At the time of (his being in possession of) knowledge, who was Adam in relation to the angels? (He was) the teacher of knowledge and the assayer of (its) coins.
گاه علم آدم ملایک را کی بود ** اوستاد علم و نقاد نقود
After he had drunk the wine of (God's) forbearance in Paradise, he was confounded by a single trick of Satan.2105
چونک در جنت شراب حلم خورد ** شد ز یک بازی شیطان روی زرد
The doses of anacardium, (namely), the lessons (given to him) by the Loving One, had made him sagacious and wise and clever;
آن بلادرهای تعلیم ودود ** زیرک و دانا و چستش کرده بود
(But) afterwards the potent opium of His forbearance brought the Thief to (carry away) his (Adam's) property.
باز آن افیون حلم سخت او ** دزد را آورد سوی رخت او
Reason comes to seek refuge with His forbearance, (saying), “Thou hast been my Sáqí (Thou hast intoxicated me): take my hand (succour me)!”
عقل آید سوی حلمش مستجیر ** ساقیم تو بوده‌ای دستم بگیر
How the King said to Ayáz, “Choose either to pardon or to punish, for in the present case ’tis (equally) right whether you do justice or show mercy; and there are advantages in each.” Within justice a thousand mercies are enclosed: (God hath said), “and for you in retaliation there is a life.” He who deems retaliation abominable is regarding only the single life of the murderer and does not consider the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be protected and kept safe, as in a fortress, by fear of punishment.
فرمودن شاه ایاز را کی اختیار کن از عفو و مکافات کی از عدل و لطف هر چه کنی اینجا صوابست و در هر یکی مصلحتهاست کی در عدل هزار لطف هست درج و لکم فی القصاص حیوة آنکس کی کراهت می‌دارد قصاص را درین یک حیات قاتل نظر می‌کند و در صد هزار حیات کی معصوم و محقون خواهند شدن در حصن بیم سیاست نمی‌نگرد
“O Ayáz, pass sentence on the culprits! O incorruptible Ayáz who takest infinite precautions (to keep thyself pure),
کن میان مجرمان حکم ای ایاز ** ای ایاز پاک با صد احتراز
Though I boil (test) thee in practice two hundred times, I do not find any refuse in the foam of thy boiling.2110
گر دو صد بارت بجوشم در عمل ** در کف جوشت نیابم یک دغل
A countless multitude of people are ashamed of (being put to) the test, (but) all tests are ashamed of (being tried on) thee.
ز امتحان شرمنده خلقی بی‌شمار ** امتحانها از تو جمله شرمسار
It (thy knowledge) is a bottomless ocean: it is not (creaturely) knowledge alone; it (thy forbearance) is a mountain and a hundred mountains: indeed, it is not (creaturely) forbearance.”
بحر بی‌قعرست تنها علم نیست ** کوه و صد کوهست این خود حلم نیست
He (Ayáz) replied, “I know that this is thy gift; otherwise I am (nothing except) those rustic shoon and that sheepskin jacket.”
گفت من دانم عطای تست این ** ورنه من آن چارقم و آن پوستین