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
Saying, ‘Inquire of the caravan (and find out) whence it comes.’ He went and asked all these questions (just) right.
که بپرس از کاروان تا از کجاست ** او برفت این جمله وا پرسید راست
Without instructions, without a hint (from me), he apprehended everything concerning them, point by point, without any uncertainty or doubt.”
بی‌وصیت بی‌اشارت یک به یک ** حالشان دریافت بی ریبی و شک
Everything that was discovered by these thirty Amírs in thirty stages was completed by him (Ayáz) in one moment.400
هر چه زین سی میر اندر سی مقام ** کشف شد زو آن به یکدم شد تمام
How the Amírs endeavoured to rebut that argument by the Necessitarian error and how the King answered them.
مدافعه‌ی امرا آن حجت را به شبهه‌ی جبریانه و جواب دادن شاه ایشان را
Then the Amírs said, “This is a branch (species) of His (God's) providential favours: it has nothing to do with (personal) effort.
پس بگفتند آن امیران کین فنیست ** از عنایتهاش کار جهد نیست
The fair face of the moon is bestowed on it by God, the sweet scent of the rose is the gift of Fortune.”
قسمت حقست مه را روی نغز ** داده‌ی بختست گل را بوی نغز
“Nay,” said the Sultan, “that which proceeds from one's self is the product of (one's own) remissness and the income derived from (one's own) labour.
گفت سلطان بلک آنچ از نفس زاد ** ریع تقصیرست و دخل اجتهاد
Otherwise, how should Adam have said unto God, ‘O our Lord, verily we have wronged ourselves’?
ورنه آدم کی بگفتی با خدا ** ربنا انا ظلمنا نفسنا
Surely he would have said, ‘This sin was from Fate: since it was destiny, what does our precaution avail?’405
خود بگفتی کین گناه از نفس بود ** چون قضا این بود حزم ما چه سود
Like Iblís, who said, ‘Thou hast led me astray: Thou hast broken the cup and art beating me.’”
هم‌چو ابلیسی که گفت اغویتنی ** تو شکستی جام و ما را می‌زنی
Nay, (the Divine) destiny is a fact and the slave's (man's) exertion (of power) is a fact: beware, do not be blind of one eye, like the tatterdemalion Iblís.
بل قضا حقست و جهد بنده حق ** هین مباش اعور چو ابلیس خلق
We are left vacillating between two (alternative) actions: how should this vacillation be without (unaccompanied by) free-will?
در تردد مانده‌ایم اندر دو کار ** این تردد کی بود بی‌اختیار
How should he whose hands and feet are chained say, “Shall I do this or shall I do that?”
این کنم یا آن کنم او کی گود ** که دو دست و پای او بسته بود