#1
چو بگذشت سال از برم شست و پنج
✦
فزون کردم اندیشه و درد و رنج
“When sixty and five years had passed over me, my anguish, grief, and meditation grew all the more.”
#2
به تاریخ شاهان نیاز آمدم
✦
به پیش اختر دیرساز آمدم
“I found myself in dire need of the history of kings, coming before a slow-moving, ill-fated star.”
#3
بزرگان و بادانش آزادگان
✦
نبشتند یکسر همه رایگان
“The nobles and wise free-born men all wrote down their deeds without offering me any reward.”
#4
نشسته نظاره من از دورشان
✦
تو گفتی بدم پیش مزدورشان
“I sat watching them from afar; you would have said I was but a hired laborer standing before them.”
#5
جز احسنت از ایشان نبُد بهره‌ام
✦
بِکَفت اندر احسنتشان زهره‌ام
“My only share from them was 'Bravo!'; at their empty 'Bravo!', my courage and spirit burst with frustration.”
#6
سر بدره‌های کهن بسته شد
✦
وزان بند روشن دلم خسته شد
“The mouths of the ancient coin-bags remained tightly tied, and my luminous heart grew weary of those sealed ties.”
#7
ازین نامور نامداران شهر
✦
علی دیلمی بود کو راست بهر
“Among the renowned notables of this city, it was Ali Deylami who truly bore a noble share of helpfulness,”
#8
که همواره کارش بخوبی روان
✦
به نزد بزرگان روشن‌روان
“Whose affairs ever move smoothly and with goodness in the presence of enlightened nobles.”
#9
حسین قتیب است از آزادگان
✦
که از من نخواهد سخن رایگان
“And Huseyn Qatib, a noble of free spirit, who never sought to take my poetry for free.”
#10
ازویم خور و پوشش و سیم و زر
✦
وزو یافتم جنبش و پای و پر
“From him I received food, clothing, silver, and gold; through him I gained movement, feet, and wings to soar.”
#11
نیَم آگه از اصل و فرع خراج
✦
همی‌غلتم اندر میان دواج
“I am unbothered by the heavy details of land taxes, rolling comfortably in my soft bedding.”
#12
جهاندار اگر نیستی تنگ‌دست
✦
مرا بر سر گاه بودی نشست
“If the ruler of the world were not so tight-fisted, my seat would have been upon the royal throne itself.”
#13
چو سال اندر آمد به هفتاد و یک
✦
همی زیر بیت اندر آرم فلک
“When my age entered into seventy-one, I brought the heavens beneath the feet of my verse.”
#14
همی گاه محمود آباد باد
✦
سرش سبز باد و دلش شاد باد
“May the court of Mahmud ever flourish; may his head remain green and his heart joyful!”
#15
چنانش ستایم که اندر جهان
✦
سخن باشد از آشکار و نهان
“I shall praise him in such wise that in the world, words shall echo of him both in secret and in public.”
#16
مرا از بزرگان ستایش بود
✦
ستایش ورا در فزایش بود
“My role toward rulers is to grant praise, and for him, praise brings an increase of glory.”
#17
که جاوید باد آن خردمند مرد
✦
همیشه به کام دلش کار کرد
“May that wise man live forever, and may his deeds ever align with his heart's desire!”
#18
همش رای و هم دانش و هم نسب
✦
چراغ عجم آفتاب عرب
“Endowed with wisdom, intellect, and noble lineage—the lamp of Persia and the sun of Arabia.”
#19
سرآمد کنون قصهٔ یزدگرد
✦
به ماه سفندارمذ، روزِ اَرد
“Now the story of Yazdegerd has reached its end, on the day of Ard in the month of Esfandarmadh,”
#20
ز هجرت شده پنج هشتاد بار
✦
به نام جهان‌داور کردگار
“When eighty times five years (400) had passed from the Hijra, in the name of the World-Judge, the Creator.”
#21
چو این ناموَر‌نامه آمد به بُن
✦
ز من روی کشور شود پُر سَخُن
“Now that this renowned book has reached its conclusion, the face of the entire realm shall be filled with my verse.”
#22
از آن پس نمیرم که من زنده‌ام
✦
که تخم سخن من پراکنده‌ام
“Henceforth I shall not die, for I am alive, having scattered the seed of words across the earth.”
#23
هر آنکس که دارد هُش و رای و دین
✦
پس از مرگ، بر من کند آفرین
“Whosoever possesses intellect, wisdom, and faith shall send blessings upon me after my death.”