آن ز عشق جان دوید و این ز بیم ** عشق کو و بیم کو فرقی عظیم
The former (the maid) ran because of the love in her soul, and the latter (the wife) because of fear. What is fear in comparison with love? (There is) a great difference.
سیر عارف هر دمی تا تخت شاه ** سیر زاهد هر مهی یک روزه راه 2180
The mystic's progress is (an ascension) at every moment to the throne of the (Divine) King; the ascetic's progress is one day's journey every month.
گرچه زاهد را بود روزی شگرف ** کی بود یک روز او خمسین الف
Although, for the ascetic, one day is of great value, (yet) how should his one day be (equal to) fifty thousand (years)?
قدر هر روزی ز عمر مرد کار ** باشد از سال جهان پنجه هزار
The length of every day in the life of the adept is fifty thousand of the years of the world.
عقلها زین سر بود بیرون در ** زهره‌ی وهم ار بدرد گو بدر
Intellects are excluded from this mystery: if the heart of Imagination burst, let it burst!
ترس مویی نیست اندر پیش عشق ** جمله قربانند اندر کیش عشق
In the sight of Love, fear is not (so much as) a single hair: in the law of Love, all things (else) are (offered) as a sacrifice.
عشق وصف ایزدست اما که خوف ** وصف بنده‌ی مبتلای فرج و جوف 2185
Love is an attribute of God, but fear is an attribute of the servant (of God) who is afflicted by lust and gluttony. [Love is an attribute of God, but fear is an attribute of the servant (of God) who is afflicted by vulva and belly.]
چون یحبون بخواندی در نبی ** با یحبوهم قرین در مطلبی
Since you have read in the Qur’án (the words) “they love Him” joined in a certain place with (the words) “He loves them,”
پس محبت وصف حق دان عشق نیز ** خوف نبود وصف یزدان ای عزیز
Know, then, that love (mahabbat), and excessive love (‘ishq) too, is an attribute of God: fear is not an attribute of God, O honoured sir.
وصف حق کو وصف مشتی خاک کو ** وصف حادث کو وصف پاک کو
What relation exists between the attributes of God and those of a handful of earth? What relation exists between the attributes of him who is originated in time and those of the Holy (Eternal) One?
شرح عشق ار من بگویم بر دوام ** صد قیامت بگذرد و آن ناتمام
If I should continue to describe Love, a hundred Resurrections would pass, and it (my description would still be) incomplete;
زانک تاریخ قیامت را حدست ** حد کجا آنجا که وصف ایزدست 2190
For there is a limit to the date of the Resurrection, but what limit can there be where the Divine attributes are (concerned)?
عشق را پانصد پرست و هر پری ** از فراز عرش تا تحت‌الثری
Love hath five hundred wings, and every wing (extends) from above the empyrean to beneath the earth.
زاهد با ترس می‌تازد به پا ** عاشقان پران‌تر از برق و هوا
The timorous ascetic runs on foot; the lovers (of God) fly more quickly than the lightning and the wind.
کی رسند این خایفان در گرد عشق ** که آسمان را فرش سازد درد عشق
How should those fearful ones overtake Love?—for Love's passion makes the (lofty) heaven its carpet—
جز مگر آید عنایتهای ضو ** کز جهان و زین روش آزاد شو
Unless perchance the favours of the (Divine) Light come and say, “Become free from the world and from this wayfaring;
از قش خود وز دش خود باز ره ** که سوی شه یافت آن شهباز ره 2195
Escape from thine own qush and dush, for (only) the royal falcon has found the way to the King.”
این قش و دش هست جبر و اختیار ** از ورای این دو آمد جذب یار
This “qush and dush” is necessity and free-will: the pull of the Beloved (who draws you to Himself) transcends these twain.
چون رسید آن زن به خانه در گشاد ** بانگ در در گوش ایشان در فتاد
When the wife arrived home, she opened the door: the sound of the door fell on their ears.
آن کنیزک جست آشفته ز ساز ** مرد بر جست و در آمد در نماز
The maid jumped up in consternation and disorder; the man jumped up and began to say his prayers.
زن کنیزک را پژولیده بدید ** درهم و آشفته و دنگ و مرید
The wife saw that the maid was dishevelled and confused and excited and witless and unmanageable.
شوی خود را دید قایم در نماز ** در گمان افتاد زن زان اهتزاز 2200
She saw her husband standing up (and engaged) in the ritual prayer: the wife was made suspicious by (all) that agitation.
شوی را برداشت دامن بی‌خطر ** دید آلوده‌ی منی خصیه و ذکر
Periculi nulla ratione habita, mariti laciniam sustulit: testiculos et penem videt semine inquinatos. [She raised (her) husband’s skirt without risk; she saw (his) testicles and penis soiled with sperm.]
از ذکر باقی نطفه می‌چکید ** ران و زانو گشت آلوده و پلید
Seminis quod reliquum erat e pene stillabat: femur genuque inquinata et spurca evaserant. [Remnants of sperm were dripping from (his) penis; his thighs and knees had become soiled and filthy.]
بر سرش زد سیلی و گفت ای مهین ** خصیه‌ی مرد نمازی باشد این
Caput ejus colapho percussit et “O vilissime,” inquit, “num hujusmodi sunt testiculi viri preces sollennes rite facientis? [She slapped at his head and said, “O despicable (one), are these the testicles of a man of prayer?]