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آن یکی میگفت خواهم عاقلی ** مشورت آرم بدو در مشکلی
- A certain man was saying, “I want some one of intelligence, (that) I may consult him about a difficulty.”
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آن یکی گفتش که اندر شهر ما ** نیست عاقل جز که آن مجنوننما
- One said to him, “In our city there is nobody of intelligence except yonder man who appears to be mad.
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بر نیی گشته سواره نک فلان ** میدواند در میان کودکان 2340
- Look, there is (one named) so-and-so: mounted on a cane, he rides (it as a cock-horse) amongst the children.
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صاحب رای است و آتش پارهای ** آسمان قدر است و اختر بارهای
- He is possessed of judgment and (keen as) a spark of fire; he is as the sky in dignity, and as the stars in high estate.
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فر او کروبیان را جان شده ست ** او در این دیوانگی پنهان شده ست
- His glory has become the (rational) soul of the Cherubim; he has become concealed in this (feigned) madness.”
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لیک هر دیوانه را جان نشمری ** سر منه گوساله را چون سامری
- But you must not account every madman a (rational) soul: do not, like Sámirí, lay down your head (in worship) to a calf.
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چون ولیی آشکارا با تو گفت ** صد هزاران غیب و اسرار نهفت
- When a manifest saint has declared unto you hundreds of thousands of unseen things and hidden mysteries,
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مر ترا آن فهم و آن دانش نبود ** واندانستی تو سرگین را ز عود 2345
- And you have not had the (proper) understanding and knowledge, (so that) you have not distinguished dung from aloes-wood—
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از جنون خود را ولی چون پرده ساخت ** مر و را ای کور کی خواهی شناخت
- How, when the saint has made for himself a veil of madness, will you recognise him, O blind one?
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گر ترا باز است آن دیدهی یقین ** زیر هر سنگی یکی سرهنگ بین
- If your eye of intuitive certainty is open, behold a (spiritual) captain under every stone.
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پیش آن چشمی که باز و رهبر است ** هر گلیمی را کلیمی در بر است
- To the eye that is open and (as) a guide, every dervish-cloak hath a Moses in its embrace.
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مر ولی را هم ولی شهره کند ** هر که را او خواست با بهره کند
- ’Tis only the saint (himself) that makes the saint known and makes fortunate whomsoever he will.
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کس نداند از خرد او را شناخت ** چون که او مر خویش را دیوانه ساخت 2350
- No one can recognise him by means of wisdom when he has feigned to be mad.
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چون بدزدد دزد بینایی ز کور ** هیچ یابد دزد را او در عبور
- When a seeing thief steals from a blind man, can he at all detect (the identity of) the thief (who is) in the act of passing?
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کور نشناسد که دزد او که بود ** گر چه خود بر وی زند دزد عنود
- The blind man does not know who it was that robbed him, even though the wicked thief may knock against him.
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چون گزد سگ کور صاحب ژنده را ** کی شناسد آن سگ درنده را
- When a dog bites a blind ragged mendicant, how should he recognise that ferocious dog?
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حمله بردن سگ بر کور گدا
- How the dog attacked the mendicant who was blind.
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یک سگی در کوی بر کور گدا ** حمله میآورد چون شیر وغا
- A dog was attacking, as (though it were) a warlike lion, a blind mendicant in a certain street.
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سگ کند آهنگ درویشان به خشم ** در کشد مه خاک درویشان به چشم 2355
- The dog rushes angrily at dervishes; the moon smears her eyes with dust of (the feet of) dervishes.
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کور عاجز شد ز بانگ و بیم سگ ** اندر آمد کور در تعظیم سگ
- The blind man was made helpless by the dog's barking and by (his) fear of the dog; the blind man began to pay honour to the dog.
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کای امیر صید و ای شیر شکار ** دست دست تست دست از من بدار
- Saying, “O prince of the chase, and O lion of the hunt, thine is the (upper) hand: refrain thy hand from me!”—
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کز ضرورت دم خر را آن حکیم ** کرد تعظیم و لقب دادش کریم
- For, (moved) by necessity, that (renowned) philosopher paid honour to (one vile as) the tail of an ass, and gave him the title of “noble.”
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گفت او هم از ضرورت کای اسد ** از چو من لاغر شکارت چه رسد
- He (the blind man) too, of necessity, said, “O lion, what (good) will come to thee from such a meagre prey as I am?
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گور میگیرند یارانت به دشت ** کور میگیری تو در کوچه به گشت 2360
- Thy friends are catching onagers in the desert; thou art catching a blind man in the street; this is bad.
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گور میجویند یارانت به صید ** کور میجویی تو در کوچه به کید
- Thy friends seek on agers by hunting (them); thou in (mere) malice seekest a blind man in the street.”
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آن سگ عالم شکار گور کرد ** وین سگ بیمایه قصد کور کرد
- The knowing dog has made the onager his prey, while this worthless dog has attacked a blind man.