That which so many eminent persons did not apprehend was to thee child's play: lo, here is the (true) man!
آنچ چندین صدر ادراکش نکرد ** لعب کودک بود پیشت اینت مرد
O thou who hast felt the delight of (obeying) my command and hast loyally devoted thy life for the sake of my command,
ای به دیده لذت امر مرا ** جان سپرده بهر امرم در وفا
Now hearken to the tale of the savour and relish of (obeying) the (Divine) command (as related) in the (following) spiritual exposition thereof.”
داستان ذوق امر و چاشنیش ** بشنو اکنون در بیان معنویش
How the King (Mahmud), in the midst of (the company present in) the Diwán and assembly-place, put a pearl in the hand of the Vizier and asked him what it was worth; and how the Vizier gave an extremely high estimate of its value; and when the King commanded hi to break it, answered, “How should I break it?” and so forth.
دادن شاه گوهر را میان دیوان و مجمع به دست وزیر کی این چند ارزد و مبالغه کردن وزیر در قیمت او و فرمودن شاه او را کی اکنون این را بشکن و گفت وزیر کی این را چون بشکنم الی آخر القصه
One day the King hastened to the Diwán: in the Diwán he found all the courtiers (assembled).4035
شاه روزی جانب دیوان شتافت ** جمله ارکان را در آن دیوان بیافت
He produced a radiant pearl and immediately put it in the palm of the Vizier.
گوهری بیرون کشید او مستنیر ** پس نهادش زود در کف وزیر
“How about this pearl?” he asked, “and what is it worth?” He replied, “ is worth more than a hundred ass-loads of gold.”
گفت چونست و چه ارزد این گهر ** گفت به ارزد ز صد خروار زر
He said, “Break it!” “How should I break it?” he replied: “I am a well-wisher to thy treasury and riches.
How should I deem it allowable that a priceless pearl like this should go to waste?”
چون روا دارم که مثل این گهر ** که نیاید در بها گردد هدر
“Well said!” exclaimed the King and presented him with a dress of honour; the generous King took the pearl from him,4040
گفت شاباش و بدادش خلعتی ** گوهر از وی بستد آن شاه و فتی
(But) the munificent monarch bestowed on the Vizier every garment and robe that he wore.
کرد ایثار وزیر آن شاه جود ** هر لباس و حله کو پوشیده بود
For a while he engaged them (the courtiers) in conversation concerning new event and old mystery.
ساعتیشان کرد مشغول سخن ** از قضیه تازه و راز کهن
Afterwards he put it (the pearl) into the hand of a chamberlain, saying, "What is it worth to a would-be purchaser?"
بعد از آن دادش به دست حاجبی ** که چه ارزد این به پیش طالبی
He replied, “It is worth half a kingdom: may God preserve it from destruction!”
گفت ارزد این به نیمه‌ی مملکت ** کش نگهدارا خدا از مهلکت
“Break it,” said he. “O thou whose sword is like the sun he replied, “alas, ‘tis a great pity to break it.4045
گفت بشکن گفت ای خورشیدتیغ ** بس دریغست این شکستن را دریغ
Let alone its value, mark its splendour and brilliancies: this (shining) daylight has become second to it.
قیمتش بگذار بین تاب و لمع ** که شدست این نور روز او را تبع
How should my hand make a movement to break it? How should I be an enemy to the King’s treasure-house?”
دست کی جنبد مرا در کسر او ** که خزینه‌ی شاه را باشم عدو
The King gave him a robe of honour and increased his stipend, and then opened his mouth in praise of his (the chamberlain’s) intelligence;
شاه خلعت داد ادرارش فزود ** پس دهان در مدح عقل او گشود
After a short time he who was making the trial again handed the pearl to the Minister of Justice (Mir-i dád).
بعد یک ساعت به دست میر داد ** در را آن امتحان کن باز داد
He said the same, and all the (other) Amirs said the same: he (the King) bestowed a costly robe of honour on every one (of them). .4050
او همین گفت و همه میران همین ** هر یکی را خلعتی داد او ثمین
The King was raising their salaries, (but in truth) he brought those base wretches from the Way (of salvation) to the pit (of perdition).
جامگیهاشان همی‌افزود شاه ** آن خسیسان را ببرد از ره به جاه
All the fifty or sixty Amirs, one by one, spoke like this in imitation of the Vizier.
این چنین گفتند پنجه شصت امیر ** جمله یک یک هم به تقلید وزیر
Though imitation is the pillar of the (present) world, (yet) every imitator is disgraced on being put to the trial.
گرچه تقلدست استون جهان ** هست رسوا هر مقلد ز امتحان
How the pearl, (passing) from hand to hand, came round at last to Ayáz; and (concerning) the sagacity of Ayáz, and how he did not act in conformity with them and was not beguiled by the King’s giving them goods and riches and increasing their robes of honour and salaries and praising the intelligence of those erring men; for one ought not to regard the imitator as a Moslem: he may be a Moslem, but it rarely happens that he holds fast to his faith and comes off safely from the trials (to which he is exposed)—for he lacks the steadfastness of the clairvoyant——except (in the case of) those whom God preserves; because the Truth is one, and its contrary is very deceptive and like unto it (in appearance). Since the imitator does not know the contrary (so as to distinguish it from the Truth), on that account he cannot have known the Truth; but when, notwithstanding his ignorance, God preserves him by favour, that ignorance does him no harm.
رسیدن گوهر از دست به دست آخر دور به ایاز و کیاست ایاز و مقلد ناشدن او ایشان را و مغرور ناشدن او به گال و مال دادن شاه و خلعتها و جامگیها افزون کردن و مدح عقل مخطان کردن به مکر و امتحان که کی روا باشد مقلد را مسلمان داشتن مسلمان باشد اما نادر باشد کی مقلد ازین امتحانها به سلامت بیرون آید کی ثبات بینایان ندارد الا من عصم الله زیرا حق یکیست و آن را ضد بسیار غلط‌افکن و مشابه حق مقلد چون آن ضد را نشناسد از آن رو حق را نشناخته باشد اما حق با آن ناشناخت او چو او را به عنایت نگاه دارد آن ناشناخت او را زیان ندارد
“Now, O Ayáz, wilt not thou say how much a pearl of this splendour and excellence is worth?”
ای ایاز اکنون نگویی کین گهر ** چند می‌ارزد بدین تاب و هنر
He replied, “More than I am able to say.” He (the King) said, “Now break it immediately into small fragments.”4055
گفت افزون زانچ تانم گفت من ** گفت اکنون زود خردش در شکن
He (Ayáz)’had (two) stones in his sleeve: he quickly reduced it to dust, (for) that seemed to him the right course.
سنگها در آستین بودش شتاب ** خرد کردش پیش او بود آن صواب