من روم سوی قناعت دل قوی ** تو چرا سوی شناعت می‌‌روی
I march with stout heart towards contentment: why art thou betaking thyself to revilement?”
مرد قانع از سر اخلاص و سوز ** زین نسق می‌‌گفت با زن تا به روز
In this fashion the contented man, moved by sincerity and ardour, was talking to his wife till daybreak.
نصیحت کردن زن مر شوی را که سخن افزون از قدم و از مقام خود مگو لم تقولون ما لا تفعلونکه این سخنها اگر چه راست است این مقام توکل ترا نیست و این سخن گفتن فوق مقام و معامله‌‌ی خود زیان دارد و کبر مقتا عند الله باشد
How the wife counselled her husband, saying, "Don't talk in excess of (beyond) thy merit and (spiritual) rank—'why say ye that which ye do not?'—for although these words are true, yet thou hast not attained to the degree of trust in God, and to speak thus above thy station and devotional practice is harmful and 'exceedingly hateful in the sight of God.'"
زن بر او زد بانگ کای ناموس کیش ** من فسون تو نخواهم خورد بیش2315
The wife cried out at him, saying, “O thou who makest reputation thy religion, I will not swallow thy spells (deceiving speeches) any more.
ترهات از دعوی و دعوت مگو ** رو سخن از کبر وز نخوت مگو
Don't talk nonsense in thy presumption and pretension: begone, don't speak from pride and arrogance.
چند حرف طمطراق و کار و بار ** کار و حال خود ببین و شرم دار
How long (wilt thou utter) pompous and artificial phrases? Look at thine own acts and feelings and be ashamed!
کبر زشت و از گدایان زشت‌‌تر ** روز سرد و برف و آن گه جامه تر
Pride is ugly, and in beggars (all the) more ugly: (it is like) wet clothes after a cold snowy day.
چند دعوی و دم و باد و بروت ** ای ترا خانه چو بیت العنکبوت
How long (this) pretension and palaver and bluster, O thou whose house is (frail) as the house of the spider?
از قناعت کی تو جان افروختی ** از قناعتها تو نام آموختی2320
When hast thou illumined thy soul by contentment? Of contentment thou hast learned (only) the name.
گفت پیغمبر قناعت چیست گنج ** گنج را تو وا نمی‌‌دانی ز رنج
The Prophet said, ‘What is contentment? A treasure.’ Thou canst not distinguish the gain from the pain.
این قناعت نیست جز گنج روان ** تو مزن لاف ای غم و رنج روان
This contentment is the soul's treasure: do not thou boast (of possessing it), O (thou who art) grief and pain to my soul.
تو مخوانم جفت، کمتر زن بغل ** جفت انصافم نیم جفت دغل
Don't call me thy mate, don't flap so much. I am the mate of justice, I am not the mate of fraud.
چون قدم با میر و با بگ می‌‌زنی ** چون ملخ را در هوا رگ می‌‌زنی
How art thou walking (consorting) with amír and bey, when thou art slitting the veins of (killing for food) the locust in the air?
با سگان زین استخوان در چالشی ** چون نی اشکم تهی در نالشی2325
Thou art contending with dogs for the sake of this bone, thou art wailing like an empty-bellied reed-pipe.
سوی من منگر به خواری سست سست ** تا نگویم آن چه در رگهای تست
Don't look at me dully (coldly) with contempt, lest I tell (others) what is in thy veins (disclose thy hidden faults).
عقل خود را از من افزون دیده‌‌ای ** مر من کم عقل را چون دیده‌‌ای
Thou hast deemed thy understanding superior to mine, (but) how hast thou (truly) seen me, who am deficient in understanding?
همچو گرگ غافل اندر ما مجه ** ای ز ننگ عقل تو بی‌‌عقل به
Don't spring upon me like a reckless wolf! Oh, better be without understanding (mad) than (suffer) the disgrace of (having) thy understanding.
چون که عقل تو عقیله‌‌ی مردم است ** آن نه عقل است آن که مار و کژدم است
Since thy understanding is a shackle for mankind, it is not understanding: it is a snake and scorpion.
خصم ظلم و مکر تو الله باد ** فضل و عقل تو ز ما کوتاه باد2330
May God be the enemy of thy iniquity and deceit! May thy (superior) talent and understanding fall short of (fail to injure) us!
هم تو ماری هم فسون‌‌گر ای عجب ** مارگیر و ماری ای ننگ عرب
Thou art both the snake and the charmer—oh, this is wonderful! Thou art (both) the snake-catcher and the snake, O thou disgrace to the Arabs!
زاغ اگر زشتی خود بشناختی ** همچو برف از درد و غم بگداختی
If the crow knew its ugliness, from grief and sorrow it would melt like snow.
مرد افسونگر بخواند چون عدو ** او فسون بر مار و مار افسون بر او
The charmer chants (a spell) as an enemy (does); he is (casting) a spell upon the snake and the snake is (casting) a spell upon him.
گر نبودی دام او افسون مار ** کی فسون مار را گشتی شکار
If his trap were not (devised by him as) a spell for the snake (a means of catching it), how would he become a prey to the snake's spell?
مرد افسونگر ز حرص کسب و کار ** در نیابد آن زمان افسون مار2335
The charmer, from greed of getting and making (money), is not conscious of the snake's spell at the time.
مار گوید ای فسون‌‌گر هین و هین ** آن خود دیدی فسون من ببین
The snake says, ‘O charmer, beware, beware! Thou hast beheld thine own spell (and its effect upon me): now behold mine!
تو به نام حق فریبی مر مرا ** تا کنی رسوای شور و شر مرا
Thou beguilest me with the Name of God in order that thou mayst expose me to shame and confusion.
نام حقم بست نه آن رای تو ** نام حق را دام کردی وای تو
The Name of God enthralled me, not thy contrivance: thou madest the Name of God a trap: woe to thee!
نام حق بستاند از تو داد من ** من به نام حق سپردم جان و تن
The Name of God will take vengeance from thee on my behalf: I commit my soul and body to the Name of God.
یا به زخم من رگ جانت برد ** یا که همچون من به زندانت برد2340
Either it will sever the vein of thy life by my stroke, or it will bring thee into a prison as (it has brought) me.’”
زن از این گونه خشن گفتارها ** خواند بر شوی جوان طومارها
Rough speeches of this sort, (whole) volumes, the woman recited to her youthful husband.
نصیحت کردن مرد مر زن را که در فقیران به خواری منگر و در کار حق به گمان کمال نگر و طعنه مزن بر فقر و فقیران به خیال و گمان بی‌‌نوایی خویشتن
How the man counselled his wife, saying, “Do not look with contempt on the poor, but regard the work of God as perfect, and do not let thy vain thought and opinion of thine own penury cause thee to sneer at poverty and revile the poor.”
گفت ای زن تو زنی یا بو الحزن ** فقر فخر آمد مرا بر سر مزن
“O woman,” said he, “art thou a woman or the father of sorrow? Poverty is (my) pride, and do not thou beat me on the head (lash me with thy reproaches).
مال و زر سر را بود همچون کلاه ** کل بود او کز کله سازد پناه
Wealth and gold are as a cap to the head: ’tis the bald man that makes a shelter of his cap,
آن که زلف جعد و رعنا باشدش ** چون کلاهش رفت خوشتر آیدش
(But) he that has curly and beautiful locks is happier when his cap is gone.
مرد حق باشد به مانند بصر ** پس برهنه‌‌ش به که پوشیده نظر2345
The man of God (the saint) resembles the eye: therefore (his) sight is better bare (unveiled) than covered.
وقت عرضه کردن آن برده فروش ** بر کند از بنده جامه‌‌ی عیب پوش
When a slave-dealer offers (slaves) for sale, he removes from the (sound) slave the garment that hides defects.
ور بود عیبی برهنه کی کند ** بل به جامه خدعه‌‌ای با وی کند
But if there be any defect, how should he strip him? Nay, he tricks him (the purchaser) by means of the garment.
گوید این شرمنده است از نیک و بد ** از برهنه کردن او از تو رمد
‘This one,’ says he, ‘is ashamed of good and evil: stripping him would cause him to run away from thee.’
خواجه در عیب است غرقه تا به گوش ** خواجه را مال است و مالش عیب پوش
The (rich) merchant is plunged in vice up to the ears, (but) the merchant has money, and his money covers his vice,