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آشنایی نفس با هر نفس پست ** تو یقین می‌دان که دم دم کمترست 2690
- (But) know for sure, the friendship of the carnal soul with any base carnal soul is momently diminished,
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زانک نفسش گرد علت می‌تند ** معرفت را زود فاسد می‌کند
- Because his carnal soul hovers round disease and soon corrupts the (friendly) acquaintance.
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گر نخواهی دوست را فردا نفیر ** دوستی با عاقل و با عقل گیر
- If thou dost not wish thy friend to be averse (to thee) on the morrow, take (choose) friendship with the intelligent and with the intellect.
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از سموم نفس چون با علتی ** هر چه گیری تو مرض را آلتی
- Inasmuch as thou art sick from the simoom of the carnal soul, whatever thou mayst take thou art the instrument for (infecting it with) disease.
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گر بگیری گوهری سنگی شود ** ور بگیری مهر دل جنگی شود
- If thou take a jewel, it becomes a (common) stone; and if thou take kindness of heart, it becomes a hatred;
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ور بگیری نکته‌ی بکری لطیف ** بعد درکت گشت بی‌ذوق و کثیف 2695
- And if thou take a fine original saying, after thy apprehension (of it) it has become tasteless and gross—
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که من این را بس شنیدم کهنه شد ** چیز دیگر گو بجز آن ای عضد
- ‘I have heard this many a time; it has become old: tell something else besides this, O trusty friend.’
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چیز دیگر تازه و نو گفته گیر ** باز فردا زان شوی سیر و نفیر
- Suppose that something else fresh and new has been said, again to-morrow thou art surfeited with it and averse.
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دفع علت کن چو علت خو شود ** هرحدیثی کهنه پیشت نو شود
- Remove the disease: when the disease is eradicated, every old tale will become new to thee,
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تا که از کهنه برآرد برگ نو ** بشکفاند کهنه صد خوشه ز گو
- So that it will bring forth new leaves from the old (bough): the old (tale) will cause a hundred clusters to blossom from the ditch.