خلق می‌گفتند زاغ از مکر و کید ** چغز آبی را چگونه کرد صید
The people were saying, “How could the raven make the water-frog its prey by craft and cunning?
چون شد اندر آب و چونش در ربود ** چغز آبی کی شکار زاغ بود
How could it go into the water, and how could it carry him off? When was the water-frog (ever) the raven's prey?”
چغز گفتا این سزای آن کسی ** کو چو بی‌آبان شود جفت خسی
“This,” said the frog, “is the fit punishment for that one who, like persons devoid of honour, consorts with a rascal.”
ای فغان از یار ناجنس ای فغان ** هم‌نشین نیک جویید ای مهان 2950
Oh, alas, alas for the sorrow caused by a base friend! O sirs, seek ye a good companion.
عقل را افغان ز نفس پر عیوب ** هم‌چو بینی بدی بر روی خوب
Reason complains bitterly of the vicious carnal soul: (they are as discordant) as an ugly nose on a beautiful face.
عقل می‌گفتش که جنسیت یقین ** از ره معنیست نی از آب و طین
Reason was saying to him (the frog), “’Tis certain that congeniality is spiritual in origin and is not (derived) from water and clay (the outward form).”
هین مشو صورت‌پرست و این مگو ** سر جنسیت به صورت در مجو
Take heed, do not become a worshipper of form and do not say this. Do not seek (to discover) the secret of congeniality in the (outward) form.
صورت آمد چون جماد و چون حجر ** نیست جامد را ز جنسیت خبر
Form resembles the mineral and the stone: an inorganic thing has no knowledge of congeniality.
جان چو مور و تن چو دانه‌ی گندمی ** می‌کشاند سو به سویش هر دمی 2955
The spirit is like an ant, and the body like a grain of wheat which it (the ant) carries to and fro continually.
مور داند کان حبوب مرتهن ** مستحیل و جنس من خواهد شدن
The ant knows that the grains of which it has taken charge will be changed and become homogeneous with it.