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چون سفالین کوزهها را میخری ** امتحانی میکنی ای مشتری
- When you are buying earthenware pots, you make a trial, O purchaser.
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میزنی دستی بر آن کوزه چرا ** تا شناسی از طنین اشکسته را
- You give the pot a tap with your hand: why? In order that you may know the cracked one by the sound (which it makes).
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بانگ اشکسته دگرگون میبود ** بانگ چاووشست پیشش میرود
- The voice of the cracked one is different; the voice is a cháwúsh (beadle): it goes in front of it (the pot).
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بانگ میآید که تعریفش کند ** همچو مصدر فعل تصریفش کند 795
- The voice comes in order to make it known: it determines (the character of) it, as the verb (determines the form of) the masdar (verbal noun).
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چون حدیث امتحان رویی نمود ** یادم آمد قصهی هاروت زود
- When the subject of (Divine) probation cropped up, the story of Hárút at once came into my memory.
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قصهی هاروت و ماروت و دلیری ایشان بر امتحانات حق تعالی
- The Story of Hárút and Márút and their boldness in encountering the probations of God most High.
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پیش ازین زان گفته بودیم اندکی ** خود چه گوییم از هزارانش یکی
- Before this (occasion), we had told a little of it: what, indeed, should we tell? (We can tell only) one (item) of its thousands.
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خواستم گفتن در آن تحقیقها ** تا کنون وا ماند از تعویقها
- I wished to speak of the (spiritual) truths (contained) in it, (but) till now they have remained (untold) on account of hindrances.
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حملهی دیگر ز بسیارش قلیل ** گفته آید شرح یک عضوی ز پیل
- (Now) once again a little of its much shall be told—the description (as it were) of a single limb of the elephant.
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گوش کن هاروت را ماروت را ** ای غلام و چاکران ما روت را 800
- Listen to (the tale of) Hárút and Márút, O thou to whose face we are (devoted) slaves and servants.
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مست بودند از تماشای اله ** وز عجایبهای استدراج شاه
- They (Hárút and Márút) were intoxicated with the spectacle of God and with the marvels of the King's gradual temptation (of them).
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این چنین مستیست ز استدراج حق ** تا چه مستیها کند معراج حق
- Such intoxication arises (even) from God's gradual temptation, so that (you may judge) what intoxications are wrought by the ascension to God.
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دانهی دامش چنین مستی نمود ** خوان انعامش چهها داند گشود
- The bait in His snare produced intoxication like this: what things, (then), can the table of His bounty reveal!
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مست بودند و رهیده از کمند ** های هوی عاشقانه میزدند
- They were drunken and freed from the noose: they were uttering rapturous cries in the fashion of lovers;
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یک کمین و امتحان در راه بود ** صرصرش چون کاه که را میربود 805
- (But) in their road there was one ambush and trial: its mighty wind would sweep the mountain away like straw.
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امتحان میکردشان زیر و زبر ** کی بود سرمست را زینها خبر
- The (Divine) trial was turning them upside down, (but) how should one that is drunken have consciousness of these things?
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خندق و میدان بپیش او یکیست ** چاه و خندق پیش او خوش مسلکیست
- To him pit and open field are one, to him dungeon and pit are a pleasant path to tread.
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آن بز کوهی بر آن کوه بلند ** بر دود از بهر خوردی بیگزند
- The mountain-goat runs up that high mountain for the sake of (getting) some harmless food.
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تا علف چیند ببیند ناگهان ** بازیی دیگر ز حکم آسمان
- Whilst he browses, suddenly he sees another trick played by the ordinance of Heaven.
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بر کهی دیگر بر اندازد نظر ** ماده بز بیند بر آن کوه دگر 810
- He casts his gaze upon another mountain: on that other mountain he espies a she-goat.
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چشم او تاریک گردد در زمان ** بر جهد سرمست زین که تا بدان
- Straightway his eye is darkened: he leaps madly from this mountain to that.
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آنچنان نزدیک بنماید ورا ** که دویدن گرد بالوعهی سرا
- To him it seems as near (and easy) as to run round the sink (in the court) of a house.
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آن هزاران گز دو گز بنمایدش ** تا ز مستی میل جستن آیدش
- Those thousands of ells (are made to) appear to him (as) two ells, in order that from mad infatuation the impulse to leap may come to him.
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چونک بجهد در فتد اندر میان ** در میان هر دو کوه بی امان
- As soon as he leaps, he falls midway between the two pitiless mountains.
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او ز صیادان به که بگریخته ** خود پناهش خون او را ریخته 815
- He had fled to the mountain (to escape) from the hunters: his very refuge shed his blood.
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شسته صیادان میان آن دو کوه ** انتظار این قضای با شکوه
- The hunters are seated between the two mountains in expectation of this awesome decree (of God).