The child is in a (state of) ignorance and fancy and doubt: at any rate, thank God, his strength is (but) little.4720
کودک اندر جهل و پندار و شکیست ** شکر باری قوت او اندکیست
The child is quarrelsome and very mischievous: thank God for his lack of skill and strength.
طفل را استیزه و صد آفتست ** شکر این که بیفن و بیقوتست
(But) alas for these childish undisciplined elders who in their strength have become an affliction to every guardian!
وای ازین پیران طفل ناادیب ** گشته از قوت بلای هر رقیب
When weapons and ignorance are brought together, he (such an one) becomes in his tyranny a world-consuming Pharaoh.
چون سلاح و جهل جمع آید به هم ** گشت فرعونی جهانسوز از ستم
O poor man, thank God for thy deficiency (of means), for (thereby) thou art delivered from being a Pharaoh and ungrateful (for Divine blessings).
شکر کن ای مرد درویش از قصور ** که ز فرعونی رهیدی وز کفور
Thank God that thou art the oppressed, not the oppressor: thou art secure from acting like Pharaoh and from every temptation.4725
شکر که مظلومی و ظالم نهای ** آمن از فرعونی و هر فتنهای
An empty belly never bragged of Divinity, for it has no faggots to feed its fire.
اشکم تی لاف اللهی نزد ** که آتشش را نیست از هیزم مدد
An empty belly is the Devil's prison, because anxiety for bread prevents him from plotting and deceiving.
اشکم خالی بود زندان دیو ** کش غم نان مانعست از مکر و ریو
Know that a belly full of viands is the Devil's market, where the Devil's merchants raise a clamour:
اشکم پر لوت دان بازار دیو ** تاجران دیو را در وی غریو
Merchants who practise sorcery and sell worthless goods and obfuscate (men's) wits by vociferation.
تاجران ساحر لاشیفروش ** عقلها را تیره کرده از خروش
By a (trick of) sorcery they cause a vat to run like a horse and make a piece of linen out of moonshine and twilight.4730
خم روان کرده ز سحری چون فرس ** کرده کرباسی ز مهتاب و غلس
They weave earth like silk and throw earth (dust) in the eyes of the discerning.
چون بریشم خاک را برمیتنند ** خاک در چشم ممیز میزنند
They give to a bit of (fragrant) sandal-wood the appearance of a piece of (common) wood; they put in us the envious desire for a clod.
چندلی را رنگ عودی میدهند ** بر کلوخیمان حسودی میدهند
(But) holy is He who giveth (mere) earth a (specious) colour and causes us to quarrel over it like children.
پاک آنک خاک را رنگی دهد ** همچو کودکمان بر آن جنگی دهد
(The world is) a skirtful of earth, and we are like little children: in our sight the earth is as gold of the mine.
دامنی پر خاک ما چون طفلکان ** در نظرمان خاک همچون زر کان
There is no room for a child beside (grown-up) men: how should God let a child sit with men?4735
طفل را با بالغان نبود مجال ** طفل را حق کی نشاند با رجال
If fruit become old, (yet) so long as it is immature and not ripe it is called ghúra (unripe grapes).
میوه گر کهنه شود تا هست خام ** پخته نبود غوره گویندش به نام
Though (one resembling) immature and sour (fruit) reach the age of a hundred years, he is (still) a child and unripe (ghúra) in the opinion of every sagacious person.
گر شود صدساله آن خام ترش ** طفل و غورهست او بر هر تیزهش
Though his hair and beard be white, he is still in the childish state of fear and hope,
گرچه باشد مو و ریش او سپید ** هم در آن طفلی خوفست و امید
Saying, “Shall I attain (to maturity), or am I (to be) left immature? Oh, I wonder, will the Vine bestow that bounty on me?
که رسم یا نارسیده ماندهام ** ای عجب با من کند کرم آن کرم
Notwithstanding such an incapacity and remoteness (from God), will He confer on these unripe grapes (ghúra) of mine a perfection like that of the ripe grape (angúr)?4740
با چنین ناقابلی و دوریی ** بخشد این غورهی مرا انگوریی
I have no hopes from any quarter, but that (Divine) Bounty is saying to me, ‘Do not ye despair!’”
نیستم اومیدوار از هیچ سو ** وان کرم میگویدم لا تیاسوا
Our Kháqán (Emperor) has made a perpetual feast (for us): He is always pulling our ears (drawing us thither and saying), “Do not lose hope!”
دایما خاقان ما کردست طو ** گوشمان را میکشد لا تقنطوا
Although we are in the ditch (and overwhelmed) by this despair, let us go dancing along since He has invited us.
گرچه ما زین ناامیدی در گویم ** چون صلا زد دست اندازان رویم
Let us dance (along) like mettlesome horses galloping towards the familiar pasturage.
دست اندازیم چون اسپان سیس ** در دویدن سوی مرعای انیس