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ای خری ز استیزه ماند در خری ** کی ز ارواح مسیحی بو بری
- O ass who have obstinately remained in asininity, how will you get scent of (apprehend) the (life-giving) breaths which resemble those of the Messiah?
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کی شناسی گر خیالی سر کند ** کز کدامین مکمنی سر بر کند 2815
- If a phantasy appear (in your heart), how will you know from what hiding-place it springs forth?
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چون خیالی می‌شود در زهد تن ** تا خیالات از درونه روفتن
- Ere (all) phantasies are swept from the inward part, the body will become (insubstantial) as a phantasy in (consequence of) renunciation.
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غالب شدن مکر روبه بر استعصام خر
- How the cunning of the fox prevailed over the attempt of the ass to preserve himself from falling into temptation.
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خر بسی کوشید و او را دفع گفت ** لیک جوع الکلب با خر بود جفت
- The ass strove long and argued (stoutly) against him, but ravenous hunger never quitted the ass.
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غالب آمد حرص و صبرش بد ضعیف ** بس گلوها که برد عشق رغیف
- Greed prevailed, and his self-restraint was (too) weak: many are the gullets that are cut by love of the loaf.
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زان رسولی کش حقایق داد دست ** کاد فقر ان یکن کفر آمدست
- From the Messenger (Prophet) to whom the realities revealed themselves has come down (the saying), “A (great) penury is near being infidelity.”
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گشته بود آن خر مجاعت را اسیر ** گفت اگر مکرست یک ره مرده گیر 2820
- The ass had been made prisoner by hunger: he said (to himself), “If it is a plot, (what then?). Suppose I am dead once and for all,
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زین عذاب جوع باری وا رهم ** گر حیات اینست من مرده بهم
- At any rate I shall be delivered from this torment of hunger: if this is life, I am better dead.”
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گر خر اول توبه و سوگند خورد ** عاقبت هم از خری خبطی بکرد
- If at first the ass repented and swore (to keep his vow), in the end, because of his asininity, he made a (great) lapse.
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حرص کور و احمق و نادان کند ** مرگ را بر احمقان آسان کند
- Greed makes one blind and foolish and ignorant: to fools it makes death (seem) easy;