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آن یکی آمد زمین را می‌شکافت ** ابلهی فریاد کرد و بر نتافت
- A certain man came and was cleaving the soil: a fool cried out and could not control himself,
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کین زمین را از چه ویران می‌کنی ** می‌شکافی و پریشان می‌کنی
- Saying, ‘Wherefore are you ruining this soil and cleaving and scattering it?’
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گفت ای ابله برو و بر من مران ** تو عمارت از خرابی باز دان
- ‘O fool,’ said he, ‘begone, do not interfere with me: recognise (the difference of) cultivation from devastation.
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کی شود گلزار و گندم‌زار این ** تا نگردد زشت و ویران این زمین
- How should this (soil) become a rose-garden or cornfield till this soil becomes ugly and ruined?
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کی شود بستان و کشت و برگ و بر ** تا نگردد نظم او زیر و زبر 2345
- How should it become orchards and crops and leaves and fruit till its arrangement is turned upside down?’
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تا بنشکافی به نشتر ریش چغز ** کی شود نیکو و کی گردید نغز
- Till you pierce the purulent ulcer with a lancet, how will it become well and how will you become healthy?
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تا نشوید خلطهاات از دوا ** کی رود شورش کجا آید شفا
- Till he (the physician) cleanse your (corrupt) humours with medicine, how will the indisposition be removed? How will a cure be effected?
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پاره پاره کرده درزی جامه را ** کس زند آن درزی علامه را
- When a tailor cuts (the cloth for) a garment piece by piece, will any one strike that expert tailor,
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که چرا این اطلس بگزیده را ** بردریدی چه کنم بدریده را
- Saying, ‘Why have you torn this choice satin? What can I do with a torn (garment)?’
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هر بنای کهنه که آبادان کنند ** نه که اول کهنه را ویران کنند 2350
- Whenever they (the builders) put an old building in good repair, do not they first ruin the old one?