Am not I Thy creature? I grant that I am an ass, (but) wherefore am I wretched, with sores on my back, and lean?
نه که مخلوق توم گیرم خرم ** از چه زار و پشت ریش و لاغرم
At night, because of the pain in my back and the (pangs of) hunger in my belly, I am always wishing to die.
شب ز درد پشت و از جوع شکم ** آرزومندم به مردن دم به دم
These horses are so happy and prosperous: why am I singled out for torment and tribulation?”
حال این اسپان چنین خوش با نوا ** من چه مخصوصم به تعذیب و بلا
Suddenly came the rumour of war: ’twas the time for the Arab horses to be saddled and brought into action.2375
ناگهان آوازه‌ی پیگار شد ** تازیان را وقت زین و کار شد
They were wounded with arrows by the foe: the barbs entered them on every side.
زخمهای تیر خوردند از عدو ** رفت پیکانها دریشان سو به سو
(When) those Arab horses returned from the campaign, they all fell down and lay on their backs in the stable.
از غزا باز آمدند آن تازیان ** اندر آخر جمله افتاده ستان
Their legs were tightly bandaged with (strips of) canvas: the farriers were standing in file,
پایهاشان بسته محکم با نوار ** نعلبندان ایستاده بر قطار
Piercing their bodies with the scalpel in order to extract the barbs from their wounds.
می‌شکافیدند تن‌هاشان بنیش ** تا برون آرند پیکانها ز ریش
The ass saw (all) that, and was saying, “O God, I am satisfied with poverty and health.2380
آن خر آن را دید و می‌گفت ای خدا ** من به فقر و عافیت دادم رضا
I have no taste for that (plentiful) food and those hideous wounds.” Every one who desires (spiritual) health abandons the world.
زان نوا بیزارم و زان زخم زشت ** هرکه خواهد عافیت دنیا بهشت
How the fox disapproved of the saying of the ass, “I am satisfied with my lot.”
ناپسندیدن روباه گفتن خر را کی من راضیم به قسمت
The fox said, “It is an (indispensable) obligation to seek lawful provision in obedience (to the Divine command).
گفت روبه جستن رزق حلال ** فرض باشد از برای امتثال
(This) is the world of means: nothing is obtained without a means: therefore it is important (necessary) to seek (provision).
عالم اسباب و چیزی بی‌سبب ** می‌نباید پس مهم باشد طلب
‘And seek ye of the bounty of God’ is (a Divine) command, lest they (men) should seize (the property of others) by violence, like the leopard.
وابتغوا من فضل الله است امر ** تا نباید غصب کردن هم‌چو نمر
The Prophet hath said, ‘The door is shut against (the arrival of) provision, O youth; and on the door there are locks.’2385
گفت پیغامبر که بر رزق ای فتی ** در فرو بسته‌ست و بر در قفلها
Our movement (exertion) and our going to and fro (in search) and our acquisition is a key to that lock and barrier.
جنبش و آمد شد ما و اکتساب ** هست مفتاحی بر آن قفل و حجاب
Without the key there is no way to open the door: bread without endeavour is not (according to) God's law.”
بی‌کلید این در گشادن راه نیست ** بی‌طلب نان سنت الله نیست
How the ass answered the fox.
جواب گفتن خر روباه را
He (the ass) replied, “That is (the result) of weak faith; else He who gave (us) life (also) gives (us) bread.
گفت از ضعف توکل باشد آن ** ورنه بدهد نان کسی که داد جان
Whoever seeks (spiritual) sovereignty and victory, a mouthful of bread will not fail (him), O son.
هر که جوید پادشاهی و ظفر ** کم نیاید لقمه‌ی نان ای پسر
All wild animals, both the herbivorous and the predatory, are devourers of the (Divine) provision: they neither go in quest of work (to get a livelihood) nor do they support (the burden of) providing (for themselves).2390
دام و دد جمله همه اکال رزق ** نه پی کسپ‌اند نه حمال رزق
The Provider gives their daily bread to all: He lays before each one the portion allotted to him.
جمله را رزاق روزی می‌دهد ** قسمت هر یک به پیشش می‌نهد
The (Divine) provision comes to every one who seeks (to show) patience: the trouble of making efforts arises from your want of patience.”
رزق آید پیش هر که صبر جست ** رنج کوششها ز بی‌صبری تست
How the fox answered the ass.
جواب گفتن روبه خر را
The fox replied, “Such trust in God is exceptional: few are proficient in (the practice of) trust in God.
گفت روبه آن توکل نادرست ** کم کسی اندر توکل ماهرست
’Tis (a mark of) ignorance to concern one's self with the exceptional: how is the King's highway (available) for every one?
گرد نادر گشتن از نادانی است ** هر کسی را کی ره سلطانی است
Since the Prophet hath said that contentment is a treasure, how should the hidden treasure be gained by every one?2395
چون قناعت را پیمبر گنج گفت ** هر کسی را کی رسد گنج نهفت
Recognise your (proper) limit and do not fly aloft, lest you fall into the abyss of woe and bane.”
حد خود بشناس و بر بالا مپر ** تا نیفتی در نشیب شور و شر
How the ass answered the fox.
جواب گفتن خر روباه را
He (the ass) replied, “Know that you are speaking (just) the reverse (of the truth), (for) woe and bane come to the soul from cupidity.
گفت این معکوس می‌گویی بدان ** شور و شر از طمع آید سوی جان
No one was (ever) deprived of (spiritual) life by contentment; no one was (ever) made a (spiritual) king by covetousness.
از قناعت هیچ کس بی‌جان نشد ** از حریصی هیچ کس سلطان نشد
(The daily) bread is not withheld (even) from pigs and dogs: this rain and (these) clouds are not earned by Man.
نان ز خوکان و سگان نبود دریغ ** کسپ مردم نیست این باران و میغ
Just as you are pitiably enamoured of the daily bread, so the daily bread is enamoured of its consumer.2400
آنچنان که عاشقی بر زرق زار ** هست عاشق رزق هم بر رزق‌خوار
Exposition of the meaning of trust in God, (which is illustrated by) the Story of the ascetic who, making trial of his trust in God, abandoned his property and (native) town and went far away from the beaten tracks and thoroughfares of men to the foot of a remote and inaccessible mountain, (where) in extreme hunger he laid his head upon a stone and fell asleep, saying to himself, ‘I put trust in Thy providing the means (of livelihood) and daily bread; and I cut myself off from (all) means (secondary causes) in order that I may experience the causation of trust in God.’
در تقریر معنی توکل حکایت آن زاهد کی توکل را امتحان می‌کرد از میان اسباب و شهر برون آمد و از قوارع و ره‌گذر خلق دور شد و ببن کوهی مهجوری مفقودی در غایت گرسنگی سر بر سر سنگی نهاد و خفت و با خود گفت توکل کردم بر سبب‌سازی و رزاقی تو و از اسباب منقطع شدم تا ببینم سببیت توکل را
A certain ascetic had heard the saying of Mustafá (Mohammed) that the daily bread surely comes from God to the spirit,
آن یکی زاهد شنود از مصطفی ** که یقین آید به جان رزق از خدا
(And that), whether you will or no, your daily bread comes running to you because it is (so) fond of you.
گر بخواهی ور نخواهی رزق تو ** پیش تو آید دوان از عشق تو
By way of trial that man went into the desert and immediately lay down near a mountain,
از برای امتحان آن مرد رفت ** در بیابان نزد کوهی خفت تفت
Saying, ‘I will see whether the daily bread will come to me: (my object is) that my belief in the daily bread may become firm.’
که ببینم رزق می‌آید به من ** تا قوی گردد مرا در رزق ظن
A caravan lost its way and marched towards the mountain: (the travellers) saw lying (there) him who was making the trial.2405
کاروانی راه گم کرد و کشید ** سوی کوه آن ممتحن را خفته دید
(One) said (to another), ‘How is this man destitute here in the wilderness, far from road and town?
گفت این مرد این طرف چونست عور ** در بیابان از ره و از شهر دور
Oh, I wonder, is he dead or alive? (Evidently) he has no fear of wolves or enemies.’
ای عجب مرده‌ست یا زنده که او ** می‌نترسد هیچ از گرگ و عدو
They came on and touched him with their hands: that venerable man deliberately said nothing.
آمدند و دست بر وی می‌زدند ** قاصدا چیزی نگفت آن ارجمند
He did not stir, he did not even move his head or open his eyes, because he was making a trial.
هم نجنبید و نجنبانید سر ** وا نکرد از امتحان هم او بصر
Then they said, ‘This poor disappointed man has had a stroke of apoplexy caused by hunger.’2410
پس بگفتند این ضعیف بی‌مراد ** از مجاعت سکته اندر اوفتاد
They fetched bread and (also) food in a kettle, that they might pour it into his mouth and (down) his throat.
نان بیاوردند و در دیگی طعام ** تا بریزندش به حلقوم و به کام
Thereupon the man purposely clenched his teeth, in order to see (test) the truth of that promise.
پس بقاصد مرد دندان سخت کرد ** تا ببیند صدق آن میعاد مرد
They felt pity for him and said, ‘This man is starving and perishing with hunger and at the point of death’;
رحمشان آمد که این بس بی‌نواست ** وز مجاعت هالک مرگ و فناست
(So) they brought a knife and hastily made a rift in his closed teeth.
کارد آوردند قوم اشتافتند ** بسته دندانهاش را بشکافتند
They poured soup into his mouth and forced into it fragments of bread.2415