This intellect is capable of being taught and of apprehending, but (only) the man possessed of Divine inspiration gives it the teaching (which it requires).
قابل تعلیم و فهمست این خرد ** لیک صاحب وحی تعلیمش دهد
Assuredly, in their beginning, all trades (crafts and professions) were (derived) from Divine inspiration, but the intellect added (something) to them.
جمله حرفتها یقین از وحی بود ** اول او لیک عقل آن را فزود
Consider whether this intellect of ours can learn any trade without a master.
هیچ حرفت را ببین کین عقل ما ** تاند او آموختن بی‌اوستا
Although it (the intellect) was hair-splitting (subtle and ingenious) in contrivance, no trade was subdued (brought under command) without a master.
گرچه اندر مکر موی‌اشکاف بد ** هیچ پیشه رام بی‌استا نشد
If knowledge of a trade were (derived) from this intellect, any trade would be acquired without a master.1300
How Qábíl (Cain) learned the trade of grave-digging from the crow (raven), before knowledge of grave-digging and graves existed in the world.
آموختن پیشه گورکنی قابیل از زاغ پیش از آنک در عالم علم گورکنی و گور بود
When was grave-digging, which was the meanest trade (of all), (acquired) from thought and cunning and meditation?
کندن گوری که کمتر پیشه بود ** کی ز فکر و حیله و اندیشه بود
If Qábíl had possessed this understanding, how should he have placed (the body of) Hábíl (Abel) on his head?—
گر بدی این فهم مر قابیل را ** کی نهادی بر سر او هابیل را
Saying, “Where shall I hide this murdered one, this man bestained with blood and earth?”
که کجا غایب کنم این کشته را ** این به خون و خاک در آغشته را
He espied a crow which had taken up a dead crow in its mouth and was approaching (ever) so quickly.
دید زاغی زاغ مرده در دهان ** بر گرفته تیز می‌آمد چنان
It came down from the air and began skilfully to dig a grave for it (the dead crow) for the purpose of teaching (him).1305
از هوا زیر آمد و شد او به فن ** از پی تعلیم او را گورکن
Then with its talons it raised dust from the ground and speedily put the dead crow in the grave.
پس به چنگال از زمین انگیخت گرد ** زود زاغ مرده را در گور کرد
It buried it, then it covered it with earth: the crow was endowed with knowledge through the inspiration (given) of God.
دفن کردش پس بپوشیدش به خاک ** زاغ از الهام حق بد علم‌ناک
Qábíl cried, “Oh, fie on my intellect! for a crow is superior to me in skill.”
گفت قابیل آه شه بر عقل من ** که بود زاغی ز من افزون به فن
Concerning the Universal Intellect He (God) hath said, “The sight did not rove (má zágh),” (but) the particular intellect is looking in every direction.
عقل کل را گفت مازاغ البصر ** عقل جزوی می‌کند هر سو نظر
The Intellect whose sight does not rove (‘aql-i má zágh) is the light of the elect; the crow-intellect (‘aql-i zágh) is the sexton for the (spiritually) dead.1310
عقل مازاغ است نور خاصگان ** عقل زاغ استاد گور مردگان
The spirit that flies after crows—the crow carries it towards the graveyard.
جان که او دنباله‌ی زاغان پرد ** زاغ او را سوی گورستان برد
Beware! Do not run in pursuit of the crow-like fleshly soul, for it carries (thee) to the graveyard, not towards the orchard.
هین مدو اندر پی نفس چو زاغ ** کو به گورستان برد نه سوی باغ
If thou go, go in pursuit of the ‘Anqá of the heart, towards the Qáf and Farther Mosque of the heart.
گر روی رو در پی عنقای دل ** سوی قاف و مسجد اقصای دل
Every moment from thy cogitation a new plant is growing in thy Farther Mosque.
نوگیاهی هر دم ز سودای تو ** می‌دمد در مسجد اقصای تو
Do thou, like Solomon, give it its due: investigate it, do not lay upon it the foot of rejection,1315
تو سلیمان‌وار داد او بده ** پی بر از وی پای رد بر وی منه
Because the various sorts of plants declare to thee the (inward) state of this firm-set earth.
زانک حال این زمین با ثبات ** باز گوید با تو انواع نبات
Whether in the earth there are sugar-canes or only (common) reeds, every earth (soil) is interpreted by its plants.
در زمین گر نیشکر ور خود نیست ** ترجمان هر زمین نبت ویست
Therefore the heart's soil, whereof thought was (ever) the plant—(those) thoughts have revealed the heart's secrets.
پس زمین دل که نبتش فکر بود ** فکرها اسرار دل را وا نمود
If I find in the company him that draws the discourse (from me towards himself), I, like the garden, will grow hundreds of thousands of roses;
گر سخن‌کش یابم اندر انجمن ** صد هزاران گل برویم چون چمن
And if at that time I find (there) the scoundrel who kills the discourse, the deep sayings will flee, like a thief, from my heart.1320
ور سخن‌کش یابم آن دم زن به مزد ** می‌گریزد نکته‌ها از دل چو دزد
The movement of every one is towards the Drawer: the true drawing is not like the false drawing.
جنبش هر کس به سوی جاذبست ** جذب صدق نه چو جذب کاذبست
Sometimes thou art going astray, sometimes aright: the cord is not visible, nor He who is drawing thee.
می‌روی گه گمره و گه در رشد ** رشته پیدا نه و آنکت می‌کشد
Thou art a blind camel, and thy toggle is in (His) keeping: do thou regard the act of drawing, do not regard thy toggle.
اشتر کوری مهار تو رهین ** تو کشش می‌بین مهارت را مبین
If the Drawer and the toggle became perceptible (to the senses), then this world would no longer remain the abode of heedlessness (delusion).
گر شدی محسوس جذاب و مهار ** پس نماندی این جهان دارالغرار
(If) the infidel saw that he was going after a cur and was being made subject to the hideous Devil,1325
گبر دیدی کو پی سگ می‌رود ** سخره‌ی دیو ستنبه می‌شود
How should he go at its heels like a catamite (base sycophant)? The infidel too would step back.
در پی او کی شدی مانند حیز ** پی خود را واکشیدی گبر نیز
If the cow were acquainted with the butchers, how should she follow them to that (butcher's) shop,
گاو گر واقف ز قصابان بدی ** کی پی ایشان بدان دکان شدی
Or eat bran from their hands, or give them milk on account of (their) coaxing (her)?
یا بخوردی از کف ایشان سبوس ** یا بدادی شیرشان از چاپلوس
And if she ate, how should the fodder be digested by her, if she were aware of the purpose of the fodder?
Heedlessness (delusion), then, is in sooth the pillar (support) of this world: what is dawlat (worldly fortune)? for this dawádaw (running to and fro) is (accompanied) with lat (blows).1330
پس ستون این جهان خود غفلتست ** چیست دولت کین دوادو با لتست
The beginning thereof is daw, daw (run, run); in the end (it is) lat khwar (suffer blows): the death of the ass is not (occurring) except in this wilderness.
اولش دو دو به آخر لت بخور ** جز درین ویرانه نبود مرگ خر
Whenever thou hast earnestly taken a work in hand, its faultiness has become veiled to thee at this moment.
تو به جد کاری که بگرفتی به دست ** عیبش این دم بر تو پوشیده شدست
Thou art able to give thyself up to the work, (only) because the Creator veils its faultiness from thee.
زان همی تانی بدادن تن به کار ** که بپوشید از تو عیبش کردگار
Likewise, (with) every thought in which thou art hot (eager), the faultiness of that thought of thine has become hidden from thee.
همچنین هر فکر که گرمی در آن ** عیب آن فکرت شدست از تو نهان
If its faultiness and disgrace were made visible to thee, thy soul would flee from it (as far as) the distance between east and west.1335
بر تو گر پیدا شدی زو عیب و شین ** زو رمیدی جانت بعد المشرقین
The state (of mind) in which at last thou repentest of it (of a faulty action)—if this should be thy state (of mind) at first, how wouldst thou run (for the sake of that action)?
حال که آخر زو پشیمان می‌شوی ** گر بود این حال اول کی دوی
Therefore He (God) at first veiled (the real nature of) that from our souls, in order that we might perform that action in accordance with the Divine destiny.
پس بپوشید اول آن بر جان ما ** تا کنیم آن کار بر وفق قضا
When the Divine destiny brought its ordainment into view, the eye was opened, so that repentance arrived.
چون قضا آورد حکم خود پدید ** چشم وا شد تا پشیمانی رسید
This repentance is another (manifestation of the) Divine destiny: abandon this repentance, worship God!
این پشیمانی قضای دیگرست ** این پشیمانی بهل حق را پرست
And if thou make (it) a habit and become addicted to repentance, because of this (habitual) repentance thou wilt become more repentant.1340