- The rent of folly and ignorance does not admit of being patched up: do not give the seed of wisdom to him (the fool), O counsellor. 2265
- چاک حمق و جهل نپذیرد رفو ** تخم حکمت کم دهش ای پندگو
- How the half-intelligent fish devised a means (of escape) and feigned to be dead.
- چاره اندیشیدن آن ماهی نیم‌عاقل و خود را مرده کردن
- The second fish said in the hour of tribulation, when he was left sundered from the shadow (protection) of the intelligent one,
- گفت ماهی دگر وقت بلا ** چونک ماند از سایه‌ی عاقل جدا
- “He hath gone towards the sea and is freed from sorrow: such a good comrade hath been lost to me!
- کو سوی دریا شد و از غم عتیق ** فوت شد از من چنان نیکو رفیق
- But I will not think of that and will attend to myself: at this (present) time I will feign to be dead.
- لیک زان نندیشم و بر خود زنم ** خویشتن را این زمان مرده کنم
- Then I will turn my belly upwards and my back downwards and will move on the water.
- پس برآرم اشکم خود بر زبر ** پشت زیر و می‌روم بر آب بر
- I will move upon it as weeds move, not by swimming as a person (swimmer) does. 2270
- می‌روم بر وی چنانک خس رود ** نی بسباحی چنانک کس رود
- I will become dead, I will commit myself to the water: to die before death is to be safe from torment.”
- مرده گردم خویش بسپارم به آب ** مرگ پیش از مرگ امنست از عذاب
- To die before death is to be safe, O youth: even so hath Mustafa (Mohammad) commanded us.
- مرگ پیش از مرگ امنست ای فتی ** این چنین فرمود ما را مصطفی
- He said, “Die, all of you, ere death come, else ye will die with (the certainty of suffering) sore afflictions (hereafter).”
- گفت موتواکلکم من قبل ان ** یاتی الموت تموتوا بالفتن
- He (the fish) died in that manner and threw his belly upwards: the water was carrying him, now alow, now aloft.
- هم‌چنان مرد و شکم بالا فکند ** آب می‌بردش نشیب و گه بلند