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هم‌چو آن دلاله که گفت ای پسر ** نو عروسی یافتم بس خوب‌فر 630
- As the dallála (go-between) who said, “O son, I have found a very beautiful new bride (for you).
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سخت زیبا لیک هم یک چیز هست ** که آن ستیره دختر حلواگرست
- (She is) exceedingly pretty, but there is just one thing, that the lady is a confectioner's daughter.”
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گفت بهتر این چنین خود گر بود ** دختر او چرب و شیرین‌تر بود
- “(All the) better,” said he; “if it is indeed so, his daughter will be fatter and sweeter.”
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گر نداری سنگ و سنگت از گلست ** این به و به گل مرا میوه‌ی دلست
- “If you have no (proper) weight and your weight is of clay, this is better and better: clay is the fruit (desired) of my heart.”
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اندر آن کفه‌ی ترازو ز اعتداد ** او به جای سنگ آن گل را نهاد
- He (the druggist) placed the clay, because of its being ready (to his hand), in one scale of the balance instead of the (proper) weight;
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پس برای کفه‌ی دیگر به دست ** هم به قدر آن شکر را می‌شکست 635
- Then, for the other scale, he was breaking with his hand the equivalent amount of sugar.
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چون نبودش تیشه‌ای او دیر ماند ** مشتری را منتظر آنجا نشاند
- Since he had no pick-axe, he took a long time and made the customer sit waiting.
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رویش آن سو بود گل‌خور ناشکفت ** گل ازو پوشیده دزدیدن گرفت
- (Whilst) his face was (turned) towards that (sugar), the clay-eater, unable to restrain himself, began covertly to steal the clay from him,
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ترس ترسان که نباید ناگهان ** چشم او بر من فتد از امتحان
- Terribly frightened lest his (the druggist's) eye should fall upon him of a sudden for the purpose of testing (his honesty).
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دید عطار آن و خود مشغول کرد ** که فزون‌تر دزد هین ای روی‌زرد
- The druggist saw it, but made himself busy, saying, “Come, steal more, O pale-faced one!