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نقش ما این کرد آن تصویرگر ** این نخواهد شد بگفت و گو دگر
- That Artist made the picture of us to be this: this will not be altered by talking.
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سنگ را صد سال گویی لعل شو ** کهنه را صد سال گویی باش نو
- A hundred years you may tell the pebble to become a ruby, a hundred years you may tell the old to become new;
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خاک را گویی صفات آب گیر ** آب را گویی عسل شو یا که شیر
- You may tell earth to assume the qualities of water, you may tell water to become honey or milk—
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خالق افلاک او و افلاکیان ** خالق آب و تراب و خاکیان 2905
- (’Tis all in vain): He is the Creator of the heavens and the heavenly ones, the Creator of water and earth and earthly beings.
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آسمان را داد دوران و صفا ** آب و گل را تیره رویی و نما
- To heaven He gave its circling motion and its purity; to (the mixed) water and earth its dark appearance and its (power of) growth.
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کی تواند آسمان دردی گزید ** کی تواند آب و گل صفوت خرید
- How can heaven choose turbidity? How can (the mixed) earth and water buy purity?
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قسمتی کردست هر یک را رهی ** کی کهی گردد بجهدی چون کهی
- To every one He hath allotted a certain course: how should a mountain by any effort become as a straw?”
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جواب انبیا علیهم السلام مر جبریان را
- The answer of the prophets, on whom be peace, to the Necessitarians.
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انبیا گفتند کاری آفرید ** وصفهایی که نتان زان سر کشید
- The prophets said, “Yes: He hath created some qualities from which it is impossible to withdraw one's self,
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و آفرید او وصفهای عارضی ** که کسی مبغوض می‌گردد رضی 2910
- And He hath (also) created qualities (which are only) accidental, so that a hated person becomes acceptable.
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سنگ را گویی که زر شو بیهده‌ست ** مس را گویی که زر شو راه هست
- If you bid a stone become gold, ’tis futile; (but) if you bid copper become gold, the way (of transmuting it) exists.