But I will not think of that and will attend to myself: at this (present) time I will feign to be dead.
لیک زان نندیشم و بر خود زنم ** خویشتن را این زمان مرده کنم
Then I will turn my belly upwards and my back downwards and will move on the water.
پس برآرم اشکم خود بر زبر ** پشت زیر و می‌روم بر آب بر
I will move upon it as weeds move, not by swimming as a person (swimmer) does.2270
می‌روم بر وی چنانک خس رود ** نی بسباحی چنانک کس رود
I will become dead, I will commit myself to the water: to die before death is to be safe from torment.”
مرده گردم خویش بسپارم به آب ** مرگ پیش از مرگ امنست از عذاب
To die before death is to be safe, O youth: even so hath Mustafa (Mohammad) commanded us.
مرگ پیش از مرگ امنست ای فتی ** این چنین فرمود ما را مصطفی
He said, “Die, all of you, ere death come, else ye will die with (the certainty of suffering) sore afflictions (hereafter).”
گفت موتواکلکم من قبل ان ** یاتی الموت تموتوا بالفتن
He (the fish) died in that manner and threw his belly upwards: the water was carrying him, now alow, now aloft.
هم‌چنان مرد و شکم بالا فکند ** آب می‌بردش نشیب و گه بلند
Every one of those pursuers (the fishermen) bore great vexation (in his heart), saying, “Alas, the best fish is dead.”2275
هر یکی زان قاصدان بس غصه برد ** که دریغا ماهی بهتر بمرد
He (the fish) was made glad by their saying “Alas”: (he said to himself), “This trick of mine has come off, I am delivered from the sword.”
شاد می‌شد او کز آن گفت دریغ ** پیش رفت این بازیم رستم ز تیغ
Then a worthy fisherman seized him and spat on him and flung him on the ground.
پس گرفتش یک صیاد ارجمند ** پس برو تف کرد و بر خاکش فکند
He (the half-intelligent fish), rolling over and over, went secretly into the water; the (entirely) foolish one remained (where he was), moving to and fro in agitation.
غلط غلطان رفت پنهان اندر آب ** ماند آن احمق همی‌کرد اضطراب
That simpleton kept leaping about, right and left, in order that he might save his skin by his own efforts.
از چپ و از راست می‌جست آن سلیم ** تا بجهد خویش برهاند گلیم
They cast the net, and he (at last) remained in the net: foolish ness ensconced him in that fire (of perdition).2280
دام افکندند و اندر دام ماند ** احمقی او را در آن آتش نشاند
On the top of the fire, on the surface of a frying-pan, he be came the bedfellow of Folly.
بر سر آتش به پشت تابه‌ای ** با حماقت گشت او همخوابه‌ایی
(There) he was seething from the heat of the flames Reason was saving to him, “Did not a warner come to thee?”
او همی جوشید از تف سعیر ** عقل می‌گفتش الم یاتک نذیر
He, from the rack of torture and tribulation, was replying like the souls of the unbelievers: they said, “Yea.”
او همی‌گفت از شکنجه وز بلا ** هم‌چو جان کافران قالوا بلی
Then again he was saying, “If this time I escape from this neck-breaking affliction,
باز می‌گفت او که گر این بار من ** وا رهم زین محنت گردن‌شکن
I will not make my home except in a sea: I will not make a lake my dwelling-place.2285
من نسازم جز به دریایی وطن ** آبگیری را نسازم من سکن
I will seek the boundless sea and become safe: I will go in safety and welfare for ever.”
آب بی‌حد جویم و آمن شوم ** تا ابد در امن و صحت می‌روم
Explaining that the promise made by the fool at the moment of seizure (punishment) and contrition is faithless, for though they should be sent back, they would surely return to that which they were forbidden to do, and verily they are liars. The false dawn keeps not faith.
بیان آنک عهد کردن احمق وقت گرفتاری و ندم هیچ وفایی ندارد کی لو ردوالعادوا لما نهوا عنه و انهم لکاذبون صبح کاذب وفا ندارد
Reason was saying to him, “Folly is with thee: with Folly (as thy companion), the promise will be broken.
عقل می‌گفتش حماقت با توست ** با حماقت عقل را آید شکست
The keeping of promises appertains to reason: thou hast not reason: begone, O thou whose value is that of an ass!
عقل را باشد وفای عهدها ** تو نداری عقل رو ای خربها
Reason remembers its covenant: understanding rends the veil of forgetfulness.
عقل را یاد آید از پیمان خود ** پرده‌ی نسیان بدراند خرد
Since thou hast not reason, forgetfulness is thy ruler: it is thy enemy and the bringer-to-naught of thy devising.”2290