عقل باشد آمنی و عدل‌جو ** بر زن و بر مرد اما عقل کو
(Real) intelligence consists in being safe (from temptation) and in the desire to act justly towards (every) woman and towards (every) man; but where is (such) intelligence (to be found)?
ور گریزم من روم سوی زنان ** هم‌چو یوسف افتم اندر افتتان
And if I run away and go to the women, I should fall into tribulation like Joseph.
یوسف از زن یافت زندان و فشار ** من شوم توزیع بر پنجاه دار
Joseph suffered imprisonment and torment at the hands of a woman: I should be divided amongst fifty gibbets.
آن زنان از جاهلی بر من تنند ** اولیاشان قصد جان من کنند
Those women in their foolishness would attach themselves to me, and (then) their nearest and dearest (relatives by blood or marriage) would seek my life.
نه ز مردان چاره دارم نه از زنان ** چون کنم که نی ازینم نه از آن 3865
I have no means of escape either from men or women: what can I do, since I belong neither to these nor to those?”
بعد از آن کودک به کوسه بنگریست ** گفت او با آن دو مو از غم بریست
After (making) that (complaint) the boy looked at the youth and said, “He is quit of trouble by reason of the two (or three) hairs (on his chin).
فارغست از خشت و از پیکار خشت ** وز چو تو مادرفروش کنک زشت
He is independent of the bricks and of quarrelling over the bricks and of a wicked young ruffian like you who would sell (prostitute) his own mother.
بر زنخ سه چار مو بهر نمون ** بهتر از سی خشت گرداگرد کون
Three or four hairs on the chin as a notice are better than triginta lateres circa culum.” [Three or four hairs on the chin as a notice are better than thirty bricks around the buttocks.”]
ذره‌ای سایه‌ی عنایت بهترست ** از هزاران کوشش طاعت‌پرست
One atom of the shade (protection) of (Divine) favour is better than a thousand endeavours of the devout pietist,
زانک شیطان خشت طاعت بر کند ** گر دو صد خشتست خود را ره کند 3870
Because the Devil will remove the bricks of piety: (even) if there are two hundred bricks he will make a way for himself.