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حامل دین بود او محمول شد ** قابل فرمان بد او مقبول شد
- He was a bearer of the (true) religion, and he became one who is borne; he was an accepter of the (Divine) command, and he became accepted.
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تا کنون فرمان پذیرفتی ز شاه ** بعد از این فرمان رساند بر سپاه 1075
- Until now, he was receiving commands from the King; henceforth he delivers the (King's) commands to the people.
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تا کنون اختر اثر کردی در او ** بعد از این باشد امیر اختر او
- Until now, the stars were influencing him; henceforth he is the ruler of the stars.
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گر ترا اشکال آید در نظر ** پس تو شک داری در انشق القمر
- If (on this account) perplexity arise in thy sight (mind), then thou wilt have doubts concerning The moon was cloven asunder.
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تازه کن ایمان نه از گفت زبان ** ای هوا را تازه کرده در نهان
- Refresh thy faith, (but) not with talk of the tongue, O thou who hast secretly refreshed thy (evil) desire.
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تا هوا تازه ست ایمان تازه نیست ** کاین هوا جز قفل آن دروازه نیست
- So long as desire is fresh, faith is not fresh, for ’tis this desire that locks (against thee) that gate.
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کردهای تاویل حرف بکر را ** خویش را تاویل کن نی ذکر را 1080
- Thou hast interpreted (and altered the meaning of) the virgin (uncorrupted) Word: interpret (alter) thyself, not the (Divine) Book.
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بر هوا تاویل قرآن میکنی ** پست و کژ شد از تو معنی سنی
- Thou interpretest the Qur’án according to thy desire: by thee the sublime meaning is degraded and perverted.
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زیافت تاویل رکیک مگس
- The baseness of the foul interpretation given by the fly.
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آن مگس بر برگ کاه و بول خر ** همچو کشتیبان همیافراشت سر
- The fly was lifting up his head, like a pilot, on a blade of straw and (a pool of) ass's urine.
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گفت من دریا و کشتی خواندهام ** مدتی در فکر آن میماندهام
- “I have called (them) sea and ship,” said he; “I have been pondering over that (interpretation) for a long while.
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اینک این دریا و این کشتی و من ** مرد کشتیبان و اهل و رایزن
- Look! here is this sea and this ship, and I am the pilot and skilled (in navigation) and judicious.”
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بر سر دریا همیراند او عمد ** مینمودش آن قدر بیرون ز حد 1085
- He was propelling the raft on the “sea”: that (small) quantity appeared to him illimitable.
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بود بیحد آن چمین نسبت بدو ** آن نظر که بیند آن را راست کو
- That urine was boundless in relation to him: where was the vision that should see it truly?
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عالمش چندان بود کش بینش است ** چشم چندین بحر هم چندینش است
- His world extends (just) as far as his sight reaches; his eye is so big, his “sea” is big in the same proportion.
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صاحب تاویل باطل چون مگس ** وهم او بول خر و تصویر خس
- So with the false interpreter (of the Qur’án): like the fly, his imagination is (foul as) ass's urine and his conception (worthless as) a straw.
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گر مگس تاویل بگذارد به رای ** آن مگس را بخت گرداند همای
- If the fly leave off interpreting by (following his own) opinion, Fortune will turn that fly into a humáy.
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آن مگس نبود کش این عبرت بود ** روح او نی در خور صورت بود 1090
- One who possesses this (Divine) indication (of the true meaning) is not a fly: his spirit is not analogous to his (outward) form.
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تولیدن شیر از دیر آمدن خرگوش
- How the lion roared wrathfully because the hare was late in coming.
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همچو آن خرگوش کاو بر شیر زد ** روح او کی بود اندر خورد قد
- As (for example) the hare who struck against the lion: how was his spirit analogous to his stature?
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شیر میگفت از سر تیزی و خشم ** کز ره گوشم عدو بر بست چشم
- The lion from fury and rage was saying, “By means of my ear the enemy has bound up my eye.
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مکرهای جبریانم بسته کرد ** تیغ چوبینشان تنم را خسته کرد
- The tricks of the necessitarians have bound me (in captivity); their wooden sword has wounded my body.
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زین سپس من نشنوم آن دمدمه ** بانگ دیوان است و غولان آن همه
- After this I will not hearken to their palaver: all that is (only meant to deceive, like) the cry of demons and ghouls.
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بردران ای دل تو ایشان را مهایست ** پوستشان بر کن کشان جز پوست نیست 1095
- O my heart, tear them to pieces, do not lag; rend their skins, for they have naught but skin.”
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پوست چه بود گفتهای رنگ رنگ ** چون زره بر آب کش نبود درنگ
- What is skin? Specious words, like ripples on water which have no continuance.
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این سخن چون پوست و معنی مغز دان ** این سخن چون نقش و معنی همچو جان
- Know that these words are as the skin (rind), and the meaning is (as) the kernel; these words are as the form, and the meaning is like the spirit.
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پوست باشد مغز بد را عیب پوش ** مغز نیکو را ز غیرت غیب پوش
- The skin hides the defect of the bad kernel; it (also) hides jealously the secrets of the good kernel.