Know that what is depicted on this mundane frontispiece is preposterous: every slave to the world is named “lord of the world.”
عکس می‌دان نقش دیباجه‌ی جهان ** نام هر بنده‌ی جهان خواجه‌ی جهان
O wrong-thinking perversely-acting body, thou that hast enthralled a hundred thousand freemen,
ای تن کژ فکرت معکوس‌رو ** صد هزار آزاد را کرده گرو
Abandon this guileful plotting for a time: live free a few moments ere thou die;
مدتی بگذار این حیلت پزی ** چند دم پیش از اجل آزاد زی
For if, like the (heavily-laden) ass, thou hast no way of attaining to freedom, thy movement, like that of the bucket, can only be (down) into the well.4445
ور در آزادیت چون خر راه نیست ** هم‌چو دلوت سیر جز در چاه نیست
Go, take leave of my spirit for awhile: go, seek another companion instead of me.
مدتی رو ترک جان من بگو ** رو حریف دیگری جز من بجو
My turn is finished: set me free, espouse another, (beguile) some one else.
نوبت من شد مرا آزاد کن ** دیگری را غیر من داماد کن
O body with thy hundred (worldly) concerns, bid me farewell: thou hast taken my life: (now) seek another (victim).
ای تن صدکاره ترک من بگو ** عمر من بردی کسی دیگر بجو
How a cadi was infatuated with the wife of Júhí and remained (hidden) in a chest, and how the cadi's deputy purchased the chest; and how next year (when) Júhí's wife came again, hoping to play the same trick (which had succeeded) last year, the cadi said (to her), “Set me free and seek some one else”; and so on to the end of the story.
مفتون شدن قاضی بر زن جوحی و در صندوق ماندن و نایب قاضی صندوق را خریدن باز سال دوم آمدن زن جوحی بر امید بازی پارینه و گفتن قاضی کی مرا آزاد کن و کسی دیگر را بجوی الی آخر القصه
Every year, on account of poverty, Júhí would artfully turn to his wife and say, “O sweetheart,
جوحی هر سالی ز درویشی به فن ** رو بزن کردی کای دلخواه زن
Since thou hast the weapons, go, catch some game in order that we may get milk (profit) from thy prey.4450
چون سلاحت هست رو صیدی بگیر ** تا بدوشانیم از صید تو شیر
Wherefore has God given thee the bow of thine eyebrow, the arrow of thy amorous glance, and the snare of thy craftiness? For hunting.
قوس ابرو تیر غمزه دام کید ** بهر چه دادت خدا از بهر صید
Go, lay the snare for a big bird: show the bait, but do not let him eat it.
رو پی مرغی شگرفی دام نه ** دانه بنما لیک در خوردش مده
Show him his wish, but disappoint him: how can he eat the bait when he is imprisoned in the snare?”
کام بنما و کن او را تلخ‌کام ** کی خورد دانه چو شد در حبس دام
His wife went to the cadi to complain, saying, “I appeal (to thee) for help against my faithless husband.”
شد زن او نزد قاضی در گله ** که مرا افغان ز شوی ده‌دله
(To) cut the tale short, the cadi fell a prey to the (pleading) words and beauty of the fair woman.4455
قصه کوته کن که قاضی شد شکار ** از مقال و از جمال آن نگار
He said, “There is such a noise in the court of justice (that) I cannot understand this complaint;
گفت اندر محکمه‌ست این غلغله ** من نتوانم فهم کردن این گله
(But) if you will come to my private house, O cypress-slender one, and describe to me the injurious behaviour of your husband”—
گر به خلوت آیی ای سرو سهی ** از ستم‌کاری شو شرحم دهی
“In thy house,” she replied, “there will be a (constant) coming and going of every sort of people, good and bad, for the purpose of making complaints.”
گفت خانه‌ی تو ز هر نیک و بدی ** باشد از بهر گله آمد شدی
(If) the house of the head be wholly filled with a mad passion, the breast will be full of anxiety and commotion.
خانه‌ی سر جمله پر سودا بود ** صدر پر وسواس و پر غوغا بود
The rest of the (bodily) members are undisturbed by thinking, while those breasts are consumed by thoughts that return.4460
Take refuge in the autumn gale of fear of God: let last year's flowers be shed;
در خزان و باد خوف حق گریز ** آن شقایق‌های پارین را بریز
(For) these flowers prevent the new buds (from blossoming), and it is (only) for the sake of their growth that the tree of the heart exists.
این شقایق منع نو اشکوفه‌هاست ** که درخت دل برای آن نماست
Put thyself to sleep (and escape) from this (vain) thinking: (then) lift up thy head from sleep into (spiritual) wakefulness.
خویش را در خواب کن زین افتکار ** سر ز زیر خواب در یقظت بر آر
Like the Men of the Cave (the Seven Sleepers), pass quickly, O Khwája, into (the state of those who are) awake, though thou wouldst deem them asleep.
هم‌چو آن اصحاب کهف ای خواجه زود ** رو به ایقاظا که تحسبهم رقود
“O adorable one,” said the cadi, “what can be contrived?” She answered, “This (thy) handmaid's house is quite empty.4465
گفت قاضی ای صنم معمول چیست ** گفت خانه‌ی این کنیزک بس تهیست
The enemy has gone into the country, and the caretaker is not there either: it is a very good place for meeting in private.
خصم در ده رفت و حارس نیز نیست ** بهر خلوت سخت نیکو مسکنیست
Come there to-night if possible: what one does by night is (done) without (the intention of) making (people) hear of it or see it;
امشب ار امکان بود آنجا بیا ** کار شب بی سمعه است و بی‌ریا
(At that time) all the spies are intoxicated with the wine of sleep: all have been beheaded (and left as though lifeless) by the negro, Night.”
جمله جاسوسان ز خمر خواب مست ** زنگی شب جمله را گردن زدست
The sugar-lipped (damsel) chanted wondrous spells over the cadi—and then with what (bewitching) lips!
خواند بر قاضی فسون‌های عجب ** آن شکرلب وانگهانی از چه لب
How often did Iblís palaver with Adam!—but when Eve told him to eat, then (and not till then) did he eat.4470
چند با آدم بلیس افسانه کرد ** چون حوا گفتش بخور آنگاه خورد
The first blood (shed) in this world of iniquity and justice was shed by Qábíl (Cain) for the sake of a woman.
اولین خون در جهان ظلم و داد ** از کف قابیل بهر زن فتاد
Whenever Noah was frying meat in the frying-pan, Wáhila (his wife) would throw stones at the frying-pan,
نوح چون بر تابه بریان ساختی ** واهله بر تابه سنگ انداختی
And his wife's plotting would defeat his (missionary) work, (so that) the clear water of his exhortation would become turbid;
مکر زن بر کار او چیره شدی ** آب صاف وعظ او تیره شدی
(For) she used to send secret messages to the (unbelieving) folk, saying, “Preserve your religion from (being corrupted by) these erring men!”
قوم را پیغام کردی از نهان ** که نگه دارید دین زین گمرهان
How the cadi went to the house of Júhí's wife, and how Júhí knocked angrily at the door, and how the cadi took refuge in a chest, etc.
رفتن قاضی به خانه‌ی زن جوحی و حلقه زدن جوحی به خشم بر در و گریختن قاضی در صندوقی الی آخره
The guile of woman is infinite. The sagacious cadi went at night to the wife ut cum ea coiret. [The guile of woman is infinite. The sagacious cadi went at night to the wife (of Júhí) for sexual intercourse.]4475
مکر زن پایان ندارد رفت شب ** قاضی زیرک سوی زن بهر دب
The wife set two (lighted) candles and the dessert for his entertainment. “(I can do) without this drink,” said he: “I am intoxicated (with love).”
زن دو شمع و نقل مجلس راست کرد ** گفت ما مستیم بی این آب‌خورد
At that moment Júhí came and knocked at the door: the cadi looked for a place into which he could slink for refuge.
اندر آن دم جوحی آمد در بزد ** جست قاضی مهربی تا در خزد
He saw no hiding-place but a chest: in his fright the man went into the chest.
غیر صندوقی ندید او خلوتی ** رفت در صندوق از خوف آن فتی
(Then) Júhí came in and said (to his wife), “O spouse, O thou who art my plague (both) in spring and autumn,
اندر آمد جوحی و گفت ای حریف ** اتی وبالم در ربیع و در خریف
What do I possess that is not sacrificed to thee: (why, then, is it) that thou art always crying out at me?4480
من چه دارم که فداات نیست آن ** که ز من فریاد داری هر زمان
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