-
آینهت دانی چرا غماز نیست ** ز انکه زنگار از رخش ممتاز نیست
- Dost thou know why the mirror (of thy soul) reflects nothing? Because the rust is not cleared from its face.
-
عاشق شدن پادشاه بر کنیزک رنجور و تدبیر کردن در صحت او
- How the king fell in love with the sick handmaiden and made plans to restore her health.
-
بشنوید ای دوستان این داستان ** خود حقیقت نقد حال ماست آن 35
- O my friends, hearken to this tale: in truth it is the very marrow of our inward state.
-
بود شاهی در زمانی پیش از این ** ملک دنیا بودش و هم ملک دین
- In olden time there was a king to whom belonged the power temporal and also the power spiritual.
-
اتفاقا شاه روزی شد سوار ** با خواص خویش از بهر شکار
- It chanced that one day he rode with his courtiers to the chase.
-
یک کنیزک دید شه بر شاه راه ** شد غلام آن کنیزک جان شاه
- On the king's highway the king espied a handmaiden: the king was enthralled by her.
-
مرغ جانش در قفس چون میطپید ** داد مال و آن کنیزک را خرید
- Forasmuch as the bird, his soul, was fluttering in its cage, he gave money and bought the handmaiden.
-
چون خرید او را و برخوردار شد ** آن کنیزک از قضا بیمار شد 40
- After he had bought her and won to his desire, by Divine destiny she sickened.
-
آن یکی خر داشت، پالانش نبود ** یافت پالان گرگ خر را در ربود
- A certain man had an ass but no pack-saddle: (as soon as) he got a saddle, the wolf carried away his ass.
-
کوزه بودش آب مینامد به دست ** آب را چون یافت خود کوزه شکست
- He had a pitcher, but no water could be obtained: when he found water, the pitcher broke.
-
شه طبیبان جمع کرد از چپ و راست ** گفت جان هر دو در دست شماست
- The king gathered the physicians together from left and right and said to them, “The life of us both is in your hands.