“To-day,” said he, “they are seizing asses outside (in the streets) to do forced labour for the tyrannical king.”
گفت بهر سخرهی شاه حرون ** خر همیگیرند امروز از برون
He (the householder) replied, “O beloved of your uncle, they are taking it because it is an ass: since you are not an ass, go (your way): why are you troubled at this?”
گفت میگیرند کو خر جان عم ** چون نهای خر رو ترا زین چیست غم
He answered, “They are very urgent and furious in taking (them): ’twill be no wonder if they take me too for an ass.
گفت بس جدند و گرم اندر گرفت ** گر خرم گیرند هم نبود شگفت
They have put their hands with all their might to (the job of) taking asses: accordingly discrimination has ceased.”
بهر خرگیری بر آوردند دست ** جدجد تمییز هم برخاستست
Since undiscriminating persons are our rulers, they carry off the owner of the ass instead of the ass.2545
چونک بیتمییزیانمان سرورند ** صاحب خر را به جای خر برند
(But) the King of our city is not one who takes at random: He has discrimination, He is hearing and seeing.
نیست شاه شهر ما بیهوده گیر ** هست تمییزش سمیعست و بصیر
Be a man and do not be afraid of those who take the asses: thou art not an ass: be not afraid, O Jesus of the (world of) Time.
آدمی باش و ز خرگیران مترس ** خر نهای ای عیسی دوران مترس
The Fourth Heaven, moreover, is filled with thy light: God forbid (that I should say) that the Stable is thy abode.
چرخ چارم هم ز نور تو پرست ** حاش لله که مقامت آخرست
Thou art higher even than the sky and the stars, though for a good reason thou art (temporarily) in the Stable.
تو ز چرخ و اختران هم برتری ** گرچه بهر مصلحت در آخری
The Master of the Stable is one thing and the ass another: not every one who has entered the Stable is an ass.2550
میر آخر دیگر و خر دیگرست ** نه هر آنک اندر آخر شد خرست
Why have we fallen in behind the ass? Tell of the Rose-garden and the fresh roses,
چه در افتادیم در دنبال خر ** از گلستان گوی و از گلهای تر
And of the pomegranate and the citron and the apple-bough, and of the wine and the fair youths innumerable,
از انار و از ترنج و شاخ سیب ** وز شراب و شاهدان بیحساب
Or of the Sea whose waves are pearls and whose pearls are speaking and seeing,
یا از آن دریا که موجش گوهرست ** گوهرش گوینده و بیناورست
Or of the Birds which pick roses and lay eggs of silver and gold,
یا از آن مرغان که گلچین میکنند ** بیضهها زرین و سیمین میکنند
Or of the Falcons which foster the partridges and fly both with their bellies turned downward and also on their backs.2555
یا از آن بازان که کبکان پرورند ** هم نگون اشکم هم استان میپرند
In the world there are invisible ladders, (leading) step by step up to the summit of heaven.
نردبانهاییست پنهان در جهان ** پایه پایه تا عنان آسمان
There is a different ladder for every class, there is a different heaven for every (traveller's) way.
هر گره را نردبانی دیگرست ** هر روش را آسمانی دیگرست
Every one is ignorant of another's condition (in) the kingdom (which is) wide and without end or beginning.
هر یکی از حال دیگر بیخبر ** ملک با پهنا و بیپایان و سر
This one is amazed at that one and asks wherefore he is happy, while that one is astounded at this one and asks why he is amazed.
این در آن حیران که او از چیست خوش ** وآن درین خیره که حیرت چیستش
The area of God's earth is spacious: every tree springs up from a certain soil.2560
صحن ارض الله واسع آمده ** هر درختی از زمینی سر زده
The leaves and boughs on the trees are giving thanks (to God), crying, “Oh, what a fine kingdom! Oh, what a broad expanse!”
بر درختان شکر گویان برگ و شاخ ** که زهی ملک و زهی عرصهی فراخ
The nightingales are (flying) round the knobby blossom, saying, “Give us some of that which thou drinkest.”
بلبلان گرد شکوفهی پر گره ** که از آنچ میخوری ما را بده
This discourse hath no end: return to the fox and the lion and the (lion's) sickness and hunger.
این سخن پایان ندارد کن رجوع ** سوی آن روباه و شیر و سقم و جوع
How the fox brought the ass to the lion, and how the ass jumped away from the lion, and how the fox reproached the lion, saying, “The ass was still far off: you were too hasty”; and how the lion made excuses and entreated the fox to go and trick him a second time.
بردن روبه خر را پیش شیر و جستن خر از شیر و عتاب کردن روباه با شیر کی هنوز خر دور بود تعجیل کردی و عذر گفتن شیر و لابه کردن روبه را شیر کی برو بار دگرش به فریب
When he (the fox) brought him (the ass) up the hill towards the meadow, in order that the lion might pulverise him with a (sudden) charge,
چونک بر کوهش بسوی مرج برد ** تا کند شیرش به حمله خرد و مرد
He (the ass) was (still) far from the lion, but the lion would not wait for him to come near before attacking.2565
دور بود از شیر و آن شیر از نبرد ** تا به نزدیک آمدن صبری نکرد