اول ار شد مرکبت سرو سهی ** لیک آخر خشک و بی‌مغزی تهی 1220
If at first you mounted on a tall cypress, yet in the end you are dry and pulpless and empty.
رنگ سبزت زرد شد ای قرع زود ** زانک از گلگونه بود اصلی نبود
Your green (fresh) colour soon turned yellow (faded), O pumpkin, for it was derived from rouge, it was not original.
داستان آن عجوزه کی روی زشت خویشتن را جندره و گلگونه می‌ساخت و ساخته نمی‌شد و پذیرا نمی‌آمد
Story of the old woman who used to depilate and rouge her ugly face, though it could never be put right and become pleasing.
بود کمپیری نودساله کلان ** پر تشنج روی و رنگش زعفران
There was a decrepit old woman aged ninety years, her face covered with wrinkles and her complexion (yellow as) saffron.
چون سر سفره رخ او توی توی ** لیک در وی بود مانده عشق شوی
Her face was in folds like the surface of a traveller's food-wallet, but there remained in her the passionate desire for a husband.
ریخت دندانهاش و مو چون شیر شد ** قد کمان و هر حسش تغییر شد
Her teeth had dropped out and her hair had become (white) as milk: her figure was (bent) like a bow, and every sense in her was decayed.
عشق شوی و شهوت و حرصش تمام ** عشق صید و پاره‌پاره گشته دام 1225
Her passion for a husband and her lust and desire were (there) in full (force): the passion for snaring (was there), though the trap had fallen to pieces.
مرغ بی‌هنگام و راه بی‌رهی ** آتشی پر در بن دیگ تهی
(She was like) a cock that crows at the wrong time, a road that leads nowhere, a big fire beneath an empty kettle;
عاشق میدان و اسپ و پای نی ** عاشق زمر و لب و سرنای نی
(Like one who is) exceedingly fond of the race-course, but has no horse and no means of running; (or) exceedingly fond of piping, but having neither lip nor pipe.
حرص در پیری جهودان را مباد ** ای شقیی که خداش این حرص داد
May (even) Jews have no (such) cupidity in (their) old age! Oh, (how) miserable is he on whom God hath bestowed this cupidity!
ریخت دندانهای سگ چون پیر شد ** ترک مردم کرد و سرگین‌گیر شد
A dog's teeth drop out when it grows old: it leaves people (alone) and takes to (eating) dung;
این سگان شصت ساله را نگر ** هر دمی دندان سگشان تیزتر 1230
(But) look at these sexagenarian dogs! Their dog-teeth get sharper at every moment.
پیر سگ را ریخت پشم از پوستین ** این سگان پیر اطلس‌پوش بین
The hairs drop from the fur of an old dog; (but) see these old (human) dogs clad in satin!
عشقشان و حرصشان در فرج و زر ** دم به دم چون نسل سگ بین بیشتر
See how their passionate desire and greed for women and gold, like the progeny of dogs, is increasing continually!
این چنین عمری که مایه‌ی دوزخ است ** مر قصابان غضب را مسلخ است
Such a life as this, which is Hell's stock-in-trade, is a shambles for the butchers (executioners) of (the Divine) Wrath;
چون بگویندش که عمر تو دراز ** می‌شود دلخوش دهانش از خنده باز
(Yet) when people say to him, “May your life be long!” he is delighted and opens his mouth in laughter.
این چنین نفرین دعا پندارد او ** چشم نگشاید سری بر نارد او 1235
He thinks a curse like this is a benediction: he never uncloses his (inward) eye or raises his head once (from the slumber of heedlessness).
گر بدیدی یک سر موی از معاد ** اوش گفتی این چنین عمر تو باد
If he had seen (even as much as) a hair's tip of the future state, he would have said to him (who wished him long life), “May thy life be like this!”
داستان آن درویش کی آن گیلانی را دعا کرد کی خدا ترا به سلامت به خان و مان باز رساناد
Story of the dervish who blessed a man of Gílán, saying, “May God bring thee back in safety to thy home and household!”
گفت یک روزی به خواجه‌ی گیلیی ** نان پرستی نر گدا زنبیلیی
One day a sturdy beggar, (who was) very fond of bread and carried a basket (about with him), accosted a Khwája of Gílán.
چون ستد زو نان بگفت ای مستعان ** خوش به خان و مان خود بازش رسان
On receiving some bread from him, he cried, “O Thou (God) whose help is besought, bring him back happy to his home and household!”
گفت خان ار آنست که من دیده‌ام ** حق ترا آنجا رساند ای دژم
He (the Khwája) said, “If the house is the one that I have seen (recently), may God bring thee there, O squalid wretch!”
هر محدث را خسان باذل کنند ** حرفش ار عالی بود نازل کنند 1240
Worthless folk humiliate every story-teller: if his words are lofty, they make them low;
زانک قدر مستمع آید نبا ** بر قد خواجه برد درزی قبا
For the tale is (lofty or low) in proportion to (the understanding of) the hearer: the tailor cuts the coat according to the Khwája's (customer's) figure.
صفت آن عجوز
[Description of the old woman.]
چونک مجلس بی چنین پیغاره نیست ** از حدیث پست نازل چاره نیست
Since the audience is not free from such reproach, there is no means of avoiding low and undignified talk.
واستان هین این سخن را از گرو ** سوی افسانه‌ی عجوزه باز رو
Hark, redeem this topic (of discourse) from pawn: return to the tale of the old woman.
چون مسن گشت و درین ره نیست مرد ** تو بنه نامش عجوز سال‌خورد
When he (any one) has become advanced in years and is not a man (adept) in this Way, bestow the name of “aged crone” upon him.