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پس بگفتندش کیی ای بوالوفا ** گفت شه من هم یکیام از شما
- Thereupon they said to him, “Who art thou, O honest man?” “I am one of you,” replied the King.
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آن یکی گفت ای گروه مکر کیش ** تا بگوید هر یکی فرهنگ خویش
- One (of the thieves) said, “O company practised in cunning, let each of us declare his (special) talent;
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تا بگوید با حریفان در سمر ** کو چه دارد در جبلت از هنر
- Let him tell his comrades in the night-talk what (eminent) skill he possesses in his nature.”
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آن یکی گفت ای گروه فنفروش ** هست خاصیت مرا اندر دو گوش 2820
- One said, “O ye fellows who are exhibiting (your) cleverness, my specialty lies in my two ears.
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که بدانم سگ چه میگوید به بانگ ** قوم گفتندش ز دیناری دو دانگ
- (It is this), that I know what a dog is saying when it barks.” The (rest of the) party replied, “Two dángs of a dínár.”
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آن دگر گفت ای گروه زرپرست ** جمله خاصیت مرا چشم اندرست
- Another (thief) said, “O company of gold-worshippers, my specialty lies wholly in my eyes.
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هر که را شب بینم اندر قیروان ** روز بشناسم من او را بیگمان
- If I see any one in the world by night, I know him by day without (having any) doubt (as to his identity).”
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گفت یک خاصیتم در بازو است ** که زنم من نقبها با زور دست
- Another said, “My specialty lies in my arm: I make tunnels (through walls) by strength of hand.”
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گفت یک خاصیتم در بینی است ** کار من در خاکها بوبینی است 2825
- Another said, “My specialty lies in my nose: my business is to detect the (characteristic) smell in (different) earths (soils).
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سرالناس معادن داد دست ** که رسول آن را پی چه گفته است
- The secret of ‘men are mines’ has yielded itself (to me), so that (I know the reason) why the Prophet has said it.