In Section 25 of the Hadiqat al-Haqiqah, Sanai uses the metaphor of the ladder of intellect (*nardeban-e kherad*) to explain the human potential to ascend to the spiritual realm (*bam-e alam*). He notes that this intellectual ladder can lead to either faith (*din*) or infidelity (*kofr*). If individuals turn away from spiritual truth toward worldly illusions, their intellect is corrupted, turning their source of life-giving water (*sar-e ab*) into a deceptive mirage (*sarab*).

The Ladder of Intellect and the Worldly Mirage in Sanai's Hadiqat

In Section 41 of the 'Hadiqat al-Haqiqah', Sanai teaches the necessity of renouncing worldly attachment through two key allegories:

1. **The Refusal of the Cushion**: A master ('Khwajeh') refuses to lean on a cushion offered to him, explaining that someone who is mindful of death, the grave, and the day of judgment cannot comfortably rely on temporary worldly supports. He declares that all earthly reliance leads only to sorrow and desire, whereas God's mercy is the only true refuge.
2. **The Deceptive Old Hag**: Sanai personifies the material world as an ugly, foul-mouthed old hag ('gandeh-pir') disguised under jewelry and fine clothing ('holi va holleh'). He warns that the world uses deceptive coloration ('rang o nirang') to entrap those who mistake its outer beauty for substance.

Together, these metaphors urge the seeker to look past the attractive illusions of the physical world and find true security solely in divine mercy.

The Allegory of the Refused Cushion and the Deceptive Old Hag in Section 41

In Section 22 of the Hadiqat al-Haqiqah, Sanai employs the metaphor of the *Pir-e Zal* (Old Hag) to personify the deceptive and ensnaring nature of the material world. He describes the celestial and terrestrial realms as two 'beads' (black and white, representing night and day) being manipulated by this hag to distract the seeker. To escape this trap, Sanai exhorts the seeker to construct a *Nardeban-e Kherad* (Ladder of Wisdom) to ascend beyond the 'blue veil' of the physical spheres. This imagery emphasizes that true spiritual progress requires a rational recognition of the world's worthlessness and an active intellectual effort to return to the 'roof of the universe'.

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## Original content
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ای گرفته به دست حرص و امل 
پیر زالی سر تو زیر بغل
دو جهان آنکه علوی و سفلیست 
صورت هر دو باز گویم چیست
این یکی پیر تنگ میدانیست 
وآن دگر زال سبحه گردانیست
شکر تسبیح می کند جاوید 
به دو تا مهرهٔ سیاه و سپید
همه بر گرد درگهش به طواف 
مرد سجاده باف و کستی باف
ز ابلهان رازهاش پوشیده است 
لیک عاقل همه نیوشیده است
نه همی گویدت فلک ز فراز 
کز خرد نردبان کن و بر تاز
همچو آدم برای آن دم را 
نردبان ساز بام عالم را
در جهان خرد بر آی از خاک 
چکنی کلبهٔ میان کاواک
زیر این پردهٔ کبود منو 
پند این راهب جهان بشنو
که همی گوید از زبان مرور 
که بنگذارمت به غار غرور
سه روانت ز نه ستیخ کنم 
همه اعضات چار میخ کنم
پیش از آن کت برآید این مکار 
برو این هفت و چار و نه بگذار
که عدد چون رسید بر سر حد 
روی بنمود بارگاه احد
دل ز دنیا و مهر او بگسل 
زآنکه بر جان سمست و در دل سل
دنیی ار چه فراغت حال است 
آفتش فخر و کبر و محتاتیست
خردت خسرو گزیده کند 
باز ازت گدای دیده کند
زار ماندست مرد زی دنیا 
نکند جست را کری دنیا
گر به چشم تو هست دختر خال 
هست مکروه و زشت باطن و زال
مده از بهر لاف احمق وار 
رخصت دین به رخصت دینار
دل بی برگ را نوا نورست 
بی نیاز از خدای و دین دورست
قدر سیمی که حرص ننشاند 
فرج استر نکو همی داند
آن فی دیننا بخوان و بدان 
مرکبت را بران و تیز بران
صدمت شوق در سرای فراق 
نکشد بار انتظار براق
خردت را بران و دست مدار 
بر خرد شرع مصطفی بگمار
چون بیوباردت نهنگ سقر 
دست بر سر کنی نیابی سر
سیم را در دل ایچ راه مده 
به ملک نامهٔ سیاه مده

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## English translation
O you who are seized by greed and hope,
An old crone has your head under her arm.
The two worlds, the heavenly and the earthly,
Let me tell you what the form of both is.
This one is a narrow-arena old man,
And that other is a rosary-turning old crone.
She perpetually offers prayers of glorification
With two beads, one black and one white.
All are circumambulating around her threshold:
The weaver of prayer rugs and the weaver of sacred girdles.
Her secrets are hidden from the foolish,
But the wise person has listened to them all.
Does not the sky from above tell you,
'Make a ladder out of wisdom and gallop upward'?
Like Adam, for that sacred breath,
Make a ladder to the roof of the universe.
In the world of intellect, rise above the dust;
Why make a hollow, empty hut?
Under this blue curtain, do not dwell;
Listen to the counsel of this monk of the world,
Who speaks through the tongue of passing time:
'I will not leave you in the cave of delusion.
I will strip your three souls from the nine peaks,
And nail all your limbs to the cross.
Before this deceiver comes upon you,
Go and leave these seven, four, and nine behind.
For when the count reaches its limit,
The court of the One reveals itself.'
Sever your heart from the world and its love,
Since it is poison to the soul and consumption in the heart.
Though the world may offer ease of condition,
Its plague is boasting, pride, and deceit.
Your intellect makes you a chosen monarch,
Yet [worldly desire] turns you back into a blind beggar.
Wretched is the man who inclines toward the world;
The world does not cure his search.
Even if in your eyes she seems like a beloved cousin,
She is detestable, ugly of inner nature, and a decrepit old crone.
Do not, for the sake of foolish boasting,
Barter the license of religion for the license of the dinar.
For the destitute heart, spiritual provision is light;
Being independent of God is being far from religion.
The value of silver that does not quench greed,
Even a mule's womb knows it well!
Read and know that 'in our religion' passage,
And drive your mount, and drive it swiftly!
The shock of yearning in the abode of separation
Does not bear the burden of waiting for Buraq.
Drive your intellect and do not hold back,
But set the law of Mustafa over your intellect.
When the crocodile of Hell swallows you,
You will put your hand on your head and find no head.
Give silver no pathway into your heart,
And do not hand a black record of deeds to the angel.

بخش ۲۲ - تمثیل در مذمّت دوستی دنیا / Section 22 - Allegory in Condemnation of Loving the World

In Section 21 of the Hadiqat al-Haqiqah, Sanai emphasizes the transience of the elemental and celestial realms, describing them as mere 'outer skins' (پوستهای بیرونی) compared to the inner world of faith. Invoking the tradition that 'the world is a bridge, so cross it and do not build upon it' (الدنیا قنطرةٌ فاعبروها ولا تعمروها), he warns against worldly attachment and compromise with time, which ultimately destroy one's afterlife. To illustrate spiritual direction, Sanai contrasts two types of ladders (*nardeban*): one that leads the 'heavy' (materialistic) downwards to earthly clay, and another that elevates the liberated souls toward the heart and true certainty.

The Metaphor of the World as a Bridge and the Two Ladders in Section 21

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The Metaphor of the Old Hag (Pir-e Zal) and the Ladder of Wisdom in Section 22

In Section 40 of the 'Hadiqat al-Haqiqah', Sanai uses an anecdote about Hamid Lallaf and an old sage to critique the delusion ('ghurur') of feeling secure in the material world. When Hamid claims to be in a state of well-being ('salamat') and goodness ('khayr'), the sage rebukes him, arguing that a person can only truly claim security after successfully crossing the perilous bridge of Sirat and entering Paradise. The poem serves as a spiritual warning that feeling safe and accomplished in the temporary, uncertain abode of this world is a profound ignorance of ultimate spiritual reality.

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