Basatin al-uns 68.343

68.343

و هر که او را محل اعتماد و مکان وثوق خویش سپارد و به نیرنگ و فسون و تملق دام خوش او مغرور گردد جز خاک حسرت و ندامت و حیرت و ضجرت در دست خود نبیند و چون نگارندهآ نقوش بر لوح آب و جویندهآ آب روش از لمعان سراب همواره جلیس فکرت و قرین خیبت باشد، چه اگر جعل را هزار سال در عنبر و عبهر پرورش دهند و جای او در طبلهآ عطار سازند بوی تباه نفس پلید او هر گز به کلی زائل نشود و چون دست یابد به جانب مسکن مألوف خود شتابد و آن بدسگال حرام خوار و آن کم اصل غدار بهقوت فطنت و ذها یک چندی صورت ظاهر را برخلاف باطن نمود و بهمکر و خداع گیاه سبز را به جای زمرد ریحانی در چشم نظار گیان جلوه داد، «ما مثله الا مثل روث مفضض او کنیف مبیض»1 هم در این فکرت بود که ناگاه او را نظر بر طوطی مرده افتاد، با خود گفت: صواب در آن است که روح خود را در قالب این طوطی درآرم، باشد که قصه در دل خود با کسی باز توانم نمود، چه از چنین جانوران هیچ یکی را بهسان طوطی قوت تکلم نیست، و فکرت را به عمل مقرون گردانید و روح خود را در قالب طوطی درآورد و نزدیک آن صیدگاه خانهآ صیادی بود، که پیوسته جانوران را صید کردی و پیش پادشاه آن شهر بردی، طوطی از مرغزار پرید بر بام خانهآ صیاد نشست و زمان به تقریر لطایف و غرائب بگشاد و در ایراد حکایات لطیف و امثال غریب آثار سحر حلال ظاهر می گردانید:

And whoever places in him his trust and bestows on him his confidence, and becomes deceived by his trickery, sorcery, and flattering snaring words,
shall see nothing in his hand but the dust of regret, repentance, bewilderment, and distress; and like
one drawing designs upon a surface of water, or one seeking flowing water from the gleam of a mirage, he will ever be the companion of anxiety and the associate
of disappointment; for even if a dung-beetle were nurtured for a thousand years in ambergris and narcissus, and its place were made in a perfumer's casket,
the foul stench of its vile nature would never completely vanish, and as soon as it found an opportunity it would hasten to its familiar abode.
And that ill-wishing rogue and treacherous low-born knave, by the strength of his acumen and sagacity, for some time
made his outer appearance contrary to his inner reality, and through cunning and deception substituted green grass for basil-colored emerald
displayed [it] before the eyes of the onlookers: “His likeness is only that of silver-plated dung or a whitewashed latrine.” He was immersed in this thought when
suddenly his gaze fell upon a dead parrot. He said to himself, “It is expedient that I transfer my soul into the form
of this parrot, so that perhaps I may be able to disclose the tale in my heart to someone; for among such animals none
possesses the power of speech like a parrot.” He matched thought with action and transferred his soul into
the body of the parrot. Near that hunting ground was the house of a hunter who continually hunted animals
and took them before the king of that city. The parrot flew from the meadow, perched upon the roof of the hunter's house, and began
to utter subtle and rare conceits, displaying the traces of lawful magic in reciting delightful tales and remarkable parables:
he would turn: