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در خیالت صورتی جوشیده‌ای ** هم‌چو جوزی وقت دق پوسیده‌ای
- You have concocted an idea (a vain notion) in your fancy: when you are rattled (tested) like a walnut, you are (proved to be) rotten.
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هست از آغاز چون بدر آن خیال ** لیک آخر می‌شود هم‌چون هلال
- In the beginning that phantom resembles the full-moon, but in the end it will become like the new-moon.
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گر تو اول بنگری چون آخرش ** فارغ آیی از فریب فاترش 3470
- If you regard its first (state) as being (really) like its last (state), you will be quit of its feeble deception.
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جوز پوسیده‌ست دنیا ای امین ** امتحانش کم کن از دورش ببین
- This world is a rotten walnut: O man of trust, do not make trial of it, (but) behold it from afar.
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شاه دید آن اسپ را با چشم حال ** وآن عمادالملک با چشم مل
- The king viewed the horse with regard to the present, while the ‘Imádu ’l- Mulk (viewed it) with regard to the future.
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چشم شه دو گز همی دید از لغز ** چشم آن پایان‌نگر پنجاه گز
- The king's eye, because of (its) distortion, saw (only) two ells, (but) the eye of him who regarded the end saw fifty ells.
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آن چه سرمه‌ست آنک یزدان می‌کشد ** کز پس صد پرده بیند جان رشد
- What a (wondrous) collyrium is that which God applies (to the spiritual eye), so that the spirit discerns the truth behind a hundred curtains!
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چشم مهتر چون به آخر بود جفت ** پس بدان دیده جهان را جیفه گفت 3475
- Since the Chief's (the Prophet's) eye was ever fixed on the end, by reason of (seeing with) that eye he called the world a carcase.
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زین یکی ذمش که بشنود او وحسپ ** پس فسرد اندر دل شه مهر اسپ
- On hearing only this single (word of) blame from him (the ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk), the love (that was) in the king's heart for the horse became chilled.
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چشم خود بگذاشت و چشم او گزید ** هوش خود بگذاشت و قول او شنید
- He abandoned his own eye and preferred his (the ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk's) eye: he abandoned his own intelligence and hearkened to his (the other's) words.