چون سیه‌رویی فرعون دغا ** رنگ آن باقی و جسم او فنا
Like wicked Pharaoh's blackness of face, the colour whereof is enduring, though his body passes away.
برق و فر روی خوب صادقین ** تن فنا شد وان به جا تو یومن دین 4715
(And so with) the radiance and glory in the beauteous faces of the sincere (believers): their bodies pass away, but that remains till the Day of Judgement.
زشت آن زشتست و خوب آن خوب و بس ** دایم آن ضحاک و این اندر عبس
The only ugly one is that (eternally) ugly one; the only beautiful one is that (eternally) beautiful one: this one is always laughing and that one scowling.
خاک را رنگ و فن و سنگی دهد ** طفل‌خویان را بر آن جنگی دهد
He (God) gives to earth a certain colour and variety and value, and causes childish folk to wrangle over it.
از خمیری اشتر وشیری پزند ** کودکان از حرص آن کف می‌گزند
(When) a piece of dough is baked in the shape of a camel or lion, (these) children bite their fingers (excitedly) in their greed for it.
شیر و اشتر نان شود اندر دهان ** در نگیرد این سخن با کودکان
The lion or camel turns to bread in the mouth, but it is futile to tell this to children.
کودک اندر جهل و پندار و شکیست ** شکر باری قوت او اندکیست 4720
The child is in a (state of) ignorance and fancy and doubt: at any rate, thank God, his strength is (but) little.
طفل را استیزه و صد آفتست ** شکر این که بی‌فن و بی‌قوتست
The child is quarrelsome and very mischievous: thank God for his lack of skill and strength.
وای ازین پیران طفل ناادیب ** گشته از قوت بلای هر رقیب
(But) alas for these childish undisciplined elders who in their strength have become an affliction to every guardian!
چون سلاح و جهل جمع آید به هم ** گشت فرعونی جهان‌سوز از ستم
When weapons and ignorance are brought together, he (such an one) becomes in his tyranny a world-consuming Pharaoh.
شکر کن ای مرد درویش از قصور ** که ز فرعونی رهیدی وز کفور
O poor man, thank God for thy deficiency (of means), for (thereby) thou art delivered from being a Pharaoh and ungrateful (for Divine blessings).
شکر که مظلومی و ظالم نه‌ای ** آمن از فرعونی و هر فتنه‌ای 4725
Thank God that thou art the oppressed, not the oppressor: thou art secure from acting like Pharaoh and from every temptation.
اشکم تی لاف اللهی نزد ** که آتشش را نیست از هیزم مدد
An empty belly never bragged of Divinity, for it has no faggots to feed its fire.
اشکم خالی بود زندان دیو ** کش غم نان مانعست از مکر و ریو
An empty belly is the Devil's prison, because anxiety for bread prevents him from plotting and deceiving.
اشکم پر لوت دان بازار دیو ** تاجران دیو را در وی غریو
Know that a belly full of viands is the Devil's market, where the Devil's merchants raise a clamour:
تاجران ساحر لاشی‌فروش ** عقل‌ها را تیره کرده از خروش
Merchants who practise sorcery and sell worthless goods and obfuscate (men's) wits by vociferation.
خم روان کرده ز سحری چون فرس ** کرده کرباسی ز مهتاب و غلس 4730
By a (trick of) sorcery they cause a vat to run like a horse and make a piece of linen out of moonshine and twilight.
چون بریشم خاک را برمی‌تنند ** خاک در چشم ممیز می‌زنند
They weave earth like silk and throw earth (dust) in the eyes of the discerning.
چندلی را رنگ عودی می‌دهند ** بر کلوخیمان حسودی می‌دهند
They give to a bit of (fragrant) sandal-wood the appearance of a piece of (common) wood; they put in us the envious desire for a clod.
پاک آنک خاک را رنگی دهد ** هم‌چو کودکمان بر آن جنگی دهد
(But) holy is He who giveth (mere) earth a (specious) colour and causes us to quarrel over it like children.
دامنی پر خاک ما چون طفلکان ** در نظرمان خاک هم‌چون زر کان
(The world is) a skirtful of earth, and we are like little children: in our sight the earth is as gold of the mine.
طفل را با بالغان نبود مجال ** طفل را حق کی نشاند با رجال 4735
There is no room for a child beside (grown-up) men: how should God let a child sit with men?
میوه گر کهنه شود تا هست خام ** پخته نبود غوره گویندش به نام
If fruit become old, (yet) so long as it is immature and not ripe it is called ghúra (unripe grapes).
گر شود صدساله آن خام ترش ** طفل و غوره‌ست او بر هر تیزهش
Though (one resembling) immature and sour (fruit) reach the age of a hundred years, he is (still) a child and unripe (ghúra) in the opinion of every sagacious person.
گرچه باشد مو و ریش او سپید ** هم در آن طفلی خوفست و امید
Though his hair and beard be white, he is still in the childish state of fear and hope,