The scents of truth and fool-catching (plausible) falsehood are apparent in the breath, like musk and garlic.
بوی صدق و بوی کذب گول‌گیر ** هست پیدا در نفس چون مشک و سیر
If you cannot distinguish a (sincere) friend from a double-hearted person, complain of your own rotten sense of smell.4895
گر ندانی یار را از ده‌دله ** از مشام فاسد خود کن گله
The voices of poltroons and brave courageous men are as distinct as the characteristics of the fox and the lion.
بانگ حیزان و شجاعان دلیر ** هست پیدا چون فن روباه و شیر
Or, (again), the tongue is just like the lid of a cooking-pot: when it is moved you know what sort of food is inside;
یا زبان هم‌چون سر دیگست راست ** چون بجنبد تو بدانی چه اباست
(But) one whose sense (of smell) is keen can tell by the vapour (issuing from the closed pot) whether it is a pot of sweetmeat or sour sikbáj (stew flavoured with vinegar).
از بخار آن بداند تیزهش ** دیگ شیرینی ز سکباج ترش
When a man taps a new pot with his hand at the time when he is buying it, he detects the cracked one (by its sound).
دست بر دیگ نوی چون زد فتی ** وقت بخریدن بدید اشکسته را
He (one of the three brothers) said (to the cadi), “I know a man at once by his mouth (speech); and if he do not speak, I know him within three days.”4900
گفت دانم مرد را در حین ز پوز ** ور نگوید دانمش اندر سه روز
The second said, “I know him if he speak, and if he do not speak, I engage him in conversation.”