هم‌چو اسپاه مغل بر آسمان ** تیر می‌انداز دفع نزع جان
Like the Mongol soldiery, shoot an arrow at Heaven to prevent your soul being torn (from your body)!
یا گریز از وی اگر توانی برو ** چون روی چون در کف اویی گرو 375
Or flee from Him, if you can, and go (your way); (but) how can you go, since you are a pawn in His hand?
در عدم بودی نرستی از کفش ** از کف او چون رهی ای دست‌خوش
(When) you were in non-existence, you did not escape from His hand: how will you escape from His hand (now), O helpless one?
آرزو جستن بود بگریختن ** پیش عدلش خون تقوی ریختن
To seek (one's own) desire is to flee (from God) and shed the blood of piety in the presence of His justice.
این جهان دامست و دانه‌آرزو ** در گریز از دامها روی آر زو
This world is a trap, and desire is its bait: flee from the traps, quickly turn your face (towards God).
چون چنین رفتی بدیدی صد گشاد ** چون شدی در ضد آن دیدی فساد
When you have gone this way, you have enjoyed a hundred (spiritual) blessings; when you have gone the opposite way, you have fared ill.
پس پیمبر گفت استفتوا القلوب ** گر چه مفتیتان برون گوید خطوب 380
Therefore the Prophet said, “Consult your hearts, though the mufti outside gives you advice in (worldly) affairs.”
آرزو بگذار تا رحم آیدش ** آزمودی که چنین می‌بایدش
Abandon desire, in order that He may have mercy (on you): you have found by experience that such (renunciation) is required by Him.
چون نتانی جست پس خدمت کنش ** تا روی از حبس او در گلشنش
Since you cannot escape, do service to Him, that you may go from His prison into His rose-garden.
دم به دم چون تو مراقب می‌شوی ** داد می‌بینی و داور ای غوی
When you keep watch (over your thoughts and actions) continually, you are always seeing the (Divine) justice and the (Divine) Judge, O misguided man;
ور ببندی چشم خود را ز احتجاب ** کار خود را کی گذارد آفتاب
And if you shut your eyes because you have veiled yourself (in heedlessness), (yet) how should the sun relinquish its work?
وا نمودن پادشاه به امرا و متعصبان در راه ایاز سبب فضیلت و مرتبت و قربت و جامگی او بریشان بر وجهی کی ایشان را حجت و اعتراض نماند
How the King (Mahmúd) revealed to the Amírs and those who were intriguing against Ayáz the reason of his superiority to them in rank and favour and salary, (explaining it) in such a manner that no argument or objection was left for them (to bring forward).
چون امیران از حسد جوشان شدند ** عاقبت بر شاه خود طعنه زدند 385
When the Amírs boiled over with envy (of Ayáz), at last they taunted their King,
کین ایاز تو ندارد سی خرد ** جامگی سی امیر او چون خورد
Saying, “This Ayáz of thine has not thirty intellects: how should he consume the salary of thirty Amírs?”
شاه بیرون رفت با آن سی امیر ** سوی صحرا و کهستان صیدگیر
The King, accompanied by the thirty Amírs, went out to hunt in the desert and mountain-land.
کاروانی دید از دور آن ملک ** گفت امیری را برو ای متفک
The monarch descried a caravan in the distance: he said to an Amír, “Go, man of weak judgement,
رو بپرس آن کاروان را بر رصد ** کز کدامین شهر اندر می‌رسد
Go and ask that caravan at the custom-house from what city they are arriving.”
رفت و پرسید و بیامد که ز ری ** گفت عزمش تا کجا درماند وی 390
He went and asked and returned, saying, “From Rayy.” “Whither bound?” asked the King. He (the Amír) was unable (to reply).
دیگری را گفت رو ای بوالعلا ** باز پرس از کاروان که تا کجا
(Then) he said to another (Amír), “Go, noble lord, and ask whither the caravan is bound.”
رفت و آمد گفت تا سوی یمن ** گفت رختش چیست هان ای موتمن
He went and returned and said, “For Yemen.” “Ha,” said the King, “what is their merchandise, O trusty one?”
ماند حیران گفت با میری دگر ** که برو وا پرس رخت آن نفر
He (the Amír) remained (silent) in perplexity. (Then) the King said to another Amír, “Go and inquire (what is) the merchandise of those people.”
باز آمد گفت از هر جنس هست ** اغلب آن کاسه‌های رازیست
He came back and said, “It is of every sort; the greater part consists of cups made in Rayy.”
گفت کی بیرون شدند از شهر ری ** ماند حیران آن امیر سست پی 395
He (the King) asked, “When did they set out from the city of Rayy?” The dull-witted Amír remained (silent) in perplexity.
هم‌چنین تا سی امیر و بیشتر ** سست‌رای و ناقص اندر کر و فر
So (it went on) till thirty Amírs and more (had been tested): (all were) feeble in judgement and deficient in (mental) power.
گفت امیران را که من روزی جدا ** امتحان کردم ایاز خویش را
(Then) he said to the Amírs, “One day I put my Ayáz to the test separately,
که بپرس از کاروان تا از کجاست ** او برفت این جمله وا پرسید راست
Saying, ‘Inquire of the caravan (and find out) whence it comes.’ He went and asked all these questions (just) right.