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گفت من گفتم که عهد آن خسان ** خام باشد خام و سست و نارسان
- “I said,” cried the lion, “that the promise of those vile ones would be vain—vain and frail and unfulfilled.
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دمدمهی ایشان مرا از خر فگند ** چند بفریبد مرا این دهر چند
- Their palaver has duped me: how long will this Time deceive me, how long?”
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سخت درماند امیر سست ریش ** چون نه پس بیند نه پیش از احمقیش
- The prince that hath no strength in his beard is left sorely in the lurch when by reason of his folly he looks neither backwards nor forwards.
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راه هموار است و زیرش دامها ** قحط معنی در میان نامها 1060
- The road is smooth, and under it are pitfalls: amidst the names there is a dearth of meaning.
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لفظها و نامها چون دامهاست ** لفظ شیرین ریگ آب عمر ماست
- Words and names are like pitfalls: the sweet (flattering) word is the sand for (the sand that sucks up) the water of our life.
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آن یکی ریگی که جوشد آب ازو ** سخت کمیاب است رو آن را بجو
- The one sand whence water gushes is seldom to be found: go, seek it.
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منبع حکمت شود حکمت طلب ** فارغ آید او ز تحصیل و سبب
- He that searches after wisdom becomes a fountain of wisdom; he becomes independent of acquisition and (ways and) means.
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لوح حافظ لوح محفوظی شود ** عقل او از روح محظوظی شود
- The guarding tablet becomes a Guarded Tablet; his understanding becomes enriched by the Spirit.
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چون معلم بود عقلش ز ابتدا ** بعد از این شد عقل شاگردی و را 1065
- When his understanding has been his teacher at the beginning, after this the understanding becomes his pupil.
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عقل چون جبریل گوید احمدا ** گر یکی گامی نهم سوزد مرا
- The understanding says, like Gabriel, “O Ahmad (Mohammed), if I take one (more) step, it will burn me;