بلک مر بیننده را دیدار آن ** وقت عبرت می‌کند تسبیح‌خوان1025
Nay, the sight of that (inanimate object) causes him that sees it to glorify God at the time when he regards its significance.
پس چو از تسبیح یادت می‌دهد ** آن دلالت همچو گفتن می‌بود
Therefore, inasmuch as it reminds you of glorification, that indication (which it gives to you) is even as (equivalent to its) uttering (the words of glorification).”
این بود تاویل اهل اعتزال ** و آن آنکس کو ندارد نور حال
This is the interpretation of the Mu‘tazilites and of those who do not possess the light of immediate (mystical) intuition.
چون ز حس بیرون نیامد آدمی ** باشد از تصویر غیبی اعجمی
When a man has not escaped from sense-perception, he will be a stranger to the ideas of the unseen world.
این سخن پایان ندارد مارگیر ** می‌کشید آن مار را با صد زحیر
This discourse hath no end. The snake-catcher, with a hundred pains, was bringing the snake along,
تا به بغداد آمد آن هنگامه‌جو ** تا نهد هنگامه‌ای بر چارسو1030
Till (at last) the would-be showman arrived at Baghdád, that he might set up a public show at the cross-roads.
بر لب شط مرد هنگامه نهاد ** غلغله در شهر بغداد اوفتاد
The man set up a show on the bank of the Tigris, and a hubbub arose in the city of Baghdád—
مارگیری اژدها آورده است ** بوالعجب نادر شکاری کرده است
“A snake-catcher has brought a dragon: he has captured a marvellous rare beast.”
جمع آمد صد هزاران خام‌ریش ** صید او گشته چو او از ابلهیش
Myriads of simpletons assembled, who had become a prey to him as he (to it) in his folly.
منتظر ایشان و هم او منتظر ** تا که جمع آیند خلق منتشر
They were waiting (to see the dragon), and he too was waiting for the scattered people to assemble.
مردم هنگامه افزون‌تر شود ** کدیه و توزیع نیکوتر رود1035
The greater the crowd, the better goes the begging and contributing (of money).
جمع آمد صد هزاران ژاژخا ** حلقه کرده پشت پا بر پشت پا
Myriads of idle babblers assembled, forming a ring, sole against sole.
مرد را از زن خبر نه ز ازدحام ** رفته درهم چون قیامت خاص و عام
Man took no heed of woman: on account of the throng they were mingled together like nobles and common folk at the Resurrection.
چون همی حراقه جنبانید او ** می‌کشیدند اهل هنگامه گلو
When he (the snake-catcher) began to move the cloth (which covered the dragon), the people in the crowd strained their throats (necks),
و اژدها کز زمهریر افسرده بود ** زیر صد گونه پلاس و پرده بود
And (saw that) the dragon, which had been frozen by intense cold, was underneath a hundred kinds of coarse woollen cloths and coverlets.
بسته بودش با رسنهای غلیظ ** احتیاطی کرده بودش آن حفیظ1040
He had bound it with thick ropes: that careful keeper had taken great precaution for it.
در درنگ انتظار و اتفاق ** تافت بر آن مار خورشید عراق
During the delay (interval) of expectation and coming together, the sun of ‘Iráq shone upon the snake.
آفتاب گرم‌سیرش گرم کرد ** رفت از اعضای او اخلاط سرد
The sun of the hot country warmed it; the cold humours went out of its limbs.
مرده بود و زنده گشت او از شگفت ** اژدها بر خویش جنبیدن گرفت
It had been dead, and it revived: from astonishment (at feeling the sun's heat) the dragon began to uncoil itself.
خلق را از جنبش آن مرده مار ** گشتشان آن یک تحیر صد هزار
By the stirring of that dead serpent the people's amazement was multiplied a hundred thousand fold.
با تحیر نعره‌ها انگیختند ** جملگان از جنبشش بگریختند1045
With amazement they started shrieking and fled en masse from its motion.
می‌سکست او بند و زان بانگ بلند ** هر طرف می‌رفت چاقاچاق بند
It set about bursting the bonds, and at that loud outcry (of the people) the bonds on every side went crack, crack.
بندها بسکست و بیرون شد ز زیر ** اژدهایی زشت غران همچو شیر
It burst the bonds and glided out from beneath—a hideous dragon roaring like a lion.
در هزیمت بس خلایق کشته شد ** از فتاده و کشتگان صد پشته شد
Many people were killed in the rout: a hundred heaps were made of the fallen slain.
مارگیر از ترس بر جا خشک گشت ** که چه آوردم من از کهسار و دشت
The snake-catcher became paralysed with fear on the spot, crying, “What have I brought from the mountains and the desert?”