- Thou hast let loose thy tongue at my dry crusts: now thou callest me ‘pauper,’ now ‘cuckold.’
- بر لب خشکم گشادستی زبان ** گاه مفلس خوانیم گه قلتبان
- If, my dear, I suffer from these two maladies, one (the latter) comes from thee and the other from God.
- این دو علت گر بود ای جان مرا ** آن یکی از تست و دیگر از خدا
- What do I possess but that chest, which is a source of suspicion and a ground for (evil) surmise?
- من چه دارم غیر آن صندوق که آن ** هست مایهی تهمت و پایهی گمان
- People think I keep gold in it, and because of these (false) opinions charity is withheld from me.
- خلق پندارند زر دارم درون ** داد واگیرند از من زین ظنون
- The appearance of the chest is very pleasing, but it is quite empty of goods and silver and gold. 4485
- صورت صندوق بس زیباست لیک ** از عروض و سیم و ز خالیست نیک
- (’Tis) like the person of a hypocrite, (one who is) handsome and dignified; (but) in the basket you will find nothing except a snake.
- چون تن زراق خوب و با وقار ** اندر آن سله نیابی غیر مار
- To-morrow I will take the chest into the street and burn it in the midst of the market at the cross-ways,
- من برم صندوق را فردا به کو ** پس بسوزم در میان چارسو
- That true believer and Zoroastrian and Jew may see there was nothing in this chest but (cause for) cursing.”
- تا ببیند مومن و گبر و جهود ** که درین صندوق جز لعنت نبود
- “O husband,” cried the woman, “come now, give up this (idea)!” (However), he swore several times that he would do just as he had said.
- گفت زن هی در گذر ای مرد ازین ** خورد سوگندان که نکنم جز چنین
- Early (next morning) he (went) like the wind, fetched a porter, and immediately put the chest on his back. 4490
- از پگه حمال آورد او چو باد ** زود آن صندوق بر پشتش نهاد
- (He set off with it, while) the cadi inside the chest shouted in an agony (of terror), “O porter! O porter!”
- اندر آن صندوق قاضی از نکال ** بانگ میزد که ای حمال و ای حمال
- The porter looked to the right and the left to see from what direction the shouts and warnings were coming.
- کرد آن حمال راست و چپ نظر ** کز چه سو در میرسد بانک و خبر
- “I wonder,” said he, “is it a hátif, this voice which is calling me, or is it a peri (jinní) summoning me mysteriously?”
- هاتفست این داعی من ای عجب ** یا پریام میکند پنهان طلب
- When the shouts followed one another in succession and increased, he said, “’Tis not a hátif,” and recovered himself.
- چون پیاپی گشت آن آواز و بیش ** گفت هاتف نیست باز آمد به خویش
- At last he perceived that the shouts and cries for help came from the chest and that somebody was concealed in it. 4495
- عاقبت دانست کان بانگ و فغان ** بد ز صندوق و کسی در وی نهان
- The lover who has fallen passionately in love with an (earthly) object of affection has gone into the chest, though (in appearance) he is outside.
- عاشقی کو در غم معشوق رفت ** گر چه بیرونست در صندوق رفت
- He has spent (wasted) his life in the chest on account of (worldly) cares: he can see nothing of the world except a chest.
- عمر در صندوق برد از اندهان ** جز که صندوقی نبیند از جهان
- The head that is not (raised) above the sky—know that it is (confined) in that chest by its vain desires.
- آن سری که نیست فوق آسمان ** از هوس او را در آن صندوق دان
- When he (such an one) goes forth from the chest of the body, he will (only) go from one tomb to another tomb.
- چون ز صندوق بدن بیرون رود ** او ز گوری سوی گوری میشود
- This topic is endless. The cadi said to him, “O porter, O carrier of the chest, 4500
- این سخن پایان ندارد قاضیش ** گفت ای حمال و ای صندوقکش
- Give news of me to my deputy at the court of justice and acquaint him with all (the details of) this (affair) as quickly as possible,
- از من آگه کن درون محکمه ** نایبم را زودتر با این همه
- In order that he may buy this (chest) with gold from this witless fellow and take it fastened, just as it is, to my house.”
- تا خرد این را به زر زین بیخرد ** همچنین بسته به خانهی ما برد
- O Lord, appoint a spiritually endowed company to redeem us from the chest of the body!
- ای خدا بگمار قومی روحمند ** تا ز صندوق بدنمان وا خرند
- Who but the prophets and apostles can redeem the people from confinement in the chest of guile?
- خلق را از بند صندوق فسون ** کی خرد جز انبیا و مرسلون
- Among thousands there is (only) one person of comely aspect, who knows that he is inside the chest. 4505
- از هزاران یک کسی خوشمنظرست ** که بداند کو به صندوق اندرست