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,
من نسازم جز به دریایی وطن ** آبگیری را نسازم من سکن2285
I will not make my home except in a sea: I will not make a lake my dwelling-place.
آب بی‌حد جویم و آمن شوم ** تا ابد در امن و صحت می‌روم
I will seek the boundless sea and become safe: I will go in safety and welfare for ever.”
بیان آنک عهد کردن احمق وقت گرفتاری و ندم هیچ وفایی ندارد کی لو ردوالعادوا لما نهوا عنه و انهم لکاذبون صبح کاذب وفا ندارد
Explaining that the promise made by the fool at the moment of seizure (punishment) and contrition is faithless, for though they should be sent back, they would surely return to that which they were forbidden to do, and verily they are liars. The false dawn keeps not faith.
عقل می‌گفتش حماقت با توست ** با حماقت عقل را آید شکست
Reason was saying to him, “Folly is with thee: with Folly (as thy companion), the promise will be broken.
عقل را باشد وفای عهدها ** تو نداری عقل رو ای خربها
The keeping of promises appertains to reason: thou hast not reason: begone, O thou whose value is that of an ass!
عقل را یاد آید از پیمان خود ** پرده‌ی نسیان بدراند خرد
Reason remembers its covenant: understanding rends the veil of forgetfulness.
Since thou hast not reason, forgetfulness is thy ruler: it is thy enemy and the bringer-to-naught of thy devising.”
از کمی عقل پروانه‌ی خسیس ** یاد نارد ز آتش و سوز و حسیس
From deficiency of reason the wretched moth does not re member the flame and the burning and the (crackling) sound (when its wings are scorched).
چونک پرش سوخت توبه می‌کند ** آز و نسیانش بر آتش می‌زند
When its wings are burnt, it repents; (but) cupidity and forgetfulness dash it (again) into the flame.
ضبط و درک و حافظی و یادداشت ** عقل را باشد که عقل آن را فراشت
Grasp and apprehension and retentiveness and keeping in mind belong to Reason, for Reason has raised those (faculties).
چونک گوهر نیست تابش چون بود ** چون مذکر نیست ایابش چون بود
When the pearl is not there, how should its lustre exist? When there is none to remind (admonish the fool), how should he turn back (from folly)?
این تمنی هم ز بی‌عقلی اوست ** که نبیند کان حماقت را چه خوست2295
Moreover, this wish (to escape from the consequences of his folly) arises from his want of reason, for he does not see what is the nature of that folly.
آن ندامت از نتیجه‌ی رنج بود ** نه ز عقل روشن چون گنج بود
That contrition was the result of pain, not of Reason which is bright as a treasure.
چونک شد رنج آن ندامت شد عدم ** می‌نیرزد خاک آن توبه و ندم
When the pain departed, that contrition became naught: that repentance and contrition hath not the worth (even) of dust.
آن ندم از ظلمت غم بست بار ** پس کلام اللیل یمحوه النهار
That contrition burgeoned from (was produced by) the darkness of pain; hence (as the proverb says) day wipes out the words of night
چون برفت آن ظلمت غم گشت خوش ** هم رود از دل نتیجه و زاده‌اش
When the darkness of pain is gone and he (the fool) has be come happy, its result and product also goes from his heart.