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همچو نیلوفر برو زین طرف جو ** همچو مستسقی حریص و مرگجو
- Grow from this river-bank, like the water-lily, greedy and craving for death as the sufferer from dropsy.
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مرگ او آبست و او جویای آب ** میخورد والله اعلم بالصواب
- The water is death to him, and (yet) he is seeking the water and drinking it— and God best knoweth the right course.
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ای فسرده عاشق ننگین نمد ** کو ز بیم جان ز جانان میرمد 3910
- Oh, the cold lover, clad in the felt (garment) of shame, who from fear of (losing) his life is fleeing from the Beloved!
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سوی تیغ عشقش ای ننگ زنان ** صد هزاران جان نگر دستکزنان
- O thou disgrace (even) to women, behold hundreds of thousands of souls clapping their hands (and rushing) towards the sword of His love!
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جوی دیدی کوزه اندر جوی ریز ** آب را از جوی کی باشد گریز
- Thou hast seen the river: spill thy jug in the river: how should the water take flight from the river?
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آب کوزه چون در آب جو شود ** محو گردد در وی و جو او شود
- When the water in the jug goes into the river-water, it disappears in it, and it becomes the river.
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وصف او فانی شد و ذاتش بقا ** زین سپس نه کم شود نه بدلقا
- His (the lover's) attributes have passed away, and his essence remains: after this, he does not dwindle or become ill-favoured.
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خویش را بر نخل او آویختم ** عذر آن را که ازو بگریختم 3915
- I have hanged myself on His palm-tree in excuse for having fled from Him.”
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رسیدن آن عاشق به معشوق خویش چون دست از جان خود بشست
- How that lover reached his Beloved when he washed his hands of (gave up) his life.
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همچو گویی سجده کن بر رو و سر ** جانب آن صدر شد با چشم تر
- Prostrating himself on face and head, like a ball, he went with wet eyes towards the Sadr (Prince).
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جمله خلقان منتظر سر در هوا ** کش بسوزد یا برآویزد ورا
- All the people were waiting, their heads in the air, (to see) whether he would burn or hang him.
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این زمان این احمق یک لخت را ** آن نماید که زمان بدبخت را
- “Now” (they said) “he will show to this simpleton that which Time (Fortune) shows to the unfortunate.
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همچو پروانه شرر را نور دید ** احمقانه در فتاد از جان برید
- Like the moth, he (the lover) deemed the (fiery) sparks to be the light: foolishly he fell in and was cut off from (deprived of) life.”
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لیک شمع عشق چون آن شمع نیست ** روشن اندر روشن اندر روشنیست 3920
- But the candle of Love is not like that (external) candle: it is radiance in radiance in radiance.
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او به عکس شمعهای آتشیست ** مینماید آتش و جمله خوشیست
- It is the reverse of the fiery candles: it seems to be fire, while (in reality) it is all sweetness.
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صفت آن مسجد کی عاشقکش بود و آن عاشق مرگجوی لا ابالی کی درو مهمان شد
- Description of the lover-killing mosque and of the death-seeking reckless lover who became a guest there.
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یک حکایت گوش کن ای نیکپی ** مسجدی بد بر کنار شهر ری
- Lend ear to a story, O well-conducted man! There was a mosque on the outskirts of the city of Rayy.
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هیچ کس در وی نخفتی شب ز بیم ** که نه فرزندش شدی آن شب یتیم
- No one ever slept the night there but on the same night (he died) from terror (and) his children became orphans.
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بس که اندر وی غریب عور رفت ** صبحدم چون اختران در گور رفت
- Many the naked (destitute) stranger that went into it (at nightfall) and went at dawn, like the stars, into the grave.
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خویشتن را نیک ازین آگاه کن ** صبح آمد خواب را کوتاه کن 3925
- Make thyself very attentive to this (tale)! The dawn is come, cut short thy slumber!
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هر کسی گفتی که پریانند تند ** اندرو مهمان کشان با تیغ کند
- Every one used to say that in it there were fierce Jinnís who killed the guests with blunt swords.
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آن دگر گفتی که سحرست و طلسم ** کین رصد باشد عدو جان و خصم
- Another would say, “It is the magic and talisman, for this enchantment is the foe and enemy of life.”
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آن دگر گفتی که بر نه نقش فاش ** بر درش کای میهمان اینجا مباش
- Another would say, “Put an inscription (notice) conspicuously on its door—‘O guest, do not stay here.
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شب مخسپ اینجا اگر جان بایدت ** ورنه مرگ اینجا کمین بگشایدت
- Do not sleep the night here, if you want to live; otherwise, death will unmask an ambush for you in this place.’”
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وان یکی گفتی که شب قفلی نهید ** غافلی کاید شما کم ره دهید 3930
- And another would say, “Bolt (the door) at night, (and when) a heedless person comes, do not admit him.”
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مهمان آمدن در آن مسجد
- How the guest came into the mosque.
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تا یکی مهمان در آمد وقت شب ** کو شنیده بود آن صیت عجب
- (So it continued) till a guest arrived at nightfall who had heard that marvellous rumour.
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از برای آزمون میآزمود ** زانک بس مردانه و جان سیر بود
- He was testing (it) in order to put (it) to the proof, for he was very valiant and surfeited with life.