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من به ربع عشر این ای مغتنم ** مرد شاعر را خوش و راضی کنم
- With a fortieth part of this (sum), O thou (whose favour is) eagerly sought, I will make the poet man happy and content.”
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خلق گفتندش که او از پیش‌دست ** ده هزاران زین دلاور برده است
- The people said to him, “He carried away a sum of ten thousand (dinars) in ready money from this valiant (king).
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بعد شکر کلک خایی چون کند ** بعد سلطانی گدایی چون کند 1215
- After (having eaten) sugar, how should he chew (the empty) cane? After having been a sultan, how should he practise beggary?”
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گفت بفشارم ورا اندر فشار ** تا شود زار و نزار از انتظار
- He (the vizier) replied, “I will squeeze him in torment, that he may be made wretched and worn out by waiting;
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آنگه ار خاکش دهم از راه من ** در رباید هم‌چو گلبرگ از چمن
- Then, if I give him earth from the road, he will snatch it as (though it were) rose-leaves from the garden.
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این به من بگذار که استادم درین ** گر تقاضاگر بود هر آتشین
- Leave this to me, for I am expert in this, even if the claimant be fiery (hot and fierce).
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از ثریا گر بپرد تا ثری ** نرم گردد چون ببیند او مرا
- Though he (be able to) fly from the Pleiades to the earth, he will become meek when he sees me.”
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گفت سلطانش برو فرمان تراست ** لیک شادش کن که نیکوگوی ماست 1220
- The king said to him, “Go: ’tis for thee to command; but make him happy, for he is my eulogist.”
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گفت او را و دو صد اومیدلیس ** تو به من بگذار این بر من نویس
- He (the vizier) said, “Leave him and two hundred (other) lickers-up of hope to me, and write this (down) against me.”
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پس فکندش صاحب اندر انتظار ** شد زمستان و دی و آمد بهار
- Then the minister threw him into (the pains of) expectation: winter and December passed and spring came.