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سنگ آورد و مگس را دید باز ** بر رخ خفته گرفته جای ساز
- He fetched the stone, and saw the flies again settled comfortably on the face of the sleeper.
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بر گرفت آن آسیا سنگ و بزد ** بر مگس تا آن مگس واپس خزد
- He took up that millstone and struck at the flies, in order that they might retire.
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سنگ روی خفته را خشخاش کرد ** این مثل بر جمله عالم فاش کرد
- The stone made powder of the sleeping man’s face, and published to the whole world this adage––.
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مهر ابله مهر خرس آمد یقین ** کین او مهر است و مهر اوست کین 2130
- “The love of a fool is for sure the love of a bear: his hate is love and his love is hate.”
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عهد او سست است و ویران و ضعیف ** گفت او زفت و وفای او نحیف
- His promise is infirm and corrupt and feeble; his word stout and his performance lean.
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گر خورد سوگند هم باور مکن ** بشکند سوگند، مرد کژ سخن
- Do not believe him, even if he take an oath: the man whose speech is false will break his oath.
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چون که بیسوگند گفتش بد دروغ ** تو میفت از مکر و سوگندش به دوغ
- Inasmuch as, without the oath, his word was a lie, do not be entrapped by his deceit and oath.
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نفس او میر است و عقل او اسیر ** صد هزاران مصحفش خود خوردهگیر
- His fleshly soul is in command, and his intellect captive; even suppose that he has sworn on a hundred thousand Qur’áns,
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چون که بیسوگند پیمان بشکند ** گر خورد سوگند هم آن بشکند 2135
- (Yet), since without (taking) an oath he will break his pact- if he take an oath, he will break that too;
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ز آن که نفس آشفتهتر گردد از آن ** که کنی بندش به سوگند گران
- Because the fleshly soul becomes (all) the more infuriated by your binding it with a heavy oath.