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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).
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چون که از عقلش فراوان بد مدد ** چند دبوسی قوی بر خفته زد 1880
- Since he had an abundant supply of intelligence, he struck the sleeper several powerful blows with a mace.
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برد او را زخم آن دبوس سخت ** زو گریزان تا به زیر یک درخت
- The strokes of the hard mace drove him in flight from him (the rider) to beneath a tree.
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سیب پوسیده بسی بد ریخته ** گفت از این خور ای به درد آویخته
- There were many rotten apples which had dropped (from the tree): he said, “Eat of these, O you in the grip of pain!”
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سیب چندان مر و را در خورد داد ** کز دهانش باز بیرون میفتاد
- He gave him so many apples to eat that they were falling out of his mouth again.
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بانگ میزد کای امیر آخر چرا ** قصد من کردی تو نادیده جفا
- He was crying, “O Amír, pray, why have you set on me when you have not suffered injury?
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گر ترا ز اصل است با جانم ستیز ** تیغ زن یک بارگی خونم بریز 1885
- If you have an inveterate and mortal feud with me, strike with your sword and shed my blood at once.
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شوم ساعت که شدم بر تو پدید ** ای خنک آن را که روی تو ندید
- Ill-omened (was) the hour I came into your sight: oh, happy he that never saw your face!
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بیجنایت بیگنه بیبیش و کم ** ملحدان جایز ندارند این ستم
- Without guilt, without sin, without (having done) anything great or small—(even) the heretics hold not such oppression allowable.
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میجهد خون از دهانم با سخن ** ای خدا آخر مکافاتش تو کن
- Blood gushes from my mouth together with (my) words. O God, I beseech Thee, give him the retribution (which he deserves)!”
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هر زمان میگفت او نفرین نو ** اوش میزد کاندر این صحرا بدو
- Every instant he was uttering a new curse, (while) he (the rider) kept beating him and saying, “Run in this plain.”
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زخم دبوس و سوار همچو باد ** میدوید و باز در رو میفتاد 1890
- Blows of the mace, and the rider (swift) as the wind! He (therefore) went on running and (now and) again falling on his face.