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من نکردم با وی الا لطف و لین ** او چرا با من کند بر عکس کین
- I showed him nothing but courtesy and mildness: why should he on the contrary show hatred towards me?
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هر عداوت را سبب باید سند ** ور نه جنسیت وفا تلقین کند
- Every enmity must rest on some cause; otherwise, our common humanity would dictate faithfulness (in friendship).”
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باز میگفت آدم با لطف وجود ** کی بر آن ابلیس جوری کرده بود
- Then he would say again, “When had Adam, the kind and generous, done an injury to Iblís?
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آدمی مر مار و کژدم را چه کرد ** کاو همیخواهد مر او را مرگ و درد 230
- What was done by man to snake and scorpion that they wish (to inflict) death and pain upon him?
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گرگ را خود خاصیت بدریدن است ** این حسد در خلق آخر روشن است
- To rend is the instinct of the wolf: after all, this envy is conspicuous in mankind.”
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باز میگفت این گمان بد خطاست ** بر برادر این چنین ظنم چراست
- Again he would say, “It is wrong thus to think evil: why have I such thoughts against my brother?”
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باز گفتی حزم سوء الظن تست ** هر که بد ظن نیست کی ماند درست
- Then he would say, “Prudence consists in your thinking evil: how shall he that thinks no evil remain unhurt?”
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صوفی اندر وسوسه و آن خر چنان ** که چنین بادا جز ای دشمنان
- The Súfí was in (this) anxiety, and (meanwhile) the ass was in such a plight that—may it befall our enemies!
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آن خر مسکین میان خاک و سنگ ** کژ شده پالان دریده پالهنگ 235
- That poor ass was amidst earth and stones, with his saddle crooked and his halter torn,
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خسته از ره جملهی شب بیعلف ** گاه در جان کندن و گه در تلف
- Killed (exhausted) by the journey, without fodder all the night long, now at the last gasp and now perishing.