1- Listen to the reed-flute how it tells a tale, complaining of separations. the reed-flute is an allegory of a perfect man. A perfect man who is empty of worldly attachments, just like a reed-flute. Flute is made out of reed. The birthplace of reed, the reed-bed is an allegory of a spiritual world where human was in there before his existence in this material world.
2- Ever since the subtle soul of man is parted from that original divine rank, it has been in grief, and Saying, “Ever since I was parted from the reed-bed, from my birth-place my lament has caused man and woman to moan. Since the spiritual and mystical issues can be understood only through inner experience, the content of the words and phrases is in no way enough to describe it,
3- so, I want a bosom torn by severance, that I may unfold (to such a one) the pain of love-desire.
4- Everyone who is left far from his source, far from his birth-place wishes back the time when he was united with it and every subtle soul wishes back the spiritual world where he was originated from there.
5- In every company I uttered my wailful and painful notes, I consorted with the unhappy and with them that rejoice.
6- Everyone became my friend from his own opinion; none sought out my secrets from within me.
7- My secret is not far from my plaint, it is in my moan and complaint but ear and eye lack the light (whereby it should be apprehended). The words are like a mirror which unfolds the secrets of a man but eye and ear that lack the light of insight cannot find out the secrets through this mirror. The moan of reed-flute, the plaint, and moan of a perfect man is like a body and its secret is like a soul, soul motivates the body and body is the manifestation of its actions.
8- Body is not veiled from soul, nor soul from body, yet none is permitted to see the soul.
9- This noise of the reed-flute is fire, it is not wind, it is the instructive fiery words said by God’s friends!
10- It is the fire of Love that is in the reed-flute, it is the fervor of Love that is in the wine. Love flows throughout the universe and every creature is eager to reach its highest level. The reason for the beings movement is the desire to move towards perfection.
11- The reed-flute is the comrade of every one who has been parted from a friend: its strains pierced our hearts. Love can relieve the pain of a lover whereas at the same time putting the same lover in grief. Who ever saw a poison and antidote like love? A perfect man is also like a poison to his opponents and like an antidote to his devotees.
12- Who ever saw a poison and antidote like a perfect man? Whoever saw a sympathizer and a longing lover like the reed-flute?
13- The reed-flute tells of the Way full of blood and recounts stories of passion of Majnún who was in love with Layla and he passed away in his love.
14- This sense (the secret of the true) is only confided to the ones whose heart is not attributed on this world, the secret of the truth is only confided to the ones who have entirely purged their heart of anything except god and they focus on this world based on the existence of the other world. The secrets are solely understandable to them. Just like the role of the ear in our body, as only the ear can listen to the words of tongue and other members of body can never do that. Tongue has no customer save the ear.
15- In our woe the days (of life) have become untimely: our days travel hand in hand with burning griefs.