Rumi's Masnavi - Somebody sticks a thorn under a donkey's tail: the donkey does not know how to get rid of it: he starts jumping.

Somebody sticks a thorn under a donkey's tail: the donkey does not know how to get rid of it: he starts jumping.

کس به زیر دم خر خاری نهد ** خر نداند دفع آن بر می‌‌جهد

He jumps, and the thorn strikes more firmly (pierces deeper): it needs an intelligent person to extract a thorn. 155

بر جهد و ان خار محکمتر زند ** عاقلی باید که خاری بر کند

In order to get rid of the thorn, the donkey from irritation and pain went on kicking and dealing blows in a hundred places,

خر ز بهر دفع خار از سوز و درد ** جفته می‌‌انداخت صد جا زخم کرد

(But) that thorn-removing physician was an expert: putting his hand on one spot after another, he tested (it).

آن حکیم خارچین استاد بود ** دست می‌‌زد جا به جا می‌‌آزمود

He inquired of the girl concerning her friends, by way of narrative,

ز ان کنیزک بر طریق داستان ** باز می‌‌پرسید حال دوستان‌‌

And she disclosed to the physician (many) circumstances touching her home and (former) masters and town and dwelling.

با حکیم او قصه‌‌ها می‌‌گفت فاش ** از مقام و خاجگان و شهر تاش‌‌

He listened to her story (while) he continued to observe her pulse and its beating, 160

سوی قصه گفتنش می‌‌داشت گوش ** سوی نبض و جستنش می‌‌داشت هوش‌‌

So that at whosoever's name her pulse should begin to throb, (he might know that) that person is the object of her soul's desire in the world.

تا که نبض از نام کی گردد جهان ** او بود مقصود جانش در جهان‌‌ا ن‌‌

He reckoned up the friends and town; then he mentioned another town by name.

دوستان شهر او را بر شمرد ** بعد از آن شهری دگر را نام برد

He said: “When you went forth from your own town, in which town did you live mostly?”

گفت چون بیرون شدی از شهر خویش ** در کدامین شهر بوده ستی تو بیش‌‌