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سالها خربنده بودی بس بود ** ز انکه خربنده ز خر واپس بود 1855
- For years you have been the ass's slave. It is enough, for the ass's slave is behind (even) the ass.
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ز اخروهن مرادش نفس تست ** کاو به آخر باید و عقلت نخست
- The thing meant by (the Prophet's words) “put them (the women) behind” is your fleshly soul; for it must be last, and your intellect (must be) first.
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هم مزاج خر شده ست این عقل پست ** فکرش این که چون علف آرم بدست
- This base intellect has become of the same temperament as the ass: its (only) thought is how it shall get hold of fodder.
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آن خر عیسی مزاج دل گرفت ** در مقام عاقلان منزل گرفت
- The ass of Jesus took (to itself) the temperament of the (rational) spirit: it took its abode in the place of the intelligent,
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ز انکه غالب عقل بود و خر ضعیف ** از سوار زفت گردد خر نحیف
- Because (in Jesus) intellect was ruling, and the ass (was) weak —the ass is made lean by a strong rider—
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و ز ضعیفی عقل تو ای خر بها ** این خر پژمرده گشته ست اژدها 1860
- While from the weakness of your intellect, O you who have (no more than) the value of an ass, this worn-out ass has become a dragon.
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گر ز عیسی گشتهای رنجور دل ** هم از او صحت رسد او را مهل
- If through Jesus (the spiritual guide) you have become heart-sick, (yet) health too comes from him: do not leave him.
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چونی ای عیسای عیسی دم ز رنج ** که نبود اندر جهان بیمار گنج
- How art thou as to affliction, O thou Jesus who hast the (healing) breath of Jesus? For there never was in the world a treasure without a snake.
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چونی ای عیسی ز دیدار جهود ** چونی ای یوسف ز مکار حسود
- How art thou, O Jesus, at the sight of the Jews? How art thou, O Joseph, in respect of the envious plotter?
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تو شب و روز از پی این قوم غمر ** چون شب و روزی مدد بخشای عمر
- Night and day for the sake of this foolish people thou, like night and day, art a replenisher of life.
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چونی از صفراییان بیهنر ** چه هنر زاید ز صفرا درد سر 1865
- How art thou in regard to those bilious ones who are without excellence? What excellence is born from bile? Headache.
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تو همان کن که کند خورشید شرق ** ما نفاق و حیله و دزدی و زرق
- Do thou the same thing as the sun of the east does: we are hypocrisy and craft and thieving and dissimulation.
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تو عسل ما سرکه در دنیا و دین ** دفع این صفرا بود سرکنگبین
- Thou art honey, we are vinegar in (the affairs of) this world and in religion; the (means of) removing this bile is oxymel.
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سرکه افزودیم ما قوم زحیر ** تو عسل بفزا کرم را وامگیر
- We folk who suffer from colic have added more and more vinegar; do thou add more and more honey, withhold not thy bounty.
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این سزید از ما چنان آمد ز ما ** ریگ اندر چشم چه فزاید عما
- This was meet in us; such (acts naturally) issued from us: what is increased by sand in the eye? Blindness.
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آن سزد از تو أیا کحل عزیز ** که بیابد از تو هر ناچیز چیز 1870
- (But) ’tis meet in thee, O precious collyrium, that every nothing should gain from thee something.
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ز آتش این ظالمانت دل کباب ** از تو جمله اهد قومی بد خطاب
- Thy heart is roasted by the fire of these unrighteous men, (yet) all thy appeal (to God) has been, “Guide my people!”
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کان عودی در تو گر آتش زنند ** این جهان از عطر و ریحان آگنند
- Thou art a mine of aloes-wood: if they set thee afire, they will fill this world with otto of roses and sweet basil.
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تو نه آن عودی کز آتش کم شود ** تو نه آن روحی که اسیر غم شود
- Thou art not that aloes-wood that is minished by the fire: thou art not that spirit that is made captive by grief.
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عود سوزد کان عود از سوز دور ** باد کی حمله برد بر اصل نور
- Aloes-wood burns, (but) the mine of aloes-wood is far from burning: how should the wind (of evil words) assail the source of (spiritual) light?
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ای ز تو مر آسمانها را صفا ** ای جفای تو نکوتر از وفا 1875
- Oh, ’tis from thee the heavens have (their) purity; oh, thy unkindness is better than kindness,
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ز انکه از عاقل جفایی گر رود ** از وفای جاهلان آن به بود
- Because if an unkindness come from the wise it is better than the kindness of the ignorant.
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گفت پیغمبر عداوت از خرد ** بهتر از مهری که از جاهل رسد
- The Prophet said, “Enmity (proceeding) from wisdom is better than the love that comes from a fool.”
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رنجانیدن امیری خفتهای را که مار در دهانش رفته بود
- How an Amír harassed a sleeping man into whose mouth a snake had gone.
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عاقلی بر اسب میآمد سوار ** در دهان خفتهای میرفت مار
- A wise man was riding along (at the moment when) a snake was going into the mouth of a man asleep.
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آن سوار آن را بدید و میشتافت ** تا رماند مار را فرصت نیافت
- The rider saw that, and was hurrying to scare away the snake, (but) he got no chance (of doing so).