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,

آن حکیم خارچین استاد بود ** دست می‌‌زد جا به جا می‌‌آزمود

(But) that thorn-removing physician was an expert: putting his hand on one spot after another, he tested (it).

ز ان کنیزک بر طریق داستان ** باز می‌‌پرسید حال دوستان‌‌

He inquired of the girl concerning her friends, by way of narrative,

با حکیم او قصه‌‌ها می‌‌گفت فاش ** از مقام و خاجگان و شهر تاش‌‌

And she disclosed to the physician (many) circumstances touching her home and (former) masters and town and dwelling.

سوی قصه گفتنش می‌‌داشت گوش ** سوی نبض و جستنش می‌‌داشت هوش‌‌ 160

He listened to her story (while) he continued to observe her pulse and its beating,

تا که نبض از نام کی گردد جهان ** او بود مقصود جانش در جهان‌‌ا ن‌‌

So that at whosoever's name her pulse should begin to throb, (he might know that) that person is the object of her soul's desire in the world.

دوستان شهر او را بر شمرد ** بعد از آن شهری دگر را نام برد

He reckoned up the friends and town; then he mentioned another town by name.

گفت چون بیرون شدی از شهر خویش ** در کدامین شهر بوده ستی تو بیش‌‌

He said: “When you went forth from your own town, in which town did you live mostly?”