God hath called the present world a play because this penalty is a play in comparison with that penalty.
زین لعب خواندست دنیا را خدا ** کین جزا لعبست پیش آن جزا
This penalty is a means of allaying war and civil strife: that one is like a castration, while this one resembles a circumcision.
این جزا تسکین جنگ و فتنه‌ایست ** آن چو اخصا است و این چون ختنه‌ایست
Explaining that the people of Hell are hungry and make lamentable entreaty to God, saying, "Cause our portions to be fat and let the provender reach us quickly, for we can endure no more."
بیان آنک خلق دوزخ گرسنگانند و نالانند به حق کی روزیهای ما را فربه گردان و زود زاد به ما رسان کی ما را صبر نماند
This discourse hath no end. (God said), “Hark, O Moses, let those asses go to the grass,
این سخن پایان ندارد موسیا ** هین رها کن آن خران را در گیا
That they may all be fattened by that goodly fodder. Hark, (let them in), for We have wrathful wolves.
تا همه زان خوش علف فربه شوند ** هین که گرگانند ما را خشم‌مند
We surely know the plaintive cry of Our wolves: We make these asses a means of livelihood for them.3670
ناله‌ی گرگان خود را موقنیم ** این خران را طعمه‌ی ایشان کنیم
The gracious alchemy breathed from thy lips wished to make these asses human.
این خران را کیمیای خوش دمی ** از لب تو خواست کردن آدمی
Much kindness and favour didst thou show in calling them (to God), (but) ’twas not the fortune and provision allotted to those asses.
تو بسی کردی به دعوت لطف و جود ** آن خران را طالع و روزی نبود
Therefore let the quilt of bounty cover them, that the slumber of forgetfulness may overtake them speedily,
پس فرو پوشان لحاف نعمتی ** تا بردشان زود خواب غفلتی
So that, when this troop (of asses) shall start up from suchlike slumber, the candle will have been extinguished and the cup-bearer will have gone.
تا چو بجهند از چنین خواب این رده ** شمع مرده باشد و ساقی شده
Their rebellious disobedience kept thee in a (great) perplexity: therefore they shall suffer in retribution a (great) sorrow,3675
داشت طغیانشان ترا در حیرتی ** پس بنوشند از جزا هم حسرتی
To the end that Our justice may step forth and bestow in retribution what is appropriate to every evil-doer;
تا که عدل ما قدم بیرون نهد ** در جزا هر زشت را درخور دهد
For the King, whom they were not seeing openly, was (always) with them secretly in their lives.”
که آن شهی که می‌ندیدندیش فاش ** بود با ایشان نهان اندر معاش
Inasmuch as the intellect is with thee, overseeing thy body, and though this perception of thine is unable to apprehend it,
چون خرد با تست مشرف بر تنت ** گر چه زو قاصر بود این دیدنت
(Yet) its perception, O such and such, is not unable to apprehend thy motion and rest when it tries,
نیست قاصر دیدن او ای فلان ** از سکون و جنبشت در امتحان
What wonder if the Creator of that intellect too is with thee? How art thou not conceding (the truth of that)?3680
چه عجب گر خالق آن عقل نیز ** با تو باشد چون نه‌ای تو مستجیز
He (some one) pays no heed to his intellect and embarks on evil; afterwards his intellect rebukes him.
از خرد غافل شود بر بد تند ** بعد آن عقلش ملامت می‌کند
You forgot your intellect, your intellect did not (forget you), since that act of rebuke is the result of its presence (attention).
تو شدی غافل ز عقلت عقل نی ** کز حضورستش ملامت کردنی
If it had not been present (attentive) and had been heedless, how should it have slapped you in rebuke?
گر نبودی حاضر و غافل بدی ** در ملامت کی ترا سیلی زدی
And if your carnal soul had not been inattentive to it, how should your madness and heat have acted thus?
ور ازو غافل نبودی نفس تو ** کی چنان کردی جنون و تفس تو
Hence you and your intellect are like the astrolabe: by this means you may know the nearness of the Sun of existence.3685
پس تو و عقلت چو اصطرلاب بود ** زین بدانی قرب خورشید وجود
Your intellect is indescribably near to you: it is neither to the left nor to the right nor behind nor in front.
قرب بی‌چونست عقلت را به تو ** نیست چپ و راست و پس یا پیش رو
How (then) should not the King be indescribably near? for intellectual search cannot find the way (to Him).
قرب بی‌چون چون نباشد شاه را ** که نیابد بحث عقل آن راه را
The motion that you have in your finger is not in front of your finger or behind it or to the left or to the right.
نیست آن جنبش که در اصبع تراست ** پیش اصبع یا پسش یا چپ و راست
At the time of sleep and death it (the motion) goes from it (the finger); at the time of waking it rejoins it.
وقت خواب و مرگ از وی می‌رود ** وقت بیداری قرینش می‌شود
By what way doth it come into your finger, (that motion) without which your finger hath no use?3690
از چه ره می‌آید اندر اصبعت ** که اصبعت بی او ندارد منفعت