A certain man had an ass but no pack-saddle: (as soon as) he got a saddle, the wolf carried away his ass.
آن یکی خر داشت، پالانش نبود ** یافت پالان گرگ خر را در ربود
He had a pitcher, but no water could be obtained: when he found water, the pitcher broke.
کوزه بودش آب می‌‌نامد به دست ** آب را چون یافت خود کوزه شکست
The king gathered the physicians together from left and right and said to them, “The life of us both is in your hands.
شه طبیبان جمع کرد از چپ و راست ** گفت جان هر دو در دست شماست
My life is of no account, (but) she is the life of my life. I am in pain and wounded: she is my remedy.
جان من سهل است جان جانم اوست ** دردمند و خسته‌‌ام درمانم اوست
Whoever heals her that is my life will bear away with him my treasure and pearls, large and small.”45
هر که درمان کرد مر جان مرا ** برد گنج و در و مرجان مرا
They all answered him, saying, “We will hazard our lives and summon all our intelligence and put it into the common stock.
جمله گفتندش که جان‌‌بازی کنیم ** فهم گرد آریم و انبازی کنیم
Each of us is a Messiah of a world (of people): in our hands is a medicine for every pain."
هر یکی از ما مسیح عالمی است ** هر الم را در کف ما مرهمی است
In their arrogance they did not say, “If God will”; therefore God showed unto them the weakness of Man.
گر خدا خواهد نگفتند از بطر ** پس خدا بنمودشان عجز بشر
I mean (a case in which) omission of the saving clause is (due to) a hardness of heart; not the mere saying of these words, for that is a superficial circumstance.
ترک استثنا مرادم قسوتی است ** نی همین گفتن که عارض حالتی است
How many a one has not pronounced the saving clause, and yet his soul is in harmony with the soul of it!50
ای بسا ناورده استثنا به گفت ** جان او با جان استثناست جفت