان عام از آن خور بسته طرف
How should one who has (only) the appearance of a dervish taste of that purity? It is spiritual reality, not (mere) fa‘úlun fá‘ilát (amphibrachs and cretics).160
کی چشد درویش صورت زان زکات ** معنیست آن نه فعولن فاعلات
Candy is not withheld from the ass of Jesus by him (Jesus), but the ass is naturally pleased with straw.
از خر عیسی دریغش نیست قند ** لیک خر آمد به خلقت که پسند
If candy had roused delight in the ass, he would have poured hundredweights of sugar in front of the ass.
قند خر را گر طرب انگیختی ** پیش خر قنطار شکر ریختی
Know that this is the (inner) meaning of We seal their mouths: this (knowledge) is important for the traveller on the Way,
معنی نختم علی افواههم ** این شناس اینست ره‌رو را مهم
That perchance, by (his following) the Way of the Seal of the prophets, the heavy seal may be lifted from his lips.
تا ز راه خاتم پیغامبران ** بوک بر خیزد ز لب ختم گران