- There was a man, a householder, who had a very sneering, dirty, and rapacious wife.
- بود مردی کدخدا او را زنی ** سخت طناز و پلید و ره‌زنی
- Whatever (food) he brought (home), his wife would consume it, and the man was forced to keep silence. 3410
- هرچه آوردی تلف کردیش زن ** مرد مضطر بود اندر تن زدن
- (One day) that family man brought home, for a guest, (some) meat (which he had procured) with infinite pains.
- بهر مهمان گوشت آورد آن معیل ** سوی خانه با دو صد جهد طویل
- His wife ate it up with kabáb and wine: (when) the man came in, she put him off with useless words.
- زن بخوردش با کباب و با شراب ** مرد آمد گفت دفع ناصواب
- The man said to her, “Where is the meat? The guest has arrived: one must set nice food before a guest.”
- مرد گفتش گوشت کو مهمان رسید ** پیش مهمان لوت می‌باید کشید
- “This cat has eaten the meat,” she replied: “hey, go and buy some more meat if you can!”
- گفت زن این گربه خورد آن گوشت را ** گوشت دیگر خر اگر باشد هلا
- He said (to the servant), “O Aybak, fetch the balance: I will weigh the cat. 3415
- گفت ای ایبک ترازو را بیار ** گربه را من بر کشم اندر عیار
- He weighed her. The cat was half a mann. Then the man said, “O deceitful wife,
- بر کشیدش بود گربه نیم من ** پس بگفت آن مرد کای محتال زن
- The meat was half a mann and one sitír over; the cat is just half a mann, my lady.
- گوشت نیم من بود و افزون یک ستیر ** هست گربه نیم‌من هم ای ستیر
- If this is the cat, then where is the meat? Or, if this is the meat, where is the cat? Search (for her)!”
- این اگر گربه‌ست پس آن گوشت کو ** ور بود این گوشت گربه کو بجو