If a piece of timber break off from your house-roof and fall upon you and wound you severely,
گر ز سقف خانه چوبی بشکند ** بر تو افتد سخت مجروحت کند
Will you feel any anger against the timber of the roof? Will you ever devote yourself to taking vengeance upon it,
هیچ خشمی آیدت بر چوب سقف ** هیچ اندر کین او باشی تو وقف
(And say), ‘Why did it hit me and fracture my hand? It has been my mortal foe and enemy’?
که چرا بر من زد و دستم شکست ** او عدو و خصم جان من بدست
Why do you beat little children (when they do wrong), since (in theory) you make out that adults are exempt from blame?
کودکان خرد را چون می‌زنی ** چون بزرگان را منزه می‌کنی
(In the case of) a man who steals your property, you say (to the magistrate), ‘Arrest him, cut off his hand and foot, make him a captive’;3045
آنک دزدد مال تو گویی بگیر ** دست و پایش را ببر سازش اسیر
And (in the case of) a man who visits your wife, a hundred thousand angers shoot up from you.
وآنک قصد عورت تو می‌کند ** صد هزاران خشم از تو می‌دمد
(On the contrary), if a flood come and sweep away your household goods, will your reason bear any enmity towards the flood?
گر بیاید سیل و رخت تو برد ** هیچ با سیل آورد کینی خرد
And if the wind came and carried off your turban, when did your heart show any anger against the wind?
ور بیامد باد و دستارت ربود ** کی ترا با باد دل خشمی نمود
The anger within you is a clear demonstration of (the existence of) a power of choice (in Man), so that you must not excuse yourself after the fashion of Necessitarians.
خشم در تو شد بیان اختیار ** تا نگویی جبریانه اعتذار
If a camel-driver goes on striking a camel, the camel will attack the striker.3050
گر شتربان اشتری را می‌زند ** آن شتر قصد زننده می‌کند