Inasmuch as greed causes the sun to be hidden (from him), what wonder if he turn his back on the convincing proof?
حرص چون خورشید را پنهان کند ** چه عجب گر پشت بر برهان کند
A Story illustrating and confirming the view that mankind have the power of choice, and showing that Pre-ordination and Predestination do not annul the power of choice.
حکایت هم در بیان تقریر اختیار خلق و بیان آنک تقدیر و قضا سلب کننده‌ی اختیار نیست
A thief said to the magistrate, ‘O (my) king, that which I have done was decreed by God.’
گفت دزدی شحنه را کای پادشاه ** آنچ کردم بود آن حکم اله
The magistrate replied, ‘That which I am doing is also decreed by God, O light of my eyes.’
گفت شحنه آنچ من هم می‌کنم ** حکم حقست ای دو چشم روشنم
If any one take a radish from a (greengrocer's) shop, saying, ‘This is decreed by God, O man of understanding,’3060
از دکانی گر کسی تربی برد ** کین ز حکم ایزدست ای با خرد
You (the greengrocer) will give him two or three blows on the head with your fist, (as though to say), ‘O detestable man, this (beating) is God's decree that you put it (the radish) back here.’
بر سرش کوبی دو سه مشت ای کره ** حکم حقست این که اینجا باز نه
Since this excuse, O trifler, is not accepted (even) by a greengrocer in the case of (stealing) a single vegetable,
در یکی تره چو این عذر ای فضول ** می‌نیاید پیش بقالی قبول
How are you placing (such) a reliance on this excuse and frequenting the neighbourhood of (such) a dragon?
چون بدین عذر اعتمادی می‌کنی ** بر حوالی اژدهایی می‌تنی
By (making) an excuse like this, O ignoble simpleton, you sacrifice all—your life, your property, and your wife;
از چنین عذر ای سلیم نانبیل ** خون و مال و زن همه کردی سبیل
(For) afterwards every one will pluck your moustache and offer (the same) excuse and make himself out to be acting under compulsion.3065
هر کسی پس سبلت تو بر کند ** عذر آرد خویش را مضطر کند
If ‘the decree of God’ seems to you a proper excuse, then instruct me and give me a canonical decision (on the point);
حکم حق گر عذر می‌شاید ترا ** پس بیاموز و بده فتوی مرا
For I have a hundred desires and lusts, (but) my hand is tied by fear and awe (of God).
که مرا صد آرزو و شهوتست ** دست من بسته ز بیم و هیبتست
Do me a favour, then: teach me the excuse, untie the knots from my hands and feet!
پس کرم کن عذر را تعلیم ده ** برگشا از دست و پای من گره
You have chosen a handicraft, (thereby) saying (virtually), ‘I have a (certain) choice and a (certain) thought.’
اختیاری کرده‌ای تو پیشه‌ای ** که اختیاری دارم و اندیشه‌ای
Otherwise, how have you chosen that (particular) handicraft out of all the rest, O master of the house?3070
ورنه چون بگزیده‌ای آن پیشه را ** از میان پیشه‌ها ای کدخدا
When the hour comes for the flesh and the passions (to be indulged), there comes to you as great a power of choice as is possessed by twenty men;
چونک آید نوبت نفس و هوا ** بیست مرده اختیار آید ترا
When your friend deprives you of a farthing of profit, the power to pick a quarrel (with him) is (at once) developed in your soul;
چون برد یک حبه از تو یار سود ** اختیار جنگ در جانت گشود
(But) when the hour comes for thanksgiving on account of (God's) benefactions, you have no power of choice and are inferior to a stone.
چون بیاید نوبت شکر نعم ** اختیارت نیست وز سنگی تو کم
Assuredly this will be the excuse of your Hell, (namely), ‘Consider me excused for this burning!’
دوزخت را عذر این باشد یقین ** که اندرین سوزش مرا معذور بین
Since no one holds you excusable on this plea, and (since) this (plea) does not keep you out of the hands of the executioner,3075
(Clearly), then, the (present) world is arranged according to this rule, and the state of things in yonder world too is made known to you.
پس بدین داور جهان منظوم شد ** حال آن عالم همت معلوم شد
Another Story in answer to the Necessitarian, confirming (Man's) power of choice and the validity of the (Divine) commands and prohibitions, and showing that the Necessitarian's excuse is not accepted in any religious sect or in any religion and that it does not save him from being duly punished for the (sinful) actions which he has committed, just as the Necessitarian Iblís was not saved (from punishment) by saying (to God), ‘Because Thou hast made me to err.’ And the little indicates the much.
حکایت هم در جواب جبری و اثبات اختیار و صحت امر و نهی و بیان آنک عذر جبری در هیچ ملتی و در هیچ دینی مقبول نیست و موجب خلاص نیست از سزای آن کار کی کرده است چنانک خلاص نیافت ابلیس جبری بدان کی گفت بما اغویتنی والقلیل یدل علی الکثیر
A certain man was climbing up a tree and vigorously scattering the fruit in the manner of thieves.
آن یکی می‌رفت بالای درخت ** می‌فشاند آن میوه را دزدانه سخت
The owner of the orchard came along and said (to him), ‘O rascal, where is your reverence for God? What are you doing?’
صاحب باغ آمد و گفت ای دنی ** از خدا شرمیت کو چه می‌کنی
He replied, ‘If a servant of God eat from God's orchard the dates which God has bestowed upon him as a gift,
گفت از باغ خدا بنده‌ی خدا ** گر خورد خرما که حق کردش عطا
Why do you vulgarly blame (him)? Stinginess at the table of the all-Rich Lord!’3080
عامیانه چه ملامت می‌کنی ** بخل بر خوان خداوند غنی
‘O Aybak,’ said he, ‘fetch that rope, that I may give my answer to Bu ’l-Hasan (to this fine fellow).’
گفت ای ایبک بیاور آن رسن ** تا بگویم من جواب بوالحسن
Then at once he bound him tightly to the tree and thrashed him hard on the back and legs with a cudgel.
پس ببستش سخت آن دم بر درخت ** می‌زد او بر پشت و ساقش چوب سخت
He (the thief) cried, ‘Pray, have some reverence for God! Thou art killing me miserably who am innocent.’
گفت آخر از خدا شرمی بدار ** می‌کشی این بی‌گنه را زار زار
He answered, ‘With God's cudgel this servant of His is soundly beating the back of another servant.
گفت از چوب خدا این بنده‌اش ** می‌زند بر پشت دیگر بنده خوش
’Tis God's cudgel, and the back and sides belong to Him: I am (only) the slave and instrument of His command.’3085
چوب حق و پشت و پهلو آن او ** من غلام و آلت فرمان او
He (the thief) said, ‘O cunning knave, I make a recantation of Necessitarianism: there is free-will, there is free-will, (there is) free-will!’
گفت توبه کردم از جبر ای عیار ** اختیارست اختیارست اختیار
His (God's universal) power of choice brought (our individual) powers of choice into existence: His power of choice is like a rider (hidden) beneath the dust (which he raises).
اختیارات اختیارش هست کرد ** اختیارش چون سواری زیر گرد
His (God's) power of choice makes our power of choice; His command is based on (is exercised in virtue of) a power of choice (in us).
اختیارش اختیار ما کند ** امر شد بر اختیاری مستند
Every created being has it in his power to exercise authority over the form (that is) without free-will,
حاکمی بر صورت بی‌اختیار ** هست هر مخلوق را در اقتدار
So that he (who is in possession of that power) drags (whither he pleases) the (lifeless) prey devoid of will, (or) so that having seized Zayd by the ear, he leads him away.3090
تا کشد بی‌اختیاری صید را ** تا برد بگرفته گوش او زید را
But (it is) the action of the Lord (that), without (using) any instrument, makes his free-will a noose for him (to catch Zayd).
لیک بی هیچ آلتی صنع صمد ** اختیارش را کمند او کند
His (God's) free-will makes him a fetter for Zayd: God makes him (Zayd's captor) His prey without (the help of) dog or snare.
اختیارش زید را قدیش کند ** بی‌سگ و بی‌دام حق صیدش کند
The carpenter has authority over a piece of wood, and the artist has authority over (the portrait of) a beauty;
آن دروگر حاکم چوبی بود ** وآن مصور حاکم خوبی بود
The ironsmith is a superintendent of iron; the builder also is a ruler over his tools.
هست آهنگر بر آهن قیمی ** هست بنا هم بر آلت حاکمی
This (matter) is extraordinary; for all this (human) free-will is bowing low, like a slave, in (homage to) His (God's) free-will.3095
نادر این باشد که چندین اختیار ** ساجد اندر اختیارش بنده‌وار
When did the power forcibly exercised by you over inanimate objects deprive them of (their) inanimateness?
قدرت تو بر جمادات از نبرد ** کی جمادی را از آنها نفی کرد
Similarly, His (God's) power over (our) acts of free-will does not deprive any act of free-will of that (quality).
قدرتش بر اختیارات آنچنان ** نفی نکند اختیاری را از آن
Declare that His (God's) will is (exercised) in a complete manner, (but) without there being (involved in it) the attribution (to Him) of compulsion (jabr) and (responsibility for) error (disobedience to His commands).
خواستش می‌گوی بر وجه کمال ** که نباشد نسبت جبر و ضلال
Since you have said, ‘My unbelief is willed by Him,’ know that it is also willed by yourself;
چونک گفتی کفر من خواست ویست ** خواست خود را نیز هم می‌دان که هست
For without your will your unbelief does not exist at all: involuntary unbelief is a self-contradiction.3100
زانک بی‌خواه تو خود کفر تو نیست ** کفر بی‌خواهش تناقض گفتنیست
’Tis abominable and blameworthy to lay a command on one incapable (of obeying it); and anger (on account of his disobedience) is worse, especially from the Merciful Lord.
امر عاجز را قبیحست و ذمیم ** خشم بتر خاصه از رب رحیم
An ox is beaten if he refuse the yoke: is an ox (ever) reduced to misery because he will not fly?
گاو گر یوغی نگیرد می‌زنند ** هیچ گاوی که نپرد شد نژند
Since the ox is not excused for frowardness, wherefore is the owner of the ox (to be held) excusable and infirm?
گاو چون معذور نبود در فضول ** صاحب گاو از چه معذورست و دول
Since you are not ill, don't bandage your head: you have freewill, don't laugh at your moustache.
چون نه‌ای رنجور سر را بر مبند ** اختیارت هست بر سبلت مخند
Endeavour to gain freshness (spiritual grace) from God's cup (of love): then you will become selfless and volitionless.3105
جهد کن کز جام حق یابی نوی ** بی‌خود و بی‌اختیار آنگه شوی
Then all volition will belong to that Wine, and you will be absolutely excusable, like a drunken man.
آنگه آن می را بود کل اختیار ** تو شوی معذور مطلق مست‌وار