The fox replied, “Such trust in God is exceptional: few are proficient in (the practice of) trust in God.
گفت روبه آن توکل نادرست ** کم کسی اندر توکل ماهرست
’Tis (a mark of) ignorance to concern one's self with the exceptional: how is the King's highway (available) for every one?
گرد نادر گشتن از نادانی است ** هر کسی را کی ره سلطانی است
Since the Prophet hath said that contentment is a treasure, how should the hidden treasure be gained by every one?2395
چون قناعت را پیمبر گنج گفت ** هر کسی را کی رسد گنج نهفت
Recognise your (proper) limit and do not fly aloft, lest you fall into the abyss of woe and bane.”
حد خود بشناس و بر بالا مپر ** تا نیفتی در نشیب شور و شر
How the ass answered the fox.
جواب گفتن خر روباه را
He (the ass) replied, “Know that you are speaking (just) the reverse (of the truth), (for) woe and bane come to the soul from cupidity.
گفت این معکوس می‌گویی بدان ** شور و شر از طمع آید سوی جان
No one was (ever) deprived of (spiritual) life by contentment; no one was (ever) made a (spiritual) king by covetousness.
از قناعت هیچ کس بی‌جان نشد ** از حریصی هیچ کس سلطان نشد
(The daily) bread is not withheld (even) from pigs and dogs: this rain and (these) clouds are not earned by Man.
نان ز خوکان و سگان نبود دریغ ** کسپ مردم نیست این باران و میغ
Just as you are pitiably enamoured of the daily bread, so the daily bread is enamoured of its consumer.2400
آنچنان که عاشقی بر زرق زار ** هست عاشق رزق هم بر رزق‌خوار
Exposition of the meaning of trust in God, (which is illustrated by) the Story of the ascetic who, making trial of his trust in God, abandoned his property and (native) town and went far away from the beaten tracks and thoroughfares of men to the foot of a remote and inaccessible mountain, (where) in extreme hunger he laid his head upon a stone and fell asleep, saying to himself, ‘I put trust in Thy providing the means (of livelihood) and daily bread; and I cut myself off from (all) means (secondary causes) in order that I may experience the causation of trust in God.’
در تقریر معنی توکل حکایت آن زاهد کی توکل را امتحان می‌کرد از میان اسباب و شهر برون آمد و از قوارع و ره‌گذر خلق دور شد و ببن کوهی مهجوری مفقودی در غایت گرسنگی سر بر سر سنگی نهاد و خفت و با خود گفت توکل کردم بر سبب‌سازی و رزاقی تو و از اسباب منقطع شدم تا ببینم سببیت توکل را
A certain ascetic had heard the saying of Mustafá (Mohammed) that the daily bread surely comes from God to the spirit,
آن یکی زاهد شنود از مصطفی ** که یقین آید به جان رزق از خدا
(And that), whether you will or no, your daily bread comes running to you because it is (so) fond of you.
گر بخواهی ور نخواهی رزق تو ** پیش تو آید دوان از عشق تو