جهد حق است و دوا حق است و درد ** منکر اندر نفی جهدش جهد کرد

Exertion is a reality, and medicine and disease are realities: the sceptic in his denial of exertion practised (and thereby affirmed) exertion.

مقرر شدن ترجیح جهد بر توکل‌‌

How the superiority of exertion to trust in God was established.

زین نمط بسیار برهان گفت شیر ** کز جواب آن جبریان گشتند سیر

The lion gave many proofs in this style, so that those necessitarians became tired of answering (him).

روبه و آهو و خرگوش و شغال ** جبر را بگذاشتند و قیل و قال‌‌

Fox and deer and hare and jackal abandoned (the doctrine of) necessity and (ceased from) disputation.

عهدها کردند با شیر ژیان ** کاندر این بیعت نیفتد در زیان‌‌

They made covenants with the furious lion, (ensuring) that he should incur no loss in this bargain,

قسم هر روزش بیاید بی‌‌جگر ** حاجتش نبود تقاضای دگر 995

(That) the daily ration should come to him without trouble, and that he should not need to make a further demand.

قرعه بر هر که فتادی روز روز ** سوی آن شیر او دویدی همچو یوز

Day by day the one on whom the lot fell would run to the lion as (swiftly as) a cheetah.

چون به خرگوش آمد این ساغر به دور ** بانگ زد خرگوش کاخر چند جور

When this cup (of death) came round to the hare, the hare cried out, “Why, how long (are we to endure this) injustice?”

انکار کردن نخجیران بر خرگوش در تاخیر رفتن بر شیر

How the beasts of chase blamed the hare for his delay in going to the lion.

قوم گفتندش که چندین گاه ما ** جان فدا کردیم در عهد و وفا

The company (of beasts) said to him: “All this time we have sacrificed our lives in troth and loyalty.

تو مجو بد نامی ما ای عنود ** تا نرنجد شیر رو رو زود زود

Do not thou seek to give us a bad name, O rebellious one! Lest the lion be aggrieved, go, go! Quick! Quick!”

جواب گفتن خرگوش نخجیران را

How the hare answered the beasts.

گفت ای یاران مرا مهلت دهید ** تا به مکرم از بلا بیرون جهید 1000

“O friends,” said he, “grant me a respite, that by my cunning ye may escape from calamity,