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ور بگویی شکل استفسار گو ** با شهنشاهان تو مسکینوار گو
- And if you speak, speak in the form of a request for explanation: speak to the (spiritual) emperors as a lowly beggar.
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ابتدای کبر و کین از شهوت است ** راسخی شهوتت از عادت است
- The beginning of pride and hatred is in (worldly) lust, and the rootedness of your lust is from habit.
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چون ز عادت گشت محکم خوی بد ** خشم آید بر کسی کت واکشد
- When an evil disposition becomes confirmed by habit, you are enraged with any one who restrains you.
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چون که تو گل خوار گشتی هر که او ** واکشد از گل ترا باشد عدو 3460
- After you have become an eater of clay, any one who restrains you from (eating) clay is your enemy.
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بت پرستان چون که خو با بت کنند ** مانعان راه بت را دشمنند
- Since idolaters are devoted to the idol, they are foes to them that prevent their access (to it).
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چون که کرد ابلیس خو با سروری ** دید آدم را حقیر او از خری
- Since Iblís had become accustomed to being leader, he in his folly regarded Adam with contempt.
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که به از من سروری دیگر بود ** تا که او مسجود چون من کس شود
- Saying, “Is there another leader superior to me, so that he should be worshipped by one like me?”
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سروری زهر است جز آن روح را ** کاو بود تریاق لانی ز ابتدا
- Leadership is poison, except to the spirit that from the beginning hath (in himself) abundance of the antidote.
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کوه اگر پر مار شد باکی مدار ** کاو بود در اندرون تریاقزار 3465
- If the mountain is full of snakes, have no fear, for it is a mine of antidote within.
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سروری چون شد دماغت را ندیم ** هر که بشکستت شود خصم قدیم
- When leadership has become a bosom-friend to your brain, any one who breaks (thwarts) you becomes (as) an ancient adversary.
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چون خلاف خوی تو گوید کسی ** کینهها خیزد ترا با او بسی
- When any one contradicts your disposition (habit of mind), many feelings of hatred against him arise in you.
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که مرا از خوی من بر میکند ** خویش را بر من چو سرور میکند
- “He is tearing me (you say) from my (engrained) disposition, he is making himself like a captain over me.”
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چون نباشد خوی بد سرکش در او ** کی فروزد آن خلاف آتش در او
- Unless the evil disposition has become headstrong in him, how should the fire (of passion) blaze up in him through being opposed?
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با مخالف او مدارایی کند ** در دل او خویش را جایی کند 3470
- He may show some feigned courtesy to the opponent, he may make a place for himself in his heart,
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ز انکه خوی بد بگشته ست استوار ** مور شهوت شد ز عادت همچو مار
- (But he really hates him), because the evil disposition has waxed strong: the ant of (worldly) lust has through habit become as a snake.
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مار شهوت را بکش در ابتدا ** ور نه اینک گشت مارت اژدها
- Kill the snake of lust in tribulation; else, look you, your snake is become a dragon.
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لیک هر کس مور بیند مار خویش ** تو ز صاحب دل کن استفسار خویش
- But every one deems his own snake an ant: do you (then) seek the explanation of yourself (your real state) from him that is lord of the heart.
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تا نشد زر مس نداند من مسم ** تا نشد شه دل نداند مفلسم
- Until copper becomes gold, it does not know itself to be copper: until the heart becomes a king, it does not know itself to be an insolvent.
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خدمت اکسیر کن مسوار تو ** جور میکش ای دل از دل دار تو 3475
- Do service to the elixir, like copper: endure oppression, O heart, from him that holds the heart in fee.
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کیست دل دار اهل دل نیکو بدان ** که چو روز و شب جهانند از جهان
- Who is it that holds the heart in fee? Know well, it is the lords of the heart who, like day and night, are recoiling from the world.
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عیب کم گو بندهی الله را ** متهم کم کن به دزدی شاه را
- Do not find fault with the Servant of God: do not suspect the King of being a thief.
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کرامات آن درویش که در کشتی متهمش کردند
- The miracles of the dervish who was suspected of theft in a ship.
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بود درویشی درون کشتیی ** ساخته از رخت مردی پشتیی
- A dervish was in a ship: he had made a bolster (for himself) from the goods of saintly fortitude.
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یاوه شد همیان زر او خفته بود ** جمله را جستند و او را هم نمود
- A purse of gold was lost. He was asleep (at the time). They searched all (in the ship) and brought him also to view
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کاین فقیر خفته را جوییم هم ** کرد بیدارش ز غم صاحب درم 3480
- Saying, “Let us search this sleeping mendicant as well.” (So) the owner of the money, (excited) by grief, awakened him.
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که در این کشتی حرمدان گمشدست ** جمله را جستیم نتوانی تو رست
- “A bag of valuables,” said he, “has been lost in this ship. We have searched the whole company: you cannot escape (suspicion).