Story of the old woman

Story of the old woman who used to depilate and rouge her ugly face, though it could never be put right and become pleasing. داستان آن عجوزه کی روی زشت خویشتن را جندره و گلگونه می‌ساخت و ساخته نمی‌شد و پذیرا نمی‌آمد

بود کمپیری نودساله کلان پر تشنج روی و رنگش زعفران
There was a decrepit old woman aged ninety years, her face covered with wrinkles and her complexion (yellow as) saffron.
چون سر سفره رخ او توی توی لیک در وی بود مانده عشق شوی
Her face was in folds like the surface of a traveller’s food-wallet, but there remained in her the passionate desire for a husband.
ریخت دندانهاش و مو چون شیر شد قد کمان و هر حسش تغییر شد
Her teeth had dropped out and her hair had become (white) as milk: her figure was (bent) like a bow, and every sense in her was decayed.
عشق شوی و شهوت و حرصش تمام عشق صید و پاره‌پاره گشته دام
Her passion for a husband and her lust and desire were (there) in full (force): the passion for snaring (was there), though the trap had fallen to pieces.
مرغ بی‌هنگام و راه بی‌رهی آتشی پر در بن دیگ تهی
(She was like) a cock that crows at the wrong time, a road that leads nowhere, a big fire beneath an empty kettle;
عاشق میدان و اسپ و پای نی عاشق زمر و لب و سرنای نی
(Like one who is) exceedingly fond of the race-course, but has no horse and no means of running; (or) exceedingly fond of piping, but having neither lip nor pipe.
حرص در پیری جهودان را مباد ای شقیی که خداش این حرص داد
May (even) Jews have no (such) cupidity in (their) old age! Oh, (how) miserable is he on whom God hath bestowed this cupidity!
ریخت دندانهای سگ چون پیر شد ترک مردم کرد و سرگین‌گیر شد
A dog’s teeth drop out when it grows old: it leaves people (alone) and takes to (eating) dung;
این سگان شصت ساله را نگر هر دمی دندان سگشان تیزتر
(But) look at these sexagenarian dogs! Their dog-teeth get sharper at every moment.
پیر سگ را ریخت پشم از پوستین این سگان پیر اطلس‌پوش بین
The hairs drop from the fur of an old dog; (but) see these old (human) dogs clad in satin!
عشقشان و حرصشان در فرج و زر دم به دم چون نسل سگ بین بیشتر
See how their passionate desire and greed for women and gold, like the progeny of dogs, is increasing continually!
این چنین عمری که مایه‌ی دوزخ است مر قصابان غضب را مسلخ است
Such a life as this, which is Hell’s stock-in-trade, is a shambles for the butchers (executioners) of (the Divine) Wrath;
چون بگویندش که عمر تو دراز می‌شود دلخوش دهانش از خنده باز
(Yet) when people say to him, “May your life be long!” he is delighted and opens his mouth in laughter.
این چنین نفرین دعا پندارد او چشم نگشاید سری بر نارد او
He thinks a curse like this is a benediction: he never uncloses his (inward) eye or raises his head once (from the slumber of heedlessness).
گر بدیدی یک سر موی از معاد اوش گفتی این چنین عمر تو باد
If he had seen (even as much as) a hair’s tip of the future state, he would have said to him (who wished him long life), “May thy life be like this!”


 

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