One day a sturdy beggar, (who was) very fond of bread and carried a basket (about with him), accosted a Khwája of Gílán.
گفت یک روزی به خواجه‌ی گیلیی ** نان پرستی نر گدا زنبیلیی
On receiving some bread from him, he cried, “O Thou (God) whose help is besought, bring him back happy to his home and household!”
چون ستد زو نان بگفت ای مستعان ** خوش به خان و مان خود بازش رسان
He (the Khwája) said, “If the house is the one that I have seen (recently), may God bring thee there, O squalid wretch!”
گفت خان ار آنست که من دیده‌ام ** حق ترا آنجا رساند ای دژم
Worthless folk humiliate every story-teller: if his words are lofty, they make them low;1240
هر محدث را خسان باذل کنند ** حرفش ار عالی بود نازل کنند
For the tale is (lofty or low) in proportion to (the understanding of) the hearer: the tailor cuts the coat according to the Khwája's (customer's) figure.
زانک قدر مستمع آید نبا ** بر قد خواجه برد درزی قبا
[Description of the old woman.]
صفت آن عجوز
Since the audience is not free from such reproach, there is no means of avoiding low and undignified talk.
چونک مجلس بی چنین پیغاره نیست ** از حدیث پست نازل چاره نیست
Hark, redeem this topic (of discourse) from pawn: return to the tale of the old woman.
واستان هین این سخن را از گرو ** سوی افسانه‌ی عجوزه باز رو
When he (any one) has become advanced in years and is not a man (adept) in this Way, bestow the name of “aged crone” upon him.
چون مسن گشت و درین ره نیست مرد ** تو بنه نامش عجوز سال‌خورد
He has neither (any spiritual) capital and basis, nor is he capable of receiving (such a) stock-in-trade.1245
نه مرورا راس مال و پایه‌ای ** نه پذیرای قبول مایه‌ای
He is neither a giver nor a receiver of (spiritual) delight; in him there is neither reality nor (the power of) absorbing reality.
نه دهنده نی پذیرنده‌ی خوشی ** نه درو معنی و نه معنی‌کشی