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گر زند آن دود بر دیگ نوی ** آن اثر بنماید ار باشد جوی
- If that smoke should beat upon a new pot, the traces of it would show, though it were (only as much as) a barley-corn,
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ز انکه هر چیزی به ضد پیدا شود ** بر سپیدی آن سیه رسوا شود
- Because everything is made manifest by (its) contrary: upon a white object the black becomes conspicuous;
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چون سیه شد دیگ پس تاثیر دود ** بعد از این بروی که بیند زود زود
- (But) when the pot has been blackened, then after this who will at once perceive the effect of the smoke upon it?
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مرد آهنگر که او زنگی بود ** دود را با روش هم رنگی بود 3375
- The ironsmith who is an Ethiopian—the smoke is of the same colour as his face;
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مرد رومی کاو کند آهنگری ** رویش ابلق گردد از دود آوری
- The Greek who does the work of an ironsmith—his face, from gathering smoke, becomes piebald (spotted with black).
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پس بداند زود تاثیر گناه ** تا بنالد زود گوید ای اله
- Therefore he will quickly recognise the effect of sin, so that he will soon lament (and) say, “O God!”
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چون کند اصرار و بد پیشه کند ** خاک اندر چشم اندیشه کند
- (But) when he persists (in sin) and makes a practice of evil, and puts dust in the eye of meditation,
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توبه نندیشد دگر شیرین شود ** بر دلش آن جرم تا بیدین شود
- He thinks of penitence no more: that sin becomes so sweet to his heart that (in the end) he comes to be without the Faith (he turns infidel).
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آن پشیمانی و یا رب رفت از او ** شست بر آیینه زنگ پنج تو 3380
- That repenting and (crying) “O Lord!” are gone from him: fivefold rust has settled on the mirror (of his heart).
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آهنش را زنگها خوردن گرفت ** گوهرش را زنگ کم کردن گرفت
- The coats of rust have began to eat his iron (mirror): the rust has begun to lessen its sheen.
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چون نویسی کاغذ اسپید بر ** آن نبشته خوانده آید در نظر
- When you write upon white paper, that writing may be read at sight.
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چون نویسی بر سر بنوشته خط ** فهم ناید خواندنش گردد غلط
- When you write script over that which has been (already) written, it is not understood: the reading of it will be erroneous;
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کان سیاهی بر سیاهی اوفتاد ** هر دو خط شد کور و معنیی نداد
- For that (second) blackness has fallen (been made) upon blackness; (hence) both scripts have become obscure and have given no meaning.
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ور سوم باره نویسی بر سرش ** پس سیه کردی چو جان کافرش 3385
- And if you write a third time on the top of it, then you make it black as a soul full of wickedness.
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پس چه چاره جز پناه چارهگر ** ناامیدی مس و اکسیرش نظر
- What help is there, then, but (to take) refuge with (God) the Helper? Despair is copper, and the elixir for it is (God's) regard.
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ناامیدیها به پیش او نهید ** تا ز درد بیدوا بیرون جهید
- Lay your despairs before Him, that ye may escape from irremediable pain.
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چون شعیب این نکتهها با او بگفت ** ز آن دم جان در دل او گل شکفت
- When Shu‘ayb had told him these deep sayings, at that breath of the spirit roses blossomed in his heart.
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جان او بشنید وحی آسمان ** گفت اگر بگرفت ما را کو نشان
- His soul hearkened to the inspiration from Heaven; he said, (however), “If He hath punished me, where is the sign?”
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گفت یا رب دفع من میگوید او ** آن گرفتن را نشان میجوید او 3390
- He (Shu‘ayb) cried, “O Lord, he rebuts me, he seeks the sign of that punishment.”
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گفت ستارم نگویم رازهاش ** جز یکی رمز از برای ابتلاش
- He (God) said, “I am the Coverer (of sins): I will not tell his secrets, (I will give) but one indication for the sake of trying him.
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یک نشان آن که میگیرم و را ** آن که طاعت دارد از صوم و دعا
- One sign of My punishing him is this, that he has (to his credit) pious acts of fasting and orison
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و ز نماز و از زکات و غیر آن ** لیک یک ذره ندارد ذوق جان
- And ritual prayer and almsgiving et cetera, but he has not one atom of spiritual savour.
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میکند طاعات و افعال سنی ** لیک یک ذره ندارد چاشنی
- He performs high acts and deeds of devotion, but he has not one atom of (spiritual) relish.
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طاعتش نغز است و معنی نغز نی ** جوزها بسیار و در وی مغز نی 3395
- His devotions are good (in form), but the spirit is not good: the walnuts are many, but there is no kernel therein.”
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ذوق باید تا دهد طاعات بر ** مغز باید تا دهد دانه شجر
- Spiritual savour is required, in order that devotions may yield fruit: a kernel is required, in order that the berry may produce a tree.