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
Hence the Prophet expounded this (matter), (when he said), “Whoso knoweth himself knoweth God.”
بهر آن پیغامبر این را شرح ساخت ** هر که خود بشناخت یزدان را شناخت
The seed (from which you were conceived) is your shoon, and your blood is the sheepskin jacket: (all) the rest, O master, is His gift.2115
چارقت نطفه‌ست و خونت پوستین ** باقی ای خواجه عطای اوست این
He hath given it to you in order that you may seek more: do not say, “He has only this amount (to give).”
بهر آن دادست تا جویی دگر ** تو مگو که نیستش جز این قدر
The gardener shows a number of apples, to the end that you may know the trees and produce of the orchard.
زان نماید چند سیب آن باغبان ** تا بدانی نخل و دخل بوستان
He (the wheat-merchant) gives the purchaser a handful of wheat, in order that he may know (the quality of) the wheat in the granary.
کف گندم زان دهد خریار را ** تا بداند گندم انبار را
The teacher explains a nice point in order that you may recognise that his knowledge exceeds (those limits);
نکته‌ای زان شرح گوید اوستاد ** تا شناسی علم او را مستزاد
And if you say, “This is all (the knowledge) he has,” he will cast you far (from him) as sticks and straws (are cast) from the beard.2120
ور بگویی خود همینش بود و بس ** دورت اندازد چنانک از ریش خس
“Now come, O Ayáz, and deal justice: lay the foundation of a rare justice in the world.
ای ایاز اکنون بیا و داده ده ** داد نادر در جهان بنیاد نه
Those who have sinned against thee deserve to be killed, but in hope (of escaping death) they are attending (waiting upon) thy pardon and forbearance,
مجرمانت مستحق کشتن‌اند ** وز طمع بر عفو و حلمت می‌تنند
To see whether mercy will prevail or wrath, whether the water of Kawthar will prevail or the flames (of Hell).”
تا که رحمت غالب آید یا غضب ** آب کوثر غالب آید یا لهب
From the (ancient) Covenant of Alast (until now) both (these) boughs, (namely) forbearance and anger, are in existence for the purpose of carrying men (up to God).
از پی مردم‌ربایی هر دو هست ** شاخ حلم و خشم از عهد الست
Hence the perspicuous word Alast is (a case of) negation and affirmation joined in one word,2125
بهر این لفظ الست مستبین ** نفی و اثباتست در لفظی قرین
Because this (Alast) is an affirmative question, but (nevertheless) the word laysa is buried in it.
زانک استفهام اثباتیست این ** لیک در وی لفظ لیس شد قرین
Leave off, and let this exposition remain incomplete: do not lay the bowl for the elect on the table of the vulgar.
ترک کن تا ماند این تقریر خام ** کاسه‌ی خاصان منه بر خوان عام
(’Tis) a wrath and a mercy like the zephyr (sabá) and the plague (wabá): the former is (like) the iron-attracting (magnet) and the latter (like) the straw attracting (amber).
قهر و لطفی چون صبا و چون وبا ** آن یکی آهن‌ربا وین که‌ربا