- As (for example) that callous fair-spoken person planted a thorn bush in the middle of the road.
- همچو آن شخص درشت خوش سخن ** در میان ره نشاند او خار بن
- The wayfarers reproached him and oftentimes told him to dig it up: he dug it not up.
- ره گذریانش ملامتگر شدند ** بس بگفتندش بکن این را نکند
- Every moment the thorn bush was growing bigger: the people's feet were streaming with blood from its pricks.
- هر دمی آن خار بن افزون شدی ** پای خلق از زخم آن پر خون شدی
- The people's clothes were being rent by the thorns: the feet of the poor were being wounded pitiably. 1230
- جامههای خلق بدریدی ز خار ** پای درویشان بخستی زار زار
- When the Governor said to him with earnestness, “Dig this up,” he replied, “Yes, I will dig it up some day.”
- چون به جد حاکم بدو گفت این بکن ** گفت آری بر کنم روزیش من
- For a long while he promised (to dig it up) to-morrow and to-morrow; (meantime) his thorn bush became robust in constitution.
- مدتی فردا و فردا وعده داد ** شد درخت خار او محکم نهاد
- One day the Governor said to him, “O false promiser, go forward with my affair, do not creep back.”
- گفت روزی حاکمش ای وعده کژ** پیش آ در کار ما وا پس مغژ
- He replied, “O uncle, the days are between us.” “Make haste,” said he, “do not put off payment of my debt.”
- گفت الایام یا عم بیننا ** گفت عجل لا تماطل دیننا
- You who say “To-morrow,” be aware of this, that with every day that time is coming (and going), 1235
- تو که میگویی که فردا این بدان ** که به هر روزی که میآید زمان
- That evil tree is growing younger, while this digger is waxing old and sorely distressed.
- آن درخت بد جوانتر میشود ** وین کننده پیر و مضطر میشود