- Hear from the narrator this story about the way and custom of the people of Qazwín.
- این حکایت بشنو از صاحب بیان ** در طریق و عادت قزوینیان
- They tattoo themselves in blue with the point of a needle on body and hand and shoulders, so as to suffer no injury.
- بر تن و دست و کتفها بی‌‌گزند ** از سر سوزن کبودیها زنند
- A certain man of Qazwín went to a barber and said, “Tattoo me (and) do it charmingly (artistically).”
- سوی دلاکی بشد قزوینیی ** که کبودم زن بکن شیرینیی
- “O valiant sir,” said he, “what figure shall I tattoo?” He answered, “Prick in the figure of a furious lion.
- گفت چه صورت زنم ای پهلوان ** گفت بر زن صورت شیر ژیان
- Leo is my ascendant: tattoo the form of a lion. Exert yourself, prick in plenty of the blue dye.” 2985
- طالعم شیر است نقش شیر زن ** جهد کن رنگ کبودی سیر زن
- “On what place,” he asked, “shall I tattoo you?” Said he, “Prick the design on my shoulder-blade.”
- گفت بر چه موضعت صورت زنم ** گفت بر شانه‌‌گهم زن آن رقم
- As soon as he began to stick in the needle, the pain of it settled in the shoulder,
- چون که او سوزن فرو بردن گرفت ** درد آن در شانگه مسکن گرفت
- And the hero fell a-moaning—“O illustrious one, you have killed me: what figure are you tattooing?”
- پهلوان در ناله آمد کای سنی ** مر مرا کشتی چه صورت می‌‌زنی
- “Why,” said he, “you bade me do a lion.” “What limb (of the lion),” asked the other, “did you begin with?”
- گفت آخر شیر فرمودی مرا ** گفت از چه عضو کردی ابتدا
- “I have begun at the tail,” said he. “O my dear friend,” he cried, “leave out the tail! 2990
- گفت از دمگاه آغازیده‌‌ام ** گفت دم بگذار ای دو دیده‌‌ام
- My breath is stopped by the lion's tail and rump: his rump has tightly closed (choked) my windpipe.
- از دم و دمگاه شیرم دم گرفت ** دمگه او دمگهم محکم گرفت
- Let the lion be without a tail, O lion-maker, for my heart is faint from the blows of the prong (the tattooer's needle).”
- شیر بی‌‌دم باش گو ای شیر ساز ** که دلم سستی گرفت از زخم گاز
- That person commenced to prick in (the blue) on another part (of the man's shoulder) without fear, without favour, without mercy.
- جانب دیگر گرفت آن شخص زخم ** بی‌‌محابا بی‌‌مواسا بی‌‌ز رحم
- He yelled—“Which of his members is this?” “This is his ear, my good man,” the barber replied.
- بانگ کرد او کاین چه اندام است از او ** گفت این گوش است ای مرد نکو
- “O Doctor,” said he, “let him have no ears: omit the ears and cut the frock short.” 2995
- گفت تا گوشش نباشد ای حکیم ** گوش را بگذار و کوته کن گلیم
- The barber began to insert (his needle) in another part: once more the man of Qazwín set out to wail,
- جانب دیگر خلش آغاز کرد ** باز قزوینی فغان را ساز کرد
- Saying, “What is the member (you are pricking in) now on this third spot?” He replied, “This is the lion's belly, my dear sir.”
- کاین سوم جانب چه اندام است نیز ** گفت این است اشکم شیر ای عزیز
- “Let the lion have no belly,” said he: “the pain has become too great: do not strike (further) blows.”
- گفت تا اشکم نباشد شیر را ** چه شکم باید نگار سیر را
- The barber became distraught and then remained in bewilderment: he stood for a long time with his fingers in his teeth;
- خیره شد دلاک و بس حیران بماند ** تا به دیر انگشت در دندان بماند
- The master angrily flung the needle to the ground and said, “Has this happened to any one in the world? 3000
- بر زمین زد سوزن از خشم اوستاد ** گفت در عالم کسی را این فتاد
- Who (ever) saw a lion without tail and head and belly? God himself did not create a lion like this.”
- شیر بی‌‌دم و سر و اشکم که دید ** این چنین شیری خدا خود نافرید
- O brother, endure the pain of the lancet, that you may escape from the poison of your miscreant self (nafs),
- ای برادر صبر کن بر درد نیش ** تا رهی از نیش نفس گبر خویش
- For sky and sun and moon bow in worship to the people who have escaped from self existence.
- کان گروهی که رهیدند از وجود ** چرخ و مهر و ماهشان آرد سجود
- Any one in whose body the miscreant self has died, sun and cloud obey his command.
- هر که مرد اندر تن او نفس گبر ** مر و را فرمان برد خورشید و ابر
- Since his heart has learned to light the candle (of spiritual knowledge and love), the sun cannot burn him. 3005
- چون دلش آموخت شمع افروختن ** آفتاب او را نیارد سوختن