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چیست اصل و مایهی هر پیشهای ** جز خیال و جز عرض و اندیشهای
- What but some fancy and accident and idea is the origin and source of every handicraft?
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جمله اجزای جهان را بیغرض ** درنگر حاصل نشد جز از عرض
- Look disinterestedly on all the (various) parts of the world: they are not the result of (anything) except accident.
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اول فکر آخر آمد در عمل ** بنیت عالم چنان دان در ازل 970
- The beginning, which is thought, comes to an end in action; know that in such wise was the construction of the world in eternity.
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میوهها در فکر دل اول بود ** در عمل ظاهر به آخر میشود
- The fruits are first in the mind's thought, (but only) at the last do they become manifest actually:
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چون عمل کردی شجر بنشاندی ** اندر آخر حرف اول خواندی
- When you have done work (and) planted the tree—at the end (when the fruit appears) you read the first words.
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گر چه شاخ و برگ و بیخش اول است ** آن همه از بهر میوه مرسل است
- Although its boughs, leaves, and roots are first, (yet) all those are sent for the sake of the fruit.
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پس سری که مغز آن افلاک بود ** اندر آخر خواجهی لولاک بود
- Hence that hidden Thought which was the brain (core) of those (nine) heavens was in the end the lord of lawlák.
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نقل اعراض است این بحث و مقال ** نقل اعراض است این شیر و شگال 975
- This discussion and talk are (involve) the carrying over of accidents; this lion and jackal are (examples of) the carrying over of accidents.
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جمله عالم خود عرض بودند تا ** اندر این معنی بیامد هل أتی
- Indeed, all created beings were accidents (once), so that in this sense (the text) was revealed—Did there not come…?
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این عرضها از چه زاید از صور ** وین صور هم از چه زاید از فکر
- Whence arise these accidents? From ideas. And whence arise these ideas? From thoughts.
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این جهان یک فکرت است از عقل کل ** عقل چون شاه است و صورتها رسل
- This world is one thought (emanating) from the Universal Intellect: the Intellect is like a king, and the ideas (are his) envoys.
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عالم اول جهان امتحان ** عالم ثانی جزای این و آن
- The first world is the world of probation; the second world is the (world of) recompense for this and that.
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چاکرت شاها جنایت میکند ** آن عرض زنجیر و زندان میشود 980
- Thy servant, O King, commits a sin: that accident becomes (a substance, namely) chains and prison.
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بندهات چون خدمت شایسته کرد ** آن عرض نه خلعتی شد در نبرد
- When thy slave performed goodly service, did not that accident become a robe of honour in the battle (between the flesh and the spirit)?
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این عرض با جوهر آن بیضه است و طیر ** این از آن و آن از این زاید به سیر
- This accident with the substance (belonging to it) is egg and bird: this is produced by that, and that by this, in succession.”
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گفت شاهنشه چنین گیر المراد ** این عرضهای تو یک جوهر نزاد
- The King said, “Take the meaning (to be) so: (why then) have these accidents of yours not produced any substance?”
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گفت مخفی داشته ست آن را خرد ** تا بود غیب این جهان نیک و بد
- “(Divine) Wisdom,” replied the slave, “has kept it concealed, in order that this world of good and evil may be a mystery,
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ز انکه گر پیدا شدی اشکال فکر ** کافر و مومن نگفتی جز که ذکر 985
- Because, if the (substantial) forms of thought were to become manifest, infidel and believer (alike) would speak naught but praise (of God).
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پس عیان بودی نه غیب ای شاه این ** نقش دین و کفر بودی بر جبین
- Then, were this clearly seen, O King, not hidden, and were the mark of religion or infidelity (visible) on the forehead,
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کی درین عالم بت و بتگر بدی ** چون کسی را زهرهی تسخر بدی
- How would there be idol and idolater in this world? How would any one have the stomach to mock (at holy things)?
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پس قیامت بودی این دنیای ما ** در قیامت کی کند جرم و خطا
- Then this world of ours would be (like) the Resurrection: who commits sin and wrong at the Resurrection?”
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گفت شه پوشید حق پاداش بد ** لیک از عامه نه از خاصان خود
- The King said, “God has veiled the retribution of evil, but (only) from the vulgar, not from His own elect.
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گر به دامی افکنم من یک امیر ** از امیران خفیه دارم نه از وزیر 990
- If I entrap one Amír, I keep it hidden from the (other) Amírs, (but) not from the Vizier.
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حق به من بنمود پس پاداش کار ** وز صورهای عملها صد هزار
- God, then, has shown to me the retribution of work and myriads of the (substantial) forms of actions.
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تو نشانی ده که من دانم تمام ** ماه را بر من نمیپوشد غمام
- Give a sign (outwardly), for I know all: the cloud does not veil the moon from me.”