علم الانسان خم طغرای ماست ** علم عند الله مقصدهای ماست
The twisted script of our sign-manual is He taught Man: our aims are (expressed in the words) the knowledge is with God.
تربیه‌ی آن آفتاب روشنیم ** ربی الاعلی از آن رو می‌زنیم
We are (the object of) the nurture of that resplendent Sun: on that account we are crying, “(Glory to) my Lord the Supreme!”
تجربه گر دارد او با این همه ** بشکند صد تجربه زین دمدمه
(The fox said), “If he (the ass) possesses experience, nevertheless a hundred experiences will be shattered by this deceitful palaver (of mine).
بوک توبه بشکند آن سست‌خو ** در رسد شومی اشکستن درو 2590
Maybe that weak-natured one will break his (vow of) repentance, and the bad luck of his breaking it will overtake him.”
در بیان آنک نقض عهد و توبه موجب بلا بود بلک موجب مسخ است چنانک در حق اصحاب سبت و در حق اصحاب مایده‌ی عیسی و جعل منهم القردة و الخنازیر و اندرین امت مسخ دل باشد و به قیامت تن را صورت دل دهند نعوذ بالله
Explaining that the violation of a covenant and (vow of) repentance is the cause of affliction; nay, it is the cause of metamorphosis, as in the case of the “Fellows of the Sabbath” and in the case of the “Fellows (who disbelieved in the miracle) of the Table of Jesus,” for (God hath said), “And He turned them into apes and swine.” And in this community there is (only) metamorphosis of the spirit, but at the Resurrection the form of the spirit will be given to the body.
نقض میثاق و شکست توبه‌ها ** موجب لعنت شود در انتها
To violate a pact and break vows of repentance becomes the cause of accursedness in the end.
نقض توبه و عهد آن اصحاب سبت ** موجب مسخ آمد و اهلاک و مقت
The violation of vows of repentance by the “Fellows of the Sabbath” became the cause of their metamorphosis and destruction and abomination.
پس خدا آن قوم را بوزینه کرد ** چونک عهد حق شکستند از نبرد
Therefore God turned those people into apes, since they rebelliously broke their covenant with God.
اندرین امت نبد مسخ بدن ** لیک مسخ دل بود ای بوالفطن
In this community there has never been metamorphosis of the body, but there is metamorphosis of the spirit, O man endowed with perception.
چون دل بوزینه گردد آن دلش ** از دل بوزینه شد خوار آن گلش 2595
When his spirit becomes the ape-spirit, his clay (body) is debased by the ape-spirit.
گر هنر بودی دلش را ز اختبار ** خوار کی بودی ز صورت آن حمار
How should the ass be debased by his (bodily) form, if his spirit had possessed the virtue (that is derived) from (rational) experience?