All those trusted (officers) began to excuse themselves: they fell prostrate, like a shadow in the presence of the moon.
آن امینان جمله در عذر آمدند ** هم‌چو سایه پیش مه ساجد شدند
In excuse for that heat (hot-headedness) and boasting and egoism they went to the King with sword and winding-sheet,
عذر آن گرمی و لاف و ما و من ** پیش شه رفتند با تیغ و کفن
All of them biting their fingers from shame, and every one saying, “O King of the world,
از خجالت جمله انگشتان گزان ** هر یکی می‌گفت کای شاه جهان
If thou shed (our) blood, ’tis lawful, lawful (for thee to do so); and if thou forgive, ’tis (an act of) grace and bounty.
گر بریزی خون حلالستت حلال ** ور ببخشی هست انعام و نوال
We have done those deeds that were worthy of us: consider what thou wilt command, O glorious King.2090
کرده‌ایم آنها که از ما می‌سزید ** تا چه فرمایی تو ای شاه مجید
If thou forgive our crime, O thou who makest the heart radiant, the night will have shown the qualities of night, and the day (those of) day.
گر ببخشی جرم ما ای دل‌فروز ** شب شبیها کرده باشد روز روز
If thou forgive, despair will be removed; and if not, may a hundred like us be a sacrifice to the King!”
گر ببخشی یافت نومیدی گشاد ** ورنه صد چون ما فدای شاه باد
The King replied, “Nay, I will not show this clemency or deal this punishment: that (right) belongs to Ayáz.
گفت شه نه این نواز و این گداز ** من نخواهم کرد هست آن ایاز
[How the King referred to Ayáz the question of accepting the repentance of the ploiters who had opened his chamber or of punishing them, because he judged that the offence had been committed against his honour.]
حواله کردن پادشاه قبول و توبه‌ی نمامان و حجره گشایان و سزا دادن ایشان با ایاز کی یعنی این جنایت بر عرض او رفته است
This is an offence against his person and honour: the blow is (inflicted) on the veins of that man of goodly ways.
این جنایت بر تن و عرض ویست ** زخم بر رگهای آن نیکوپیست
Although we are spiritually one, formally I am far from (I am unaffected by) this profit and loss.”2095
گرچه نفس واحدیم از روی جان ** ظاهرا دورم ازین سود و زیان
An accusation against a (guilty) servant is no disgrace to the King: it is only (a means of) increasing (His) forbearance and (the servant's) reliance (on His protection).
تهمتی بر بنده شه را عار نیست ** جز مزید حلم و استظهار نیست
Inasmuch as the King makes one who is accused (rich as) Qárún (Korah), consider how He will act towards one who is innocent.
متهم را شاه چون قارون کند ** بی‌گنه را تو نظر کن چون کند
Deem not the King to be ignorant of any one's actions: ’tis only His forbearance that prevents it (the evil action) from being brought to light.
شاه را غافل مدان از کار کس ** مانع اظهار آن حلمست و بس
Here who shall recklessly intercede with His knowledge— (who) except His forbearance?
من هنا یشفع به پیش علم او ** لا ابالی‌وار الا حلم او
The sin arises at first from His forbearance; otherwise, how should His awful majesty give (any) room for it (to arise)?2100
آن گنه اول ز حلمش می‌جهد ** ورنه هیبت آن مجالش کی دهد
(Payment of) the blood-price for the crime of the murderous carnal soul falls on His forbearance: the blood-wit is (an obligation) on the (murderer's) kin.
خونبهای جرم نفس قاتله ** هست بر حلمش دیت بر عاقله
Our carnal soul was intoxicated and made beside itself by that forbearance: during its intoxication the Devil snatched away its cap.
مست و بی‌خود نفس ما زان حلم بود ** دیو در مستی کلاه از وی ربود
Unless the Sáqí, Forbearance, had poured (the intoxicating) wine, how should the Devil have quarrelled with Adam?
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
The truth draws the righteous to righteousness; the false class (of things) draws the false (the wicked).
می‌کشد حق راستان را تا رشد ** قسم باطل باطلان را می‌کشد
(If) the belly be sweet, it draws sweets (to itself); (if) the belly be bilious (acid), it draws vinegar (to itself).2130
معده حلوایی بود حلوا کشد ** معده صفرایی بود سرکا کشد
A burning (hot) carpet takes away coldness from one who sits (on it); a frozen (cold) carpet consumes (his) heat.
فرش سوزان سردی از جالس برد ** فرش افسرده حرارت را خورد
(When) you see a friend, mercy is aroused in you; (when) you see an enemy, violence is aroused in you.
دوست بینی از تو رحمت می‌جهد ** خصم بینی از تو سطوت می‌جهد
“O Ayáz, finish this affair quickly, for expectation is a sort of vengeance.”
ای ایاز این کار را زوتر گزار ** زانک نوعی انتقامست انتظار
How the King bade Ayáz make haste, saying, “Give judgement and bring the matter to decision immediately, and do not keep them waiting or say, ‘We shall meet after some days,’ for expectation is the red death”; and how Ayáz answered the King.
تعجیل فرمودن پادشاه ایاز را کی زود این حکم را به فیصل رسان و منتظر مدار و ایام بیننا مگو کی الانتظار موت الاحمر و جواب گفتن ایاز شاه را
He said, “O King, the command belongs entirely to thee: when the sun is there, the star is naughted.
گفت ای شه جملگی فرمان تراست ** با وجود آفتاب اختر فناست
Who is Venus or Mercury or a meteor that they should come forth in the presence of the sun?2135
زهره کی بود یا عطارد یا شهاب ** کو برون آید به پیش آفتاب