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مرد میراثی چو خورد و شد فقیر ** آمد اندر یا رب و گریه و نفیر
- When the man who received the inheritance had squandered it and become a pauper, he began to cry “O Lord!” and weep and lament.
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خود کی کوبد این در رحمت‌نثار ** که نیابد در اجابت صد بهار
- Verily, who shall knock at this Door, from which mercy is showered, without gaining in response a hundred springs (seasons of spiritual refreshment)?
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خواب دید او هاتفی گفت او شنید ** که غنای تو به مصر آید پدید 4240
- He dreamed that he heard a Voice from heaven saying, “Thy fortune will be found in Cairo;
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رو به مصر آنجا شود کار تو راست ** کرد کدیت را قبول او مرتجاست
- Go to Cairo: there thy affair will be set right. He (God) hath accepted thy humble petition: He is the (only) Object of hope.
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در فلان موضع یکی گنجی است زفت ** در پی آن بایدت تا مصر رفت
- In such-and-such a spot is a great treasure: thou must go to Cairo in quest of it.
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بی‌درنگی هین ز بغداد ای نژند ** رو به سوی مصر و منبت‌گاه قند
- Hark, O wretched man, go without any delay from Baghdád to Cairo and the home of sugar-candy.”
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چون ز بغداد آمد او تا سوی مصر ** گرم شد پشتش چو دید او روی مصر
- When he departed from Baghdád (and came) to Cairo, at the sight of Cairo his courage was restored,
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بر امید وعده‌ی هاتف که گنج ** یابد اندر مصر بهر دفع رنج 4245
- (For he was) in hope of (the fulfilment of) the promise given by the heavenly Voice that he would find in Cairo the treasure to remove his trouble—
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در فلان کوی و فلان موضع دفین ** هست گنجی سخت نادر بس گزین
- “In such and such a quarter and such and such a spot there is a buried treasure exceedingly rare and very choice.”
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لیک نفقه‌ش بیش و کم چیزی نماند ** خواست دقی بر عوام‌الناس راند
- But of money for expenses, great or small, he had nothing left; and he was about to go and beg from the common folk,