- Or if you tell not your fault, at least refrain from (idle) talk: do not kill yourself by ostentation and trickery.
- ور نگویی عیب خود باری خمش ** از نمایش وز دغل خود را مکش
- If you have got any money, do not open your mouth: there are touchstones on the Way,
- گر تو نقدی یافتی مگشا دهان ** هست در ره سنگهای امتحان
- And for the touchstones too there are tests concerning their own (inward) states.
- سنگهای امتحان را نیز پیش ** امتحانها هست در احوال خویش
- God hath said, “From birth unto death they are tried every year twice.” 745
- گفت یزدان از ولادت تا بحین ** یفتنون کل عام مرتین
- There is test upon test, O father: beware, do not (be ready to) buy yourself at the smallest test.
- امتحان در امتحانست ای پدر ** هین به کمتر امتحان خود را مخر
- How Bal‘am the son of Bá‘úr was (felt himself) secure, because the Lord had made (many) tests (of him) and he had come through them honourably.
- آمن بودن بلعم باعور کی امتحانها کرد حضرت او را و از آنها روی سپید آمده بود
- Bal‘am the son of Bá‘úr and the accursed Iblís were disgraced at the ultimate test.
- بلعم باعور و ابلیس لعین ** ز امتحان آخرین گشته مهین
- He (the boastful hypocrite), by his pretension, desires to be (reputed) rich, (but) his belly is execrating his moustache,
- او بدعوی میل دولت میکند ** معدهاش نفرین سبلت میکند
- Crying, “Display that which he is hiding! He has consumed me (with anguish): O God, expose him!”
- کانچ پنهان میکند پیدایش کن ** سوخت ما را ای خدا رسواش کن
- All the members of his body are his adversaries, for he prates of spring (while) they are in December. 750
- جمله اجزای تنش خصم ویند ** کز بهاری لافد ایشان در دیند
- Vain talk repels acts of kindness and tears off the bough of pity from the trunk of the tree.
- لاف وا داد کرمها میکند ** شاخ رحمت را ز بن بر میکند
- Bring forward (practise) honesty, or else be silent, and then behold pity and enjoy it.
- راستی پیش آر یا خاموش کن ** وانگهان رحمت ببین و نوش کن
- That belly became the adversary of his moustache and secretly had recourse to prayer,
- آن شکم خصم سبال او شده ** دست پنهان در دعا اندر زده
- Crying, “O God, expose this idle brag of the base, in order that the pity of the noble may be moved towards me.”
- کای خدا رسوا کن این لاف لام ** تا بجنبد سوی ما رحم کرام
- The belly's prayer was answered: the ardency of need put out a flag. 755
- مستجاب آمد دعای آن شکم ** شورش حاجت بزد بیرون علم
- God hath said, “Though thou be a profligate and idolater, I will answer when thou callest Me.”
- گفت حق گر فاسقی و اهل صنم ** چون مرا خوانی اجابتها کنم
- Do thou cleave fast unto prayer and ever cry out: in the end it will deliver thee from the hands of the ghoul.
- تو دعا را سخت گیر و میشخول ** عاقبت برهاندت از دست غول
- When the belly committed itself to God, the cat came and carried off the skin of that sheep's tail.
- چون شکم خود را به حضرت در سپرد ** گربه آمد پوست آن دنبه ببرد
- They ran after the cat, (but) she fled. The child (of the braggart), from fear of his scolding, changed colour (turned pale).
- از پس گربه دویدند او گریخت ** کودک از ترس عتابش رنگ ریخت
- The little child came into (the midst of) the company and took away the prestige of the boastful man. 760
- آمد اندر انجمن آن طفل خرد ** آب روی مرد لافی را ببرد
- It said, “The sheep's tail with which every morning you greased your lips and moustaches—
- گفت آن دنبه که هر صبحی بدان ** چرب میکردی لبان و سبلتان
- The cat came and suddenly snatched it away: I ran hard, but the effort was of no use.”
- گربه آمد ناگهانش در ربود ** بس دویدیم و نکرد آن جهد سود
- Those who were present laughed from astonishment, and their feelings of pity began to be moved again.
- خنده آمد حاضران را از شگفت ** رحمهاشان باز جنبیدن گرفت
- They invited him (to eat) and kept him full-fed, they sowed the seed of pity in his soil.
- دعوتش کردند و سیرش داشتند ** تخم رحمت در زمینش کاشتند
- When he had tasted honesty from the noble, he without arrogance (humbly) became devoted to honesty. 765
- او چو ذوق راستی دید از کرام ** بی تکبر راستی را شد غلام
- How the jackal which had fallen into the dyer’s vat pretended to be a peacock.
- دعوی طاوسی کردن آن شغال کی در خم صباغ افتاده بود
- (In the fashion) that parti-colored jackal came secretly and tapped on the lobe of the rebuker’s ear.
- و آن شغال رنگرنگ آمد نهفت ** بر بناگوش ملامتگر بکفت