The head of a village with his son on a path,

They passed by the heart of a royal city.

The son saw the heralds with swords and axes,

Silk cloaks and golden belts.

The horsemen, archers, and hunters,

The slaves with quivers, archers shooting their arrows.

One wore a silken robe on his shoulders,

One had a royal crown upon his head.

The son saw all that grandeur and power,

But he saw his father as utterly humble.

His state changed and his color faded,

From fear, he fled into a small corner.

The son said, 'But you are the chief of the village,

A leader among the great men of the land.'

What made you lose all hope in life,

That you trembled like a reed in the wind of fear?

Yes, said the commander and my lord,

But my dignity remains as long as I am in my domain.

The great ones are tainted by that terror,

For they have been in the presence of royalty.

You, unaware, still dwell in your village,

You assign yourself a position over yourself.

The eloquent ones did not speak a word,

That Saadi would not give an example for it.

Have you ever seen in the garden and field,

A firefly shining at night like a lamp?

One said, 'O glowing firefly of the night,

Why don't you come out in the daylight?'

See the firefly of the earth burning,

What answer did it give from the light within?

I am in the desert, day and night,

But I am hidden before the sun.