کوسه را بد بر زنخدان چار مو ** لیک هم‌چون ماه بدرش بود رو
The youth had four hairs on his chin, but his face was like the full-moon (in beauty).
کودک امرد به صورت بود زشت ** هم نهاد اندر پس کون بیست خشت
The beardless boy was ugly in appearance: post culum tamen viginti lateres posuit. [The beardless boy was ugly in appearance: yet he placed twenty bricks behind (his) buttocks.]
لوطیی دب برد شب در انبهی ** خشتها را نقل کرد آن مشتهی
Paedicator quidam noctu in frequentia hominum adrepsit: lateres amovit vir libidinosus. [A pederast crept through a crowd (of sleepers) at night; the lustful man moved the bricks.]
دست چون بر وی زد او از جا بجست ** گفت هی تو کیستی ای سگ‌پرست
Cum manum ei injiceret exsiluit puer: “eho,” inquit, “tu quis homo es, O canis cultor?” [When his hand touched him, he jumped up from his place: “hey,” he asked, “who are you, O worshipper of dogs?”]
گفت این سی خشت چون انباشتی ** گفت تو سی خشت چون بر داشتی 3850
Respondit: “Cur hos triginta lateres congessisti?” “Tu,” inquit, “cur triginta lateris sustulisti? [He replied, “Why did you heap up these thirty bricks?” “Why,” he asked, “did you take off the thirty bricks?]
کودک بیمارم و از ضعف خود ** کردم اینجا احتیاط و مرتقد
I am a sick boy and because of my weakness I took precautions and made here a place to lie down.”
گفت اگر داری ز رنجوری تفی ** چون نرفتی جانب دار الشفا
He replied, “If you are ill with a fever, why didn't you go to the hospital
یا به خانه‌ی یک طبیبی مشفقی ** که گشادی از سقامت مغلقی
Or to the house of a kindly physician, in order that he might relieve you of your malady?”
گفت آخر من کجا دانم شدن ** که بهرجا می‌روم من ممتحن
“Why,” said he, “where can I go? for wherever I go, persecuted (as I am),
چون تو زندیقی پلیدی ملحدی ** می بر آرد سر به پیشم چون ددی 3855
Some foul ungodly miscreant like you springs up before me like a wild beast.
خانقاهی که بود بهتر مکان ** من ندیدم یک دمی در وی امان
The dervish-convent, which is the best place—not (even) there do I find safety for one moment.
رو به من آرند مشتی حمزه‌خوار ** چشم‌ها پر نطفه کف خایه‌فشار
A handful of (greedy) pottage-eaters direct their looks at me: oculi semine impleti dum pressant manibus testiculos; [A handful of (greedy) pottage-eaters direct their looks at me: (their) eyes full of sperm (while their) hands (are) squeezing their testicles;]
وانک ناموسیست خود از زیر زیر ** غمزه دزدد می‌دهد مالش به کیر
And even he that has regard for decorum steals covert glances et penem fricat. [And even he that has regard for decorum steals covert glances (while) rubbing (his) penis.]
خانقه چون این بود بازار عام ** چون بود خر گله و دیوان خام
Since the convent is (like) this, what must the public market be like? A herd of asses and boorish devils!
خر کجا ناموس و تقوی از کجا ** خر چه داند خشیت و خوف و رجا 3860
What has an ass to do with decorum and piety? How should an ass know (anything about) reverence and fear and hope?
عقل باشد آمنی و عدل‌جو ** بر زن و بر مرد اما عقل کو
(Real) intelligence consists in being safe (from temptation) and in the desire to act justly towards (every) woman and towards (every) man; but where is (such) intelligence (to be found)?
ور گریزم من روم سوی زنان ** هم‌چو یوسف افتم اندر افتتان
And if I run away and go to the women, I should fall into tribulation like Joseph.
یوسف از زن یافت زندان و فشار ** من شوم توزیع بر پنجاه دار
Joseph suffered imprisonment and torment at the hands of a woman: I should be divided amongst fifty gibbets.
آن زنان از جاهلی بر من تنند ** اولیاشان قصد جان من کنند
Those women in their foolishness would attach themselves to me, and (then) their nearest and dearest (relatives by blood or marriage) would seek my life.
نه ز مردان چاره دارم نه از زنان ** چون کنم که نی ازینم نه از آن 3865
I have no means of escape either from men or women: what can I do, since I belong neither to these nor to those?”
بعد از آن کودک به کوسه بنگریست ** گفت او با آن دو مو از غم بریست
After (making) that (complaint) the boy looked at the youth and said, “He is quit of trouble by reason of the two (or three) hairs (on his chin).
فارغست از خشت و از پیکار خشت ** وز چو تو مادرفروش کنک زشت
He is independent of the bricks and of quarrelling over the bricks and of a wicked young ruffian like you who would sell (prostitute) his own mother.
بر زنخ سه چار مو بهر نمون ** بهتر از سی خشت گرداگرد کون
Three or four hairs on the chin as a notice are better than triginta lateres circa culum.” [Three or four hairs on the chin as a notice are better than thirty bricks around the buttocks.”]
ذره‌ای سایه‌ی عنایت بهترست ** از هزاران کوشش طاعت‌پرست
One atom of the shade (protection) of (Divine) favour is better than a thousand endeavours of the devout pietist,
زانک شیطان خشت طاعت بر کند ** گر دو صد خشتست خود را ره کند 3870
Because the Devil will remove the bricks of piety: (even) if there are two hundred bricks he will make a way for himself.