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چون بسی ابلیس آدم روی هست ** پس به هر دستی نشاید داد دست
- Since there is many a devil who hath the face of Adam, it is not well to give your hand to every hand,
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ز انکه صیاد آورد بانگ صفیر ** تا فریبد مرغ را آن مرغ گیر
- Because the fowler produces a whistling sound in order to decoy the bird,
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بشنود آن مرغ بانگ جنس خویش ** از هوا آید بیابد دام و نیش
- (So that) the bird may hear the note of its congener and come down from the air and find trap and knife-point.
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حرف درویشان بدزدد مرد دون ** تا بخواند بر سلیمی ز ان فسون
- The vile man will steal the language of dervishes, that he may thereby chant a spell over (fascinate and deceive) one who is simple.
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کار مردان روشنی و گرمی است ** کار دونان حیله و بیشرمی است 320
- The work of (holy) men is (as) light and heat; the work of vile men is trickery and shamelessness.
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شیر پشمین از برای کد کنند ** بو مسیلم را لقب احمد کنند
- They make a woollen lion for the purpose of begging; they give the title of Ahmad (Mohammed) to Bú Musaylim;
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بو مسیلم را لقب کذاب ماند ** مر محمد را اولو الالباب ماند
- (But) to Bú Musaylim remained the title of Kadhdháb (Liar), to Mohammed remained (the title of) Ulu ’l-albáb (Endowed with understanding).
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آن شراب حق ختامش مشک ناب ** باده را ختمش بود گند و عذاب
- The wine of God, its seal (last result) is pure musk, (but) as for (the other) wine, its seal is stench and torment
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داستان آن پادشاه جهود که نصرانیان را میکشت از بهر تعصب
- Story of the Jewish king who for bigotry's sake used to slay the Christians.
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بود شاهی در جهودان ظلم ساز ** دشمن عیسی و نصرانی گداز
- Amongst the Jews there was a king who wrought oppression, an enemy of Jesus and a destroyer of Christians.
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عهد عیسی بود و نوبت آن او ** جان موسی او و موسی جان او 325
- ’Twas the epoch of Jesus and the turn was his: he was the soul of Moses, and Moses the soul of him;
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شاه احول کرد در راه خدا ** آن دو دمساز خدایی را جدا
- (But) the squint-eyed (double-seeing) king separated in the way of God those two Divine (prophets) who were (really) in accord (with each other).
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گفت استاد احولی را کاندر آ ** رو برون آر از وثاق آن شیشه را
- The master said to a squint-eyed (pupil), “Come on; go, fetch that bottle out of the room.”
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گفت احول ز ان دو شیشه من کدام ** پیش تو آرم بکن شرح تمام
- Said the squint-eyed one: “Which of the two bottles shall I bring to you? Explain fully.”
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گفت استاد آن دو شیشه نیست رو ** احولی بگذار و افزون بین مشو
- “There are not two bottles,” replied the master; “go, leave off squinting and do not be seeing more (than one).”
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گفت ای استا مرا طعنه مزن ** گفت استا ز ان دو یک را در شکن 330
- “O master,” said he, “don't chide me.” Said the master, “Smash one of those two.”
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شیشه یک بود و به چشمش دو نمود ** چون شکست او شیشه را دیگر نبود
- The bottle was one, though in his eyes it seemed two; when he broke the bottle, there was no other.
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چون یکی بشکست هر دو شد ز چشم ** مردم احول گردد از میلان و خشم
- When one was broken, both vanished from sight: a man is made squint-eyed by (evil) propensity and anger.
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خشم و شهوت مرد را احول کند ** ز استقامت روح را مبدل کند
- Anger and lust make a man squint-eyed, they change the spirit (so that it departs) from rectitude.
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چون غرض آمد هنر پوشیده شد ** صد حجاب از دل به سوی دیده شد
- When self-interest appears, virtue becomes hidden: a hundred veils rise from the heart to the eye.
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چون دهد قاضی به دل رشوت قرار ** کی شناسد ظالم از مظلوم زار 335
- When the cadi lets bribery gain hold of his heart, how should he know the wronger from the wretched victim of wrong?
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شاه از حقد جهودانه چنان ** گشت احول کالامان یا رب امان
- The king, from Jewish rancour, became so squint-eyed that (we cry), “Mercy, O Lord, mercy (save us from such an affliction)!”
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صد هزاران مومن مظلوم کشت ** که پناهم دین موسی را و پشت
- He slew hundreds of thousands of wronged (innocent) believers, saying, “I am the protection and support of the religion of Moses.”
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آموختن وزیر مکر پادشاه را
- How the vizier instructed the king to plot.
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او وزیری داشت گبر و عشوهده ** کاو بر آب از مکر بر بستی گره
- He had a vizier, a miscreant and ogler (deceiver), who by reason of (his exceeding) guile would tie knots on water.
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گفت ترسایان پناه جان کنند ** دین خود را از ملک پنهان کنند
- “The Christians,” said he, “seek to save their lives; they hide their religion from the king.
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کم کش ایشان را که کشتن سود نیست ** دین ندارد بوی، مشک و عود نیست 340
- Slay them not, for slaying (them) is useless: religion hath no smell, it is not musk and aloes-wood.
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سر پنهان است اندر صد غلاف ** ظاهرش با تست و باطن بر خلاف
- The secret is concealed in a hundred coverings: its outward form is (in agreement) with thee, (but) the inward (reality) is (in) disagreement.”
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شاه گفتش پس بگو تدبیر چیست ** چارهی آن مکر و ان تزویر چیست
- The king said to him: “Tell (me), then, what is the (best) plan? What is the remedy against that deceit and imposture?—
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تا نماند در جهان نصرانیی ** نی هویدا دین و نی پنهانیی
- So that there may not remain a single Christian in the world, neither one whose religion is manifest nor one who is concealed.”
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گفت ای شه گوش و دستم را ببر ** بینیام بشکاف و لب در حکم مر
- “O king,” said he, “cut off my ears and hands, rip my nose and lips by bitter (cruel) decree;
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بعد از آن در زیر دار آور مرا ** تا بخواهد یک شفاعتگر مرا 345
- Then bring me under the gallows, that an intercessor may plead for me.
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بر منادی گاه کن این کار تو ** بر سر راهی که باشد چار سو
- Do this deed in the place for (public) proclamation, on a highway where roads run in four directions.
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آن گهم از خود بران تا شهر دور ** تا در اندازم در ایشان شر و شور
- Then banish me from thy presence to a distant land, that I may cast mischief and confusion amongst them.
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تلبیس وزیر با نصارا
- How the vizier brought the Christians into doubt and perplexity.
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پس بگویم من به سر نصرانیام ** ای خدای راز دان میدانیام
- Then I will say (to them), ‘I am secretly a Christian. O God who knowest (all) things hidden, Thou knowest me.
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شاه واقف گشت از ایمان من ** وز تعصب کرد قصد جان من
- The king was informed of my (Christian) faith and from bigotry sought to take my life.
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خواستم تا دین ز شه پنهان کنم ** آن که دین اوست ظاهر آن کنم 350
- I wished to hide my religion from the king and profess his religion,
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شاه بویی برد از اسرار من ** متهم شد پیش شه گفتار من
- (But) the king got a scent of my inmost beliefs, and my words were suspected (when I stood) before the king.
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گفت گفت تو چو در نان سوزن است ** از دل من تا دل تو روزن است
- He said, “Your words are like a needle in bread (specious but pernicious); there is a window between my heart and yours.
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من از آن روزن بدیدم حال تو ** حال تو دیدم ننوشم قال تو
- Through that window I have seen your (real) state: I see your state and will not heed your words.”
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گر نبودی جان عیسی چارهام ** او جهودانه بکردی پارهام
- Had not the spirit of Jesus been my aid, he would in Jewish fashion have torn me to pieces.
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بهر عیسی جان سپارم سر دهم ** صد هزاران منتش بر خود نهم 355
- For Jesus' sake I would yield my life and give my head and lay on myself (confess) myriads of obligations to him.
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جان دریغم نیست از عیسی و لیک ** واقفم بر علم دینش نیک نیک
- I do not grudge Jesus my life, but full well am I versed in the knowledge of his religion.
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حیف میآمد مرا کان دین پاک ** در میان جاهلان گردد هلاک
- Grief was coming over me (it seemed to me a pity) that that holy religion should perish amongst those who are ignorant (of it).
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شکر ایزد را و عیسی را که ما ** گشتهایم آن کیش حق را رهنما
- Thanks be to God and to Jesus that I have become a guide to the true faith.
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از جهود و از جهودی رستهام ** تا به زناری میان را بستهام
- I have escaped from Jews and Judaism so (entirely) that I have bound my waist with a (Christian) girdle.
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دور دور عیسی است ای مردمان ** بشنوید اسرار کیش او به جان 360
- The (present) epoch is the epoch of Jesus. O men, hearken with your souls unto the mysteries of his religion!’”
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کرد با وی شاه آن کاری که گفت ** خلق حیران مانده ز ان مکر نهفت
- The king did to him that deed (mutilation) which he had proposed: the people remained in amazement at that hidden (mysterious) plot.
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راند او را جانب نصرانیان ** کرد در دعوت شروع او بعد از آن
- He (the king) drove him away to the Christians. After that, he (the vizier) began to proselytise.
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قبول کردن نصارا مکر وزیر را
- How the Christians let themselves be duped by the vizier.
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صد هزاران مرد ترسا سوی او ** اندک اندک جمع شد در کوی او
- Myriads of Christian men gathered round him, little by little, in his abode,
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او بیان میکرد با ایشان به راز ** سر انگلیون و زنار و نماز
- (While) he secretly expounded to them the mysteries of Gospel and girdle and prayer.
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او به ظاهر واعظ احکام بود ** لیک در باطن صفیر و دام بود 365
- Outwardly he was a preacher of (religious) ordinances, but inwardly he was (as) the whistle and snare (of the fowler).