Its two eyes are worth (only) a half of its value, inasmuch as thine eye is the support for its two eyes.
نصف قیمت ارزد آن دو چشم او ** که دو چشمش راست مسند چشم تو
But if thou destroy one eye of a son of Adam, by a statute (of the Law) thou must pay half of his value,
ور کنی یک چشم آدم‌زاده‌ای ** نصف قیمت لایقست از جاده‌ای
Because the human eye works alone by itself without (assistance from) the two eyes of a friend.
زانک چشم آدمی تنها به خود ** بی دو چشم یار کاری می‌کند
Since (the power of) the donkey's eye (to see) the beginning is not accompanied by (power to see) the end, it (the donkey) is in the same case as the one-eyed man, (even) if it has two eyes.1715
چشم خر چون اولش بی آخرست ** گر دو چشمش هست حکمش اعورست
This topic hath no limit—and that light-minded (foolish) one is writing a letter in hope of loaves.
این سخن پایان ندارد وان خفیف ** می‌نویسد رقعه در طمع رغیف
The rest of the story of the slave’s writing a petition for his allowance.
بقیه‌ی نوشتن آن غلام رقعه به طلب اجری
Before (writing) the letter he went to the kitchen-stewerd and said, “O niggard of the kitchen of the generous king,
رفت پیش از نامه پیش مطبخی ** کای بخیل از مطبخ شاه سخی
‘Tis far from him and from his magnanimity that this (small) amount (matter) of my allowance should come into his consideration.”
دور ازو وز همت او کین قدر ** از جری‌ام آیدش اندر نظر
He (the steward) said, “He has ordered (so) for a good object, not on account of stinginess or close-fistedness.”
گفت بهر مصلحت فرموده است ** نه برای بخل و نه تنگی دست
“By God,” he replied, “this is a canard: even old gold is as dust in the king’s eyes.”1720
گفت دهلیزیست والله این سخن ** پیش شه خاکست هم زر کهن
The steward raised up manifold arguments: he rejected them all because of the greed which he had (in him).
مطبخی ده گونه حجت بر فراشت ** او همه رد کرد از حرصی که داشت