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.”