ریش گاو بندهی غیر آمد او ** غرقه شد کف در ضعیفی در زد او
He (the lover of the particular) became the laughing-stock of another's slave: he became (like a man who was) drowning and clung to some one weak (and powerless to help him).
نیست حاکم تا کند تیمار او ** کار خواجهی خود کند یا کار او
He (the loved slave) possesses no authority, that he should care for him: shall he do his own master's business or his (the lover's)?
مثل عرب إذا زنیت فازن بالحرة و إذا سرقت فاسرق الدرة
The Arabic proverb, “If you commit fornication, commit it with a free woman, and if you steal, steal a pearl.”
فازن بالحرة پی این شد مثل ** فاسرق الدرة بدین شد منتقل2805
Hence (the saying), “Commit fornication with a free woman,” became proverbial; (and the words) “steal a pearl” were transferred (metaphorically) to this (meaning).
بنده سوی خواجه شد او ماند زار ** بوی گل شد سوی گل او ماند خار
The slave (the loved one) went away to his master: he (the lover) was left in misery. The scent of the rose went (back) to the rose: he remained as the thorn.
او بمانده دور از مطلوب خویش ** سعی ضایع رنج باطل پای ریش
He was left far from the object of his desire—his labour lost, his toil useless, his foot wounded,
همچو صیادی که گیرد سایهای ** سایه کی گردد و را سرمایهای
Like the hunter who catches a shadow—how should the shadow become his property?
سایهی مرغی گرفته مرد سخت ** مرغ حیران گشته بر شاخ درخت
The man has grasped tightly the shadow of a bird, (while) the bird on the branch of the tree is fallen into amazement,
کاین مدمغ بر که میخندد عجب ** اینت باطل اینت پوسیده سبب2810
(Thinking), “I wonder who this crack-brained fellow is laughing at? Here's folly for you, here's a rotten cause!”
ور تو گویی جزو پیوستهی کل است ** خار میخور خار مقرون گل است
And if you say that the part is connected with the whole, (then) eat thorns: the thorn is connected with the rose.
جز ز یک رو نیست پیوسته به کل ** ور نه خود باطل بدی بعث رسل
Except from one point of view, it (the part) is not connected with the whole: otherwise, indeed, the mission of the prophets would be vain,