And if he is that (spirit), (then) what is this body, my friend? Oh, I wonder which of these twain he is and who?
ور وی آنست این بدن ای دوست چیست ** ای عجب زین دو کدامین است و کیست
Story of the woman who told her husband that the cat had eaten the meat, (whereupon) the husband put the cat in the balance (in order to weigh her). (Finding that) her weight amounted to half a “mann”, he said, “O wife, the meat weighed half a ‘mann’ and more. If this is the meat, where is the cat? Or if this is the cat, where is the meat?”
حکایت آن زن کی گفت شوهر را کی گوشت را گربه خورد شوهر گربه را به ترازو بر کشید گربه نیم من برآمد گفت ای زن گوشت نیم من بود و افزون اگر این گوشتست گربه کو و اگر این گربه است گوشت کو
There was a man, a householder, who had a very sneering, dirty, and rapacious wife.
بود مردی کدخدا او را زنی ** سخت طناز و پلید و ره‌زنی
Whatever (food) he brought (home), his wife would consume it, and the man was forced to keep silence.3410
هرچه آوردی تلف کردیش زن ** مرد مضطر بود اندر تن زدن
(One day) that family man brought home, for a guest, (some) meat (which he had procured) with infinite pains.
بهر مهمان گوشت آورد آن معیل ** سوی خانه با دو صد جهد طویل
His wife ate it up with kabáb and wine: (when) the man came in, she put him off with useless words.
زن بخوردش با کباب و با شراب ** مرد آمد گفت دفع ناصواب
The man said to her, “Where is the meat? The guest has arrived: one must set nice food before a guest.”
مرد گفتش گوشت کو مهمان رسید ** پیش مهمان لوت می‌باید کشید
“This cat has eaten the meat,” she replied: “hey, go and buy some more meat if you can!”
گفت زن این گربه خورد آن گوشت را ** گوشت دیگر خر اگر باشد هلا
He said (to the servant), “O Aybak, fetch the balance: I will weigh the cat.3415
گفت ای ایبک ترازو را بیار ** گربه را من بر کشم اندر عیار
He weighed her. The cat was half a mann. Then the man said, “O deceitful wife,
بر کشیدش بود گربه نیم من ** پس بگفت آن مرد کای محتال زن
The meat was half a mann and one sitír over; the cat is just half a mann, my lady.
گوشت نیم من بود و افزون یک ستیر ** هست گربه نیم‌من هم ای ستیر