Since I wish to give this girl to some person, ’tis most fitting (that I should give her) to thee, O dear friend;
چون کسی را داد خواهم این کنیز ** پس ترا اولیترست این ای عزیز
For thou didst hazard thy life for the sake of (obtaining) her: it would not be fair to give her to any one but thee.”
که تو جانبازی نمودی بهر او ** خوش نباشد دادن آن جز به تو
He gave her in marriage and handed her over to him: he crushed anger and cupidity to atoms.
عقد کردش با امیر او را سپرد ** کرد خشم و حرص را او خرد و مرد
Explaining that the words “We have apportioned” mean that He (God) bestows on one the lust and (physical) strength of asses and on another the intelligence and (spiritual) strength of the prophets and the angels. “To turn the head away from sensual desire is (a mark of) nobility; to abandon sensual desire is (a mark of) the (spiritual) strength that belongs to prophethood.” “The seeds that are not sown in lust—their fruit only appears at the Resurrection.”
بیان آنک نحن قسمنا کی یکی را شهوت و قوت خران دهد و یکی را کیاست و قوت انبیا و فرشتگان بخشد سر ز هوا تافتن از سروریست ترک هوا قوت پیغامبریست تخمهایی کی شهوتی نبود بر آن جز قیامتی نبود
If he (the Caliph) was deficient in the masculinity of asses, (yet) he possessed the manliness of the prophets.4025
گر بدش سستی نری خران ** بود او را مردی پیغامبران
It is (true) manliness and the nature of prophethood to abandon anger and lust and greed.
ترک خشم و شهوت و حرص‌آوری ** هست مردی و رگ پیغامبری
Let the masculinity of the ass be lacking in his nature, (what of that?): God calls him the great Beylerbey.
(If) I be a dead man and (if) God look on me (with favour), (my case is) better than (that of) the living man who is far (from God) and rejected (by Him).
مرده‌ای باشم به من حق بنگرد ** به از آن زنده که باشد دور و رد
Recognise this (abandonment of sensuality) to be the kernel of manliness, and that (indulgence in sensuality) to be the husk: the latter leads to Hell, the former to Paradise.
مغز مردی این شناس و پوست آن ** آن برد دوزخ برد این در جنان
(The Tradition) “Paradise is encompassed with things disliked” has come (down to us); “Hell-fire is encompassed with sensual desire” has been declared.4030
حفت الجنه مکاره را رسید ** حفت النار از هوا آمد پدید
“O Ayáz, fierce demon-killing lion, (thou in whom) the manliness of the ass is inferior (subjugated), the manliness of Reason superior (predominant),
ای ایاز شیر نر دیوکش ** مردی خر کم فزون مردی هش
That which so many eminent persons did not apprehend was to thee child's play: lo, here is the (true) man!
آنچ چندین صدر ادراکش نکرد ** لعب کودک بود پیشت اینت مرد
O thou who hast felt the delight of (obeying) my command and hast loyally devoted thy life for the sake of my command,
ای به دیده لذت امر مرا ** جان سپرده بهر امرم در وفا
Now hearken to the tale of the savour and relish of (obeying) the (Divine) command (as related) in the (following) spiritual exposition thereof.”
داستان ذوق امر و چاشنیش ** بشنو اکنون در بیان معنویش
How the King (Mahmud), in the midst of (the company present in) the Diwán and assembly-place, put a pearl in the hand of the Vizier and asked him what it was worth; and how the Vizier gave an extremely high estimate of its value; and when the King commanded hi to break it, answered, “How should I break it?” and so forth.
دادن شاه گوهر را میان دیوان و مجمع به دست وزیر کی این چند ارزد و مبالغه کردن وزیر در قیمت او و فرمودن شاه او را کی اکنون این را بشکن و گفت وزیر کی این را چون بشکنم الی آخر القصه
One day the King hastened to the Diwán: in the Diwán he found all the courtiers (assembled).4035
شاه روزی جانب دیوان شتافت ** جمله ارکان را در آن دیوان بیافت
He produced a radiant pearl and immediately put it in the palm of the Vizier.
گوهری بیرون کشید او مستنیر ** پس نهادش زود در کف وزیر
“How about this pearl?” he asked, “and what is it worth?” He replied, “ is worth more than a hundred ass-loads of gold.”
گفت چونست و چه ارزد این گهر ** گفت به ارزد ز صد خروار زر
He said, “Break it!” “How should I break it?” he replied: “I am a well-wisher to thy treasury and riches.
How should I deem it allowable that a priceless pearl like this should go to waste?”
چون روا دارم که مثل این گهر ** که نیاید در بها گردد هدر
“Well said!” exclaimed the King and presented him with a dress of honour; the generous King took the pearl from him,4040
گفت شاباش و بدادش خلعتی ** گوهر از وی بستد آن شاه و فتی
(But) the munificent monarch bestowed on the Vizier every garment and robe that he wore.
کرد ایثار وزیر آن شاه جود ** هر لباس و حله کو پوشیده بود
For a while he engaged them (the courtiers) in conversation concerning new event and old mystery.
ساعتیشان کرد مشغول سخن ** از قضیه تازه و راز کهن
Afterwards he put it (the pearl) into the hand of a chamberlain, saying, "What is it worth to a would-be purchaser?"
بعد از آن دادش به دست حاجبی ** که چه ارزد این به پیش طالبی
He replied, “It is worth half a kingdom: may God preserve it from destruction!”
گفت ارزد این به نیمه‌ی مملکت ** کش نگهدارا خدا از مهلکت
“Break it,” said he. “O thou whose sword is like the sun he replied, “alas, ‘tis a great pity to break it.4045
گفت بشکن گفت ای خورشیدتیغ ** بس دریغست این شکستن را دریغ
Let alone its value, mark its splendour and brilliancies: this (shining) daylight has become second to it.
قیمتش بگذار بین تاب و لمع ** که شدست این نور روز او را تبع
How should my hand make a movement to break it? How should I be an enemy to the King’s treasure-house?”
دست کی جنبد مرا در کسر او ** که خزینه‌ی شاه را باشم عدو
The King gave him a robe of honour and increased his stipend, and then opened his mouth in praise of his (the chamberlain’s) intelligence;
شاه خلعت داد ادرارش فزود ** پس دهان در مدح عقل او گشود
After a short time he who was making the trial again handed the pearl to the Minister of Justice (Mir-i dád).
بعد یک ساعت به دست میر داد ** در را آن امتحان کن باز داد
He said the same, and all the (other) Amirs said the same: he (the King) bestowed a costly robe of honour on every one (of them). .4050
او همین گفت و همه میران همین ** هر یکی را خلعتی داد او ثمین
The King was raising their salaries, (but in truth) he brought those base wretches from the Way (of salvation) to the pit (of perdition).
جامگیهاشان همی‌افزود شاه ** آن خسیسان را ببرد از ره به جاه
All the fifty or sixty Amirs, one by one, spoke like this in imitation of the Vizier.
این چنین گفتند پنجه شصت امیر ** جمله یک یک هم به تقلید وزیر
Though imitation is the pillar of the (present) world, (yet) every imitator is disgraced on being put to the trial.
گرچه تقلدست استون جهان ** هست رسوا هر مقلد ز امتحان
How the pearl, (passing) from hand to hand, came round at last to Ayáz; and (concerning) the sagacity of Ayáz, and how he did not act in conformity with them and was not beguiled by the King’s giving them goods and riches and increasing their robes of honour and salaries and praising the intelligence of those erring men; for one ought not to regard the imitator as a Moslem: he may be a Moslem, but it rarely happens that he holds fast to his faith and comes off safely from the trials (to which he is exposed)—for he lacks the steadfastness of the clairvoyant——except (in the case of) those whom God preserves; because the Truth is one, and its contrary is very deceptive and like unto it (in appearance). Since the imitator does not know the contrary (so as to distinguish it from the Truth), on that account he cannot have known the Truth; but when, notwithstanding his ignorance, God preserves him by favour, that ignorance does him no harm.
رسیدن گوهر از دست به دست آخر دور به ایاز و کیاست ایاز و مقلد ناشدن او ایشان را و مغرور ناشدن او به گال و مال دادن شاه و خلعتها و جامگیها افزون کردن و مدح عقل مخطان کردن به مکر و امتحان که کی روا باشد مقلد را مسلمان داشتن مسلمان باشد اما نادر باشد کی مقلد ازین امتحانها به سلامت بیرون آید کی ثبات بینایان ندارد الا من عصم الله زیرا حق یکیست و آن را ضد بسیار غلط‌افکن و مشابه حق مقلد چون آن ضد را نشناسد از آن رو حق را نشناخته باشد اما حق با آن ناشناخت او چو او را به عنایت نگاه دارد آن ناشناخت او را زیان ندارد
“Now, O Ayáz, wilt not thou say how much a pearl of this splendour and excellence is worth?”
ای ایاز اکنون نگویی کین گهر ** چند می‌ارزد بدین تاب و هنر