This world is a trap, and desire is its bait: flee from the traps, quickly turn your face (towards God).
این جهان دامست و دانه‌آرزو ** در گریز از دامها روی آر زو
When you have gone this way, you have enjoyed a hundred (spiritual) blessings; when you have gone the opposite way, you have fared ill.
چون چنین رفتی بدیدی صد گشاد ** چون شدی در ضد آن دیدی فساد
Therefore the Prophet said, “Consult your hearts, though the mufti outside gives you advice in (worldly) affairs.”380
پس پیمبر گفت استفتوا القلوب ** گر چه مفتیتان برون گوید خطوب
Abandon desire, in order that He may have mercy (on you): you have found by experience that such (renunciation) is required by Him.
آرزو بگذار تا رحم آیدش ** آزمودی که چنین می‌بایدش
Since you cannot escape, do service to Him, that you may go from His prison into His rose-garden.
چون نتانی جست پس خدمت کنش ** تا روی از حبس او در گلشنش
When you keep watch (over your thoughts and actions) continually, you are always seeing the (Divine) justice and the (Divine) Judge, O misguided man;
دم به دم چون تو مراقب می‌شوی ** داد می‌بینی و داور ای غوی
And if you shut your eyes because you have veiled yourself (in heedlessness), (yet) how should the sun relinquish its work?
ور ببندی چشم خود را ز احتجاب ** کار خود را کی گذارد آفتاب
How the King (Mahmúd) revealed to the Amírs and those who were intriguing against Ayáz the reason of his superiority to them in rank and favour and salary, (explaining it) in such a manner that no argument or objection was left for them (to bring forward).
وا نمودن پادشاه به امرا و متعصبان در راه ایاز سبب فضیلت و مرتبت و قربت و جامگی او بریشان بر وجهی کی ایشان را حجت و اعتراض نماند
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
Can there ever be in my head such a dilemma as this, (namely), “Shall I walk on the sea or shall I fly aloft?”410
هیچ باشد این تردد بر سرم ** که روم در بحر یا بالا پرم
(No); there is (only) this (kind of) vacillation, (namely), “Shall I go toMosul (for trade) or shall I go to Babylon for (the study of) magic?”
این تردد هست که موصل روم ** یا برای سحر تا بابل روم
Vacillation, then, must have (in connexion with it) a power to act; otherwise, it would be a (mere) mockery.
پس تردد را بباید قدرتی ** ورنه آن خنده بود بر سبلتی
Do not put the blame on Destiny, O youth: how can you lay upon others (responsibility for) your own sin?
بر قضا کم نه بهانه ای جوان ** جرم خود را چون نهی بر دیگران
Does Zayd commit murder, and the retaliation for which he is liable fall upon ‘Amr? Does ‘Amr drink wine, and the penalty for wine(-drinking) fall upon Ahmad?
خون کند زید و قصاص او به عمر ** می خورد عمرو و بر احمد حد خمر
Circle round yourself and perceive your sin: perceive that the movement proceeds from the sun and do not regard it as proceeding from the shadow;415
گرد خود برگرد و جرم خود ببین ** جنبش از خود بین و از سایه مبین
For the Lord's retribution will not err: that sagacious Lord knows the guilty one.
که نخواهد شد غلط پاداش میر ** خصم را می‌داند آن میر بصیر
When you have eaten (too much) honey, the fever (caused by it) does not come to (does not attack) another; your day's wages do not come at nightfall to another.
چون عسل خوردی نیامد تب به غیر ** مزد روز تو نیامد شب به غیر
In what (work) have you exerted yourself without its returning to you (in some form) What have you sown without the produce of the seed coming (back to you)?
در چه کردی جهد کان وا تو نگشت ** تو چه کاریدی که نامد ریع کشت
Your action that is born of your soul and body clings to your skirt, like your (own) child.
فعل تو که زاید از جان و تنت ** هم‌چو فرزندت بگیرد دامنت
In the Unseen World the action is given a form (corresponding to its nature): is not a gallows erected (in retribution) for the act of robbery?420
فعل را در غیب صورت می‌کنند ** فعل دزدی را نه داری می‌زنند
How should the gallows resemble robbery? But that is the form given (to robbery) by God who knoweth things unseen,
دار کی ماند به دزدی لیک آن ** هست تصویر خدای غیب‌دان
Since God inspired the prefect's heart to make such a form for justice' sake.
در دل شحنه چو حق الهام داد ** که چنین صورت بساز از بهر داد
So long as you are wise and just, how should Destiny deal justice and give retribution not in accordance (with your actions)?
تا تو عالم باشی و عادل قضا ** نامناسب چون دهد داد و سزا
Since a judge does this in the case of a virtuous man, how (then) will the most Just of these judges give judgement?
چونک حاکم این کند اندر گزین ** چون کند حکم احکم این حاکمین
When you sow barley nothing except barley will grow up: (if) you have borrowed, from whom (but yourself) will you require the security?425
چون بکاری جو نروید غیر جو ** قرض تو کردی ز که خواهد گرو
Do not lay (responsibility for) your sin upon any one else: give your mind and ear to this retribution.
جرم خود را بر کسی دیگر منه ** هوش و گوش خود بدین پاداش ده
Lay the sin upon yourself, for you yourself sowed (the seed): make peace with the recompense and justice of God.
جرم بر خود نه که تو خود کاشتی ** با جزا و عدل حق کن آشتی