بس که آن شیر از کمین درمیربود ** آن چرا بر جمله ناخوش گشته بود
Inasmuch as the lion was (springing) from ambush and carrying them away, that pasturage had become unpleasant to them all.
حیله کردند آمدند ایشان بشیر ** کز وظیفه ما ترا داریم سیر
They made a plot: they came to the lion, saying, “We will keep thee full-fed by means of a (fixed) allowance.
بعد از این اندر پی صیدی میا ** تا نگردد تلخ بر ما این گیا
Henceforth do not come in quest of any prey in order that this grass may not become bitter to us.”
جواب گفتن شیر نخجیران را و فایدهی جهد گفتن
How the lion answered the beasts and explained the advantage of exertion.
گفت آری گر وفا بینم نه مکر ** مکرها بس دیدهام از زید و بکر
“Yes,” said he, “if I see (find) good faith (on your part), not fraud, for often have I seen (suffered) frauds from Zayd and Bakr.
من هلاک فعل و مکر مردمم ** من گزیدهی زخم مار و کژدمم905
I am done to death by the cunning and fraud of men, I am bitten by the sting of (human) snake and scorpion;
مردم نفس از درونم در کمین ** از همه مردم بتر در مکر و کین
(But) worse than all men in fraud and spite is the man of the flesh (nafs) lying in wait within me.
گوش من لا یلدغ المؤمن شنید ** قول پیغمبر به جان و دل گزید
My ear heard ‘The believer is not bitten (twice),’ and adopted (this) saying of the Prophet with heart and soul.”
ترجیح نهادن نخجیران توکل را بر جهد و اکتساب
How the beasts asserted the superiority of trust in God to exertion and acquisition.
جمله گفتند ای حکیم با خبر ** الحذر دع لیس یغنی عن قدر
They all said: “O knowing sage, let precaution alone: it is of no avail against the Divine decree.
در حذر شوریدن شور و شر است ** رو توکل کن توکل بهتر است
In precaution is the embroilment of broil and woe: go, put thy trust in God: trust in God is better.
با قضا پنجه مزن ای تند و تیز ** تا نگیرد هم قضا با تو ستیز910
Do not grapple with Destiny, O fierce and furious one, lest Destiny also pick a quarrel with thee.
مرده باید بود پیش حکم حق ** تا نیاید زخم از رب الفلق
One must be dead in presence of the decree of God, so that no blow may come from the Lord of the daybreak.”
ترجیح نهادن شیر جهد و اکتساب را بر توکل و تسلیم
How the lion upheld the superiority of exertion and acquisition to trust in God and resignation.
گفت آری گر توکل رهبر است ** این سبب هم سنت پیغمبر است
“Yes,” he said; “(but) if trust in God is the (true) guide, (yet use of) the means too is the Prophet's rule (Sunna).
گفت پیغمبر به آواز بلند ** با توکل زانوی اشتر ببند
The Prophet said with a loud voice, ‘While trusting in God bind the knee of thy camel.’
رمز الکاسب حبیب الله شنو ** از توکل در سبب کاهل مشو
Hearken to the signification of ‘The earner (worker) is beloved of God’: through trusting in God do not become neglectful as to the (ways and) means.”
ترجیح نهادن نخجیران توکل را بر اجتهاد
How the beasts preferred trust in God to exertion.
قوم گفتندش که کسب از ضعف خلق ** لقمهی تزویر دان بر قدر حلق915
The party (of beasts) answered him, saying, “Regard acquisition (work), arising from the infirmity of (God's) creatures, as a mouthful of deceit proportionate to the size of the gullet.
نیست کسبی از توکل خوبتر ** چیست از تسلیم خود محبوبتر
There is no work better than trust in God: what, indeed, is dearer (to God) than resignation?
بس گریزند از بلا سوی بلا ** بس جهند از مار سوی اژدها
Often do they flee from affliction (only) to (fall into) affliction; often do they recoil from the snake (only) to (meet with) the dragon.
حیله کرد انسان و حیلهش دام بود ** آن که جان پنداشت خون آشام بود
Man devised (something), and his device was a snare (wherein he was trapped): that which he thought to be life was (actually) the drainer of his blood (his destroyer).
در ببست و دشمن اندر خانه بود ** حیلهی فرعون زین افسانه بود
He locked the door while the foe was in the house: the plot of Pharaoh was a story of this sort.
صد هزاران طفل کشت آن کینه کش ** و آن که او میجست اندر خانهاش920
That vengeful man slew hundreds of thousands of babes, while the one he was searching after was in his (Pharaoh's) house.
دیدهی ما چون بسی علت در اوست ** رو فنا کن دید خود در دید دوست
Since in our eyesight (foresight) there is much defect, go, let your own sight pass away (faná) in the sight of the Friend (God).
دید ما را دید او نعم العوض ** یابی اندر دید او کل غرض
His sight for ours—what a goodly recompense! In His sight you will find the whole object of your desire.
طفل تا گیرا و تا پویا نبود ** مرکبش جز گردن بابا نبود
So long as the child could neither grasp (exert strength) nor run, he had nothing to ride on but his father's neck;
چون فضولی گشت و دست و پا نمود ** در عنا افتاد و در کور و کبود
When he became a busybody and plied hand and foot (exerted himself), he fell into trouble and wretchedness.
جانهای خلق پیش از دست و پا ** میپریدند از وفا اندر صفا925
The spirits of created beings, before (the creation of) hand and foot, by reason of their faithfulness were flying in (the realm of) purity;
چون به امر اهبطوا بندی شدند ** حبس خشم و حرص و خرسندی شدند
When they were constrained by the (Divine) command, Get ye down, they became engaoled in anger and covetousness and contentment.
ما عیال حضرتیم و شیر خواه ** گفت الخلق عیال للإله
We are the family of the Lord and craving after milk (like infants): he (the Prophet) said, ‘The people are God's family.’
آن که او از آسمان باران دهد ** هم تواند کاو ز رحمت نان دهد
He who gives rain from heaven is also able, from His mercy, to give us bread.”
باز ترجیحنهادن شیر جهد را بر توکل
How the lion pronounced exertion to be superior to trust in God.
گفت شیر آری ولی رب العباد ** نردبانی پیش پای ما نهاد
“Yes,” said the lion; “but the Lord of His servants set a ladder before our feet.
پایه پایه رفت باید سوی بام ** هست جبری بودن اینجا طمع خام930
Step by step must we climb towards the roof: to be a necessitarian here is (to indulge in) foolish hopes.
پای داری چون کنی خود را تو لنگ ** دست داری چون کنی پنهان تو چنگ
You have feet: why do you make yourself out to be lame? you have hands: why do you conceal the fingers (whereby you grasp)?
خواجه چون بیلی به دست بنده داد ** بیزبان معلوم شد او را مراد
When the master put a spade in the slave's hand, his object was made known to him (the slave) without (a word falling from his) tongue.
دست همچون بیل اشارتهای اوست ** آخر اندیشی عبارتهای اوست
Hand and spade alike are His (God's) implicit signs; (our powers of) thinking upon the end are His explicit declarations.
چون اشارتهاش را بر جان نهی ** در وفای آن اشارت جان دهی
When you take His signs to heart, you will devote your life to fulfilling that indication (of His will).
پس اشارتهای اسرارت دهد ** بار بر دارد ز تو کارت دهد935
Then He will give you hints (for the understanding) of mysteries, He will remove the burden from you and give you (spiritual) authority.
حاملی محمول گرداند ترا ** قابلی مقبول گرداند ترا
Do you bear (His burden)? He will cause you to be borne (aloft). Do you receive (His commands)? He will cause you to be received (into His favour).
قابل امر ویی قایل شوی ** وصل جویی بعد از آن واصل شوی
If you accept His command, you will become the spokesman (thereof); if you seek union (with Him), thereafter you will become united.
سعی شکر نعمتش قدرت بود ** جبر تو انکار آن نعمت بود
Freewill is the endeavour to thank (God) for His beneficence: your necessitarianism is the denial of that beneficence.
شکر قدرت قدرتت افزون کند ** جبر نعمت از کفت بیرون کند
Thanksgiving for the power (of acting freely) increases your power; necessitarianism takes the (Divine) gift (of freewill) out of your hand.
جبر تو خفتن بود در ره مخسب ** تا نبینی آن در و درگه مخسب940
Your necessitarianism is (like) sleeping on the road: do not sleep! Sleep not, until you see the gate and the threshold!
هان مخسب ای جبری بیاعتبار ** جز به زیر آن درخت میوهدار
Beware! do not sleep, O inconsiderate sluggard, save underneath that fruit-laden tree,
تا که شاخ افشان کند هر لحظه باد ** بر سر خفته بریزد نقل و زاد
So that every moment the wind may shake the boughs and shower upon the sleeper (spiritual) dessert and provision for the journey.
جبر و خفتن در میان ره زنان ** مرغ بیهنگام کی یابد امان
(How absurd) to be a necessitarian and sleep amidst highwaymen! How should the untimely bird receive quarter?
ور اشارتهاش را بینی زنی ** مرد پنداری و چون بینی زنی
And if you turn up your nose at His signs, you deem (yourself) a man, but when you consider (more deeply), you are (only) a woman.
این قدر عقلی که داری گم شود ** سر که عقل از وی بپرد دم شود945
This measure of understanding which you possess is lost: a head from which the understanding flies away,
ز آن که بیشکری بود شوم و شنار ** میبرد بیشکر را در قعر نار
Because ingratitude is wickedness and disgrace and brings the ingrate to the bottom of Hell-fire.
گر توکل میکنی در کار کن ** کشت کن پس تکیه بر جبار کن
If you are putting trust in God, put trust (in Him) as regards (your) work: sow (the seed), then rely upon the Almighty.”
باز ترجیح نهادن نخجیران توکل را بر جهد
How the beasts once more asserted the superiority of trust in God to exertion.
جمله با وی بانگها برداشتند ** کان حریصان که سببها کاشتند
They all lifted up their voices (to dispute) with him, saying, “Those covetous ones who sowed (the seed of) means,
صد هزار اندر هزار از مرد و زن ** پس چرا محروم ماندند از زمن
Myriads on myriads of men and women—why, then, did they remain deprived of fortune?
صد هزاران قرن ز آغاز جهان ** همچو اژدرها گشاده صد دهان950
From the beginning of the world myriads of generations have opened a hundred mouths, like dragons: