هر یکی از حال دیگر بی‌خبر ** ملک با پهنا و بی‌پایان و سر
Every one is ignorant of another's condition (in) the kingdom (which is) wide and without end or beginning.
این در آن حیران که او از چیست خوش ** وآن درین خیره که حیرت چیستش
This one is amazed at that one and asks wherefore he is happy, while that one is astounded at this one and asks why he is amazed.
صحن ارض الله واسع آمده ** هر درختی از زمینی سر زده 2560
The area of God's earth is spacious: every tree springs up from a certain soil.
بر درختان شکر گویان برگ و شاخ ** که زهی ملک و زهی عرصه‌ی فراخ
The leaves and boughs on the trees are giving thanks (to God), crying, “Oh, what a fine kingdom! Oh, what a broad expanse!”
بلبلان گرد شکوفه‌ی پر گره ** که از آنچ می‌خوری ما را بده
The nightingales are (flying) round the knobby blossom, saying, “Give us some of that which thou drinkest.”
این سخن پایان ندارد کن رجوع ** سوی آن روباه و شیر و سقم و جوع
This discourse hath no end: return to the fox and the lion and the (lion's) sickness and hunger.
بردن روبه خر را پیش شیر و جستن خر از شیر و عتاب کردن روباه با شیر کی هنوز خر دور بود تعجیل کردی و عذر گفتن شیر و لابه کردن روبه را شیر کی برو بار دگرش به فریب
How the fox brought the ass to the lion, and how the ass jumped away from the lion, and how the fox reproached the lion, saying, “The ass was still far off: you were too hasty”; and how the lion made excuses and entreated the fox to go and trick him a second time.
چونک بر کوهش بسوی مرج برد ** تا کند شیرش به حمله خرد و مرد
When he (the fox) brought him (the ass) up the hill towards the meadow, in order that the lion might pulverise him with a (sudden) charge,
دور بود از شیر و آن شیر از نبرد ** تا به نزدیک آمدن صبری نکرد 2565
He (the ass) was (still) far from the lion, but the lion would not wait for him to come near before attacking.
گنبدی کرد از بلندی شیر هول ** خود نبودش قوت و امکان حول
The terrible lion made a spring from an eminence, (though) indeed he had not the strength and power to move (effectively).
خر ز دورش دید و برگشت و گریز ** تا به زیر کوه تازان نعل ریز
The ass saw him from afar and turned and fled to the bottom of the hill, dropping his shoes as he ran.