The ass's head is a ball for our children: his thought is a plaything for our guile.”
عقل که آن باشد ز دوران زحل ** پیش عقل کل ندارد آن محل 2585
The reason that belongs to (is affected by) the revolution of Saturn hath no position (of honour) in the sight of Universal Reason.
از عطارد وز زحل دانا شد او ** ما ز داد کردگار لطف‌خو
It is made knowing by Mercury and Saturn; we (organs of Universal Reason) by the bounty of the gracious Creator.
علم الانسان خم طغرای ماست ** علم عند الله مقصدهای ماست
The twisted script of our sign-manual is He taught Man: our aims are (expressed in the words) the knowledge is with God.
تربیه‌ی آن آفتاب روشنیم ** ربی الاعلی از آن رو می‌زنیم
We are (the object of) the nurture of that resplendent Sun: on that account we are crying, “(Glory to) my Lord the Supreme!”
تجربه گر دارد او با این همه ** بشکند صد تجربه زین دمدمه
(The fox said), “If he (the ass) possesses experience, nevertheless a hundred experiences will be shattered by this deceitful palaver (of mine).
بوک توبه بشکند آن سست‌خو ** در رسد شومی اشکستن درو 2590
Maybe that weak-natured one will break his (vow of) repentance, and the bad luck of his breaking it will overtake him.”
در بیان آنک نقض عهد و توبه موجب بلا بود بلک موجب مسخ است چنانک در حق اصحاب سبت و در حق اصحاب مایده‌ی عیسی و جعل منهم القردة و الخنازیر و اندرین امت مسخ دل باشد و به قیامت تن را صورت دل دهند نعوذ بالله
Explaining that the violation of a covenant and (vow of) repentance is the cause of affliction; nay, it is the cause of metamorphosis, as in the case of the “Fellows of the Sabbath” and in the case of the “Fellows (who disbelieved in the miracle) of the Table of Jesus,” for (God hath said), “And He turned them into apes and swine.” And in this community there is (only) metamorphosis of the spirit, but at the Resurrection the form of the spirit will be given to the body.
نقض میثاق و شکست توبه‌ها ** موجب لعنت شود در انتها
To violate a pact and break vows of repentance becomes the cause of accursedness in the end.
نقض توبه و عهد آن اصحاب سبت ** موجب مسخ آمد و اهلاک و مقت
The violation of vows of repentance by the “Fellows of the Sabbath” became the cause of their metamorphosis and destruction and abomination.
پس خدا آن قوم را بوزینه کرد ** چونک عهد حق شکستند از نبرد
Therefore God turned those people into apes, since they rebelliously broke their covenant with God.
اندرین امت نبد مسخ بدن ** لیک مسخ دل بود ای بوالفطن
In this community there has never been metamorphosis of the body, but there is metamorphosis of the spirit, O man endowed with perception.
چون دل بوزینه گردد آن دلش ** از دل بوزینه شد خوار آن گلش 2595
When his spirit becomes the ape-spirit, his clay (body) is debased by the ape-spirit.
گر هنر بودی دلش را ز اختبار ** خوار کی بودی ز صورت آن حمار
How should the ass be debased by his (bodily) form, if his spirit had possessed the virtue (that is derived) from (rational) experience?
آن سگ اصحاب خوش بد سیرتش ** هیچ بودش منقصت زان صورتش
The dog of the Companions (of the Cave) had a goodly character: was he any the worse on account of his (bodily) form?
مسخ ظاهر بود اهل سبت را ** تا ببیند خلق ظاهر کبت را
The “Fellows of the Sabbath” suffered outward metamorphosis, in order that the people might behold outwardly their ignominious fall.
از ره سر صد هزاران دگر ** گشته از توبه شکستن خوک و خر
Through breaking (vows of) repentance a hundred thousand others have become hogs and asses inwardly.
دوم بار آمدن روبه بر این خر گریخته تا باز بفریبدش
How the fox approached the runaway ass a second time in order to beguile him once more.
پس بیامد زود روبه سوی خر ** گفت خر از چون تو یاری الحذر 2600
Then the fox came quickly towards the ass: the ass said, “One must beware of a friend like you.
ناجوامردا چه کردم من ترا ** که به پیش اژدها بردی مرا
Ignoble creature, what did I do to you that you brought me into the presence of a dragon?
موجب کین تو با جانم چه بود ** غیر خبث جوهر تو ای عنود
What but the malignity of your nature was the cause of your enmity to my life, O perverse one?”—
هم‌چو کزدم کو گزد پای فتی ** نارسیده از وی او را زحمتی
Like the scorpion, which bites a man's foot though no inconvenience has come to it from him,
یا چو دیوی کو عدوی جان ماست ** نارسیده زحمتش از ما و کاست
Or like the Devil who is the enemy of our souls, though no inconvenience or injury has befallen him from us;