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باز می‌‌گردیم ما ای دوستان ** سوی مرغ و تاجر و هندوستان 1585
- We return, O friends, to the bird and the merchant and India.
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مرد بازرگان پذیرفت این پیام ** کاو رساند سوی جنس از وی سلام
- The merchant accepted this message (and promised) that he would convey the greeting from her (the parrot) to her congeners.
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دیدن خواجه طوطیان هندوستان را در دشت و پیغام رسانیدن از آن طوطی
- How the merchant saw the parrots of India in the plain and delivered the parrot's message.
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چون که تا اقصای هندوستان رسید ** در بیابان طوطی چندی بدید
- When he reached the farthest bounds of India, he saw a number of parrots in the plain.
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مرکب استانید پس آواز داد ** آن سلام و آن امانت باز داد
- He halted his beast; then he gave voice, delivered the greeting and (discharged) the trust.
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طوطیی ز آن طوطیان لرزید بس ** اوفتاد و مرد و بگسستش نفس
- One of those parrots trembled exceedingly, fell, and died, and its breath stopped.
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شد پشیمان خواجه از گفت خبر ** گفت رفتم در هلاک جانور 1590
- The merchant repented of having told the news, and said, “I have gone about to destroy the creature.
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این مگر خویش است با آن طوطیک ** این مگر دو جسم بود و روح یک
- This one, surely, is kin to that little parrot (of mine): they must have been two bodies and one spirit.
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این چرا کردم چرا دادم پیام ** سوختم بی‌‌چاره را زین گفت خام
- Why did I do this? Why did I give the message? I have consumed the poor creature by this raw (foolish) speech.”
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این زبان چون سنگ و هم آهن‌‌وش است ** و آن چه بجهد از زبان چون آتش است
- This tongue is like stone and is also like iron, and that which springs from the tongue is like fire.
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سنگ و آهن را مزن بر هم گزاف ** گه ز روی نقل و گاه از روی لاف
- Do not vainly strike stone and iron against each other, now for the sake of relating (a story), now for the sake of boasting,