Hast thou ever seen one leaf of a (folding) door small and the other large, or a wolf mated with the lion of the jungle?
جفت در یک خرد و آن دیگر بزرگ ** جفت شیر بیشه دیدی هیچ گرگ
A pair of sacks on a camel do not balance properly when one is empty and one full to the brim.
راست ناید بر شتر جفت جوال ** آن یکی خالی و این پر مال مال
I march with stout heart towards contentment: why art thou betaking thyself to revilement?”
من روم سوی قناعت دل قوی ** تو چرا سوی شناعت می‌‌روی
In this fashion the contented man, moved by sincerity and ardour, was talking to his wife till daybreak.
مرد قانع از سر اخلاص و سوز ** زین نسق می‌‌گفت با زن تا به روز
How the wife counselled her husband, saying, "Don't talk in excess of (beyond) thy merit and (spiritual) rank—'why say ye that which ye do not?'—for although these words are true, yet thou hast not attained to the degree of trust in God, and to speak thus above thy station and devotional practice is harmful and 'exceedingly hateful in the sight of God.'"
نصیحت کردن زن مر شوی را که سخن افزون از قدم و از مقام خود مگو لم تقولون ما لا تفعلونکه این سخنها اگر چه راست است این مقام توکل ترا نیست و این سخن گفتن فوق مقام و معامله‌‌ی خود زیان دارد و کبر مقتا عند الله باشد
The wife cried out at him, saying, “O thou who makest reputation thy religion, I will not swallow thy spells (deceiving speeches) any more.2315
زن بر او زد بانگ کای ناموس کیش ** من فسون تو نخواهم خورد بیش
Don't talk nonsense in thy presumption and pretension: begone, don't speak from pride and arrogance.
ترهات از دعوی و دعوت مگو ** رو سخن از کبر وز نخوت مگو
How long (wilt thou utter) pompous and artificial phrases? Look at thine own acts and feelings and be ashamed!
چند حرف طمطراق و کار و بار ** کار و حال خود ببین و شرم دار
Pride is ugly, and in beggars (all the) more ugly: (it is like) wet clothes after a cold snowy day.
کبر زشت و از گدایان زشت‌‌تر ** روز سرد و برف و آن گه جامه تر
How long (this) pretension and palaver and bluster, O thou whose house is (frail) as the house of the spider?
چند دعوی و دم و باد و بروت ** ای ترا خانه چو بیت العنکبوت
When hast thou illumined thy soul by contentment? Of contentment thou hast learned (only) the name.2320
از قناعت کی تو جان افروختی ** از قناعتها تو نام آموختی
The Prophet said, ‘What is contentment? A treasure.’ Thou canst not distinguish the gain from the pain.
گفت پیغمبر قناعت چیست گنج ** گنج را تو وا نمی‌‌دانی ز رنج
This contentment is the soul's treasure: do not thou boast (of possessing it), O (thou who art) grief and pain to my soul.
این قناعت نیست جز گنج روان ** تو مزن لاف ای غم و رنج روان
Don't call me thy mate, don't flap so much. I am the mate of justice, I am not the mate of fraud.
تو مخوانم جفت، کمتر زن بغل ** جفت انصافم نیم جفت دغل
How art thou walking (consorting) with amír and bey, when thou art slitting the veins of (killing for food) the locust in the air?
چون قدم با میر و با بگ می‌‌زنی ** چون ملخ را در هوا رگ می‌‌زنی
Thou art contending with dogs for the sake of this bone, thou art wailing like an empty-bellied reed-pipe.2325
با سگان زین استخوان در چالشی ** چون نی اشکم تهی در نالشی
Don't look at me dully (coldly) with contempt, lest I tell (others) what is in thy veins (disclose thy hidden faults).
سوی من منگر به خواری سست سست ** تا نگویم آن چه در رگهای تست
Thou hast deemed thy understanding superior to mine, (but) how hast thou (truly) seen me, who am deficient in understanding?
عقل خود را از من افزون دیده‌‌ای ** مر من کم عقل را چون دیده‌‌ای
Don't spring upon me like a reckless wolf! Oh, better be without understanding (mad) than (suffer) the disgrace of (having) thy understanding.
همچو گرگ غافل اندر ما مجه ** ای ز ننگ عقل تو بی‌‌عقل به
Since thy understanding is a shackle for mankind, it is not understanding: it is a snake and scorpion.
چون که عقل تو عقیله‌‌ی مردم است ** آن نه عقل است آن که مار و کژدم است
May God be the enemy of thy iniquity and deceit! May thy (superior) talent and understanding fall short of (fail to injure) us!2330
خصم ظلم و مکر تو الله باد ** فضل و عقل تو ز ما کوتاه باد
Thou art both the snake and the charmer—oh, this is wonderful! Thou art (both) the snake-catcher and the snake, O thou disgrace to the Arabs!
هم تو ماری هم فسون‌‌گر ای عجب ** مارگیر و ماری ای ننگ عرب
If the crow knew its ugliness, from grief and sorrow it would melt like snow.
زاغ اگر زشتی خود بشناختی ** همچو برف از درد و غم بگداختی
The charmer chants (a spell) as an enemy (does); he is (casting) a spell upon the snake and the snake is (casting) a spell upon him.
مرد افسونگر بخواند چون عدو ** او فسون بر مار و مار افسون بر او
If his trap were not (devised by him as) a spell for the snake (a means of catching it), how would he become a prey to the snake's spell?
گر نبودی دام او افسون مار ** کی فسون مار را گشتی شکار
The charmer, from greed of getting and making (money), is not conscious of the snake's spell at the time.2335
مرد افسونگر ز حرص کسب و کار ** در نیابد آن زمان افسون مار
The snake says, ‘O charmer, beware, beware! Thou hast beheld thine own spell (and its effect upon me): now behold mine!
مار گوید ای فسون‌‌گر هین و هین ** آن خود دیدی فسون من ببین
Thou beguilest me with the Name of God in order that thou mayst expose me to shame and confusion.
تو به نام حق فریبی مر مرا ** تا کنی رسوای شور و شر مرا
The Name of God enthralled me, not thy contrivance: thou madest the Name of God a trap: woe to thee!
نام حقم بست نه آن رای تو ** نام حق را دام کردی وای تو
The Name of God will take vengeance from thee on my behalf: I commit my soul and body to the Name of God.
نام حق بستاند از تو داد من ** من به نام حق سپردم جان و تن
Either it will sever the vein of thy life by my stroke, or it will bring thee into a prison as (it has brought) me.’”2340
یا به زخم من رگ جانت برد ** یا که همچون من به زندانت برد
Rough speeches of this sort, (whole) volumes, the woman recited to her youthful husband.
زن از این گونه خشن گفتارها ** خواند بر شوی جوان طومارها
How the man counselled his wife, saying, “Do not look with contempt on the poor, but regard the work of God as perfect, and do not let thy vain thought and opinion of thine own penury cause thee to sneer at poverty and revile the poor.”
نصیحت کردن مرد مر زن را که در فقیران به خواری منگر و در کار حق به گمان کمال نگر و طعنه مزن بر فقر و فقیران به خیال و گمان بی‌‌نوایی خویشتن
“O woman,” said he, “art thou a woman or the father of sorrow? Poverty is (my) pride, and do not thou beat me on the head (lash me with thy reproaches).
گفت ای زن تو زنی یا بو الحزن ** فقر فخر آمد مرا بر سر مزن
Wealth and gold are as a cap to the head: ’tis the bald man that makes a shelter of his cap,
مال و زر سر را بود همچون کلاه ** کل بود او کز کله سازد پناه
(But) he that has curly and beautiful locks is happier when his cap is gone.
آن که زلف جعد و رعنا باشدش ** چون کلاهش رفت خوشتر آیدش
The man of God (the saint) resembles the eye: therefore (his) sight is better bare (unveiled) than covered.2345
مرد حق باشد به مانند بصر ** پس برهنه‌‌ش به که پوشیده نظر
When a slave-dealer offers (slaves) for sale, he removes from the (sound) slave the garment that hides defects.
وقت عرضه کردن آن برده فروش ** بر کند از بنده جامه‌‌ی عیب پوش
But if there be any defect, how should he strip him? Nay, he tricks him (the purchaser) by means of the garment.
ور بود عیبی برهنه کی کند ** بل به جامه خدعه‌‌ای با وی کند
‘This one,’ says he, ‘is ashamed of good and evil: stripping him would cause him to run away from thee.’
گوید این شرمنده است از نیک و بد ** از برهنه کردن او از تو رمد
The (rich) merchant is plunged in vice up to the ears, (but) the merchant has money, and his money covers his vice,
خواجه در عیب است غرقه تا به گوش ** خواجه را مال است و مالش عیب پوش
For because of cupidity none that is covetous sees his vice: feelings of cupidity are a bond uniting (men's) hearts;2350