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گر بریزد برگهای این چنار ** برگ بیبرگیش بخشد کردگار
- If the leaves of this plane-tree drop off, the Creator will bestow on it the provision of leaflessness (spiritual poverty).
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گر نماند از جود در دست تو مال ** کی کند فضل خدایت پای مال
- If because of your liberality no wealth remains in your hand, how should the bounty of God let you be down-trodden?
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هر که کارد گردد انبارش تهی ** لیکش اندر مزرعه باشد بهی
- When any one sows, his barn becomes empty (of seed), but there is goodliness in his cornfield;
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و آن که در انبار ماند و صرفه کرد ** اشپش و موش و حوادث پاک خورد 2240
- And, if he leaves it (the seed) in the barn and saves it up, weevils and mice and calamities (of time and decay) devour it entirely.
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این جهان نفی است در اثبات جو ** صورتت صفر است در معنات جو
- This world is negation (of reality): seek (reality) in affirmation (of God). Your form (body) is void (of reality): seek in your essence.
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جان شور تلخ پیش تیغ بر ** جان چون دریای شیرین را بخر
- Bring the briny bitter (animal) soul to the sword: buy the (heavenly) soul that is like a great sweet river.
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ور نمیدانی شدن زین آستان ** باری از من گوش کن این داستان
- And if you cannot become (one of the frequenters) of this threshold (sublime court), at least hear from me the following tale.
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قصهی خلیفه که در کرم در زمان خود از حاتم طایی گذشته بود و نظیر خود نداشت
- The story of the Caliph who in his time surpassed Hátim of Tayyi in generosity and had no rival.
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یک خلیفه بود در ایام پیش ** کرده حاتم را غلام جود خویش
- In former days there was a Caliph who made Hátim the slave of his liberality.
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رایت اکرام و داد افراشته ** فقر و حاجت از جهان برداشته 2245
- He had raised high the banner of munificence and largesse, he had removed poverty and want from the world.
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بحر و کان از بخششاش صاف آمده ** داد او از قاف تا قاف آمده
- (He was) a sea (of bounty), and the pearls (in it) came pure (untarnished) from his munificence: his largesse reached from Qáf to Qáf.
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در جهان خاک ابر و آب بود ** مظهر بخشایش وهاب بود
- In this world of dust he was the cloud and the rain: he was the centre wherein the bounty of the Giver of all displayed itself.
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از عطایش بحر و کان در زلزله ** سوی جودش قافله بر قافله
- His gifts caused sea and mine to quake (tremble with shame): caravan on caravan (were hastening) towards his liberality.
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قبلهی حاجت در و دروازهاش ** رفته در عالم به جود آوازهاش
- His gate and portal was the point to which Need turned: the fame of his munificence had gone (far and wide) into the world.
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هم عجم هم روم هم ترک و عرب ** مانده از جود و سخایش در عجب 2250
- Persians and Greeks, Turcomans and Arabs, were lost in amazement at his liberality and generosity.
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آب حیوان بود و دریای کرم ** زنده گشته هم عرب زو هم عجم
- He was the Water of Life and the Ocean of Bounty: by him both Arabs and foreigners were revived.
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قصهی اعرابی درویش و ماجرای زن با او به سبب قلت و درویشی
- Story of the poor Arab of the desert and his wife's altercation with him because of (their) penury and poverty.
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یک شب اعرابی زنی مر شوی را ** گفت و از حد برد گفتوگوی را
- One night a Bedouin woman said to her husband—and she carried (her) talk beyond bounds—
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کاین همه فقر و جفا ما میکشیم ** جمله عالم در خوشی ما ناخوشیم
- “We are suffering all this poverty and hardship: all the world are (living) in happiness, we (alone) are unhappy.
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نانمان نی نان خورشمان درد و رشک ** کوزهمان نه آبمان از دیده اشک
- We have no bread, our (only) condiment is anguish and envy: we have no jug, our (only) water is the tears (that flow) from our eyes.
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جامهی ما روز تاب آفتاب ** شب نهالین و لحاف از ماهتاب 2255
- Our garment by day is the burning sunshine; at night our bed and coverlet is (made) of the moonbeams.
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قرص مه را قرص نان پنداشته ** دست سوی آسمان برداشته
- We fancy the disk of the moon is a disk (round cake) of bread and lift up our hands towards the sky.
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ننگ درویشان ز درویشی ما ** روز شب از روزی اندیشی ما
- The (poorest of the) poor feel shame at our poverty: day is turned to night (darkened) by our anxiety about our daily portion (of food).
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خویش و بیگانه شده از ما رمان ** بر مثال سامری از مردمان
- Kinsfolk and strangers have come to flee from us in like fashion as Sámirí from men.
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گر بخواهم از کسی یک مشت نسک ** مر مرا گوید خمش کن مرگ و جسک
- If I beg a handful of lentils from some one, he says to me, ‘Be silent, O death and plague!’
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مر عرب را فخر غزو است و عطا ** در عرب تو همچو اندر خط خطا 2260
- The Arabs take pride in fighting and giving: thou amongst the Arabs art like a fault in writing.”
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چه غزا ما بیغزا خود کشتهایم ** ما به تیغ فقر بیسر گشتهایم
- What fighting (can we do)? We are killed without fighting, we have been beheaded by the sword of want.