Let the masculinity of the ass be lacking in his nature, (what of that?): God calls him the great Beylerbey.
مرده‌ای باشم به من حق بنگرد ** به از آن زنده که باشد دور و رد
(If) I be a dead man and (if) God look on me (with favour), (my case is) better than (that of) the living man who is far (from God) and rejected (by Him).
مغز مردی این شناس و پوست آن ** آن برد دوزخ برد این در جنان
Recognise this (abandonment of sensuality) to be the kernel of manliness, and that (indulgence in sensuality) to be the husk: the latter leads to Hell, the former to Paradise.
حفت الجنه مکاره را رسید ** حفت النار از هوا آمد پدید 4030
(The Tradition) “Paradise is encompassed with things disliked” has come (down to us); “Hell-fire is encompassed with sensual desire” has been declared.
ای ایاز شیر نر دیوکش ** مردی خر کم فزون مردی هش
“O Ayáz, fierce demon-killing lion, (thou in whom) the manliness of the ass is inferior (subjugated), the manliness of Reason superior (predominant),
آنچ چندین صدر ادراکش نکرد ** لعب کودک بود پیشت اینت مرد
That which so many eminent persons did not apprehend was to thee child's play: lo, here is the (true) man!
ای به دیده لذت امر مرا ** جان سپرده بهر امرم در وفا
O thou who hast felt the delight of (obeying) my command and hast loyally devoted thy life for the sake of my command,
داستان ذوق امر و چاشنیش ** بشنو اکنون در بیان معنویش
Now hearken to the tale of the savour and relish of (obeying) the (Divine) command (as related) in the (following) spiritual exposition thereof.”
دادن شاه گوهر را میان دیوان و مجمع به دست وزیر کی این چند ارزد و مبالغه کردن وزیر در قیمت او و فرمودن شاه او را کی اکنون این را بشکن و گفت وزیر کی این را چون بشکنم الی آخر القصه
How the King (Mahmud), in the midst of (the company present in) the Diwán and assembly-place, put a pearl in the hand of the Vizier and asked him what it was worth; and how the Vizier gave an extremely high estimate of its value; and when the King commanded hi to break it, answered, “How should I break it?” and so forth.
شاه روزی جانب دیوان شتافت ** جمله ارکان را در آن دیوان بیافت 4035
One day the King hastened to the Diwán: in the Diwán he found all the courtiers (assembled).
گوهری بیرون کشید او مستنیر ** پس نهادش زود در کف وزیر
He produced a radiant pearl and immediately put it in the palm of the Vizier.
گفت چونست و چه ارزد این گهر ** گفت به ارزد ز صد خروار زر
“How about this pearl?” he asked, “and what is it worth?” He replied, “ is worth more than a hundred ass-loads of gold.”