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آب در کشتی هلاک کشتی است ** آب اندر زیر کشتی پشتی است 985
- Water in the boat is the ruin of the boat, (but) water underneath the boat is a support.
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چون که مال و ملک را از دل براند ** ز آن سلیمان خویش جز مسکین نخواند
- Since he cast out from his heart (the desire for) wealth and possessions, on that account Solomon did not call himself (by any name) but “poor.”
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کوزهی سر بسته اندر آب زفت ** از دل پر باد فوق آب رفت
- The stoppered jar, (though) in rough water, floated on the water because of its wind-filled (empty) heart.
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باد درویشی چو در باطن بود ** بر سر آب جهان ساکن بود
- When the wind of poverty is within (any one), he rests at peace on the surface of the water of the world;
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گر چه جملهی این جهان ملک وی است ** ملک در چشم دل او لا شی است
- Although the whole of this world is his kingdom, in the eye of his heart the kingdom is nothing.
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پس دهان دل ببند و مهر کن ** پر کنش از باد کبر من لدن 990
- Therefore stopper and seal the mouth of your heart, and fill it from the Divine ventilator.
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جهد حق است و دوا حق است و درد ** منکر اندر نفی جهدش جهد کرد
- Exertion is a reality, and medicine and disease are realities: the sceptic in his denial of exertion practised (and thereby affirmed) exertion.
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مقرر شدن ترجیح جهد بر توکل
- How the superiority of exertion to trust in God was established.
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زین نمط بسیار برهان گفت شیر ** کز جواب آن جبریان گشتند سیر
- The lion gave many proofs in this style, so that those necessitarians became tired of answering (him).
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روبه و آهو و خرگوش و شغال ** جبر را بگذاشتند و قیل و قال
- Fox and deer and hare and jackal abandoned (the doctrine of) necessity and (ceased from) disputation.
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عهدها کردند با شیر ژیان ** کاندر این بیعت نیفتد در زیان
- They made covenants with the furious lion, (ensuring) that he should incur no loss in this bargain,
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قسم هر روزش بیاید بیجگر ** حاجتش نبود تقاضای دگر 995
- (That) the daily ration should come to him without trouble, and that he should not need to make a further demand.
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قرعه بر هر که فتادی روز روز ** سوی آن شیر او دویدی همچو یوز
- Day by day the one on whom the lot fell would run to the lion as (swiftly as) a cheetah.
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چون به خرگوش آمد این ساغر به دور ** بانگ زد خرگوش کاخر چند جور
- When this cup (of death) came round to the hare, the hare cried out, “Why, how long (are we to endure this) injustice?”
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انکار کردن نخجیران بر خرگوش در تاخیر رفتن بر شیر
- How the beasts of chase blamed the hare for his delay in going to the lion.
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قوم گفتندش که چندین گاه ما ** جان فدا کردیم در عهد و وفا
- The company (of beasts) said to him: “All this time we have sacrificed our lives in troth and loyalty.
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تو مجو بد نامی ما ای عنود ** تا نرنجد شیر رو رو زود زود
- Do not thou seek to give us a bad name, O rebellious one! Lest the lion be aggrieved, go, go! Quick! Quick!”
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جواب گفتن خرگوش نخجیران را
- How the hare answered the beasts.
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گفت ای یاران مرا مهلت دهید ** تا به مکرم از بلا بیرون جهید 1000
- “O friends,” said he, “grant me a respite, that by my cunning ye may escape from calamity,
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تا امان یابد به مکرم جانتان ** ماند این میراث فرزندانتان
- That by my cunning your lives may be saved and this (safety) remain as a heritage to your children.”
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هر پیمبر امتان را در جهان ** همچنین تا مخلصی میخواندشان
- After this manner every prophet in the world used to call the peoples to a place of deliverance,
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کز فلک راه برون شو دیده بود ** در نظر چون مردمک پیچیده بود
- For he had seen from Heaven the way of escape, (though) in (their) sight he was contracted (despicable) like the pupil of the eye.
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مردمش چون مردمک دیدند خرد ** در بزرگی مردمک کس ره نبرد
- Men regarded him as small like the pupil: none attained to (understanding of) the (real) greatness (worth) of the pupil.
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اعتراض نخجیران بر سخن خرگوش
- How the beasts objected to the proposal of the hare.
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قوم گفتندش که ای خر گوش دار ** خویش را اندازهی خرگوش دار 1005
- The company (of beasts) said to him: “O donkey, listen (to us)! Keep thyself within the measure of a hare!
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هین چه لاف است این که از تو بهتران ** در نیاوردند اندر خاطر آن
- Eh, what brag is this—(an idea) which thy betters never brought into their minds?
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معجبی یا خود قضامان در پی است ** ور نه این دم لایق چون تو کی است
- Thou art self-conceited, or Destiny is pursuing us; else, how is this speech suitable to one like thee?
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جواب خرگوش نخجیران را
- How the hare again answered the beasts.
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گفت ای یاران حقم الهام داد ** مر ضعیفی را قوی رایی فتاد
- He said: “O friends, God gave me inspiration: to a weakling there came a strong judgement (wise counsel).”
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آن چه حق آموخت مر زنبور را ** آن نباشد شیر را و گور را
- That which God taught to the bees is not (belonging) to the lion and the wild ass.