- Many slapped him jocosely; many said, “O fortunate man,
- بس کسان صفعش زدند اندر مزاح ** بس کسان گفتند ای صاحب فلاح
- How should the enquiry of a clever and clear-minded person like you be devoid (of result)? How should it be vain?”
- جستجوی چون تو زیرک سینه صاف ** کی تهی باشد کجا باشد گزاف
- And this (ironical) respect was to him another slap, and it was harder (to bear) than the visible slap. 3650
- وین مراعاتش یکی صفعی دگر ** وین ز صفع آشکارا سختتر
- They extolled him sarcastically, saying, “O great sir, in such and such a very tremendous and huge country,
- میستودندش به تسخر کای بزرگ ** در فلان اقلیم بس هول و سترگ
- In such and such a forest there is a green tree, very tall and broad, and every branch of it is big.”
- در فلان بیشه درختی هست سبز ** بس بلند و پهن و هر شاخیش گبز
- The king's envoy, who had braced his belt for the quest, was hearing a different kind of report from every one;
- قاصد شه بسته در جستن کمر ** میشنید از هر کسی نوعی خبر
- There for years he travelled much, (whilst) the king kept sending money to him.
- بس سیاحت کرد آن جا سالها ** میفرستادش شهنشه مالها
- After he had suffered much fatigue in that foreign land, at last he became too exhausted to seek (any longer). 3655
- چون بسی دید اندر آن غربت تعب ** عاجز آمد آخر الامر از طلب
- No trace of the object of pursuit was discovered: of what he wanted nothing appeared but the report.
- هیچ از مقصود اثر پیدا نشد ** ز آن غرض غیر خبر پیدا نشد
- The thread of his hope snapped, the thing he had sought became unsought in the end.
- رشتهی امید او بگسسته شد ** جستهی او عاقبت ناجسته شد