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قوم گفتند ای نصوحان بس بود ** اینچ گفتید ار درین ده کس بود 2900
- The people (of Sabá) said, “O admonishers, what ye have said is enough, if there be any one in this village.
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قفل بر دلهای ما بنهاد حق ** کس نداند برد بر خالق سبق
- God hath set a lock upon our hearts; none can prevail against the Creator.
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نقش ما این کرد آن تصویرگر ** این نخواهد شد بگفت و گو دگر
- That Artist made the picture of us to be this: this will not be altered by talking.
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سنگ را صد سال گویی لعل شو ** کهنه را صد سال گویی باش نو
- A hundred years you may tell the pebble to become a ruby, a hundred years you may tell the old to become new;
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خاک را گویی صفات آب گیر ** آب را گویی عسل شو یا که شیر
- You may tell earth to assume the qualities of water, you may tell water to become honey or milk—
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خالق افلاک او و افلاکیان ** خالق آب و تراب و خاکیان 2905
- (’Tis all in vain): He is the Creator of the heavens and the heavenly ones, the Creator of water and earth and earthly beings.
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آسمان را داد دوران و صفا ** آب و گل را تیره رویی و نما
- To heaven He gave its circling motion and its purity; to (the mixed) water and earth its dark appearance and its (power of) growth.
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کی تواند آسمان دردی گزید ** کی تواند آب و گل صفوت خرید
- How can heaven choose turbidity? How can (the mixed) earth and water buy purity?
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قسمتی کردست هر یک را رهی ** کی کهی گردد بجهدی چون کهی
- To every one He hath allotted a certain course: how should a mountain by any effort become as a straw?”
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جواب انبیا علیهم السلام مر جبریان را
- The answer of the prophets, on whom be peace, to the Necessitarians.
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انبیا گفتند کاری آفرید ** وصفهایی که نتان زان سر کشید
- The prophets said, “Yes: He hath created some qualities from which it is impossible to withdraw one's self,
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و آفرید او وصفهای عارضی ** که کسی مبغوض میگردد رضی 2910
- And He hath (also) created qualities (which are only) accidental, so that a hated person becomes acceptable.
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سنگ را گویی که زر شو بیهدهست ** مس را گویی که زر شو راه هست
- If you bid a stone become gold, ’tis futile; (but) if you bid copper become gold, the way (of transmuting it) exists.
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ریگ را گویی که گل شو عاجزست ** خاک را گویی که گل شو جایزست
- If you bid sand become clay, it is incapable (of doing so); (but) if you bid earth become clay, that is possible.
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رنجها دادست کان را چاره نیست ** آن بمثل لنگی و فطس و عمیست
- He hath given (ordained to us) maladies for which there is no remedy, such as lameness, flatness of the nose, and blindness;
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رنجها دادست کان را چاره هست ** آن بمثل لقوه و درد سرست
- He hath given maladies for which there is a remedy, such as facial paralysis and headache.
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این دواها ساخت بهر ایتلاف ** نیست این درد و دواها از گزاف 2915
- These medicines He hath made for the sake of (restoring) harmony: these maladies and medicines are not in vain.
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بلک اغلب رنجها را چاره هست ** چون بجد جویی بیاید آن بدست
- Nay, most maladies have a cure: when you seek in earnest, it will come to hand.”
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مکرر کردن کافران حجتهای جبریانه را
- How the infidels repeated the Necessitarian arguments.
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قوم گفتند ای گروه این رنج ما ** نیست زان رنجی که بپذیرد دوا
- The people said, “O company (of prophets), this malady of ours is not one of those that admit of cure.
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سالها گفتید زین افسون و پند ** سختتر میگشت زان هر لحظه بند
- For years ye uttered spells and admonitions of this kind, and by them our bondage was made sorer every moment.
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گر دوا را این مرض قابل بدی ** آخر از وی ذرهای زایل شدی
- If this disease were susceptible of cure, some particle of it would at last have been removed.
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سده چون شد آب ناید در جگر ** گر خورد دریا رود جایی دگر 2920
- When hepatitis occurs, water does not enter the liver: if he (the patient) should drink up the (whole) sea, it (the water) would go somewhere else;
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لاجرم آماس گیرد دست و پا ** تشنگی را نشکند آن استقا
- Consequently the hands and feet become swollen: that water-drinking does not defeat the thirst.”
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باز جواب انبیا علیهم السلام ایشان را
- How the prophets, on whom be peace, answered them again.
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انبیا گفتند نومیدی بدست ** فضل و رحمتهای باری بیحدست
- The prophets said, “Despair is wicked: the grace and the mercies of the Creator are infinite.
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از چنین محسن نشاید ناامید ** دست در فتراک این رحمت زنید
- ’Tis not proper to despair of such a Benefactor: cling to the saddle-strap of this Mercy.
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ای بسا کارا که اول صعب گشت ** بعد از آن بگشاده شد سختی گذشت
- Oh, many a plight became hard in the beginning, (but) afterwards it was relieved, and the hardship passed away.