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;
بلک طبعا خصم جان آدمیست ** از هلاک آدمی در خرمیست 2605
Nay, but he is naturally the adversary of the human soul and rejoices at the destruction of Man;
از پی هر آدمی او نسکلد ** خو و طبع زشت خود او کی هلد
He never breaks off his pursuit of any human being: how should he abandon his wicked disposition and nature?
زانک خبث ذات او بی‌موجبی ** هست سوی ظلم و عدوان جاذبی
For, without any cause, his essential malignity pulls him on to (commit) injustice and tyranny.
هر زمان خواند ترا تا خرگهی ** که در اندازد ترا اندر چهی
He continually invites thee to a spacious tent in order that he may cast thee into a pit,
که فلان جا حوض آبست و عیون ** تا در اندازد به حوضت سرنگون
Saying, “In such and such a place there is a tank of water and (many) fountains,” that he may cast thee headlong into the tank.
آدمی را با همه وحی و نظر ** اندر افکند آن لعین در شور و شر 2610
That accursed one caused an Adam, notwithstanding all his inspiration and insight, to fall into woe and bane,
بی‌گناهی بی‌گزند سابقی ** که رسد او را ز آدم ناحقی
Without any sin (having been committed against him) and without any previous harm having been wrongfully done to him by Adam.
گفت روبه آن طلسم سحر بود ** که ترا در چشم آن شیری نمود
The fox replied, “It was a spell of magic that appeared in your eyes as a lion;
ورنه من از تو به تن مسکین‌ترم ** که شب و روز اندر آنجا می‌چرم
Else I am more puny in body than you, and I always feed there by night and day.
گرنه زان گونه طلسمی ساختی ** هر شکم‌خواری بدانجا تاختی
If he (the magician) had not wrought a spell of that kind, every famishing (animal) would have run thither.
یک جهان بی‌نوا پر پیل و ارج ** بی‌طلسمی کی بماندی سبز مرج 2615
(In) a foodless world full of elephants and rhinoceroses how should the meadow have remained verdant without (the protection of) a spell?
من ترا خود خواستم گفتن به درس ** که چنان هولی اگر بینی مترس
Truly, I meant to tell you, by way of instruction, not to be afraid if you should see a terrible thing like that;
لیک رفت از یاد علم آموزیت ** که بدم مستغرق دلسوزیت
But I forgot to impart (this) knowledge to you, because I was overwhelmed with grief and pity on your account.
دیدمت در جوع کلب و بی‌نوا ** می‌شتابیدم که آیی تا دوا
I saw you were ravenously hungry and without food, (therefore) I was making haste so that you might attain to the remedy;
ورنه با تو گفتمی شرح طلسم ** که آن خیالی می‌نماید نیست جسم
Otherwise I would have explained the spell to you: it (the lion) presents itself as an apparition, it is not a (real) body.”