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هر هنر که استا بدان معروف شد ** جان شاگردان بدان موصوف شد
- For whatever science the master is renowned, the souls of his pupils become endued with the same.
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پیش استاد اصولی هم اصول ** خواند آن شاگرد چست با حصول 2830
- With the master-theologian the quick and industrious pupil reads (scholastic) theology.
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پیش استاد فقیه آن فقه خوان ** فقه خواند نی اصول اندر بیان
- With the master-jurist the student of jurisprudence reads jurisprudence, when he (the teacher) expounds it, not theology.
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پیش استادی که او نحوی بود ** جان شاگردش از او نحوی شود
- With the master who is a grammarian—the soul of his pupil becomes imbued by him with grammar.
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باز استادی که او محو ره است ** جان شاگردش از او محو شه است
- Again, the master who is absorbed in the Way (of Súfism)— because of him the soul of his pupil is absorbed in the King (God).
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زین همه انواع دانش روز مرگ ** دانش فقر است ساز راه و برگ
- Of all these various kinds of knowledge, on the day of death the (best) equipment and provision for the road is the knowledge of (spiritual) poverty.
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حکایت ماجرای نحوی و کشتیبان
- The story of what passed between the grammarian and the boatman.
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آن یکی نحوی به کشتی درنشست ** رو به کشتیبان نهاد آن خود پرست 2835
- A certain grammarian embarked in a boat. That self-conceited person turned to the boatman
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گفت هیچ از نحو خواندی گفت لا ** گفت نیم عمر تو شد در فنا
- And said, “Have you ever studied grammar?” “No,” he replied. The other said, “Half your life is gone to naught.”
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دل شکسته گشت کشتیبان ز تاب ** لیک آن دم کرد خامش از جواب
- The boatman became heart-broken with grief, but at the time he refrained from answering.
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باد کشتی را به گردابی فگند ** گفت کشتیبان به آن نحوی بلند
- The wind cast the boat into a whirlpool: the boatman spoke loud (shouted) to the grammarian,