Reason complains bitterly of the vicious carnal soul: (they are as discordant) as an ugly nose on a beautiful face.
عقل را افغان ز نفس پر عیوب ** هم‌چو بینی بدی بر روی خوب
Reason was saying to him (the frog), “’Tis certain that congeniality is spiritual in origin and is not (derived) from water and clay (the outward form).”
عقل می‌گفتش که جنسیت یقین ** از ره معنیست نی از آب و طین
Take heed, do not become a worshipper of form and do not say this. Do not seek (to discover) the secret of congeniality in the (outward) form.
هین مشو صورت‌پرست و این مگو ** سر جنسیت به صورت در مجو
Form resembles the mineral and the stone: an inorganic thing has no knowledge of congeniality.
صورت آمد چون جماد و چون حجر ** نیست جامد را ز جنسیت خبر
The spirit is like an ant, and the body like a grain of wheat which it (the ant) carries to and fro continually.2955
جان چو مور و تن چو دانه‌ی گندمی ** می‌کشاند سو به سویش هر دمی
The ant knows that the grains of which it has taken charge will be changed and become homogeneous with it.
مور داند کان حبوب مرتهن ** مستحیل و جنس من خواهد شدن
One ant picks up (a grain of) barley on the road, another ant picks up a grain of wheat and runs away.
آن یکی موری گرفت از راه جو ** مور دیگر گندمی بگرفت و دو
The barley does not hurry to the wheat, but the ant comes to the ant; yes (it does).
جو سوی گندم نمی‌تازد ولی ** مور سوی مور می‌آید بلی
The going of the barley to the wheat is (merely) consequential: (’tis) the ant, mark you, (that) returns to its congener.
رفتن جو سوی گندم تابعست ** مور را بین که به جنسش راجعست
Do not say, “Why did the wheat go to the barley?” Fix your eye on the holder, not on that which he holds in pawn.2960
تو مگو گندم چرا شد سوی جو ** چشم را بر خصم نه نی بر گرو