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دسته گل بستم و بردم به پیش ** هر گلی چون خار گشت و نوش نیش
- I twined a handful of roses and carried it to them: every rose became as a thorn, and the honey turned to poison.
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آن نصیب جان بی‌خویشان بود ** چونک با خویش‌اند پیدا کی شود
- That (pure wine) is the portion allotted to the selfless: since they are with themselves (not freed from self), how should it be shown (to them)?
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خفته‌ی بیدار باید پیش ما ** تا به بیداری ببیند خوابها
- With us, one must needs be a waking sleeper, that in the state of wakefulness he may dream dreams.”
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دشمن این خواب خوش شد فکر خلق ** تا نخسپد فکرتش بستست حلق 1115
- Thought of created things is an enemy to this sweet (waking) sleep: until his (any one's) thought is asleep, his throat is shut.
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حیرتی باید که روبد فکر را ** خورده حیرت فکر را و ذکر را
- A (mystical) bewilderment is needed to sweep (such) thought away: bewilderment devours (all) thought and recollection.
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هر که کاملتر بود او در هنر ** او بمعنی پس بصورت پیشتر
- The more perfect he is in (worldly) science, the more backward he is in reality and the more forward in appearance.
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راجعون گفت و رجوع این سان بود ** که گله وا گردد و خانه رود
- He (God) hath said, “(Verily, to Him we are) returning”; and the return is in the same wise as a herd turns back and goes home.
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چونک واگردید گله از ورود ** پس فتد آن بز که پیش آهنگ بود
- When the herd has turned back from (after) going down to water, the goat that was the leader (now) falls behind (becomes the hindmost),
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پیش افتد آن بز لنگ پسین ** اضحک الرجعی وجوه العابسین 1120
- And the lame hindmost goat is now in front: the return caused the faces to laugh of them that were frowning (before).
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از گزافه کی شدند این قوم لنگ ** فخر را دادند و بخریدند ننگ
- How did this party (the prophets and saints) become lame and give up glory and purchase ignominy in vain?