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  • من اگر هولم مخنث دان مرا ** همچو اشتر بر نشین می‏ران مرا
  • Etiamsi terribilis (aspectu) sum, scito me impotentem esse ad coitum: me sicut camelum conscende, propelle.” [“Although I am dreadful (in appearance), know me (to be an impotent) catamite. Mount me like a camel (and) thrust.”]

  • صورت مردان و معنی این چنین ** از برون آدم درون دیو لعین‏
  • (With) the appearance of men and the reality like this— Adam without, the accursed Devil within—

  • آن دهل را مانی ای زفت چو عاد ** که بر او آن شاخ را می‏کوفت باد
  • O you that are big as the people of ‘Ád, you resemble the drum against which a branch was beaten by the wind.

  • روبهی اشکار خود را باد داد ** بهر طبلی همچو خیک پر ز باد 3160
  • A fox abandoned his prey for the sake of a drum like a wind-filled leathern bag,

  • چون ندید اندر دهل او فربهی ** گفت خوکی به ازین خیک تهی‏
  • (But) when he found no (real) fatness in the drum, he said, “A hog is better than this empty bag.”

  • روبهان ترسند ز آواز دهل ** عاقلش چندان زند که لا تقل‏
  • Foxes are afraid of the noise of the drum; (but) the wise man beats it ever so much, saying, “Speak not!”

  • قصه‏ی تیر اندازی و ترسیدن او از سواری که در بیشه می‏رفت‏
  • The story of an archer and his fear of a horseman who was riding in a forest.

  • یک سواری با سلاح و بس مهیب ** می‏شد اندر بیشه بر اسبی نجیب‏
  • A horseman, armed and very terrible (in appearance), was riding in the forest on a high-bred horse.

  • تیر اندازی به حکم او را بدید ** پس ز خوف او کمان را در کشید
  • An expert archer espied him, and then from fear of him drew his bow,

  • تا زند تیری سوارش بانگ زد ** من ضعیفم گر چه زفت استم جسد 3165
  • To shoot an arrow. The horseman shouted to him, “I am a weakling, though my body is big.

  • هان و هان منگر تو در زفتی من ** که کمم در وقت جنگ از پیر زن‏
  • Take heed! Take heed! Do not regard my bigness, for in the hour of battle I am less than an old woman.”

  • گفت رو که نیک گفتی ور نه نیش ** بر تو می‏انداختم از ترس خویش‏
  • “Pass on,” said he; “thou hast spoken well, else by reason of my fear I should have shot a barb at thee.”

  • بس کسان را کالت پیکار کشت ** بی‏رجولیت چنان تیغی به مشت‏
  • Many are they whom implements of war have slain, (since they held) such a sword in their hands, without the manhood (to use it).

  • گر بپوشی تو سلاح رستمان ** رفت جانت چون نباشی مرد آن‏
  • If you don the armour of Rustams, your soul goes (your life is lost) when you are not the man for it.

  • جان سپر کن تیغ بگذار ای پسر ** هر که بی‏سر بود از این شه برد سر 3170
  • Make your soul a shield and drop the sword, O son: whoever is headless (selfless) saves his head from this King.

  • آن سلاحت حیله و مکر تو است ** هم ز تو زایید و هم جان تو خست‏
  • Those weapons of yours are your (selfish) contriving and plotting; they have sprung from you and at the same time have wounded your soul.

  • چون نکردی هیچ سودی زین حیل ** ترک حیلت کن که پیش آید دول‏
  • Since you have gained nothing by these contrivings, abandon contrivance, that happy fortunes may meet (you).

  • چون که یک لحظه نخوردی بر ز فن ** ترک فن گو می‏طلب رب المنن‏
  • Since you have not for one moment enjoyed (any) fruit from the arts (of the schools), bid farewell to the arts, and seek always the Lord of bounties.

  • چون مبارک نیست بر تو این علوم ** خویشتن گولی کن و بگذر ز شوم‏
  • Since these sciences bring you no blessing, make yourself a dunce and leave ill luck behind.

  • چون ملایک گو که لا علم لنا ** یا الهی غیر ما علمتنا 3175
  • Like the angels, say, “We have no knowledge, O God, except what Thou hast taught us.”

  • قصه‏ی اعرابی و ریگ در جوال کردن و ملامت کردن آن فیلسوف او را
  • Story of the desert Arab and his putting sand in the sack and the philosopher's rebuking him.

  • یک عرابی بار کرده اشتری ** دو جوال زفت از دانه پری‏
  • A certain Arab of the desert loaded a camel with two big sacks—(there was) one full of grain.

  • او نشسته بر سر هر دو جوال ** یک حدیث انداز کرد او را سؤال‏
  • He was seated on the top of both sacks. A glib philosopher questioned him.

  • از وطن پرسید و آوردش به گفت ** و اندر آن پرسش بسی درها بسفت‏
  • He asked him about his native land and led him to talk and said many fine things in the course of (his) enquiry.

  • بعد از آن گفتش که این هر دو جوال ** چیست آگنده بگو مصدوق حال‏
  • Afterwards he said to him, “What are these two sacks filled with? Tell (me) the truth of the matter.”

  • گفت اندر یک جوالم گندم است ** در دگر ریگی نه قوت مردم است‏ 3180
  • He replied, “In one sack I have wheat; in the other is some sand—not food for men.”

  • گفت تو چون بار کردی این رمال ** گفت تا تنها نماند آن جوال‏
  • “Why,” he asked, “did you load this sand?” “In order that the other sack might not remain alone,” he replied.