بی‏حجاب آب و فرزندان آب ** پختگی ز آتش نیابند و خطاب‏

Without some screen, water and water's children get no cooking or conversation from the fire.

واسطه دیگی بود یا تابه‏ای ** همچو پا را در روش پا تابه‏ای‏

The medium is a pot or a pan—as (the medium) for the foot in walking (is) a sock (shoe)—

یا مکانی در میان تا آن هوا ** می‏شود سوزان و می‏آرد بما

Or a space between, so that the air becomes burning hot and brings (the fire) to the water.

پس فقیر آن است کاو بی‏واسطه ست ** شعله‏ها را با وجودش رابطه ست‏ 835

The dervish, then, is he that has no intermediary: the flames have (direct) connexion with his being.

پس دل عالم وی است ایرا که تن ** می‏رسد از واسطه‏ی این دل به فن‏

Therefore he is the heart of the world, because by means of this heart the body attains to (its proper) art (function).

دل نباشد، تن چه داند گفت‏وگو ** دل نجوید، تن چه داند جستجو

(If) the heart be not there, how can the body talk and speak? (If) the heart seek not, how can the body seek and search?

پس نظرگاه شعاع آن آهن است ** پس نظرگاه خدا دل نی تن است‏

Therefore the theatre of the (Divine) rays is that iron; therefore the theatre of God is the heart, not the body.

باز این دلهای جزوی چون تن است ** با دل صاحب دلی کاو معدن است‏

Again, these partial (individual) hearts are as the body in relation to the heart of the man of heart (the perfect saint), which is the original source.

بس مثال و شرح خواهد این کلام ** لیک ترسم تا نلغزد وهم عام‏ 840

This argument wants much illustration and exposition, but I fear lest the opinion of the vulgar should stumble (and fall into error),

تا نگردد نیکویی ما بدی ** اینکه گفتم هم نبد جز بی‏خودی‏

(And) lest my goodness should be turned (by them) to badness;—even this that I have spoken was (from) naught but selflessness.