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شهر را هشتند و بیرون آمدند ** در هزیمت در دهی اندر شدند
- They (the three) left the city and came forth and in their flight entered a village.
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اندر آن ده مرغ فربه یافتند ** لیک ذره‌ی گوشت بر وی نه نژند
- In that village they found a fat fowl, but not a mite of flesh on it: (’twas) abject—
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مرغ مرده‌ی خشک وز زخم کلاغ ** استخوانها زار گشته چون پناغ 2620
- A dried-up dead fowl, and its bones through being pecked at by crows had become bare like threads.
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زان همی‌خوردند چون از صید شیر ** هر یکی از خوردنش چون پیل سیر
- They were eating thereof as a lion (eats) of his prey: each of them (became) surfeited, like an elephant, with eating it.
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هر سه زان خوردند و بس فربه شدند ** چون سه پیل بس بزرگ و مه شدند
- All the three ate thereof and grew exceedingly fat: they became like three very great and big elephants,
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آنچنان کز فربهی هر یک جوان ** در نگنجیدی ز زفتی در جهان
- In such wise that each young man, because of fatness, was too stout to be contained in the world.
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با چنین گبزی و هفت اندام زفت ** از شکاف در برون جستند و رفت
- Notwithstanding such bigness and seven stout limbs, they sprang forth through a chink in the door and departed.
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راه مرگ خلق ناپیدا رهیست ** در نظر ناید که آن بی‌جا رهیست 2625
- The way of creaturely death is an invisible way: it comes not into sight, for it is a way without locality.
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نک پیاپی کاروانها مقتفی ** زین شکاف در که هست آن مختفی
- Lo, the caravans are following one after another through this chink which is hidden (from view) in the door.
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بر در ار جویی نیابی آن شکاف ** سخت ناپیدا و زو چندین زفاف
- If you look on the door for that chink, you will not find it: (it is) extremely unapparent, though (there are) so many processions through it.
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شرح آن کور دوربین و آن کر تیزشنو و آن برهنه دراز دامن
- Explaining (what is signified by) the far-sighted blind man, the deaf man who is sharp of hearing, and the naked man with the long skirts.