بخش 103 - حکایت آن پادشاه و وصیت کردن او سه پسر خویش را کی درین سفر در ممالک من فلان جا چنین ترتیب نهید و فلان جا چنین نواب نصب کنید اما الله الله به فلان قلعه مروید و گرد آن مگردید

There was a King, and the King had three sons: all three (were) endowed with sagacity and discernment.

Each one (was) more praiseworthy than another in generosity and in battle and in exercising royal sway.

The princes, (who were) the delight of the King's eye, stood together, like three candles, before the King,

And the father's palm-tree was drawing water by a hidden channel from the two fountains (eyes) of the son.

So long as the water of this fountain is running swiftly from the son towards the gardens of his mother and father,

His parents' gardens will always be fresh: their fountain is made to flow by (the water from) both these fountains.

(But) when from sickness the (son's) fountain fails, the leaves and boughs of the (father's) palm-tree become withered.

The withering of his palm-tree tells plainly that the tree was drawing moisture from the son.

How many a hidden conduit is connected in like fashion with your souls, O ye heedless ones!

O thou who hast drawn stocks (of nourishment) from heaven and earth, so that thy body has grown fat,

(All) this is a loan: thou need’st not stuff (thy body) so much, for thou must needs pay back what thou hast taken—

(All) except (that of which God said) “I breathed,” for that hath come from the Munificent. Cleave to the spirit! The other things are vain.

I call them vain in relation to the spirit, not in relation to His (their Maker's) consummate making.