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گر روا بد ناله کردم از عدم ** ور نبود این گفتنی نک تن زدم
- If ’twas permitted, I sang of non-existence; and if ’twas not to be told, lo, I was silent.
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این بیان بط حرص منثنیست ** از خلیل آموز که آن بط کشتنیست
- This is the account of the bent (grovelling) duck, which is greed: learn of Khalíl (Abraham) that the duck ought to be killed.
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هست در بط غیر این بس خیر و شر ** ترسم از فوت سخنهای دگر
- In the duck there is much good and evil besides this, (but) I am afraid of missing other (more important) topics of discourse.
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صفت طاوس و طبع او و سبب کشتن ابراهیم علیه‌السلام او را
- Description of the Peacock and its nature, and the cause of its being killed by Abraham, on whom be peace.
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آمدیم اکنون به طاوس دورنگ ** کو کند جلوه برای نام و ننگ 395
- Now we come to the two-coloured (double-faced) peacock, who displays himself for the sake of name and fame.
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همت او صید خلق از خیر و شر ** وز نتیجه و فایده‌ی آن بی‌خبر
- His desire is to catch people: he is ignorant of good and evil and of the result and use of that (catching).
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بی‌خبر چون دام می‌گیرد شکار ** دام را چه علم از مقصود کار
- He catches his prey ignorantly, like a trap: what knowledge has the trap concerning the purpose of its action?
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دام را چه ضر و چه نفع از گرفت ** زین گرفت بیهده‌ش دارم شگفت
- What harm (comes) to the trap, or what benefit, from catching (its prey)? I wonder at its idle catching.
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ای برادر دوستان افراشتی ** با دو صد دلداری و بگذاشتی
- O brother, thou hast uplifted thy friends with two hundred marks of affection, and (then) abandoned (them).
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کارت این بودست از وقت ولاد ** صید مردم کردن از دام وداد 400
- This has been thy business from the hour of (thy) birth: to catch people with the trap of love.
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زان شکار و انبهی و باد و بود ** دست در کن هیچ یابی تار و پود
- From that pursuit (of people) and throng (of friends) and vainglory and self existence wilt thou get any warp or woof? Try and see!