Hekayat 44 from Chapter 2 of Golestan of Saadi
English Translation for Hekayat
A gentle old man in Baghdad
Gave his daughter in marriage to a shoemaker
The cruel man bit her lip so hard
That blood dripped from it
In the morning, the father saw her condition
He went to the son-in-law and asked:
"O wretch, what kind of teeth are these?
Why do you bite her lip? It is not a bag."
I did not say this in jest
Leave aside jokes and take it seriously:
A bad nature that settles in someone
Will not leave except at the time of death
متن حکایت
پیرمردی لطیف در بغداد
دخترک را به کفشدوزی داد
مردکِ سنگدل چنان بگزید
لبِ دختر، که خون از او بچکید
بامدادان پدر چنان دیدش
پیش داماد رفت و پرسیدش
کای فرومایه، این چه دندان است؟
چند خایی لبش؟ نه اَنبان است
به مِزاحت نگفتم این گفتار
هَزْل بگذار و جِدّ از او بردار:
خویِ بد در طبیعتی که نشست
ندهد جز به وقتِ مرگ از دست
