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کودکان مکتبی از اوستاد ** رنج دیدند از ملال و اجتهاد
- The boys in a certain school suffered at the hands of their master from weariness and toil.
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مشورت کردند در تعویق کار ** تا معلم در فتد در اضطرار
- They consulted about (the means of) stopping (his) work, so that the teacher should be reduced to the necessity (of letting them go),
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چون نمی‌آید ورا رنجوریی ** که بگیرد چند روز او دوریی
- (Saying), “Since no illness befalls him, which would cause him to take absence for several days,
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تا رهیم از حبس و تنگی و ز کار ** هست او چون سنگ خارا بر قرار 1525
- So that we might escape from (this) imprisonment and confinement and work, (what can we do?). He is fixed (here), like a solid rock.”
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آن یکی زیرکتر این تدبیر کرد ** که بگوید اوستا چونی تو زرد
- One, the cleverest (of them all), planned that he should say, “Master, how are you (so) pale?
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خیر باشد رنگ تو بر جای نیست ** این اثر یا از هوا یا از تبیست
- May it be well (with you)! Your colour is changed: this is the effect either of (bad) air or of a fever.”
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اندکی اندر خیال افتد ازین ** تو برادر هم مدد کن این‌چنین
- (He continued), “At this he (the master) will begin to fancy a little (that he is ill): do you too, brother, help (me) in like manner.
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چون درآیی از در مکتب بگو ** خیر باشد اوستا احوال تو
- When you come in through the door of the school, say (to him), ‘Master, is your state (of health) good?’
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آن خیالش اندکی افزون شود ** کز خیالی عاقلی مجنون شود 1530
- (Then) that fancy of his will increase a little, for by a fancy a sensible man is driven mad.
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آن سوم و آن چارم و پنجم چنین ** در پی ما غم نمایند و حنین
- After us let the third (boy) and the fourth and the fifth show sympathy and sorrow likewise,