پند گفتن با جهول خوابناک ** تخت افکندن بود در شوره خاک
To give counsel to a sleepy ignoramus is to scatter seed in nitrous soil.
چاک حمق و جهل نپذیرد رفو ** تخم حکمت کم دهش ای پندگو2265
The rent of folly and ignorance does not admit of being patched up: do not give the seed of wisdom to him (the fool), O counsellor.
چاره اندیشیدن آن ماهی نیم‌عاقل و خود را مرده کردن
How the half-intelligent fish devised a means (of escape) and feigned to be dead.
گفت ماهی دگر وقت بلا ** چونک ماند از سایه‌ی عاقل جدا
The second fish said in the hour of tribulation, when he was left sundered from the shadow (protection) of the intelligent one,
کو سوی دریا شد و از غم عتیق ** فوت شد از من چنان نیکو رفیق
“He hath gone towards the sea and is freed from sorrow: such a good comrade hath been lost to me!
لیک زان نندیشم و بر خود زنم ** خویشتن را این زمان مرده کنم
But I will not think of that and will attend to myself: at this (present) time I will feign to be dead.
پس برآرم اشکم خود بر زبر ** پشت زیر و می‌روم بر آب بر
Then I will turn my belly upwards and my back downwards and will move on the water.
می‌روم بر وی چنانک خس رود ** نی بسباحی چنانک کس رود2270
I will move upon it as weeds move, not by swimming as a person (swimmer) does.
مرده گردم خویش بسپارم به آب ** مرگ پیش از مرگ امنست از عذاب
I will become dead, I will commit myself to the water: to die before death is to be safe from torment.”
مرگ پیش از مرگ امنست ای فتی ** این چنین فرمود ما را مصطفی
To die before death is to be safe, O youth: even so hath Mustafa (Mohammad) commanded us.
گفت موتواکلکم من قبل ان ** یاتی الموت تموتوا بالفتن
He said, “Die, all of you, ere death come, else ye will die with (the certainty of suffering) sore afflictions (hereafter).”
هم‌چنان مرد و شکم بالا فکند ** آب می‌بردش نشیب و گه بلند
He (the fish) died in that manner and threw his belly upwards: the water was carrying him, now alow, now aloft.
هر یکی زان قاصدان بس غصه برد ** که دریغا ماهی بهتر بمرد2275
Every one of those pursuers (the fishermen) bore great vexation (in his heart), saying, “Alas, the best fish is dead.”
شاد می‌شد او کز آن گفت دریغ ** پیش رفت این بازیم رستم ز تیغ
He (the fish) was made glad by their saying “Alas”: (he said to himself), “This trick of mine has come off, I am delivered from the sword.”
پس گرفتش یک صیاد ارجمند ** پس برو تف کرد و بر خاکش فکند
Then a worthy fisherman seized him and spat on him and flung him on the ground.
غلط غلطان رفت پنهان اندر آب ** ماند آن احمق همی‌کرد اضطراب
He (the half-intelligent fish), rolling over and over, went secretly into the water; the (entirely) foolish one remained (where he was), moving to and fro in agitation.
از چپ و از راست می‌جست آن سلیم ** تا بجهد خویش برهاند گلیم
That simpleton kept leaping about, right and left, in order that he might save his skin by his own efforts.
دام افکندند و اندر دام ماند ** احمقی او را در آن آتش نشاند2280
They cast the net, and he (at last) remained in the net: foolish ness ensconced him in that fire (of perdition).
بر سر آتش به پشت تابه‌ای ** با حماقت گشت او همخوابه‌ایی
On the top of the fire, on the surface of a frying-pan, he be came the bedfellow of Folly.
او همی جوشید از تف سعیر ** عقل می‌گفتش الم یاتک نذیر
(There) he was seething from the heat of the flames Reason was saving to him, “Did not a warner come to thee?”
او همی‌گفت از شکنجه وز بلا ** هم‌چو جان کافران قالوا بلی
He, from the rack of torture and tribulation, was replying like the souls of the unbelievers: they said, “Yea.”
باز می‌گفت او که گر این بار من ** وا رهم زین محنت گردن‌شکن
Then again he was saying, “If this time I escape from this neck-breaking affliction,
من نسازم جز به دریایی وطن ** آبگیری را نسازم من سکن2285
I will not make my home except in a sea: I will not make a lake my dwelling-place.
آب بی‌حد جویم و آمن شوم ** تا ابد در امن و صحت می‌روم
I will seek the boundless sea and become safe: I will go in safety and welfare for ever.”
بیان آنک عهد کردن احمق وقت گرفتاری و ندم هیچ وفایی ندارد کی لو ردوالعادوا لما نهوا عنه و انهم لکاذبون صبح کاذب وفا ندارد
Explaining that the promise made by the fool at the moment of seizure (punishment) and contrition is faithless, for though they should be sent back, they would surely return to that which they were forbidden to do, and verily they are liars. The false dawn keeps not faith.
عقل می‌گفتش حماقت با توست ** با حماقت عقل را آید شکست
Reason was saying to him, “Folly is with thee: with Folly (as thy companion), the promise will be broken.
عقل را باشد وفای عهدها ** تو نداری عقل رو ای خربها
The keeping of promises appertains to reason: thou hast not reason: begone, O thou whose value is that of an ass!