هر یکی زان قاصدان بس غصه برد ** که دریغا ماهی بهتر بمرد2275
Every one of those pursuers (the fishermen) bore great vexation (in his heart), saying, “Alas, the best fish is dead.”
شاد می‌شد او کز آن گفت دریغ ** پیش رفت این بازیم رستم ز تیغ
He (the fish) was made glad by their saying “Alas”: (he said to himself), “This trick of mine has come off, I am delivered from the sword.”
پس گرفتش یک صیاد ارجمند ** پس برو تف کرد و بر خاکش فکند
Then a worthy fisherman seized him and spat on him and flung him on the ground.
غلط غلطان رفت پنهان اندر آب ** ماند آن احمق همی‌کرد اضطراب
He (the half-intelligent fish), rolling over and over, went secretly into the water; the (entirely) foolish one remained (where he was), moving to and fro in agitation.
از چپ و از راست می‌جست آن سلیم ** تا بجهد خویش برهاند گلیم
That simpleton kept leaping about, right and left, in order that he might save his skin by his own efforts.
دام افکندند و اندر دام ماند ** احمقی او را در آن آتش نشاند2280
They cast the net, and he (at last) remained in the net: foolish ness ensconced him in that fire (of perdition).
بر سر آتش به پشت تابه‌ای ** با حماقت گشت او همخوابه‌ایی
On the top of the fire, on the surface of a frying-pan, he be came the bedfellow of Folly.
او همی جوشید از تف سعیر ** عقل می‌گفتش الم یاتک نذیر
(There) he was seething from the heat of the flames Reason was saving to him, “Did not a warner come to thee?”
او همی‌گفت از شکنجه وز بلا ** هم‌چو جان کافران قالوا بلی
He, from the rack of torture and tribulation, was replying like the souls of the unbelievers: they said, “Yea.”
باز می‌گفت او که گر این بار من ** وا رهم زین محنت گردن‌شکن
Then again he was saying, “If this time I escape from this neck-breaking affliction,