-
کین زمین را از چه ویران می‌کنی ** می‌شکافی و پریشان می‌کنی
- Saying, ‘Wherefore are you ruining this soil and cleaving and scattering it?’
-
گفت ای ابله برو و بر من مران ** تو عمارت از خرابی باز دان
- ‘O fool,’ said he, ‘begone, do not interfere with me: recognise (the difference of) cultivation from devastation.
-
کی شود گلزار و گندم‌زار این ** تا نگردد زشت و ویران این زمین
- How should this (soil) become a rose-garden or cornfield till this soil becomes ugly and ruined?
-
کی شود بستان و کشت و برگ و بر ** تا نگردد نظم او زیر و زبر 2345
- How should it become orchards and crops and leaves and fruit till its arrangement is turned upside down?’
-
تا بنشکافی به نشتر ریش چغز ** کی شود نیکو و کی گردید نغز
- Till you pierce the purulent ulcer with a lancet, how will it become well and how will you become healthy?
-
تا نشوید خلطهاات از دوا ** کی رود شورش کجا آید شفا
- Till he (the physician) cleanse your (corrupt) humours with medicine, how will the indisposition be removed? How will a cure be effected?
-
پاره پاره کرده درزی جامه را ** کس زند آن درزی علامه را
- When a tailor cuts (the cloth for) a garment piece by piece, will any one strike that expert tailor,
-
که چرا این اطلس بگزیده را ** بردریدی چه کنم بدریده را
- Saying, ‘Why have you torn this choice satin? What can I do with a torn (garment)?’
-
هر بنای کهنه که آبادان کنند ** نه که اول کهنه را ویران کنند 2350
- Whenever they (the builders) put an old building in good repair, do not they first ruin the old one?
-
هم‌چنین نجار و حداد و قصاب ** هستشان پیش از عمارتها خراب
- Likewise the carpenter, the iron-smith and the butcher—with them (too) there is destruction before restorations.