بخش 119 - شرح آن کور دوربین و آن کر تیزشنو و آن برهنه دراز دامن

Know that Hope is the deaf man who has (often) heard of our dying, (but) has not heard of his own death or regarded his own decease.

The blind man is Greed: he sees other people's faults, hair by hair, and tells them from street to street,

(But) his blind eyes do not perceive one mote of his own faults, albeit he is a fault- finder.

The naked man is afraid that his skirt will be cut off: how should they (any one) cut off the skirt of a naked man?

The worldly man is destitute and terrified: he possesses nothing, (yet) he has dread of thieves.

Bare he came and naked he goes, and (all the while) his heart is bleeding with anxiety on account of the thief

At the hour of death when a hundred lamentations are (being made) beside him, his spirit begins to laugh at its own fear.

At that moment the rich man knows that he has no gold; the keen-witted man, too, knows that he is devoid of talent.

(’Tis) like (as when) a child's lap (is) filled with potsherds, for he (the child) is trembling for them, like the owner of riches.

If you take a piece away, he begins to weep; and if you give the piece back to him, he begins to laugh.

Since the child is not endued with knowledge, his weeping and laughter have no importance.

Inasmuch as the magnate regarded that which is (only) a loan as (his) property, he was quivering (with anxiety) for that false wealth.

He dreams that he has wealth and is afraid of the thief who may carry off his sack (of gold).

When Death pulls his ear and makes him start up from slumber, then he falls to mocking at his fears.

Even such (is) the trembling of these learned scholars who have the intelligence and knowledge of this world.

On account of these accomplished (and) intelligent men, God said in the Qur’án, They do not know.

Each (of them) is afraid of some one's stealing (his time): he fancies that he possesses a great deal of knowledge.

He says, “They are wasting my time,” (but) in truth he has no time that is profitable.

He says, “The people have taken me away from my work,” (but) his soul is plunged in idleness up to the throat.

(Like) the naked man (he) is frightened and says, “I am trailing a (long) skirt: how shall I save my skirt from their clutches?”

He knows a hundred thousand superfluous matters connected with the (various) sciences, (but) that unjust man does not know his own soul.

He knows the special properties of every substance, (but) in elucidating his own substance (essence) he is (as ignorant) as an ass,

Saying, “I know (what is) permissible and unpermissible.” Thou knowest not whether thou thyself art permissible or (unpermissible as) an old woman.

Thou knowest this licit (thing) and that illicit (thing), but art thou licit or illicit? Consider well!

Thou knowest what is the value of every article of merchandise; (if) thou knowest not the value of thyself, ’tis folly.

Thou hast become acquainted with the fortunate and inauspicious stars; thou dost not look to see whether thou art fortunate or unwashed (spiritually foul and ill-favoured).

This, this, is the soul of all the sciences—that thou shouldst know who thou shalt be on the Day of Judgement.

Thou art acquainted with the fundamentals (usúl) of the (Mohammedan) Religion, but look upon thine own fundamental (asl) and see whether it is good.

Thine own fundamentals are better for thee than the two fundamentals (of the Mohammedan Religion), so that thou mayst know thine own fundamental (essential nature), O great man.