Unless thou desire this incessant lying down and rising up (this stumbling on the way), sharpen thine eye with the dust on the foot of a holy man.
گر نخواهی هر دمی این خفت‌خیز ** کن ز خاک پایی مردی چشم تیز
Make the dust of his foot collyrium for thine eye, that thou mayst strike off the head of the blackguards;
کحل دیده ساز خاک پاش را ** تا بیندازی سر اوباش را
For through this pupilage and this poverty (of spirit), (though) thou be (as) a needle, thou wilt become (a trenchant sword like) Dhu ’l-faqár.
که ازین شاگردی و زین افتقار ** سوزنی باشی شوی تو ذوالفقار
Use the dust of every elect one as collyrium: it will both burn the eye and do it good.3375
سرمه کن تو خاک هر بگزیده را ** هم بسوزد هم بسازد دیده را
The eye of the camel is very luminous because he (the camel) eats thorns for the sake of (increasing) the light of his eye.
چشم اشتر زان بود بس نوربار ** کو خورد از بهر نور چشم خار
Story of the mule's complaining to the camel (and saying), "I often fall on my face when going along, while you seldom do so: why is this?" and the camel's answer to him.
قصه‌ی شکایت استر با شتر کی من بسیار در رو می‌افتم در راه رفتن تو کم در روی می‌آیی این چراست و جواب گفتن شتر او را
One day a mule saw a camel, since he had been put into a stable with him.
اشتری را دید روزی استری ** چونک با او جمع شد در آخری
He (the mule) said, “I often fall on my face in hill and road and in market and street.
گفت من بسیار می‌افتم برو ** در گریوه و راه و در بازار و کو
Particularly (in descending) from the top of the mountain to the bottom I come down on my head every moment from terror.
خاصه از بالای که تا زیر کوه ** در سر آیم هر زمانی از شکوه
Thou dost not fall on thy face: why is it? Or maybe in sooth thy pure spirit is destined to felicity.3380
کم همی‌افتی تو در رو بهر چیست ** یا مگر خود جان پاکت دولتیست
I come down on my head every instant and strike my knees (on the ground): by that slipping I make muzzle and knees all bloody.
در سر آیم هر دم و زانو زنم ** پوز و زانو زان خطا پر خون کنم