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پیشتر از واقعه آسان بود ** در دل مردم خیال نیک و بد
- Before the battle, the fancy of good or evil is slight (makes no deep impression) in a man’s heart;
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چون در آید اندرون کارزار ** آن زمان گردد بر آنکس کار زار
- (But) when he enters into the fray, then to that person the matter becomes woeful.
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چون نه شیری هین منه تو پای پیش ** کان اجل گرگست و جان تست میش
- Since you are not a lion, beware, do not step forward, for that Doom is a wolf, and your soul is the sheep;
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ور ز ابدالی و میشت شیر شد ** آمن آ که مرگ تو سرزیر شد
- But if you are one of the Abdál (saints) and your sheep has become a lion, come on securely, for your death has been over-thrown.
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کیست ابدال آنک او مبدل شود ** خمرش از تبدیل یزدان خل شود 4000
- Who is the Abdál? He that becomes transmuted, he whose wine is turned into vinegar by Divine transmutation.
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لیک مستی شیرگیری وز گمان ** شیر پنداری تو خود را هین مران
- But you are drunken, pot-valiant, and from (mere) opinion think yourself to be a lion: Beware, do not advance!
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گفت حق ز اهل نفاق ناسدید ** باسهم ما بینهم باس شدید
- God bath said of the unrighteous Hypocrites, “Their valour amongst themselves is a great valour.
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در میان همدگر مردانهاند ** در غزا چون عورتان خانهاند
- Amongst one another they are manly, (but) in a warlike expedition they are as the women of the house.”
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گفت پیغامبر سپهدار غیوب ** لا شجاعة یا فتی قبل الحروب
- The Prophet; the commander-in-chief of the things unseen, said, “There is no bravery, O youth, before the battles.”
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وقت لاف غزو مستان کف کنند ** وقت جوش جنگ چون کف بیفنند 4005
- The drunken make a froth when there is talk of war, (but) when war is raging they are as unskilled (useless) as froth.