He said: “O king, make the house empty; send away both kinsfolk and strangers.
گفت ای شه خلوتی کن خانه را ** دور کن هم خویش و هم بیگانه را
Let no one listen in the entrance-halls, that I may ask certain things of this handmaiden.”145
کس ندارد گوش در دهلیزها ** تا بپرسم زین کنیزک چیزها
The house was left empty, and not one inhabitant (remained): nobody save the physician and that sick girl.
خانه خالی ماند و یک دیار نی ** جز طبیب و جز همان بیمار نی
Very gently he said (to her), “Where is thy native town? for the treatment suitable to the people of each town is separate.
نرم نرمک گفت شهر تو کجاست ** که علاج اهل هر شهری جداست
And in that town who is related to thee? With what hast thou kinship and affinity?”
و اندر آن شهر از قرابت کیستت ** خویشی و پیوستگی با چیستت
He laid his hand on her pulse and put questions, one by one, about the injustice of Heaven.
دست بر نبضش نهاد و یک به یک ** باز می‌‌پرسید از جور فلک
When a thorn darts into any one's foot, he sets his foot upon his knee,150
چون کسی را خار در پایش جهد ** پای خود را بر سر زانو نهد
And keeps searching for its head with the point of a needle, and if he does not find it, he keeps moistening it (the place) with his lip.
وز سر سوزن همی‌‌جوید سرش ** ور نیابد می‌‌کند با لب ترش
A thorn in the foot is so hard to find: how (then) is it with a thorn in the heart? Answer (that)!
خار در پا شد چنین دشوار یاب ** خار در دل چون بود واده جواب
If every base fellow had seen the thorn in the heart, when would sorrows gain the upper hand over any one?
خار در دل گر بدیدی هر خسی ** دست کی بودی غمان را بر کسی
Somebody sticks a thorn under a donkey's tail: the donkey does not know how to get rid of it: he starts jumping.
کس به زیر دم خر خاری نهد ** خر نداند دفع آن بر می‌‌جهد
He jumps, and the thorn strikes more firmly (pierces deeper): it needs an intelligent person to extract a thorn.155
بر جهد و ان خار محکمتر زند ** عاقلی باید که خاری بر کند
In order to get rid of the thorn, the donkey from irritation and pain went on kicking and dealing blows in a hundred places,
خر ز بهر دفع خار از سوز و درد ** جفته می‌‌انداخت صد جا زخم کرد
(But) that thorn-removing physician was an expert: putting his hand on one spot after another, he tested (it).
آن حکیم خارچین استاد بود ** دست می‌‌زد جا به جا می‌‌آزمود
He inquired of the girl concerning her friends, by way of narrative,
ز ان کنیزک بر طریق داستان ** باز می‌‌پرسید حال دوستان
And she disclosed to the physician (many) circumstances touching her home and (former) masters and town and dwelling.
با حکیم او قصه‌‌ها می‌‌گفت فاش ** از مقام و خاجگان و شهر تاش
He listened to her story (while) he continued to observe her pulse and its beating,160
سوی قصه گفتنش می‌‌داشت گوش ** سوی نبض و جستنش می‌‌داشت هوش
So that at whosoever's name her pulse should begin to throb, (he might know that) that person is the object of her soul's desire in the world.
تا که نبض از نام کی گردد جهان ** او بود مقصود جانش در جهان‌‌ا ن
He reckoned up the friends and town; then he mentioned another town by name.
دوستان شهر او را بر شمرد ** بعد از آن شهری دگر را نام برد
He said: “When you went forth from your own town, in which town did you live mostly?”
گفت چون بیرون شدی از شهر خویش ** در کدامین شهر بوده ستی تو بیش
She mentioned the name of a certain town and from that too she passed on (to speak of another, and meanwhile) there was no change in the colour of her face or in her pulse.
نام شهری گفت وز آن هم در گذشت ** رنگ روی و نبض او دیگر نگشت
Masters and towns, one by one, she told of, and about dwelling-place and bread and salt.165
خواجگان و شهرها را یک به یک ** باز گفت از جای و از نان و نمک
She told stories of many a town and many a house, (and still) no vein of her quivered nor did her cheek grow pale.
شهر شهر و خانه خانه قصه کرد ** نی رگش جنبید و نی رخ گشت زرد
Her pulse remained in its normal state, unimpaired, till he asked about Samarcand, the (city) sweet as candy.
نبض او بر حال خود بد بی‌‌گزند ** تا بپرسید از سمرقند چو قند
(Thereat) her pulse jumped and her face went red and pale (by turns), for she had been parted from a man of Samarcand, a goldsmith.
نبض جست و روی سرخ و زرد شد ** کز سمرقندی زرگر فرد شد