اختیارش زید را قدیش کند ** بی‌سگ و بی‌دام حق صیدش کند

His (God's) free-will makes him a fetter for Zayd: God makes him (Zayd's captor) His prey without (the help of) dog or snare.

آن دروگر حاکم چوبی بود ** وآن مصور حاکم خوبی بود

The carpenter has authority over a piece of wood, and the artist has authority over (the portrait of) a beauty;

هست آهنگر بر آهن قیمی ** هست بنا هم بر آلت حاکمی

The ironsmith is a superintendent of iron; the builder also is a ruler over his tools.

نادر این باشد که چندین اختیار ** ساجد اندر اختیارش بنده‌وار 3095

This (matter) is extraordinary; for all this (human) free-will is bowing low, like a slave, in (homage to) His (God's) free-will.

قدرت تو بر جمادات از نبرد ** کی جمادی را از آنها نفی کرد

When did the power forcibly exercised by you over inanimate objects deprive them of (their) inanimateness?

قدرتش بر اختیارات آنچنان ** نفی نکند اختیاری را از آن

Similarly, His (God's) power over (our) acts of free-will does not deprive any act of free-will of that (quality).

خواستش می‌گوی بر وجه کمال ** که نباشد نسبت جبر و ضلال

Declare that His (God's) will is (exercised) in a complete manner, (but) without there being (involved in it) the attribution (to Him) of compulsion (jabr) and (responsibility for) error (disobedience to His commands).

چونک گفتی کفر من خواست ویست ** خواست خود را نیز هم می‌دان که هست

Since you have said, ‘My unbelief is willed by Him,’ know that it is also willed by yourself;

زانک بی‌خواه تو خود کفر تو نیست ** کفر بی‌خواهش تناقض گفتنیست 3100

For without your will your unbelief does not exist at all: involuntary unbelief is a self-contradiction.

امر عاجز را قبیحست و ذمیم ** خشم بتر خاصه از رب رحیم

’Tis abominable and blameworthy to lay a command on one incapable (of obeying it); and anger (on account of his disobedience) is worse, especially from the Merciful Lord.