Since God is the Turner of eyes, who (else) should turn the heart and the thoughts?
چون مقلب حق بود ابصار را ** که بگرداند دل و افکار را
(Hence) you deem a pit to be a pleasant house, you deem a trap to be a dainty bait.3695
چاه را تو خانه‌ای بینی لطیف ** دام را تو دانه‌ای بینی ظریف
This is not sophistry (scepticism), it is God's turning: it shows where the realities are.
این تفسطط نیست تقلیب خداست ** می‌نماید که حقیقتها کجاست
He who denies the realities is wholly involved in a phantasy.
آنک انکار حقایق می‌کند ** جملگی او بر خیالی می‌تند
He does not say (to himself), “Thy thinking (that all is) phantasy (illusion) is also a phantasy: rub an eye (and see)!”
او نمی‌گوید که حسبان خیال ** هم خیالی باشدت چشمی به مال
How the Sultan's sons went to the forbidden fortress, inasmuch as man eagerly covets that which he is refused—“We rendered our service, but thy evil nature could not buy the servant (could not profit by the service that we rendered).” They trod all their father's injunctions and counsels underfoot, so that they fell into the pit of tribulation, and their reproachful souls (consciences) were saying to them, “Did not a warner come to you?” while they, weeping and contrite, replied, “If we had been wont to hearken or understand we should not have been among those who dwell in the flaming Fire.”
رفتن پسران سلطان به حکم آنک الانسان حریص علی ما منع ما بندگی خویش نمودیم ولیکن خوی بد تو بنده ندانست خریدن به سوی آن قلعه‌ی ممنوع عنه آن همه وصیت‌ها و اندرزهای پدر را زیر پا نهادند تا در چاه بلا افتادند و می‌گفتند ایشان را نفوس لوامه الم یاتکم نذیر ایشان می‌گفتند گریان و پشیمان لوکنا نسمع او نعقل ماکنا فی اصحاب السعیر
This discourse hath no end. The party (of travellers) took their way to seek that castle.
این سخن پایان ندارد آن فریق ** بر گرفتند از پی آن دز طریق
They approached the tree of the forbidden fruit, they went forth from the file of the sincere.3700
بر درخت گندم منهی زدند ** از طویله‌ی مخلصان بیرون شدند
Since they were made more ardent by their father's prohibition and veto, they raised their heads (rebelliously) towards that fortress.
چون شدند از منع و نهیش گرم‌تر ** سوی آن قلعه بر آوردند سر
In spite of the orders of the elect King (they advanced) to the fortress which is the destroyer of self-restraint and the robber of rationality.
بر ستیز قول شاه مجتبی ** تا به قلعه‌ی صبرسوز هش‌ربا
Turning their backs on the (bright) day, they came in the dark night in defiance of counsel-bestowing Reason
آمدند از رغم عقل پندتوز ** در شب تاریک بر گشته ز روز
Into the beautiful fortress adorned with pictures, (which had) five gates to the sea and five to the land—
اندر آن قلعه‌ی خوش ذات الصور ** پنج در در بحر و پنجی سوی بر
Five of those (gates), like the (external) senses, facing towards colour and perfume (the material world); five of them, like the interior senses, seeking the (world of) mystery.3705
پنج از آن چون حس به سوی رنگ و بو ** پنج از آن چون حس باطن رازجو
By those thousands of pictures and designs and decorations they (the princes) were made mightily restless (so that they wandered) to and fro (in amazement).
زان هزاران صورت و نقش و نگار ** می‌شدند از سو به سو خوش بی‌قرار
Do not be intoxicated with these cups, which are (phenomenal) forms, lest thou become a carver of idols and an idolater.
زین قدح‌های صور کم‌باش مست ** تا نگردی بت‌تراش و بت‌پرست
Abandon the cups, namely, the (phenomenal) forms: do not tarry! There is wine in the cup, but it is not (derived) from the cup.
از قدح‌های صور بگذر مه‌ایست ** باده در جامست لیک از جام نیست