چون اشارتهاش را بر جان نهی ** در وفای آن اشارت جان دهی
When you take His signs to heart, you will devote your life to fulfilling that indication (of His will).
پس اشارتهای اسرارت دهد ** بار بر دارد ز تو کارت دهد935
Then He will give you hints (for the understanding) of mysteries, He will remove the burden from you and give you (spiritual) authority.
حاملی محمول گرداند ترا ** قابلی مقبول گرداند ترا
Do you bear (His burden)? He will cause you to be borne (aloft). Do you receive (His commands)? He will cause you to be received (into His favour).
قابل امر ویی قایل شوی ** وصل جویی بعد از آن واصل شوی
If you accept His command, you will become the spokesman (thereof); if you seek union (with Him), thereafter you will become united.
سعی شکر نعمتش قدرت بود ** جبر تو انکار آن نعمت بود
Freewill is the endeavour to thank (God) for His beneficence: your necessitarianism is the denial of that beneficence.
شکر قدرت قدرتت افزون کند ** جبر نعمت از کفت بیرون کند
Thanksgiving for the power (of acting freely) increases your power; necessitarianism takes the (Divine) gift (of freewill) out of your hand.
جبر تو خفتن بود در ره مخسب ** تا نبینی آن در و درگه مخسب940
Your necessitarianism is (like) sleeping on the road: do not sleep! Sleep not, until you see the gate and the threshold!
هان مخسب ای جبری بی‌‌اعتبار ** جز به زیر آن درخت میوه‌‌دار
Beware! do not sleep, O inconsiderate sluggard, save underneath that fruit-laden tree,
تا که شاخ افشان کند هر لحظه باد ** بر سر خفته بریزد نقل و زاد
So that every moment the wind may shake the boughs and shower upon the sleeper (spiritual) dessert and provision for the journey.
جبر و خفتن در میان ره زنان ** مرغ بی‌‌هنگام کی یابد امان
(How absurd) to be a necessitarian and sleep amidst highwaymen! How should the untimely bird receive quarter?
ور اشارتهاش را بینی زنی ** مرد پنداری و چون بینی زنی
And if you turn up your nose at His signs, you deem (yourself) a man, but when you consider (more deeply), you are (only) a woman.
این قدر عقلی که داری گم شود ** سر که عقل از وی بپرد دم شود945
This measure of understanding which you possess is lost: a head from which the understanding flies away,
ز آن که بی‌‌شکری بود شوم و شنار ** می‌‌برد بی‌‌شکر را در قعر نار
Because ingratitude is wickedness and disgrace and brings the ingrate to the bottom of Hell-fire.
گر توکل می‌‌کنی در کار کن ** کشت کن پس تکیه بر جبار کن
If you are putting trust in God, put trust (in Him) as regards (your) work: sow (the seed), then rely upon the Almighty.”
باز ترجیح نهادن نخجیران توکل را بر جهد
How the beasts once more asserted the superiority of trust in God to exertion.
جمله با وی بانگها برداشتند ** کان حریصان که سببها کاشتند
They all lifted up their voices (to dispute) with him, saying, “Those covetous ones who sowed (the seed of) means,
صد هزار اندر هزار از مرد و زن ** پس چرا محروم ماندند از زمن
Myriads on myriads of men and women—why, then, did they remain deprived of fortune?
صد هزاران قرن ز آغاز جهان ** همچو اژدرها گشاده صد دهان950
From the beginning of the world myriads of generations have opened a hundred mouths, like dragons:
مکرها کردند آن دانا گروه ** که ز بن بر کنده شد ز آن مکر کوه
Those clever people devised plots (of such power) that the mountain thereby was torn up from its foundation.
کرد وصف مکرهاشان ذو الجلال ** لتزول منه اقلال الجبال
The Glorious (God) described their plots (when He said): (though their guile be such) that the tops of the mountains might be moved thereby.
جز که آن قسمت که رفت اندر ازل ** روی ننمود از شکار و از عمل
(But) except the portion which came to pass (was predestined) in eternity, nothing showed its face (accrued to them) from their hunting and doing.
جمله افتادند از تدبیر و کار ** ماند کار و حکم‌‌های کردگار
They all fell from (failed in) plan and act: the acts and decrees of the Maker remained.
کسب جز نامی مدان ای نامدار ** جهد جز وهمی مپندار ای عیار955
O illustrious one, do not regard work as aught but a name! O cunning one, think not that exertion is aught but a vain fancy!”
نگریستن عزراییل بر مردی و گریختن آن مرد در سرای سلیمان و تقریر ترجیح توکل بر جهد و قلت فایده‌‌ی جهد
How ‘Azrá‘íl (Azrael) looked at a certain man, and how that man fled to the palace of Solomon; and setting forth the superiority of trust in God to exertion and the uselessness of the latter.
زاد مردی چاشتگاهی در رسید ** در سرا عدل سلیمان در دوید
One forenoon a freeborn (noble) man arrived and ran into Solomon's hall of justice,
رویش از غم زرد و هر دو لب کبود ** پس سلیمان گفت ای خواجه چه بود
His countenance pale with anguish and both lips blue. Then Solomon said, “Good sir, what is the matter?”
گفت عزراییل در من این چنین ** یک نظر انداخت پر از خشم و کین
He replied, “Azrael cast on me such a look, so full of wrath and hate.”
گفت هین اکنون چه می‌‌خواهی بخواه ** گفت فرما باد را ای جان پناه
“Come,” said the king, “what (boon) do you desire now? Ask (it)!” “O protector of my life,” said he, “command the wind,
تا مرا ز ینجا به هندستان برد ** بو که بنده کان طرف شد جان برد960
To bear me from here to India. Maybe, when thy slave is come thither he will save his life.”
نک ز درویشی گریزانند خلق ** لقمه‌‌ی حرص و امل ز آنند خلق
Lo, the people are fleeing from poverty: hence are they a mouthful for (a prey to) covetousness and expectation.
ترس درویشی مثال آن هراس ** حرص و کوشش را تو هندستان شناس
The fear of poverty is like that (man's) terror: know thou that covetousness and striving are (like) India (in this tale).
باد را فرمود تا او را شتاب ** برد سوی قعر هندستان بر آب
He (Solomon) commanded the wind to bear him quickly over the water to the uttermost part of India.
روز دیگر وقت دیوان و لقا ** پس سلیمان گفت عزراییل را
Next day, at the time of conference and meeting, Solomon said to Azrael:
کان مسلمان را بخشم از چه چنان ** بنگریدی تا شد آواره ز خان965
“Didst thou look with anger on that Moslem in order that he might wander (as an exile) far from his home?”
گفت من از خشم کی کردم نظر ** از تعجب دیدمش در رهگذر
Azrael said, “When did I look (on him) angrily? I saw him as I passed by, (and looked at him) in astonishment,
که مرا فرمود حق که امروز هان ** جان او را تو به هندستان ستان
For God had commanded me, saying, ‘Hark, to-day do thou take his spirit in India.’
از عجب گفتم گر او را صد پر است ** او به هندستان شدن دور اندر است
From wonder I said (to myself), ‘(Even) if he has a hundred wings, ’tis a far journey for him to be in India (to-day).’”
تو همه کار جهان را همچنین ** کن قیاس و چشم بگشا و ببین
In like manner judge of all the affairs of this world and open your eye and see!
از که بگریزیم از خود ای محال ** از که برباییم از حق ای وبال970
From whom shall we flee? From ourselves? Oh, absurdity! From whom shall we take (ourselves) away? From God? Oh, crime!
باز ترجیح‌‌نهادن شیر جهد را بر توکل و فواید جهد را بیان کردن
How the lion again declared exertion to be superior to trust in God and expounded the advantages of exertion.
شیر گفت آری و لیکن هم ببین ** جهدهای انبیا و مومنین
“Yes,” said the lion; “but at the same time consider the exertions of the prophets and the true believers.
حق تعالی جهدشان را راست کرد ** آن چه دیدند از جفا و گرم و سرد
God, exalted is He, prospered their exertion and what they suffered of oppression and heat and cold.
حیله‌‌هاشان جمله حال آمد لطیف ** کل شی‌‌ء من ظریف هو ظریف
Their plans were excellent in all circumstances: everything done by a goodly man is goodly.
دامهاشان مرغ گردونی گرفت ** نقصهاشان جمله افزونی گرفت
Their snares caught the Heavenly bird, all their deficiencies turned to increment.”
جهد می‌‌کن تا توانی ای کیا ** در طریق انبیا و اولیا975
O master, exert thyself so long as thou canst in (following) the way of the prophets and saints!
با قضا پنجه زدن نبود جهاد ** ز آن که این را هم قضا بر ما نهاد
Endeavour is not a struggle with Destiny, because Destiny itself has laid this (endeavour) upon us.
کافرم من گر زیان کرده ست کس ** در ره ایمان و طاعت یک نفس
I am an infidel if any one has suffered loss a single moment (while walking) in the way of faith and obedience.
سر شکسته نیست این سر را مبند ** یک دو روزک جهد کن باقی بخند
Your head is not broken: do not bandage this head. Exert yourself (in doing good works) for one or two little days (i.e. during this brief life), and laugh unto everlasting!
بد محالی جست کاو دنیا بجست ** نیک حالی جست کاو عقبی بجست
An evil resort sought he that sought this world; a good state sought he that sought the world to come.
مکرها در کسب دنیا بارد است ** مکرها در ترک دنیا وارد است980
Plots for gaining (the things of) this world are worthless, (but) plots for renouncing this world are inspired (by God).
مکر آن باشد که زندان حفره کرد ** آن که حفره بست آن مکری ست سرد
The (right) plot is that he (the prisoner) digs a hole in his prison (in order to escape); if he blocks up the hole, that is a foolish plot.
این جهان زندان و ما زندانیان ** حفره کن زندان و خود را وارهان
This world is the prison, and we are the prisoners: dig a hole in the prison and let yourself out!
چیست دنیا از خدا غافل بدن ** نی قماش و نقره و میزان و زن
What is this world? To be forgetful of God; it is not merchandise and silver and weighing-scales and women.