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.
نه مرورا راس مال و پایه‌ای ** نه پذیرای قبول مایه‌ای 1245
He has neither (any spiritual) capital and basis, nor is he capable of receiving (such a) stock-in-trade.
نه دهنده نی پذیرنده‌ی خوشی ** نه درو معنی و نه معنی‌کشی
He is neither a giver nor a receiver of (spiritual) delight; in him there is neither reality nor (the power of) absorbing reality.
نه زبان نه گوش نه عقل و بصر ** نه هش و نه بیهشی و نه فکر
(He has) neither tongue nor ear nor understanding and insight nor consciousness nor unconsciousness nor reflections;
نه نیاز و نه جمالی بهر ناز ** تو بتویش گنده مانند پیاز
Neither humble supplication nor any beauty (with which) to show pride: his (whole interior), coat on coat, is stinking, like an onion.
نه رهی ببریده او نه پای راه ** نه تبش آن قحبه را نه سوز و آه
He has not traversed any path, nor (has he) the foot for (any power to traverse) the path: that shameless one has neither (inward) glow nor burning (passion) and sighs.
قصه‌ی درویشی کی از آن خانه هرچه می‌خواست می‌گفت نیست
Story of the dervish to whom, whenever he begged anything from a certain house, he (the owner) used to say, “It is not (to be had here).”
سایلی آمد به سوی خانه‌ای ** خشک نانه خواست یا تر نانه‌ای 1250
A beggar came to a house and asked for a piece of dry bread or a piece of moist (new) bread.
گفت صاحب‌خانه نان اینجا کجاست ** خیره‌ای کی این دکان نانباست
The owner of the house said, “Where is bread in this place? Are you crazy? How is this (house) a baker's shop?”
“At least,” he begged, “get me a little bit of fat.” “Why,” said he, “it isn't a butcher's shop.”
گفت پاره‌ی آرد ده ای کدخدا ** گفت پنداری که هست این آسیا
He said, “O master of the house, give me a pittance of flour.” “Do you think this is a mill?” he replied.
گفت باری آب ده از مکرعه ** گفت آخر نیست جو یا مشرعه
“Well then,” said he, “give me some water from the reservoir.” “Why,” he replied, “it isn't a river or a watering-place.”
هر چه او درخواست از نان یا سبوس ** چربکی می‌گفت و می‌کردش فسوس 1255
Whatever he asked for, from bread to bran, he (the householder) was mocking and deriding him.
آن گدا در رفت و دامن بر کشید ** اندر آن خانه بحسبت خواست رید
The beggar went in and drew up his skirt: in ea domo voluit consulto cacare. [The beggar went in and drew up his skirt: he wanted to defecate deliberately inside the house.]
گفت هی هی گفت تن زن ای دژم ** تا درین ویرانه خود فارغ کنم
He (the householder) cried, “Hey, hey!” “Be quiet, O morose man,” said he, “ut in hoc loco deserto alvum exonerem. [He (the householder) cried, “Hey, hey!” “Be quiet, O morose man,” said he, “so that I may relieve myself inside this desolate place.]
چون درینجا نیست وجه زیستن ** بر چنین خانه بباید ریستن
Since there is no means of living (zístan) here, upon a house like this cacare (rístan) oportet.” [Since there is no means of living (zístan) here, one should defecate (rístan) upon a house such as this.”]
چون نه‌ای بازی که گیری تو شکار ** دست آموز شکار شهریار
Since you are not a falcon, so as to (be able to) catch the prey, (a falcon) hand-trained for the King's hunting;
نیستی طاوس با صد نقش بند ** که به نقشت چشمها روشن کنند 1260
Nor a peacock painted with a hundred (beautiful) designs, so that (all) eyes should be illumined by the picture which you present;
هم نه‌ای طوطی که چون قندت دهند ** گوش سوی گفت شیرینت نهند
Nor a parrot, so that when sugar is given to you, (all) ears should bend to (listen to) your sweet talk;
هم نه‌ای بلبل که عاشق‌وار زار ** خوش بنالی در چمن یا لاله‌زار
Nor a nightingale to sing, like a lover, sweetly and plaintively in the meadow or the tulip-garden;
هم نه‌ای هدهد که پیکیها کنی ** نه چو لک‌لک که وطن بالا کنی
Nor a hoopoe to bring messages, nor are you like a stork to make your nest on high—
در چه کاری تو و بهر چت خرند ** تو چه مرغی و ترا با چه خورند
In what work are you (employed), and for what (purpose) are you bought? What (sort of) bird are you, and with what (digestive) are you eaten?
زین دکان با مکاسان برتر آ ** تا دکان فضل که الله اشتری 1265
Mount beyond this ship of hagglers to the shop of Bounty where God is the purchaser.
کاله‌ای که هیچ خلقش ننگرید ** از خلاقت آن کریم آن را خرید
(There) that Gracious One hath purchased the piece of goods that no people would look at on account of its shabbiness.
هیچ قلبی پیش او مردود نیست ** زانک قصدش از خریدن سود نیست
With Him no base coin is rejected, for His object in buying is not (to make a) profit.
رجوع به داستان آن کمپیر
Return to the tale of the old woman.
چون عروسی خواست رفتن آن خریف ** موی ابرو پاک کرد آن مستخیف
Since that (crone who was faded as) autumn desired to be wed, that lustful one plucked out the hair of her eyebrows. [Since that (crone who was faded as) autumn desired to be wed, that one (who was) desirous of a (drawn back) foreskin plucked out the hair of her eyebrows.]
پیش رو آیینه بگرفت آن عجوز ** تا بیاراید رخ و رخسار و پوز
The old woman took the mirror (and held it) before her face, that she might beautify her cheeks and face and mouth.
چند گلگونه بمالید از بطر ** سفره‌ی رویش نشد پوشیده‌تر 1270
She rubbed (them) gleefully (with) rouge several times, (but) the creases of her face did not become more concealed,
عشرهای مصحف از جا می‌برید ** می‌بچفسانید بر رو آن پلید
(So) that filthy (hag) was cutting out portions of the Holy Book and sticking them on her face,
تا که سفره‌ی روی او پنهان شود ** تا نگین حلقه‌ی خوبان شود
In order that the creases of her face might be hidden, and that she might become the bezel in the ring of fair (women).
عشرها بر روی هر جا می‌نهاد ** چونک بر می‌بست چادر می‌فتاد
She was putting (these) bits of the Book all over her face, (but) they always dropped off when she put on her chádar (veil);
باز او آن عشرها را با خدو ** می‌بچفسانید بر اطراف رو
Then she would stick them on again with spittle on all sides of her face,
باز چادر راست کردی آن تکین ** عشرها افتادی از رو بر زمین 1275
And once more that bezel (paragon of beauty) would arrange her veil, and (again) the bits of the Book would fall from her face to the ground.
چون بسی می‌کرد فن و آن می‌فتاد ** گفت صد لعنت بر آن ابلیس باد
Since they always dropped off though she tried many an artifice, (at last) she exclaimed, “A hundred curses on Iblís!”
شد مصور آن زمان ابلیس زود ** گفت ای قحبه‌ی قدید بی‌ورود
Immediately Iblís took (visible) shape and said (to her), “O luckless dried-up harlot,