Although he laid hold of the Emperor's saddle-strap, (yet) in the end he was (only) admitted (to union with his Beloved) by the eye whose glances kill.4875
گرچه او فتراک شاهنشه گرفت ** آخر از عین الکمال او ره گرفت
And the third (brother) was the laziest of the three: he won (the prize) completely—the form (appearance) as well as the reality.
و آن سوم کاهل‌ترین هر سه بود ** صورت و معنی به کلی او ربود
The injunctions given by a certain person that after he died his property should be inherited by whichever of his three sons was the laziest.
وصیت کردن آن شخص کی بعد از من او برد مال مرا از سه فرزند من کی کاهل‌ترست
Long ago a certain person, in giving injunctions on his death-bed, had spoken (as follows)—
آن یکی شخص به وقت مرگ خویش ** گفت بود اندر وصیت پیش‌پیش
(For) he had three sons like three moving cypresses: to them he had devoted his (vital) soul and his (rational) spirit.
سه پسر بودش چو سه سرو روان ** وقف ایشان کرده او جان و روان
He said, “Whichever of these three is the laziest, let him take all the goods and gold in my possession.”
گفت هرچه در کفم کاله و زرست ** او برد زین هر سه کو کاهل‌ترست
He told the cadi and enjoined him strictly: after that, he drained the wine-cup of death.4880
گفت با قاضی و پس اندرز کرد ** بعد از آن جام شراب مرگ خورد
The sons said to the cadi, “O noble sir, we three orphans will not depart from his decision.
گفته فرزندان به قاضی کای کریم ** نگذریم از حکم او ما سه یتیم
We accept and obey: (the right of) control belongs to him: what he has commanded must be executed by us. // We are like Ishmael: we will not recoil from our Abraham though he is offering us in sacrifice."
سمع و طاعه میکنیم او راست دست ** آنچه او فرمود بر ما نافذست // ما چو اسماعیل ز ابراهیم خود ** سر نپیچیم ارچه قربان میکند
The cadi said, “Let each one (of you), using his intelligence, give some account of his laziness,
گفت قاضی هر یکی با عاقلیش ** تا بگوید قصه‌ای از کاهلیش