عاشق میدان و اسپ و پای نی ** عاشق زمر و لب و سرنای نی
(Like one who is) exceedingly fond of the race-course, but has no horse and no means of running; (or) exceedingly fond of piping, but having neither lip nor pipe.
حرص در پیری جهودان را مباد ** ای شقیی که خداش این حرص داد
May (even) Jews have no (such) cupidity in (their) old age! Oh, (how) miserable is he on whom God hath bestowed this cupidity!
ریخت دندانهای سگ چون پیر شد ** ترک مردم کرد و سرگین‌گیر شد
A dog's teeth drop out when it grows old: it leaves people (alone) and takes to (eating) dung;
این سگان شصت ساله را نگر ** هر دمی دندان سگشان تیزتر 1230
(But) look at these sexagenarian dogs! Their dog-teeth get sharper at every moment.
پیر سگ را ریخت پشم از پوستین ** این سگان پیر اطلس‌پوش بین
The hairs drop from the fur of an old dog; (but) see these old (human) dogs clad in satin!
عشقشان و حرصشان در فرج و زر ** دم به دم چون نسل سگ بین بیشتر
See how their passionate desire and greed for women and gold, like the progeny of dogs, is increasing continually!
این چنین عمری که مایه‌ی دوزخ است ** مر قصابان غضب را مسلخ است
Such a life as this, which is Hell's stock-in-trade, is a shambles for the butchers (executioners) of (the Divine) Wrath;
چون بگویندش که عمر تو دراز ** می‌شود دلخوش دهانش از خنده باز
(Yet) when people say to him, “May your life be long!” he is delighted and opens his mouth in laughter.
این چنین نفرین دعا پندارد او ** چشم نگشاید سری بر نارد او 1235
He thinks a curse like this is a benediction: he never uncloses his (inward) eye or raises his head once (from the slumber of heedlessness).
گر بدیدی یک سر موی از معاد ** اوش گفتی این چنین عمر تو باد
If he had seen (even as much as) a hair's tip of the future state, he would have said to him (who wished him long life), “May thy life be like this!”
داستان آن درویش کی آن گیلانی را دعا کرد کی خدا ترا به سلامت به خان و مان باز رساناد
Story of the dervish who blessed a man of Gílán, saying, “May God bring thee back in safety to thy home and household!”
گفت یک روزی به خواجه‌ی گیلیی ** نان پرستی نر گدا زنبیلیی
One day a sturdy beggar, (who was) very fond of bread and carried a basket (about with him), accosted a Khwája of Gílán.
چون ستد زو نان بگفت ای مستعان ** خوش به خان و مان خود بازش رسان
On receiving some bread from him, he cried, “O Thou (God) whose help is besought, bring him back happy to his home and household!”
گفت خان ار آنست که من دیده‌ام ** حق ترا آنجا رساند ای دژم
He (the Khwája) said, “If the house is the one that I have seen (recently), may God bring thee there, O squalid wretch!”
هر محدث را خسان باذل کنند ** حرفش ار عالی بود نازل کنند 1240
Worthless folk humiliate every story-teller: if his words are lofty, they make them low;
زانک قدر مستمع آید نبا ** بر قد خواجه برد درزی قبا
For the tale is (lofty or low) in proportion to (the understanding of) the hearer: the tailor cuts the coat according to the Khwája's (customer's) figure.
صفت آن عجوز
[Description of the old woman.]
چونک مجلس بی چنین پیغاره نیست ** از حدیث پست نازل چاره نیست
Since the audience is not free from such reproach, there is no means of avoiding low and undignified talk.
واستان هین این سخن را از گرو ** سوی افسانه‌ی عجوزه باز رو
Hark, redeem this topic (of discourse) from pawn: return to the tale of the old woman.
چون مسن گشت و درین ره نیست مرد ** تو بنه نامش عجوز سال‌خورد
When he (any one) has become advanced in years and is not a man (adept) in this Way, bestow the name of “aged crone” upon him.
نه مرورا راس مال و پایه‌ای ** نه پذیرای قبول مایه‌ای 1245
He has neither (any spiritual) capital and basis, nor is he capable of receiving (such a) stock-in-trade.
نه دهنده نی پذیرنده‌ی خوشی ** نه درو معنی و نه معنی‌کشی
He is neither a giver nor a receiver of (spiritual) delight; in him there is neither reality nor (the power of) absorbing reality.
نه زبان نه گوش نه عقل و بصر ** نه هش و نه بیهشی و نه فکر
(He has) neither tongue nor ear nor understanding and insight nor consciousness nor unconsciousness nor reflections;
نه نیاز و نه جمالی بهر ناز ** تو بتویش گنده مانند پیاز
Neither humble supplication nor any beauty (with which) to show pride: his (whole interior), coat on coat, is stinking, like an onion.
نه رهی ببریده او نه پای راه ** نه تبش آن قحبه را نه سوز و آه
He has not traversed any path, nor (has he) the foot for (any power to traverse) the path: that shameless one has neither (inward) glow nor burning (passion) and sighs.
قصه‌ی درویشی کی از آن خانه هرچه می‌خواست می‌گفت نیست
Story of the dervish to whom, whenever he begged anything from a certain house, he (the owner) used to say, “It is not (to be had here).”
سایلی آمد به سوی خانه‌ای ** خشک نانه خواست یا تر نانه‌ای 1250
A beggar came to a house and asked for a piece of dry bread or a piece of moist (new) bread.
گفت صاحب‌خانه نان اینجا کجاست ** خیره‌ای کی این دکان نانباست
The owner of the house said, “Where is bread in this place? Are you crazy? How is this (house) a baker's shop?”