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تو عسل ما سرکه در دنیا و دین ** دفع این صفرا بود سرکنگبین
- Thou art honey, we are vinegar in (the affairs of) this world and in religion; the (means of) removing this bile is oxymel.
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سرکه افزودیم ما قوم زحیر ** تو عسل بفزا کرم را وامگیر
- We folk who suffer from colic have added more and more vinegar; do thou add more and more honey, withhold not thy bounty.
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این سزید از ما چنان آمد ز ما ** ریگ اندر چشم چه فزاید عما
- This was meet in us; such (acts naturally) issued from us: what is increased by sand in the eye? Blindness.
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آن سزد از تو أیا کحل عزیز ** که بیابد از تو هر ناچیز چیز 1870
- (But) ’tis meet in thee, O precious collyrium, that every nothing should gain from thee something.
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ز آتش این ظالمانت دل کباب ** از تو جمله اهد قومی بد خطاب
- Thy heart is roasted by the fire of these unrighteous men, (yet) all thy appeal (to God) has been, “Guide my people!”
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کان عودی در تو گر آتش زنند ** این جهان از عطر و ریحان آگنند
- Thou art a mine of aloes-wood: if they set thee afire, they will fill this world with otto of roses and sweet basil.
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تو نه آن عودی کز آتش کم شود ** تو نه آن روحی که اسیر غم شود
- Thou art not that aloes-wood that is minished by the fire: thou art not that spirit that is made captive by grief.
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عود سوزد کان عود از سوز دور ** باد کی حمله برد بر اصل نور
- Aloes-wood burns, (but) the mine of aloes-wood is far from burning: how should the wind (of evil words) assail the source of (spiritual) light?
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ای ز تو مر آسمانها را صفا ** ای جفای تو نکوتر از وفا 1875
- Oh, ’tis from thee the heavens have (their) purity; oh, thy unkindness is better than kindness,
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ز انکه از عاقل جفایی گر رود ** از وفای جاهلان آن به بود
- Because if an unkindness come from the wise it is better than the kindness of the ignorant.