Poem

دفتر چهارم - بخش ۵۵ - در بیان آنک ترک الجواب جواب مقرر این سخن کی جواب الاحمق سکوت شرح این هر دو درین قصه است کی گفته می‌آید / Book Four — Section 55 — On explaining that leaving the answer unanswered is the established answer to this saying, 'The answer to a fool is silence' — the explanation of both of these is in this story that is being told

Original content

بود شاهی بود او را بنده‌ای
مرده عقلی بود و شهوت‌زنده‌ای

خرده‌های خدمتش بگذاشتی
بد سگالیدی نکو پنداشتی

گفت شاهنشه جرااش کم کنید
ور بجنگد نامش از خط بر زنید

عقل او کم بود و حرص او فزون
چون جرا کم دید شد تند و حرون

عقل بودی گرد خود کردی طواف
تا بدیدی جرم خود گشتی معاف

چون خری پابسته تندد از خری
هر دو پایش بسته گردد بر سری

پس بگوید خر که یک بندم بست
خود مدان کان دو ز فعل آن خسست

English translation

Book Four — Section 55 — On explaining that leaving the answer unanswered is the established answer to this saying, "The answer to a fool is silence" — the explanation of both of these is in this story that is being told

There was a king; he had a servant — dead of reason, alive with desire.

He would neglect the small details of his service; he thought evil and considered it good.

The king said: "Reduce his rations, and if he fights back, strike his name from the roll."

His intellect was little, his greed excessive; when he saw his rations cut, he grew rash and stubborn.

Had he had intellect, he would have circled round himself until he saw his own fault and been pardoned.

Like a donkey with one foot hobbled that kicks from donkey-nature, both his feet get bound above his head.

Then the donkey says: "One bond was put on me" — but know that the two bonds came from the act of that wretch.

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Updated 2026-05-10

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Humanities

Literature

Islam

Religion

Science

Philosophy

Social Science

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course

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