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بر سر دیوار هر کاو تشنهتر ** زودتر بر میکند خشت و مدر
- The more thirsty any one on the top of the wall is, the more quickly does he tear off the bricks and turfs.
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هر که عاشق تر بود بر بانگ آب ** او کلوخ زفت تر کند از حجاب
- The more any one is in love with the noise of the water, the bigger clods does he tear away from the barrier.
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او ز بانگ آب پر می تا عنق ** نشنود بیگانه جز بانگ بلق
- He, at the noise of the water, is filled with wine (ecstasy) up to the neck, (while) the stranger (to love) hears nothing but the sound of the splash.
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ای خنک آن را که او ایام پیش ** مغتنم دارد گزارد وام خویش 1215
- Oh, blest is he that deems his early days an opportunity to be seized, and pays his debt—
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اندر آن ایام کش قدرت بود ** صحت و زور دل و قوت بود
- In the days when he has the power, (when) he has health and strength of heart and vigour,
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و آن جوانی همچو باغ سبز و تر ** میرساند بیدریغی بار و بر
- And (when) that season of youth, like a garden green and fresh, is bringing (to ripeness) produce and fruit without any stint;
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چشمههای قوت و شهوت روان ** سبز میگردد زمین تن بدان
- (When) the fountains of strength and lust (are) flowing, (so that) thereby the soil of the body is made verdant;
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خانهی معمور و سقفش بس بلند ** معتدل ارکان و بیتخلیط و بند
- (When he is still like) a well-kept house, with its roof very lofty, its sides (walls) symmetrical, without buttressing and clamps—
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پیش از آن که ایام پیری در رسد ** گردنت بندد به حبل من مسد 1220
- Ere the days of eld arrive and bind your neck with a halter of palm-fibres;
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خاک شوره گردد و ریزان و سست ** هرگز از شوره نبات خوش نرست
- (Ere) the soil becomes nitrous (barren), crumbling, and poor —never did good herbage grow from nitrous soil;
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آب زور و آب شهوت منقطع ** او ز خویش و دیگران نامنتفع
- (When) the water of strength and the water of lust (is) cut off, and he has no profit from himself or others:
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ابروان چون پالدم زیر آمده ** چشم را نم آمده تاری شده
- The eyebrows fallen down like a crupper-strap; the eyes grown moist and dim;
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از تشنج رو چو پشت سوسمار ** رفته نطق و طعم و دندانها ز کار
- The face, from wrinkling, like the back of a lizard; speech and taste and teeth gone out of use;
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روز بیگه لاشه لنگ و ره دراز ** کارگه ویران عمل رفته ز ساز 1225
- The day late, the ass lame, and the way long; the shop ruined and the business in disorder;
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بیخهای خوی بد محکم شده ** قوت بر کندن آن کم شده
- The roots of bad habit firmly set, and the power to tear them up decreased.
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فرمودن والی آن مرد را که این خار بن را که نشاندهای بر سر راه بر کن
- How the Governor commanded a certain man, saying, “Root up the thorn bush which you have planted on the road.”
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همچو آن شخص درشت خوش سخن ** در میان ره نشاند او خار بن
- As (for example) that callous fair-spoken person planted a thorn bush in the middle of the road.
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ره گذریانش ملامتگر شدند ** بس بگفتندش بکن این را نکند
- The wayfarers reproached him and oftentimes told him to dig it up: he dug it not up.
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هر دمی آن خار بن افزون شدی ** پای خلق از زخم آن پر خون شدی
- Every moment the thorn bush was growing bigger: the people's feet were streaming with blood from its pricks.
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جامههای خلق بدریدی ز خار ** پای درویشان بخستی زار زار 1230
- The people's clothes were being rent by the thorns: the feet of the poor were being wounded pitiably.
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چون به جد حاکم بدو گفت این بکن ** گفت آری بر کنم روزیش من
- When the Governor said to him with earnestness, “Dig this up,” he replied, “Yes, I will dig it up some day.”
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مدتی فردا و فردا وعده داد ** شد درخت خار او محکم نهاد
- For a long while he promised (to dig it up) to-morrow and to-morrow; (meantime) his thorn bush became robust in constitution.
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گفت روزی حاکمش ای وعده کژ** پیش آ در کار ما وا پس مغژ
- One day the Governor said to him, “O false promiser, go forward with my affair, do not creep back.”
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گفت الایام یا عم بیننا ** گفت عجل لا تماطل دیننا
- He replied, “O uncle, the days are between us.” “Make haste,” said he, “do not put off payment of my debt.”
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تو که میگویی که فردا این بدان ** که به هر روزی که میآید زمان 1235
- You who say “To-morrow,” be aware of this, that with every day that time is coming (and going),
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آن درخت بد جوانتر میشود ** وین کننده پیر و مضطر میشود
- That evil tree is growing younger, while this digger is waxing old and sorely distressed.