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در فلان موضع یکی گنجی است زفت ** در پی آن بایدت تا مصر رفت
- In such-and-such a spot is a great treasure: thou must go to Cairo in quest of it.
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بی‌درنگی هین ز بغداد ای نژند ** رو به سوی مصر و منبت‌گاه قند
- Hark, O wretched man, go without any delay from Baghdád to Cairo and the home of sugar-candy.”
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چون ز بغداد آمد او تا سوی مصر ** گرم شد پشتش چو دید او روی مصر
- When he departed from Baghdád (and came) to Cairo, at the sight of Cairo his courage was restored,
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بر امید وعده‌ی هاتف که گنج ** یابد اندر مصر بهر دفع رنج 4245
- (For he was) in hope of (the fulfilment of) the promise given by the heavenly Voice that he would find in Cairo the treasure to remove his trouble—
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در فلان کوی و فلان موضع دفین ** هست گنجی سخت نادر بس گزین
- “In such and such a quarter and such and such a spot there is a buried treasure exceedingly rare and very choice.”
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لیک نفقه‌ش بیش و کم چیزی نماند ** خواست دقی بر عوام‌الناس راند
- But of money for expenses, great or small, he had nothing left; and he was about to go and beg from the common folk,
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لیک شرم و همتش دامن گرفت ** خویش را در صبر افشردن گرفت
- But (feelings of) shame and honour held him back, (so that) he began to plant himself firmly on fortitude.
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باز نفسش از مجاعت بر طپید ** ز انتجاع و خواستن چاره ندید
- (Meanwhile), however, his soul fluttered (in distress) on account of hunger: he saw no means of escape from foraging and begging.
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گفت شب بیرون روم من نرم نرم ** تا ز ظلمت نایدم در کدیه شرم 4250
- “At nightfall,” he said (to himself), “I will slip out very quietly, in order that I may beg in the dark without feeling ashamed.
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هم‌چو شبکوکی کنم شب ذکر و بانگ ** تا رسد از بامهاام نیم دانگ
- At night I will chant (litanies) and bawl like a night-mendicant, that half a dáng may come to me from the roofs.”