ای تو سبحان پاک از ظلم و ستم ** کی دهی بی‌جرم جان را درد و غم
O Thou who art transcendent in holiness and free from (all) injustice and oppression, how shouldst Thou inflict grief and pain upon the soul when it has not sinned?
من معین می‌ندانم جرم را ** لیک هم جرمی بباید گرم را
I do not know my sin definitely, but (I know that) there must be a sin (to account) for the anguish.
چون بپوشیدی سبب را ز اعتبار ** دایما آن جرم را پوشیده دار
Since Thou hast concealed the cause from my consideration, do Thou always keep my sin concealed (from others);
که جزا اظهار جرم من بود ** کز سیاست دزدیم ظاهر شود
For it would be retribution to disclose my sin, so that my thievery (rascality) should be made manifest by punishment.”
عزم کردن شاه چون واقف شد بر آن خیانت کی بپوشاند و عفو کند و او را به او دهد و دانست کی آن فتنه جزای او بود و قصد او بود و ظلم او بر صاحب موصل کی و من اساء فعلیها و ان ربک لبالمرصاد و ترسیدن کی اگر انتقام کشد آن انتقام هم بر سر او آید چنانک این ظلم و طمع بر سرش آمد
How the monarch, on being acquainted with that act of treachery, resolved to conceal and pardon it and give her (the slave-girl) to him (the captain), and recognised that the tribulation was a punishment inflicted on him and was (the result of) his attempt (to obtain the slave-girl) and the wrong which he had done to the lord of Mawsil; for “and whoso doeth evil, it is against himself” and “lo, thy Lord is on the watch”; and how he feared that, if he should avenge himself, the vengeance would recoil on his own head, as this injustice and greed (of his) had (already) recoiled upon him.
شاه با خود آمد استغفار کرد ** یاد جرم و زلت و اصرار کرد 3995
The monarch came to himself. He asked pardon (of God) and confessed his sin and lapse and persistence (in wrong-doing).
گفت با خود آنچ کردم با کسان ** شد جزای آن به جان من رسان
He said to himself, “The retribution for what I did to certain persons has reached (overtaken) my soul.
قصد جفت دیگران کردم ز جاه ** بر من آمد آن و افتادم به چاه
From (pride of) power I made an attempt on the concubine of another: that (injustice) recoiled upon me and I fell into the pit (which I had dug).
من در خانه‌ی کسی دیگر زدم ** او در خانه‌ی مرا زد لاجرم
I knocked at the door of another person's house: consequently he knocked at the door of my house.”
هر که با اهل کسان شد فسق‌جو ** اهل خود را دان که قوادست او
Whoever seeks to commit adultery with (other) people's wives, know that he is a pimp to his own wife;
زانک مثل آن جزای آن شود ** چون جزای سیه مثلش بود 4000
For that (adultery) is requited by the like, since the retribution for an evil act is an act like unto it.
چون سبب کردی کشیدی سوی خویش ** مثل آن را پس تو دیوثی و بیش
Inasmuch as you have made a cord and pulled one like it towards yourself, you are a wittol and worse.
غصب کردم از شه موصل کنیز ** غصب کردند از من او را زود نیز
“I took the king of Mawsil's concubine from him by force, (so) she was soon taken by force from me too.
او کامین من بد و لالای من ** خاینش کرد آن خیانتهای من
My treacherous deeds made a traitor of him who was my trusted friend and servant.
نیست وقت کین‌گزاری و انتقام ** من به دست خویش کردم کار خام
’Tis no time to inflict punishment (for the injury) and avenge myself: I prepared the disaster with my own hand.
گر کشم کینه بر آن میر و حرم ** آن تعدی هم بیاید بر سرم 4005
If I wreak vengeance on the Amír and the woman, that trespass also will come (recoil) on my head,
هم‌چنانک این یک بیامد در جزا ** آزمودم باز نزمایم ورا
Just as this (other) one has (already) come (upon me) in retribution: I have tried Him (God), I will not try Him again.
درد صاحب موصلم گردن شکست ** من نیارم این دگر را نیز خست
The grief of the lord of Mawsil has broken my neck: I dare not wound this other man as well.
داد حق‌مان از مکافات آگهی ** گفت ان عدتم به عدنا به
God hath given us information concerning retribution: He hath said, ‘If ye repeat it (the offence), We shall repeat it (the punishment).’
چون فزونی کردن اینجا سود نیست ** غیر صبر و مرحمت محمود نیست
Since in this case it is useless to commit excess (to transgress further), nothing but patience and mercy is praiseworthy.
She is nursing envy and jealousy, she is suffering anguish, she is feeling great bitterness on account of this girl.
چون کسی را داد خواهم این کنیز ** پس ترا اولیترست این ای عزیز
Since I wish to give this girl to some person, ’tis most fitting (that I should give her) to thee, O dear friend;
که تو جانبازی نمودی بهر او ** خوش نباشد دادن آن جز به تو
For thou didst hazard thy life for the sake of (obtaining) her: it would not be fair to give her to any one but thee.”
عقد کردش با امیر او را سپرد ** کرد خشم و حرص را او خرد و مرد
He gave her in marriage and handed her over to him: he crushed anger and cupidity to atoms.
بیان آنک نحن قسمنا کی یکی را شهوت و قوت خران دهد و یکی را کیاست و قوت انبیا و فرشتگان بخشد سر ز هوا تافتن از سروریست ترک هوا قوت پیغامبریست تخمهایی کی شهوتی نبود بر آن جز قیامتی نبود
Explaining that the words “We have apportioned” mean that He (God) bestows on one the lust and (physical) strength of asses and on another the intelligence and (spiritual) strength of the prophets and the angels. “To turn the head away from sensual desire is (a mark of) nobility; to abandon sensual desire is (a mark of) the (spiritual) strength that belongs to prophethood.” “The seeds that are not sown in lust—their fruit only appears at the Resurrection.”
گر بدش سستی نری خران ** بود او را مردی پیغامبران 4025
If he (the Caliph) was deficient in the masculinity of asses, (yet) he possessed the manliness of the prophets.
ترک خشم و شهوت و حرص‌آوری ** هست مردی و رگ پیغامبری
It is (true) manliness and the nature of prophethood to abandon anger and lust and greed.
Let the masculinity of the ass be lacking in his nature, (what of that?): God calls him the great Beylerbey.
مرده‌ای باشم به من حق بنگرد ** به از آن زنده که باشد دور و رد
(If) I be a dead man and (if) God look on me (with favour), (my case is) better than (that of) the living man who is far (from God) and rejected (by Him).
مغز مردی این شناس و پوست آن ** آن برد دوزخ برد این در جنان
Recognise this (abandonment of sensuality) to be the kernel of manliness, and that (indulgence in sensuality) to be the husk: the latter leads to Hell, the former to Paradise.
حفت الجنه مکاره را رسید ** حفت النار از هوا آمد پدید 4030
(The Tradition) “Paradise is encompassed with things disliked” has come (down to us); “Hell-fire is encompassed with sensual desire” has been declared.
ای ایاز شیر نر دیوکش ** مردی خر کم فزون مردی هش
“O Ayáz, fierce demon-killing lion, (thou in whom) the manliness of the ass is inferior (subjugated), the manliness of Reason superior (predominant),
آنچ چندین صدر ادراکش نکرد ** لعب کودک بود پیشت اینت مرد
That which so many eminent persons did not apprehend was to thee child's play: lo, here is the (true) man!
ای به دیده لذت امر مرا ** جان سپرده بهر امرم در وفا
O thou who hast felt the delight of (obeying) my command and hast loyally devoted thy life for the sake of my command,
داستان ذوق امر و چاشنیش ** بشنو اکنون در بیان معنویش
Now hearken to the tale of the savour and relish of (obeying) the (Divine) command (as related) in the (following) spiritual exposition thereof.”
دادن شاه گوهر را میان دیوان و مجمع به دست وزیر کی این چند ارزد و مبالغه کردن وزیر در قیمت او و فرمودن شاه او را کی اکنون این را بشکن و گفت وزیر کی این را چون بشکنم الی آخر القصه
How the King (Mahmud), in the midst of (the company present in) the Diwán and assembly-place, put a pearl in the hand of the Vizier and asked him what it was worth; and how the Vizier gave an extremely high estimate of its value; and when the King commanded hi to break it, answered, “How should I break it?” and so forth.
شاه روزی جانب دیوان شتافت ** جمله ارکان را در آن دیوان بیافت 4035
One day the King hastened to the Diwán: in the Diwán he found all the courtiers (assembled).
گوهری بیرون کشید او مستنیر ** پس نهادش زود در کف وزیر
He produced a radiant pearl and immediately put it in the palm of the Vizier.
گفت چونست و چه ارزد این گهر ** گفت به ارزد ز صد خروار زر
“How about this pearl?” he asked, “and what is it worth?” He replied, “ is worth more than a hundred ass-loads of gold.”