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چون که بازرگان سفر را ساز کرد ** سوی هندستان شدن آغاز کرد
- When the merchant made ready for travel and was about to depart to India,
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هر غلام و هر کنیزک را ز جود ** گفت بهر تو چه آرم گوی زود
- Because of his generosity he said to each male slave and each handmaid, “What shall I bring (home) for you? Tell (me) quickly.”
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هر یکی از وی مرادی خواست کرد ** جمله را وعده بداد آن نیک مرد 1550
- Each one asked him for some object of desire: that good man gave his promise to them all.
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گفت طوطی را چه خواهی ارمغان ** کارمت از خطهی هندوستان
- He said to the parrot, “What present would you like me to bring for you from the land of India?”
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گفتش آن طوطی که آن جا طوطیان ** چون ببینی کن ز حال من بیان
- The parrot said to him, “When thou seest the parrots there, explain my plight (and say),
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کان فلان طوطی که مشتاق شماست ** از قضای آسمان در حبس ماست
- ‘Such and such a parrot, who is longing for you, is in my prison by the destiny of Heaven.
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بر شما کرد او سلام و داد خواست ** وز شما چاره و ره ارشاد خواست
- She salutes you and asks for justice and desires (to learn) from you the means and way of being rightly guided.
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گفت میشاید که من در اشتیاق ** جان دهم اینجا بمیرم در فراق 1555
- She says, “Is it meet that I in yearning (after you) should give up the ghost and die here in separation?
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این روا باشد که من در بند سخت ** گه شما بر سبزه گاهی بر درخت
- Is this right—(that) I (should be) in grievous bondage, while ye are now on green plants, now on trees?
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این چنین باشد وفای دوستان ** من در این حبس و شما در بوستان
- The faith kept by friends, is it like this?—I in this prison and ye in the rose-garden.