خط با کاتب بود معقول‌تر ** یا که بی‌کاتب بیندیش ای پسر
Is writing more intelligible with a writer or without a writer? Think, O son!
جیم گوش و عین چشم و میم فم ** چون بود بی‌کاتبی ای متهم
How should the jím of the ear and the ‘ayn of the eye and the mím of the mouth be (formed) without a Writer, O suspect?
شمع روشن بی‌ز گیراننده‌ای ** یا بگیراننده‌ی داننده‌ای 370
Is the bright (lighted) candle without one who lights it or with a skilful lighter?
صنعت خوب از کف شل ضریر ** باشد اولی یا بگیرایی بصیر
Is it more reasonable to expect good craftsmanship from the hand of one who is palsied and blind or from one who has control (of his hands) and can see?
پس چو دانستی که قهرت می‌کند ** بر سرت دبوس محنت می‌زند
Since, therefore, you have apprehended (the fact) that He (God) will overpower you and beat the mace of tribulation on your head,
پس بکن دفعش چو نمرودی به جنگ ** سوی او کش در هوا تیری خدنگ
Like a Nimrod, repel Him by war (if you can)! Launch an arrow of (hard) poplar-wood into the air against Him!
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.
بی‌وصیت بی‌اشارت یک به یک ** حالشان دریافت بی ریبی و شک
Without instructions, without a hint (from me), he apprehended everything concerning them, point by point, without any uncertainty or doubt.”
هر چه زین سی میر اندر سی مقام ** کشف شد زو آن به یکدم شد تمام 400
Everything that was discovered by these thirty Amírs in thirty stages was completed by him (Ayáz) in one moment.
مدافعه‌ی امرا آن حجت را به شبهه‌ی جبریانه و جواب دادن شاه ایشان را
How the Amírs endeavoured to rebut that argument by the Necessitarian error and how the King answered them.
پس بگفتند آن امیران کین فنیست ** از عنایتهاش کار جهد نیست
Then the Amírs said, “This is a branch (species) of His (God's) providential favours: it has nothing to do with (personal) effort.
قسمت حقست مه را روی نغز ** داده‌ی بختست گل را بوی نغز
The fair face of the moon is bestowed on it by God, the sweet scent of the rose is the gift of Fortune.”
گفت سلطان بلک آنچ از نفس زاد ** ریع تقصیرست و دخل اجتهاد
“Nay,” said the Sultan, “that which proceeds from one's self is the product of (one's own) remissness and the income derived from (one's own) labour.
ورنه آدم کی بگفتی با خدا ** ربنا انا ظلمنا نفسنا
Otherwise, how should Adam have said unto God, ‘O our Lord, verily we have wronged ourselves’?
خود بگفتی کین گناه از نفس بود ** چون قضا این بود حزم ما چه سود 405
Surely he would have said, ‘This sin was from Fate: since it was destiny, what does our precaution avail?’
هم‌چو ابلیسی که گفت اغویتنی ** تو شکستی جام و ما را می‌زنی
Like Iblís, who said, ‘Thou hast led me astray: Thou hast broken the cup and art beating me.’”
بل قضا حقست و جهد بنده حق ** هین مباش اعور چو ابلیس خلق
Nay, (the Divine) destiny is a fact and the slave's (man's) exertion (of power) is a fact: beware, do not be blind of one eye, like the tatterdemalion Iblís.
در تردد مانده‌ایم اندر دو کار ** این تردد کی بود بی‌اختیار
We are left vacillating between two (alternative) actions: how should this vacillation be without (unaccompanied by) free-will?
این کنم یا آن کنم او کی گود ** که دو دست و پای او بسته بود
How should he whose hands and feet are chained say, “Shall I do this or shall I do that?”
هیچ باشد این تردد بر سرم ** که روم در بحر یا بالا پرم 410
Can there ever be in my head such a dilemma as this, (namely), “Shall I walk on the sea or shall I fly aloft?”
این تردد هست که موصل روم ** یا برای سحر تا بابل روم
(No); there is (only) this (kind of) vacillation, (namely), “Shall I go toMosul (for trade) or shall I go to Babylon for (the study of) magic?”
پس تردد را بباید قدرتی ** ورنه آن خنده بود بر سبلتی
Vacillation, then, must have (in connexion with it) a power to act; otherwise, it would be a (mere) mockery.
بر قضا کم نه بهانه ای جوان ** جرم خود را چون نهی بر دیگران
Do not put the blame on Destiny, O youth: how can you lay upon others (responsibility for) your own sin?
خون کند زید و قصاص او به عمر ** می خورد عمرو و بر احمد حد خمر
Does Zayd commit murder, and the retaliation for which he is liable fall upon ‘Amr? Does ‘Amr drink wine, and the penalty for wine(-drinking) fall upon Ahmad?
گرد خود برگرد و جرم خود ببین ** جنبش از خود بین و از سایه مبین 415
Circle round yourself and perceive your sin: perceive that the movement proceeds from the sun and do not regard it as proceeding from the shadow;
که نخواهد شد غلط پاداش میر ** خصم را می‌داند آن میر بصیر
For the Lord's retribution will not err: that sagacious Lord knows the guilty one.
چون عسل خوردی نیامد تب به غیر ** مزد روز تو نیامد شب به غیر
When you have eaten (too much) honey, the fever (caused by it) does not come to (does not attack) another; your day's wages do not come at nightfall to another.