نرم نرمک گفت شهر تو کجاست ** که علاج اهل هر شهری جداست‌‌

Very gently he said (to her), “Where is thy native town? for the treatment suitable to the people of each town is separate.

و اندر آن شهر از قرابت کیستت ** خویشی و پیوستگی با چیستت‌‌

And in that town who is related to thee? With what hast thou kinship and affinity?”

دست بر نبضش نهاد و یک به یک ** باز می‌‌پرسید از جور فلک‌‌

He laid his hand on her pulse and put questions, one by one, about the injustice of Heaven.

چون کسی را خار در پایش جهد ** پای خود را بر سر زانو نهد 150

When a thorn darts into any one's foot, he sets his foot upon his knee,

وز سر سوزن همی‌‌جوید سرش ** ور نیابد می‌‌کند با لب ترش‌‌

And keeps searching for its head with the point of a needle, and if he does not find it, he keeps moistening it (the place) with his lip.

خار در پا شد چنین دشوار یاب ** خار در دل چون بود واده جواب‌‌

A thorn in the foot is so hard to find: how (then) is it with a thorn in the heart? Answer (that)!

خار در دل گر بدیدی هر خسی ** دست کی بودی غمان را بر کسی‌‌

If every base fellow had seen the thorn in the heart, when would sorrows gain the upper hand over any one?

کس به زیر دم خر خاری نهد ** خر نداند دفع آن بر می‌‌جهد

Somebody sticks a thorn under a donkey's tail: the donkey does not know how to get rid of it: he starts jumping.

بر جهد و ان خار محکمتر زند ** عاقلی باید که خاری بر کند 155

He jumps, and the thorn strikes more firmly (pierces deeper): it needs an intelligent person to extract a thorn.

خر ز بهر دفع خار از سوز و درد ** جفته می‌‌انداخت صد جا زخم کرد

In order to get rid of the thorn, the donkey from irritation and pain went on kicking and dealing blows in a hundred places,