گر بدندانش گزی پر خون کنی ** درد دندانت بگیرد چون کنی‌‌

If you bite him with your teeth and make him bleed, toothache will attack you—how will you do (then)?

شیر خود را دید در چه وز غلو ** خویش را نشناخت آن دم از عدو

The lion saw himself in the well, and in his fury he did not know himself at that moment from the enemy.

عکس خود را او عدوی خویش دید ** لا جرم بر خویش شمشیری کشید

He regarded his own reflexion as his enemy: necessarily he drew a sword against himself.

ای بسا ظلمی که بینی از کسان ** خوی تو باشد در ایشان ای فلان‌‌

Oh, many an iniquity that you see in others is your own nature (reflected) in them, O reader!

اندر ایشان تافته هستی تو ** از نفاق و ظلم و بد مستی تو 1320

In them shone forth all that you are in your hypocrisy and iniquity and insolence.

آن تویی و آن زخم بر خود می‌‌زنی ** بر خود آن دم تار لعنت می‌‌تنی‌‌

You are that (evil-doer), and you are striking those blows at yourself: you are weaving a curse upon yourself at that moment.

در خود آن بد را نمی‌‌بینی عیان ** ور نه دشمن بودیی خود را به جان‌‌

You do not see clearly the evil in yourself, else you would hate yourself with (all) your soul.

حمله بر خود می‌‌کنی ای ساده مرد ** همچو آن شیری که بر خود حمله کرد

You are assaulting yourself, O simpleton, like the lion who made a rush at himself.

چون به قعر خوی خود اندر رسی ** پس بدانی کز تو بود آن ناکسی‌‌

When you reach the bottom of your own nature, then you will know that that vileness was from yourself.

شیر را در قعر پیدا شد که بود ** نقش او آن کش دگر کس می‌‌نمود 1325

At the bottom (of the well) it became manifest to the lion that he who seemed to him to be another was (really) his own image.