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باب گه روزن شدی گاه شعاع ** خاک گه گندم شدی و گاه صاع
- The door would become now the window, now the sunbeams; the earth would become now the wheat, now the bushel.
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در نظرها چرخ بس کهنه و قدید ** پیش چشمش هر دمی خلق جدید
- In (men's) eyes the heavens are very old and threadbare; in his eye ’twasa new creation at every moment.
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روح زیبا چونک وا رست از جسد ** از قضا بی شک چنین چشمش رسد
- When the beauteous spirit is delivered from the body, no doubt an eye like this will be conferred upon it by (Divine) destiny.
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صد هزاران غیب پیشش شد پدید ** آنچ چشم محرمان بیند بدید 4645
- A hundred thousand mysteries were revealed to him: he beheld that which the eyes of the initiated behold.
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آنچ او اندر کتب بر خوانده بود ** چشم را در صورت آن بر گشود
- He opened (the inward) eye (and gazed) on the (ideal) form of that which he had (only) read in books.
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از غبار مرکب آن شاه نر ** یافت او کحل عزیزی در بصر
- From the dust of the mighty King's horse he obtained a precious collyrium for his eyesight.
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برچنین گلزار دامن میکشید ** جزو جزوش نعره زن هل من مزید
- In such a garden of flowers he was trailing his skirt, while every part of him was crying, “Is there any more?”
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گلشنی کز بقل روید یک دمست ** گلشنی کز عقل روید خرمست
- The flowers that grow from plants are (living but) a moment; the flowers that grow from Reason are (ever) fresh.
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گلشنی کز گل دمد گردد تباه ** گلشنی کز دل دمد وافر حتاه 4650
- The flowers that bloom from earth become faded; the flowers that bloom from the heart—oh, what a joy!
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علمهای با مزهی دانستهمان ** زان گلستان یک دو سه گلدسته دان
- Know that (all) the delightful sciences known to us are (only) two or three bunches of flowers from that Garden.
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زان زبون این دو سه گل دستهایم ** که در گلزار بر خود بستهایم
- We are devoted to these two or three bunches of flowers because we have shut the Garden-door on ourselves.
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آنچنان مفتاحها هر دم بنان ** میفتد ای جان دریغا از بنان
- Alas, O (dear) soul, (that) on account of (thy greed for) bread such (admirable) keys are always dropping from thy fingers!
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ور دمی هم فارغ آرندت ز نان ** گرد چادر گردی و عشق زنان
- And if for a moment thou art relieved from preoccupation with bread, thou danglest about the chádar and (givest thyself up to) thy passion for women;
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باز استسقات چون شد موجزن ** ملک شهری بایدت پر نان و زن 4655
- And then, when (the sea of) thy dropsy (lust) breaks into billows, thou must needs have under thy sway a (whole) city full of bread and women.
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مار بودی اژدها گشتی مگر ** یک سرت بود این زمانی هفتسر
- (At first) thou wert (only) a snake: (now) indeed thou hast become a dragon. Thou hadst (only) one head: now thou hast seven heads.
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اژدهای هفتسر دوزخ بود ** حرص تو دانهست و دوزخ فخ بود
- Hell is a seven-headed dragon: thy greed is the bait and Hell the snare.
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دام را بدران بسوزان دانه را ** باز کن درهای نو این خانه را
- Pull the snare to pieces, burn the bait, open new doors in this (bodily) tenement!
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چون تو عاشق نیستی ای نرگدا ** همچو کوهی بیخبر داری صدا
- O sturdy beggar, unless thou art a lover (of God), thou hast (only) an echo, like the unconscious mountain.
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کوه را گفتار کی باشد ز خود ** عکس غیرست آن صدا ای معتمد 4660
- How should the mountain possess a voice of its own? The echo is reflected from another, O trusty man.
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گفت تو زان سان که عکس دیگریست ** جمله احوالت به جز هم عکس نیست
- In the same fashion as thy speech is the reflexion of another, so all thy feelings are nothing but a reflexion.
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خشم و ذوقت هر دو عکس دیگران ** شادی قواده و خشم عوان
- Both thy anger and thy pleasure are (only) reflected from others, (like) the joy of the procuress and the rage of the night-patrol.
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آن عوان را آن ضعیف آخر چه کرد ** که دهد او را به کینه زجر و درد
- Pray, what (harm) did that poor fellow do to the night-patrol that he should punish and torment him in revenge?
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تا بکی عکس خیال لامعه ** جهد کن تا گرددت این واقعه
- How long (wilt thou follow) the glittering phantom reflected (from another)?Strive to make this (experience) actual for thyself,
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تا که گفتارت ز حال تو بود ** سیر تو با پر و بال تو بود 4665
- So that thy words will be (prompted) by thy immediate feelings, and thy flight will be made with thine own wings and pinions.
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صید گیرد تیر هم با پر غیر ** لاجرم بیبهره است از لحم طیر
- ’Tis with alien feathers that the arrow captures its prey; consequently it gets no share of the bird's flesh;