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.”
رفت و آمد گفت تا سوی یمن ** گفت رختش چیست هان ای موتمن
He went and returned and said, “For Yemen.” “Ha,” said the King, “what is their merchandise, O trusty one?”
ماند حیران گفت با میری دگر ** که برو وا پرس رخت آن نفر
He (the Amír) remained (silent) in perplexity. (Then) the King said to another Amír, “Go and inquire (what is) the merchandise of those people.”
باز آمد گفت از هر جنس هست ** اغلب آن کاسه‌های رازیست
He came back and said, “It is of every sort; the greater part consists of cups made in Rayy.”
گفت کی بیرون شدند از شهر ری ** ماند حیران آن امیر سست پی 395
He (the King) asked, “When did they set out from the city of Rayy?” The dull-witted Amír remained (silent) in perplexity.
هم‌چنین تا سی امیر و بیشتر ** سست‌رای و ناقص اندر کر و فر
So (it went on) till thirty Amírs and more (had been tested): (all were) feeble in judgement and deficient in (mental) power.
گفت امیران را که من روزی جدا ** امتحان کردم ایاز خویش را
(Then) he said to the Amírs, “One day I put my Ayáz to the test separately,
که بپرس از کاروان تا از کجاست ** او برفت این جمله وا پرسید راست
Saying, ‘Inquire of the caravan (and find out) whence it comes.’ He went and asked all these questions (just) right.
بی‌وصیت بی‌اشارت یک به یک ** حالشان دریافت بی ریبی و شک
Without instructions, without a hint (from me), he apprehended everything concerning them, point by point, without any uncertainty or doubt.”
هر چه زین سی میر اندر سی مقام ** کشف شد زو آن به یکدم شد تمام 400
Everything that was discovered by these thirty Amírs in thirty stages was completed by him (Ayáz) in one moment.
مدافعه‌ی امرا آن حجت را به شبهه‌ی جبریانه و جواب دادن شاه ایشان را
How the Amírs endeavoured to rebut that argument by the Necessitarian error and how the King answered them.
پس بگفتند آن امیران کین فنیست ** از عنایتهاش کار جهد نیست
Then the Amírs said, “This is a branch (species) of His (God's) providential favours: it has nothing to do with (personal) effort.
قسمت حقست مه را روی نغز ** داده‌ی بختست گل را بوی نغز
The fair face of the moon is bestowed on it by God, the sweet scent of the rose is the gift of Fortune.”
گفت سلطان بلک آنچ از نفس زاد ** ریع تقصیرست و دخل اجتهاد
“Nay,” said the Sultan, “that which proceeds from one's self is the product of (one's own) remissness and the income derived from (one's own) labour.
ورنه آدم کی بگفتی با خدا ** ربنا انا ظلمنا نفسنا
Otherwise, how should Adam have said unto God, ‘O our Lord, verily we have wronged ourselves’?
خود بگفتی کین گناه از نفس بود ** چون قضا این بود حزم ما چه سود 405
Surely he would have said, ‘This sin was from Fate: since it was destiny, what does our precaution avail?’
هم‌چو ابلیسی که گفت اغویتنی ** تو شکستی جام و ما را می‌زنی
Like Iblís, who said, ‘Thou hast led me astray: Thou hast broken the cup and art beating me.’”
بل قضا حقست و جهد بنده حق ** هین مباش اعور چو ابلیس خلق
Nay, (the Divine) destiny is a fact and the slave's (man's) exertion (of power) is a fact: beware, do not be blind of one eye, like the tatterdemalion Iblís.
در تردد مانده‌ایم اندر دو کار ** این تردد کی بود بی‌اختیار
We are left vacillating between two (alternative) actions: how should this vacillation be without (unaccompanied by) free-will?
این کنم یا آن کنم او کی گود ** که دو دست و پای او بسته بود
How should he whose hands and feet are chained say, “Shall I do this or shall I do that?”
هیچ باشد این تردد بر سرم ** که روم در بحر یا بالا پرم 410
Can there ever be in my head such a dilemma as this, (namely), “Shall I walk on the sea or shall I fly aloft?”
این تردد هست که موصل روم ** یا برای سحر تا بابل روم
(No); there is (only) this (kind of) vacillation, (namely), “Shall I go toMosul (for trade) or shall I go to Babylon for (the study of) magic?”
پس تردد را بباید قدرتی ** ورنه آن خنده بود بر سبلتی
Vacillation, then, must have (in connexion with it) a power to act; otherwise, it would be a (mere) mockery.
بر قضا کم نه بهانه ای جوان ** جرم خود را چون نهی بر دیگران
Do not put the blame on Destiny, O youth: how can you lay upon others (responsibility for) your own sin?
خون کند زید و قصاص او به عمر ** می خورد عمرو و بر احمد حد خمر
Does Zayd commit murder, and the retaliation for which he is liable fall upon ‘Amr? Does ‘Amr drink wine, and the penalty for wine(-drinking) fall upon Ahmad?
گرد خود برگرد و جرم خود ببین ** جنبش از خود بین و از سایه مبین 415
Circle round yourself and perceive your sin: perceive that the movement proceeds from the sun and do not regard it as proceeding from the shadow;
که نخواهد شد غلط پاداش میر ** خصم را می‌داند آن میر بصیر
For the Lord's retribution will not err: that sagacious Lord knows the guilty one.
چون عسل خوردی نیامد تب به غیر ** مزد روز تو نیامد شب به غیر
When you have eaten (too much) honey, the fever (caused by it) does not come to (does not attack) another; your day's wages do not come at nightfall to another.
در چه کردی جهد کان وا تو نگشت ** تو چه کاریدی که نامد ریع کشت
In what (work) have you exerted yourself without its returning to you (in some form) What have you sown without the produce of the seed coming (back to you)?
فعل تو که زاید از جان و تنت ** هم‌چو فرزندت بگیرد دامنت
Your action that is born of your soul and body clings to your skirt, like your (own) child.
فعل را در غیب صورت می‌کنند ** فعل دزدی را نه داری می‌زنند 420
In the Unseen World the action is given a form (corresponding to its nature): is not a gallows erected (in retribution) for the act of robbery?
دار کی ماند به دزدی لیک آن ** هست تصویر خدای غیب‌دان
How should the gallows resemble robbery? But that is the form given (to robbery) by God who knoweth things unseen,
در دل شحنه چو حق الهام داد ** که چنین صورت بساز از بهر داد
Since God inspired the prefect's heart to make such a form for justice' sake.
تا تو عالم باشی و عادل قضا ** نامناسب چون دهد داد و سزا
So long as you are wise and just, how should Destiny deal justice and give retribution not in accordance (with your actions)?
چونک حاکم این کند اندر گزین ** چون کند حکم احکم این حاکمین
Since a judge does this in the case of a virtuous man, how (then) will the most Just of these judges give judgement?
چون بکاری جو نروید غیر جو ** قرض تو کردی ز که خواهد گرو 425
When you sow barley nothing except barley will grow up: (if) you have borrowed, from whom (but yourself) will you require the security?
جرم خود را بر کسی دیگر منه ** هوش و گوش خود بدین پاداش ده
Do not lay (responsibility for) your sin upon any one else: give your mind and ear to this retribution.
جرم بر خود نه که تو خود کاشتی ** با جزا و عدل حق کن آشتی
Lay the sin upon yourself, for you yourself sowed (the seed): make peace with the recompense and justice of God.
رنج را باشد سبب بد کردنی ** بد ز فعل خود شناس از بخت نی
The cause of (your) affliction is some evil deed: acknowledge that evil is done by you, not by Fate.
آن نظر در بخت چشم احوال کند ** کلب را کهدانی و کاهل کند
To look at Fate (alone) makes the eye asquint: it makes the dog be attached to the kennel and lazy.
متهم کن نفس خود را ای فتی ** متهم کم کن جزای عدل را 430
Suspect yourself, O youth; do not suspect the recompense of (Divine) justice.
توبه کن مردانه سر آور به ره ** که فمن یعمل بمثقال یره
Repent like a man, turn your head into the (right) Way, for whoso doeth a mote's weight (of good or evil) shall see it.
در فسون نفس کم شو غره‌ای ** که آفتاب حق نپوشد ذره‌ای
Do not be duped by the wiles of the carnal soul, for the Divine Sun will not conceal a single mote.
هست این ذرات جسمی ای مفید ** پیش این خورشید جسمانی پدید
These material motes, O profitable man, are visible in the presence of this material sun.
هست ذرات خواطر و افتکار ** پیش خورشید حقایق آشکار
(So too) the motes consisting of ideas and thought are manifest in the presence of the Sun of Realities.
حکایت آن صیادی کی خویشتن در گیاه پیچیده بود و دسته‌ی گل و لاله را کله‌وار به سر فرو کشیده تا مرغان او را گیاه پندارند و آن مرغ زیرک بوی برد اندکی کی این آدمیست کی برین شکل گیاه ندیدم اما هم تمام بوی نبرد به افسون او مغرور شد زیرا در ادراک اول قاطعی نداشت در ادراک مکر دوم قاطعی داشت و هو الحرص و الطمع لا سیما عند فرط الحاجة و الفقر قال النبی صلی الله علیه و سلم کاد الفقر ان یکون کفرا
Story of the fowler who had wrapped himself in grass and drawn over his head a handful of roses and red anemones, like a cap, in order that the birds might think he was grass. The clever bird had some little notion that he was (really) a man, and said (to itself), “I have never seen grass of this shape”; but it did not wholly apprehend (the truth) and was deceived by his guile, because at the first view it had no decisive argument, (whereas) on its second view of the trick it had a decisive argument, namely, cupidity and greed, (which are) especially (potent) at the time of excessive want and poverty. The Prophet—God bless and save him!—has said that poverty is almost infidelity.
رفت مرغی در میان مرغزار ** بود آنجا دام از بهر شکار 435
A bird went into a meadow: there was a trap (set) for the purpose of fowling.
دانه‌ی چندی نهاده بر زمین ** وآن صیاد آنجا نشسته در کمین
Some grain had been placed on the ground, and the fowler was ensconced there in ambush.
خویشتن پیچیده در برگ و گیاه ** تا در افتد صید بیچاره ز راه
He had wrapped himself in leaves and grass, that the wretched prey might slip off from the path (of safety).
مرغک آمد سوی او از ناشناخت ** پس طوافی کرد و پیش مرد تاخت
A little bird approached him in ignorance (of his disguise): then it hopped round and ran up to the man,