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صد هزاران عقل با هم بر جهند ** تا به غیر دام او دامی نهند
- Hundreds of thousands of minds may jump together (conspire) to lay a snare other than His snare;
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دام خود را سختتر یابند و بس ** کی نماید قوتی با باد خس
- (But) they only find their snare more grievous (to themselves), (for) how can straws show any power (of resistance) against the wind?
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گر تو گویی فایدهی هستی چه بود ** در سؤالت فایده هست ای عنود
- If you say, “What was the profit of (our created) being?” (I reply), “There is profit in your question, O contumacious one.
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گر ندارد این سؤالت فایده ** چه شنویم این را عبث بیعایده
- If this question of yours has no profit, why should we listen to it in vain and fruitlessly?
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ور سؤالت را بسی فاییدههاست ** پس جهان بیفایده آخر چراست 1070
- And if there are many profits in your question, then why, pray, is the world unprofitable?
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ور جهان از یک جهت بیفایده ست ** از جهتهای دگر پر عایده ست
- And (again), if from one standpoint the world is unprofitable, from other standpoints it is advantageous.
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فایدهی تو گر مرا فاییده نیست ** مر ترا چون فایده ست از وی مه ایست
- If your profit is no profit to me, (yet) since it is a profit to you, do not withdraw from it.”
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حسن یوسف عالمی را فایده ** گر چه بر اخوان عبث بد زایده
- The beauty of Joseph profited a (whole) world (of people), though to his brethren it was a vain superfluity.
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لحن داودی چنان محبوب بود ** لیک بر محروم بانگ چوب بود
- The melodies of David were so dear (to the faithful), but to the interdicted (unbeliever) they were (no more than) the noise of wood.
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آب نیل از آب حیوان بد فزون ** لیک بر محروم و منکر بود خون 1075
- The water of the Nile was superior to the Water of Life, but to the interdicted and unbelieving it was blood.