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طالب زر گشته جمله پیر و خام ** لیک قلب از زر نداند چشم عام
- Old and young have become gold-seekers, but the common eye does not distinguish alloy from gold.
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پرتوی بر قلب زد خالص ببین ** بیمحک زر را مکن از ظن گزین 745
- The pure (gold) shot a beam on the alloy: see that you choose not the gold on the ground of (mere) opinion, without a touchstone.
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گر محک داری گزین کن ور نه رو ** نزد دانا خویشتن را کن گرو
- If you have a touchstone, choose; otherwise, go, devote yourself to him that knows (the difference).
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یا محک باید میان جان خویش ** ور ندانی ره مرو تنها تو پیش
- Either you must have a touchstone within your own soul, or if you know not the Way, do not go forward alone.
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بانگ غولان هست بانگ آشنا ** آشنایی که کشد سوی فنا
- The cry of the ghouls is the cry of an acquaintance—an acquaintance who would lure you to perdition.
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بانگ میدارد که هان ای کاروان ** سوی من آیید نک راه و نشان
- She (the ghoul) keeps on crying, “Hark, O caravan people! Come towards me, here is the track and the landmarks.”
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نام هر یک میبرد غول ای فلان ** تا کند آن خواجه را از آفلان 750
- The ghoul mentions the name of each, saying “O so-and-so,” in order that she may make that personage one of those who sink.
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چون رسد آن جا ببیند گرگ و شیر ** عمر ضایع راه دور و روز دیر
- When he reaches the spot, he sees wolves and lions, his life lost, the road far off, and the day late.
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چون بود آن بانگ غول آخر بگو ** مال خواهم جاه خواهم و آبرو
- Prithee say, what is the ghoul's cry like? (It is) “I desire riches, I desire position and renown.”
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از درون خویش این آوازها ** منع کن تا کشف گردد رازها
- Prevent these voices from (entering) your heart, so that (spiritual) mysteries may be revealed.
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ذکر حق کن بانگ غولان را بسوز ** چشم نرگس را از این کرکس بدوز
- Repeat (in prayer) the name of God, drown the cry of the ghouls, close your narcissus eye to this vulture.
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صبح کاذب را ز صادق واشناس ** رنگ می را باز دان از رنگ کاس 755
- Know the difference between the false dawn and the true, distinguish the colour of the wine from the colour of the cup,
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تا بود کز دیدهگان هفت رنگ ** دیدهای پیدا کند صبر و درنگ
- That, perchance, from the eyes which see the seven colours patience and waiting may produce a (spiritual) eye,
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رنگها بینی بجز این رنگها ** گوهران بینی به جای سنگها
- (With which) you may behold colours other than these, and may behold pearls instead of stones.
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گوهر چه بلکه دریایی شوی ** آفتاب چرخ پیمایی شوی
- What pearl? Nay, you will become an ocean, you will become a sun traversing the sky.
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کار کن در کارگه باشد نهان ** تو برو در کارگه بینش عیان
- The Worker is hidden in the workshop: go you and in the workshop see Him plain.
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کار چون بر کار کن پرده تنید ** خارج آن کار نتوانیش دید 760
- Inasmuch as the work has woven a veil over the Worker, you cannot see Him outside of that work.
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کارگه چون جای باش عامل است ** آن که بیرون است از وی غافل است
- Since the workshop is the dwelling-place of the Worker, he that is outside is unaware of Him.
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پس در آ در کارگه یعنی عدم ** تا ببینی صنع و صانع را بهم
- Come, then, into the workshop, that is to say, non-existence, that you may see the work and the Worker together.
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کارگه چون جای روشن دیدهگی است ** پس برون کارگه پوشیدگی است
- As the workshop is the place of clairvoyance, then outside of the workshop there is (only) blindfold ness.
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رو به هستی داشت فرعون عنود ** لاجرم از کارگاهش کور بود
- The rebellious Pharaoh kept his face towards existence, consequently he was blind to His (God's) workshop.
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لاجرم میخواست تبدیل قدر ** تا قضا را باز گرداند ز در 765
- Consequently he was wishing to alter the (Divine) predestination, that he might turn back the (Divine) destiny from his door.
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خود قضا بر سبلت آن حیلهمند ** زیر لب میکرد هر دم ریشخند
- Truly the (Divine) destiny every moment was laughing derisively under its lip at the moustache (arrogance) of that cunning plotter.
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صد هزاران طفل کشت او بیگناه ** تا بگردد حکم و تقدیر اله
- He killed hundreds of thousands of innocent babes, in order that the ordainment and predestination of God might be averted.
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تا که موسای نبی ناید برون ** کرد در گردن هزاران ظلم و خون
- In order that the prophet Moses might not come forth, he laid on his neck (made himself responsible for) thousands of iniquities and murders.
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آن همه خون کرد و موسی زاده شد ** و ز برای قهر او آماده شد
- He wrought all that bloodshed, and (yet) Moses was born and was made ready for his chastisement.
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گر بدیدی کارگاه لا یزال ** دست و پایش خشک گشتی ز احتیال 770
- Had he seen the workshop of the Everlasting (God), he would have ceased to move hand or foot in plotting.
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اندرون خانهاش موسی معاف ** و ز برون میکشت طفلان را گزاف
- Moses (lay) safe within his (Pharaoh's) house, while outside he was killing the infants in vain,
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همچو صاحب نفس کاو تن پرورد ** بر دگر کس ظن حقدی میبرد
- Even as the sensual man who pampers his body and suspects some one else of a bitter hatred (against him),
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کاین عدو و آن حسود و دشمن است ** خود حسود و دشمن او آن تن است
- Saying, “This one is a foe, and that one is envious and an enemy,” (though) in truth his envier and enemy is that body (of his).
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او چو موسی و تنش فرعون او ** او به بیرون میدود که کو عدو
- He is like Moses, and his body is his Pharaoh: he keeps running (to and fro) outside, asking, “Where is my enemy?”
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نفسش اندر خانهی تن نازنین ** بر دگر کس دست میخاید به کین 775
- His fleshly soul (is) luxuriating in the house, which is his body, (while) he gnaws his hand in rancour against some one else.
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ملامت کردن مردم شخصی را که مادرش را کشت به تهمت
- How men blamed a person who killed his mother because he suspected her (of adultery).
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آن یکی از خشم مادر را بکشت ** هم به زخم خنجر و هم زخم مشت
- A certain man killed his mother in wrath, with blows of a dagger and also with blows of his fist.
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آن یکی گفتش که از بد گوهری ** یاد ناوردی تو حق مادری
- Some one said to him, “From evil nature you have not borne in mind what is due to motherhood.
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هی تو مادر را چرا کشتی بگو ** او چه کرد آخر بگو ای زشت خو
- Hey, tell (me) why you killed your mother. What did she do? Pray, tell (me), O foul villain!”
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گفت کاری کرد کان عار وی است ** کشتمش کان خاک ستار وی است
- He said, “She did a deed that is a disgrace to her; I killed her because that earth (her grave) is her coverer (hides her shame).”
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گفت آن کس را بکش ای محتشم ** گفت پس هر روز مردی را کشم 780
- The other said, “O honoured sir, kill that one (who was her partner in guilt).” “Then,” he replied, “I should kill a man every day.
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کشتم او را رستم از خونهای خلق ** نای او برم به است از نای خلق
- I killed her, I was saved from shedding the blood of a multitude: ’tis better that I cut her throat than the throats of (so many) people.”
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نفس تست آن مادر بد خاصیت ** که فساد اوست در هر ناحیت
- That mother of bad character, whose wickedness is in every quarter, is your fleshly soul.
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هین بکش او را که بهر آن دنی ** هر دمی قصد عزیزی میکنی
- Come, kill it, for on account of that vile (creature) you are every moment assailing one who is venerable.
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از وی این دنیای خوش بر تست تنگ ** از پی او با حق و با خلق جنگ
- Through it this fair world is narrow (distressful) to you, for its sake (you are at) war with God and man.
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نفس کشتی باز رستی ز اعتذار ** کس ترا دشمن نماند در دیار 785
- (If) you have killed the fleshly soul, you are delivered from (the necessity of) excusing yourself: nobody in the world remains your enemy.
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گر شکال آرد کسی بر گفت ما ** از برای انبیا و اولیا
- If any one should raise a difficulty about my words in regard to the prophets and saints,
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کانبیا را نه که نفس کشته بود ** پس چراشان دشمنان بود و حسود
- (And should say), “Had not the prophets a killed (mortified) fleshly soul? Why, then, had they enemies and enviers?”—
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گوش کن تو ای طلبکار صواب ** بشنو این اشکال و شبهت را جواب
- Give ear, O seeker of truth, and hear the answer to this difficulty and doubt.
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دشمن خود بودهاند آن منکران ** زخم بر خود میزدند ایشان چنان
- Those unbelievers were (really) enemies to themselves: they were striking at themselves such blows (as they struck).
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دشمن آن باشد که قصد جان کند ** دشمن آن نبود که خود جان میکند 790
- An enemy is one who attempts (another's) life; he that is himself destroying his own life is not an enemy (to others).
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نیست خفاشک عدوی آفتاب ** او عدوی خویش آمد در حجاب
- The little bat is not an enemy to the sun: it is an enemy to itself in the veil (of its own blindness).
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تابش خورشید او را میکشد ** رنج او خورشید هرگز کی کشد
- The glow of the sun kills it; how should the sun ever suffer annoyance from it?
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دشمن آن باشد کز او آید عذاب ** مانع آید لعل را از آفتاب
- An enemy is one from whom torment proceeds, (one who) hinders the ruby from (receiving the rays of) the sun.