A parrot was placed in a cage with a crow, and the parrot, repulsed by the sight of the crow, was struggling and said: "What an unpleasant face, a detestable form, a cursed appearance, and an awkward figure! O crow of separation, I wish there was a distance between you and me as great as the distance between the East and the West."
Whoever wakes up to see your face in the morning,
Their day of peace would turn into one of grief.
One as ill-starred as you deserves your own company,
But where in the world could there be someone like you?
Strangely enough, the crow was also weary of the parrot's company and had grown tired. Grumbling, he lamented the cruelty of fate, rubbing his hands in regret and saying: "What a cursed fate and vile fortune, and how changeable these days are! I deserved to be walking proudly with another crow along the wall of a garden."
For a pious man, it is punishment enough
To share a prison with the wicked.
What have I done to deserve such punishment that I have been placed in the company of this foolish, arrogant, incompatible, and annoying creature, caught in this trap of misfortune?
No one would approach a wall
On which your image is painted.
Even if you were placed in paradise,
Others would prefer hell instead.
I have shared this example to show you that just as the wise loathe the company of fools, fools also feel uneasy around the wise.
A pious man was in the company of rascals,
And among them, a handsome young man from Balkh said:
"If you're displeased with us, don't sulk,
For you, too, are bitter among us."
A group like roses and tulips joined together,
But you stand like dry wood in the midst.
You are like a cold and bitter wind,
Like snow frozen over, stiff as ice.
