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این زمین پاک و ان شوره ست و بد ** این فرشتهی پاک و ان دیو است و دد
- This one is good (fertile) soil and that one brackish and bad; this one is a fair angel and that one a devil and wild beast.
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هر دو صورت گر بهم ماند رواست ** آب تلخ و آب شیرین را صفاست 275
- If both resemble each other in aspect, it may well be (so): bitter water and sweet water have (the same) clearness.
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جز که صاحب ذوق کی شناسد بیاب ** او شناسد آب خوش از شوره آب
- Who knows (the difference) except a man possessed of (spiritual) taste? Find (him): he knows the sweet water from the brine.
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سحر را با معجزه کرده قیاس ** هر دو را بر مکر پندارد اساس
- Comparing magic with (prophetic) miracle, he (the ignorant one) fancies that both are founded on deceit.
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ساحران موسی از استیزه را ** بر گرفته چون عصای او عصا
- The magicians (in the time) of Moses, for contention's sake, lifted up (in their hands) a rod like his,
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زین عصا تا آن عصا فرقی است ژرف ** زین عمل تا آن عمل راهی شگرف
- (But) between this rod and that rod there is a vast difference; from this action (magic) to that action (miracle) is a great way.
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لعنة الله این عمل را در قفا ** رحمه الله آن عمل را در وفا 280
- This action is followed by the curse of God, (while) that action receives in payment the mercy (blessing) of God.
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کافران اندر مری بوزینه طبع ** آفتی آمد درون سینه طبع
- The infidels in contending (for equality with the prophets and saints) have the nature of an ape: the (evil) nature is a canker within the breast.
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هر چه مردم میکند بوزینه هم ** آن کند کز مرد بیند دمبهدم
- Whatever a man does, the ape at every moment does the same thing that he sees done by the man.
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او گمان برده که من کژدم چو او ** فرق را کی داند آن استیزه رو
- He thinks, “I have acted like him”: how should that quarrelsome-looking one know the difference?