Hast thou ever seen one leaf of a (folding) door small and the other large, or a wolf mated with the lion of the jungle?
جفت در یک خرد و آن دیگر بزرگ ** جفت شیر بیشه دیدی هیچ گرگ
A pair of sacks on a camel do not balance properly when one is empty and one full to the brim.
راست ناید بر شتر جفت جوال ** آن یکی خالی و این پر مال مال
I march with stout heart towards contentment: why art thou betaking thyself to revilement?”
من روم سوی قناعت دل قوی ** تو چرا سوی شناعت می‌‌روی
In this fashion the contented man, moved by sincerity and ardour, was talking to his wife till daybreak.
مرد قانع از سر اخلاص و سوز ** زین نسق می‌‌گفت با زن تا به روز
How the wife counselled her husband, saying, "Don't talk in excess of (beyond) thy merit and (spiritual) rank—'why say ye that which ye do not?'—for although these words are true, yet thou hast not attained to the degree of trust in God, and to speak thus above thy station and devotional practice is harmful and 'exceedingly hateful in the sight of God.'"
نصیحت کردن زن مر شوی را که سخن افزون از قدم و از مقام خود مگو لم تقولون ما لا تفعلونکه این سخنها اگر چه راست است این مقام توکل ترا نیست و این سخن گفتن فوق مقام و معامله‌‌ی خود زیان دارد و کبر مقتا عند الله باشد
The wife cried out at him, saying, “O thou who makest reputation thy religion, I will not swallow thy spells (deceiving speeches) any more.2315
زن بر او زد بانگ کای ناموس کیش ** من فسون تو نخواهم خورد بیش
Don't talk nonsense in thy presumption and pretension: begone, don't speak from pride and arrogance.
ترهات از دعوی و دعوت مگو ** رو سخن از کبر وز نخوت مگو
How long (wilt thou utter) pompous and artificial phrases? Look at thine own acts and feelings and be ashamed!
چند حرف طمطراق و کار و بار ** کار و حال خود ببین و شرم دار
Pride is ugly, and in beggars (all the) more ugly: (it is like) wet clothes after a cold snowy day.
کبر زشت و از گدایان زشت‌‌تر ** روز سرد و برف و آن گه جامه تر
How long (this) pretension and palaver and bluster, O thou whose house is (frail) as the house of the spider?
چند دعوی و دم و باد و بروت ** ای ترا خانه چو بیت العنکبوت
When hast thou illumined thy soul by contentment? Of contentment thou hast learned (only) the name.2320
از قناعت کی تو جان افروختی ** از قناعتها تو نام آموختی