- He, at the noise of the water, is filled with wine (ecstasy) up to the neck, (while) the stranger (to love) hears nothing but the sound of the splash.
- او ز بانگ آب پر می تا عنق ** نشنود بیگانه جز بانگ بلق
- Oh, blest is he that deems his early days an opportunity to be seized, and pays his debt— 1215
- ای خنک آن را که او ایام پیش ** مغتنم دارد گزارد وام خویش
- In the days when he has the power, (when) he has health and strength of heart and vigour,
- اندر آن ایام کش قدرت بود ** صحت و زور دل و قوت بود
- And (when) that season of youth, like a garden green and fresh, is bringing (to ripeness) produce and fruit without any stint;
- و آن جوانی همچو باغ سبز و تر ** میرساند بیدریغی بار و بر
- (When) the fountains of strength and lust (are) flowing, (so that) thereby the soil of the body is made verdant;
- چشمههای قوت و شهوت روان ** سبز میگردد زمین تن بدان
- (When he is still like) a well-kept house, with its roof very lofty, its sides (walls) symmetrical, without buttressing and clamps—
- خانهی معمور و سقفش بس بلند ** معتدل ارکان و بیتخلیط و بند
- Ere the days of eld arrive and bind your neck with a halter of palm-fibres; 1220
- پیش از آن که ایام پیری در رسد ** گردنت بندد به حبل من مسد
- (Ere) the soil becomes nitrous (barren), crumbling, and poor —never did good herbage grow from nitrous soil;
- خاک شوره گردد و ریزان و سست ** هرگز از شوره نبات خوش نرست
- (When) the water of strength and the water of lust (is) cut off, and he has no profit from himself or others:
- آب زور و آب شهوت منقطع ** او ز خویش و دیگران نامنتفع
- The eyebrows fallen down like a crupper-strap; the eyes grown moist and dim;
- ابروان چون پالدم زیر آمده ** چشم را نم آمده تاری شده
- The face, from wrinkling, like the back of a lizard; speech and taste and teeth gone out of use;
- از تشنج رو چو پشت سوسمار ** رفته نطق و طعم و دندانها ز کار
- The day late, the ass lame, and the way long; the shop ruined and the business in disorder; 1225
- روز بیگه لاشه لنگ و ره دراز ** کارگه ویران عمل رفته ز ساز
- The roots of bad habit firmly set, and the power to tear them up decreased.
- بیخهای خوی بد محکم شده ** قوت بر کندن آن کم شده
- How the Governor commanded a certain man, saying, “Root up the thorn bush which you have planted on the road.”
- فرمودن والی آن مرد را که این خار بن را که نشاندهای بر سر راه بر کن
- As (for example) that callous fair-spoken person planted a thorn bush in the middle of the road.
- همچو آن شخص درشت خوش سخن ** در میان ره نشاند او خار بن
- The wayfarers reproached him and oftentimes told him to dig it up: he dug it not up.
- ره گذریانش ملامتگر شدند ** بس بگفتندش بکن این را نکند
- Every moment the thorn bush was growing bigger: the people's feet were streaming with blood from its pricks.
- هر دمی آن خار بن افزون شدی ** پای خلق از زخم آن پر خون شدی
- The people's clothes were being rent by the thorns: the feet of the poor were being wounded pitiably. 1230
- جامههای خلق بدریدی ز خار ** پای درویشان بخستی زار زار
- When the Governor said to him with earnestness, “Dig this up,” he replied, “Yes, I will dig it up some day.”
- چون به جد حاکم بدو گفت این بکن ** گفت آری بر کنم روزیش من
- For a long while he promised (to dig it up) to-morrow and to-morrow; (meantime) his thorn bush became robust in constitution.
- مدتی فردا و فردا وعده داد ** شد درخت خار او محکم نهاد
- One day the Governor said to him, “O false promiser, go forward with my affair, do not creep back.”
- گفت روزی حاکمش ای وعده کژ** پیش آ در کار ما وا پس مغژ
- He replied, “O uncle, the days are between us.” “Make haste,” said he, “do not put off payment of my debt.”
- گفت الایام یا عم بیننا ** گفت عجل لا تماطل دیننا
- You who say “To-morrow,” be aware of this, that with every day that time is coming (and going), 1235
- تو که میگویی که فردا این بدان ** که به هر روزی که میآید زمان
- That evil tree is growing younger, while this digger is waxing old and sorely distressed.
- آن درخت بد جوانتر میشود ** وین کننده پیر و مضطر میشود
- The thorn bush (is) in (process of gaining) strength and (in) ascent; its digger (is) in (process of) aging and decline.
- خار بن در قوت و برخاستن ** خار کن در پیری و در کاستن
- The thorn bush every day and every moment is green and fresh; its digger is every day more sickly and withered.
- خار بن هر روز و هر دم سبز و تر ** خار کن هر روز زار و خشکتر