گفت ای منصف چو ایشان غالب‌اند ** یار او باشم که باشد زورمند
He replied, “O reasonable man, since they are predominant I shall (necessarily) be on the side of the stronger.
یار آن تانم بدن کو غالبست ** آن طرف افتم که غالب جاذبست
I can side (only) with him who is predominant: I (must) fall in the direction to which the predominant one is pulling (me).
چون خدا می‌خواست از من صدق زفت ** خواست او چه سود چون پیشش نرفت
Since (according to thy assertion) God was desiring of me a firm belief (in Islam), what is the use of His desire when He does not succeed (in attaining His object)?
نفس و شیطان خواست خود را پیش برد ** وآن عنایت قهر گشت و خرد و مرد
The carnal soul and the Devil have carried their will to success, while that act of (Divine) favour has been defeated and pulverised.
تو یکی قصر و سرایی ساختی ** اندرو صد نقش خوش افراختی 2920
(’Tis as if) thou hadst built a palace and pavilion and erected therein a hundred beautiful (ornamental) designs,
خواستی مسجد بود آن جای خیر ** دیگری آمد مر آن را ساخت دیر
And desired that that goodly place should be a mosque— and (then) some one else had come and made it a Christian monastery;
یا تو بافیدی یکی کرباس تا ** خوش بسازی بهر پوشیدن قبا
Or (as if) thou hadst woven a piece of linen cloth, in order deftly to make it a coat for some one to wear,
تو قبا می‌خواستی خصم از نبرد ** رغم تو کرباس را شلوار کرد
And (when) thou wert desiring (it to be) a coat, a rival, from (motives of) hostility, made the linen stuff into a pair of trousers in spite of thee.
چاره کرباس چه بود جان من ** جز زبون رای آن غالب شدن
What resource has the linen, my dear friend, but to submit to the purpose of the one who is predominant?
او زبون شد جرم این کرباس چیست ** آنک او مغلوب غالب نیست کیست 2925
(Since) he (the owner of the cloth) is reduced to submission, what is the crime of this linen? Who is he that is not dominated by the predominant?