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او چو ذوق راستی دید از کرام ** بی تکبر راستی را شد غلام 765
- When he had tasted honesty from the noble, he without arrogance (humbly) became devoted to honesty.
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دعوی طاوسی کردن آن شغال کی در خم صباغ افتاده بود
- How the jackal which had fallen into the dyer’s vat pretended to be a peacock.
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و آن شغال رنگرنگ آمد نهفت ** بر بناگوش ملامتگر بکفت
- (In the fashion) that parti-colored jackal came secretly and tapped on the lobe of the rebuker’s ear.
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بنگر آخر در من و در رنگ من ** یک صنم چون من ندارد خود شمن
- “Prithee look at me and at my colour: truly the idolater possesses no idol like me.
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چون گلستان گشتهام صد رنگ و خوش ** مر مرا سجده کن از من سر مکش
- Like the flower-garden I have become many-hued and lovely: bow in homage to me, do not withdraw from me (in aversion).
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کر و فر و آب و تاب و رنگ بین ** فخر دنیا خوان مرا و رکن دین
- Behold my glory and splendour and sheen and radiance and colour! Call me the Pride of the World and the Pillar of the Religion!
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مظهر لطف خدایی گشتهام ** لوح شرح کبریایی گشتهام 770
- I have become the theatre of the Divine Grace, I have become the tablet on which the Divine Majesty is unfolded.
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ای شغالان هین مخوانیدم شغال ** کی شغالی را بود چندین جمال
- O jackals, take heed, do not call me a jackal: how should a jackal have so much beauty?”
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آن شغالان آمدند آنجا بجمع ** همچو پروانه به گرداگرد شمع
- Those jackals came thither en masse, like moths around the candle.
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پس چه خوانیمت بگو ای جوهری ** گفت طاوس نر چون مشتری
- “Say then, what shall we call thee, O creature of (pure) substance?” He replied, “ A peacock (brilliant) as Jupiter.”
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پس بگفتندش که طاوسان جان ** جلوهها دارند اندر گلستان
- Then they said to him, “The spiritual peacocks have displays (with the Beloved) in the Rose-garden:
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تو چنان جلوه کنی گفتا که نی ** بادیه نارفته چون کوبم منی 775
- Dost thou display thyself like that?” “No,” said he: “not having gone into the desert, how should I tread (the valley of) Mina?”
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بانگ طاووسان کنی گفتا که لا ** پس نهای طاووس خواجه بوالعلا
- “Dost thou utter the cry of peacocks?” “Nay,” said he. “Then, Master Bu’l-‘Alam thou art not a peacock.
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خلعت طاووس آید ز آسمان ** کی رسی از رنگ و دعویها بدان
- The peacock’s garment of honour comes from Heaven: how wilt thou attain thereto by means of colours and pretences?”
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تشبیه فرعون و دعوی الوهیت او بدان شغال کی دعوی طاوسی میکرد
- Comparison of Pharaoh and his pretence of divinity to the jackal which pretended to be a peacock.
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همچو فرعونی مرصع کرده ریش ** برتر از عیسی پریده از خریش
- Thou art even as Pharaoh, who bejeweled his beard and in his asinine folly soared higher than Jesus.
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او هم از نسل شغال ماده زاد ** در خم مالی و جاهی در فتاد
- He too was born of the generation of the she-jackal and fell into a vat of riches and power.
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هر که دید آن جاه و مالش سجده کرد ** سجدهی افسوسیان را او بخورد 780
- Every one who beheld his power and riches bowed down to him in worship: he swallowed the worship of the idle mockers (worldlings).
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گشت مستک آن گدای ژندهدلق ** از سجود و از تحیرهای خلق
- That beggar in tattered cloak became miserably drunken with the people’s worship and feelings of amazement.
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مال مار آمد که در وی زهرهاست ** و آن قبول و سجدهی خلق اژدهاست
- Riches are a snake, for therein are poisons; and popular favour and worship is a dragon.
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های ای فرعون ناموسی مکن ** تو شغالی هیچ طاووسی مکن
- Ah, do not assume a virtue (which thou dost not possess), O Pharaoh: thou art a jackal, do not in any wise behave as a peacock.
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سوی طاووسان اگر پیدا شوی ** عاجزی از جلوه و رسوا شوی
- If thou appear in the direction of the peacocks, thou art in capable of (their) display and thou wilt be put to shame.
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موسی و هارون چو طاووسان بدند ** پر جلوه بر سر و رویت زدند 785
- Moses and Aaron were as peacocks: they flapped the wings of display upon thy head and face.
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زشتیت پیدا شد و رسواییت ** سرنگون افتادی از بالاییت
- Thy foulness and disgrace were exposed, thou didst fall head-long from thy height.
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چون محک دیدی سیه گشتی چو قلب ** نقش شیری رفت و پیدا گشت کلب
- When thou sawest the touchstone, thou becamest black, like adulterated coin: the leonine figure vanished, and the dog was revealed.
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ای سگگرگین زشت از حرص و جوش ** پوستین شیر را بر خود مپوش
- O foul mangy dog, through greed and exuberant insolence do not clothe thyself in the lion’s skin.
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غرهی شیرت بخواهد امتحان ** نقش شیر و آنگه اخلاق سگان
- The roar of the lion will demand from thee the test (of thy sincerity). The figure of a lion , and then the dispositions of dogs!
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تفسیر ولتعرفنهم فی لحن القول
- Explanation of (the text), And thou wilt surely know them in the perversion of their speech.
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گفت یزدان مر نبی را در مساق ** یک نشانی سهلتر ز اهل نفاق 790
- God said to the Prophet in the course (of the Qur’án), “One sign of the hypocritical is easier (to perceive than other signs):
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گر منافق زفت باشد نغز و هول ** وا شناسی مر ورا در لحن و قول
- Though the hypocrite be big, handsome, and terrible, thou wilt recognise him in his perverse enunciation and speech.”
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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.