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بر در ار جویی نیابی آن شکاف ** سخت ناپیدا و زو چندین زفاف
- If you look on the door for that chink, you will not find it: (it is) extremely unapparent, though (there are) so many processions through it.
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شرح آن کور دوربین و آن کر تیزشنو و آن برهنه دراز دامن
- Explaining (what is signified by) the far-sighted blind man, the deaf man who is sharp of hearing, and the naked man with the long skirts.
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کر امل را دان که مرگ ما شنید ** مرگ خود نشنید و نقل خود ندید
- Know that Hope is the deaf man who has (often) heard of our dying, (but) has not heard of his own death or regarded his own decease.
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حرص نابیناست بیند مو بمو ** عیب خلقان و بگوید کو بکو
- The blind man is Greed: he sees other people's faults, hair by hair, and tells them from street to street,
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عیب خود یک ذره چشم کور او ** مینبیند گرچه هست او عیبجو 2630
- (But) his blind eyes do not perceive one mote of his own faults, albeit he is a fault-finder.
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عور میترسد که دامانش برند ** دامن مرد برهنه چون درند
- The naked man is afraid that his skirt will be cut off: how should they (any one) cut off the skirt of a naked man?
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مرد دنیا مفلس است و ترسناک ** هیچ او را نیست از دزدانش باک
- The worldly man is destitute and terrified: he possesses nothing, (yet) he has dread of thieves.
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او برهنه آمد و عریان رود ** وز غم دزدش جگر خون میشود
- Bare he came and naked he goes, and (all the while) his heart is bleeding with anxiety on account of the thief
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وقت مرگش که بود صد نوحه بیش ** خنده آید جانش را زین ترس خویش
- At the hour of death when a hundred lamentations are (being made) beside him, his spirit begins to laugh at its own fear.
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آن زمان داند غنی کش نیست زر ** هم ذکی داند که او بد بیهنر 2635
- At that moment the rich man knows that he has no gold; the keen-witted man, too, knows that he is devoid of talent.
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چون کنار کودکی پر از سفال ** کو بر آن لرزان بود چون رب مال
- (’Tis) like (as when) a child's lap (is) filled with potsherds, for he (the child) is trembling for them, like the owner of riches.
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گر ستانی پارهای گریان شود ** پاره گر بازش دهی خندان شود
- If you take a piece away, he begins to weep; and if you give the piece back to him, he begins to laugh.
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چون نباشد طفل را دانش دثار ** گریه و خندهش ندارد اعتبار
- Since the child is not endued with knowledge, his weeping and laughter have no importance.
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محتشم چون عاریت را ملک دید ** پس بر آن مال دروغین میطپید
- Inasmuch as the magnate regarded that which is (only) a loan as (his) property, he was quivering (with anxiety) for that false wealth.
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خواب میبیند که او را هست مال ** ترسد از دزدی که برباید جوال 2640
- He dreams that he has wealth and is afraid of the thief who may carry off his sack (of gold).
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چون ز خوابش بر جهاند گوشکش ** پس ز ترس خویش تسخر آیدش
- When Death pulls his ear and makes him start up from slumber, then he falls to mocking at his fears.
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همچنان لرزانی این عالمان ** که بودشان عقل و علم این جهان
- Even such (is) the trembling of these learned scholars who have the intelligence and knowledge of this world.
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از پی این عاقلان ذو فنون ** گفت ایزد در نبی لا یعلمون
- On account of these accomplished (and) intelligent men, God said in the Qur’án, They do not know.
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هر یکی ترسان ز دزدی کسی ** خویشتن را علم پندارد بسی
- Each (of them) is afraid of some one's stealing (his time): he fancies that he possesses a great deal of knowledge.
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گوید او که روزگارم میبرند ** خود ندارد روزگار سودمند 2645
- He says, “They are wasting my time,” (but) in truth he has no time that is profitable.
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گوید از کارم بر آوردند خلق ** غرق بیکاریست جانش تابه حلق
- He says, “The people have taken me away from my work,” (but) his soul is plunged in idleness up to the throat.
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عور ترسان که منم دامن کشان ** چون رهانم دامن از چنگالشان
- (Like) the naked man (he) is frightened and says, “I am trailing a (long) skirt: how shall I save my skirt from their clutches?”
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صد هزاران فضل داند از علوم ** جان خود را مینداند آن ظلوم
- He knows a hundred thousand superfluous matters connected with the (various) sciences, (but) that unjust man does not know his own soul.
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داند او خاصیت هر جوهری ** در بیان جوهر خود چون خری
- He knows the special properties of every substance, (but) in elucidating his own substance (essence) he is (as ignorant) as an ass,
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که همیدانم یجوز و لایجوز ** خود ندانی تو یجوزی یا عجوز 2650
- Saying, “I know (what is) permissible and unpermissible.” Thou knowest not whether thou thyself art permissible or (unpermissible as) an old woman.
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این روا و آن ناروا دانی ولیک ** تو روا یا ناروایی بین تو نیک
- Thou knowest this licit (thing) and that illicit (thing), but art thou licit or illicit? Consider well!