Like a Nimrod, repel Him by war (if you can)! Launch an arrow of (hard) poplar-wood into the air against Him!
پس بکن دفعش چو نمرودی به جنگ ** سوی او کش در هوا تیری خدنگ
Like the Mongol soldiery, shoot an arrow at Heaven to prevent your soul being torn (from your body)!
هم‌چو اسپاه مغل بر آسمان ** تیر می‌انداز دفع نزع جان
Or flee from Him, if you can, and go (your way); (but) how can you go, since you are a pawn in His hand?375
یا گریز از وی اگر توانی برو ** چون روی چون در کف اویی گرو
(When) you were in non-existence, you did not escape from His hand: how will you escape from His hand (now), O helpless one?
در عدم بودی نرستی از کفش ** از کف او چون رهی ای دست‌خوش
To seek (one's own) desire is to flee (from God) and shed the blood of piety in the presence of His justice.
آرزو جستن بود بگریختن ** پیش عدلش خون تقوی ریختن
This world is a trap, and desire is its bait: flee from the traps, quickly turn your face (towards God).
این جهان دامست و دانه‌آرزو ** در گریز از دامها روی آر زو
When you have gone this way, you have enjoyed a hundred (spiritual) blessings; when you have gone the opposite way, you have fared ill.
چون چنین رفتی بدیدی صد گشاد ** چون شدی در ضد آن دیدی فساد
Therefore the Prophet said, “Consult your hearts, though the mufti outside gives you advice in (worldly) affairs.”380
پس پیمبر گفت استفتوا القلوب ** گر چه مفتیتان برون گوید خطوب
Abandon desire, in order that He may have mercy (on you): you have found by experience that such (renunciation) is required by Him.
آرزو بگذار تا رحم آیدش ** آزمودی که چنین می‌بایدش
Since you cannot escape, do service to Him, that you may go from His prison into His rose-garden.
چون نتانی جست پس خدمت کنش ** تا روی از حبس او در گلشنش
When you keep watch (over your thoughts and actions) continually, you are always seeing the (Divine) justice and the (Divine) Judge, O misguided man;
دم به دم چون تو مراقب می‌شوی ** داد می‌بینی و داور ای غوی
And if you shut your eyes because you have veiled yourself (in heedlessness), (yet) how should the sun relinquish its work?
ور ببندی چشم خود را ز احتجاب ** کار خود را کی گذارد آفتاب
How the King (Mahmúd) revealed to the Amírs and those who were intriguing against Ayáz the reason of his superiority to them in rank and favour and salary, (explaining it) in such a manner that no argument or objection was left for them (to bring forward).
وا نمودن پادشاه به امرا و متعصبان در راه ایاز سبب فضیلت و مرتبت و قربت و جامگی او بریشان بر وجهی کی ایشان را حجت و اعتراض نماند
When the Amírs boiled over with envy (of Ayáz), at last they taunted their King,385
چون امیران از حسد جوشان شدند ** عاقبت بر شاه خود طعنه زدند
Saying, “This Ayáz of thine has not thirty intellects: how should he consume the salary of thirty Amírs?”
کین ایاز تو ندارد سی خرد ** جامگی سی امیر او چون خورد
The King, accompanied by the thirty Amírs, went out to hunt in the desert and mountain-land.
شاه بیرون رفت با آن سی امیر ** سوی صحرا و کهستان صیدگیر
The monarch descried a caravan in the distance: he said to an Amír, “Go, man of weak judgement,
کاروانی دید از دور آن ملک ** گفت امیری را برو ای متفک
Go and ask that caravan at the custom-house from what city they are arriving.”
رو بپرس آن کاروان را بر رصد ** کز کدامین شهر اندر می‌رسد
He went and asked and returned, saying, “From Rayy.” “Whither bound?” asked the King. He (the Amír) was unable (to reply).390
رفت و پرسید و بیامد که ز ری ** گفت عزمش تا کجا درماند وی
(Then) he said to another (Amír), “Go, noble lord, and ask whither the caravan is bound.”
دیگری را گفت رو ای بوالعلا ** باز پرس از کاروان که تا کجا
He went and returned and said, “For Yemen.” “Ha,” said the King, “what is their merchandise, O trusty one?”
رفت و آمد گفت تا سوی یمن ** گفت رختش چیست هان ای موتمن
He (the Amír) remained (silent) in perplexity. (Then) the King said to another Amír, “Go and inquire (what is) the merchandise of those people.”
ماند حیران گفت با میری دگر ** که برو وا پرس رخت آن نفر
He came back and said, “It is of every sort; the greater part consists of cups made in Rayy.”
باز آمد گفت از هر جنس هست ** اغلب آن کاسه‌های رازیست
He (the King) asked, “When did they set out from the city of Rayy?” The dull-witted Amír remained (silent) in perplexity.395
گفت کی بیرون شدند از شهر ری ** ماند حیران آن امیر سست پی
So (it went on) till thirty Amírs and more (had been tested): (all were) feeble in judgement and deficient in (mental) power.
هم‌چنین تا سی امیر و بیشتر ** سست‌رای و ناقص اندر کر و فر
(Then) he said to the Amírs, “One day I put my Ayáz to the test separately,
گفت امیران را که من روزی جدا ** امتحان کردم ایاز خویش را