بهر آن پیغامبر این را شرح ساخت ** هر که خود بشناخت یزدان را شناخت
Hence the Prophet expounded this (matter), (when he said), “Whoso knoweth himself knoweth God.”
چارقت نطفه‌ست و خونت پوستین ** باقی ای خواجه عطای اوست این 2115
The seed (from which you were conceived) is your shoon, and your blood is the sheepskin jacket: (all) the rest, O master, is His gift.
بهر آن دادست تا جویی دگر ** تو مگو که نیستش جز این قدر
He hath given it to you in order that you may seek more: do not say, “He has only this amount (to give).”
زان نماید چند سیب آن باغبان ** تا بدانی نخل و دخل بوستان
The gardener shows a number of apples, to the end that you may know the trees and produce of the orchard.
کف گندم زان دهد خریار را ** تا بداند گندم انبار را
He (the wheat-merchant) gives the purchaser a handful of wheat, in order that he may know (the quality of) the wheat in the granary.
نکته‌ای زان شرح گوید اوستاد ** تا شناسی علم او را مستزاد
The teacher explains a nice point in order that you may recognise that his knowledge exceeds (those limits);
ور بگویی خود همینش بود و بس ** دورت اندازد چنانک از ریش خس 2120
And if you say, “This is all (the knowledge) he has,” he will cast you far (from him) as sticks and straws (are cast) from the beard.
ای ایاز اکنون بیا و داده ده ** داد نادر در جهان بنیاد نه
“Now come, O Ayáz, and deal justice: lay the foundation of a rare justice in the world.
مجرمانت مستحق کشتن‌اند ** وز طمع بر عفو و حلمت می‌تنند
Those who have sinned against thee deserve to be killed, but in hope (of escaping death) they are attending (waiting upon) thy pardon and forbearance,
تا که رحمت غالب آید یا غضب ** آب کوثر غالب آید یا لهب
To see whether mercy will prevail or wrath, whether the water of Kawthar will prevail or the flames (of Hell).”
از پی مردم‌ربایی هر دو هست ** شاخ حلم و خشم از عهد الست
From the (ancient) Covenant of Alast (until now) both (these) boughs, (namely) forbearance and anger, are in existence for the purpose of carrying men (up to God).
بهر این لفظ الست مستبین ** نفی و اثباتست در لفظی قرین 2125
Hence the perspicuous word Alast is (a case of) negation and affirmation joined in one word,
زانک استفهام اثباتیست این ** لیک در وی لفظ لیس شد قرین
Because this (Alast) is an affirmative question, but (nevertheless) the word laysa is buried in it.
ترک کن تا ماند این تقریر خام ** کاسه‌ی خاصان منه بر خوان عام
Leave off, and let this exposition remain incomplete: do not lay the bowl for the elect on the table of the vulgar.
قهر و لطفی چون صبا و چون وبا ** آن یکی آهن‌ربا وین که‌ربا
(’Tis) a wrath and a mercy like the zephyr (sabá) and the plague (wabá): the former is (like) the iron-attracting (magnet) and the latter (like) the straw attracting (amber).
می‌کشد حق راستان را تا رشد ** قسم باطل باطلان را می‌کشد
The truth draws the righteous to righteousness; the false class (of things) draws the false (the wicked).
معده حلوایی بود حلوا کشد ** معده صفرایی بود سرکا کشد 2130
(If) the belly be sweet, it draws sweets (to itself); (if) the belly be bilious (acid), it draws vinegar (to itself).
فرش سوزان سردی از جالس برد ** فرش افسرده حرارت را خورد
A burning (hot) carpet takes away coldness from one who sits (on it); a frozen (cold) carpet consumes (his) heat.
دوست بینی از تو رحمت می‌جهد ** خصم بینی از تو سطوت می‌جهد
(When) you see a friend, mercy is aroused in you; (when) you see an enemy, violence is aroused in you.
ای ایاز این کار را زوتر گزار ** زانک نوعی انتقامست انتظار
“O Ayáz, finish this affair quickly, for expectation is a sort of vengeance.”
تعجیل فرمودن پادشاه ایاز را کی زود این حکم را به فیصل رسان و منتظر مدار و ایام بیننا مگو کی الانتظار موت الاحمر و جواب گفتن ایاز شاه را
How the King bade Ayáz make haste, saying, “Give judgement and bring the matter to decision immediately, and do not keep them waiting or say, ‘We shall meet after some days,’ for expectation is the red death”; and how Ayáz answered the King.
گفت ای شه جملگی فرمان تراست ** با وجود آفتاب اختر فناست
He said, “O King, the command belongs entirely to thee: when the sun is there, the star is naughted.
زهره کی بود یا عطارد یا شهاب ** کو برون آید به پیش آفتاب 2135
Who is Venus or Mercury or a meteor that they should come forth in the presence of the sun?
گر ز دلق و پوستین بگذشتمی ** کی چنین تخم ملامت کشتمی
If I had omitted (to look at) the cloak and sheepskin, how should I have sown such seeds of blame?
قفل کردن بر در حجره چه بود ** در میان صد خیالیی حسود
What was the (use of) putting a lock on the door of the chamber amidst a hundred envious persons addicted to false imagination?
دست در کرده درون آب جو ** هر یکی زیشان کلوخ خشک‌جو
Every one of them, having put his hand into the river-water, seeks (to find there) a dry sod.