گر حکیمی نیست این ترتیب چیست ** ور حکیمی هست چون فعلش تهیست
If there is no Wise (Creator), what is (the reason of) this orderly arrangement (the cosmos)? And if there is a Wise (Creator), how is His action devoid (of meaning)?
کس نسازد نقش گرمابه و خضاب ** جز پی قصد صواب و ناصواب3000
No one makes pictures and colouring in a bath-house except for (some) purpose (either) right or wrong.
مطالبه کردن موسی علیه‌السلام حضرت را کی خلقت خلقا اهلکتهم و جواب آمدن
How Moses, on whom be peace, besought the Lord, saying, "Thou didst create creatures and destroy them," and how the answer came.
گفت موسی ای خداوند حساب ** نقش کردی باز چون کردی خراب
Moses said, “O Lord of the Reckoning, Thou didst create the form: how didst Thou destroy it again?”
نر و ماده نقش کردی جان‌فزا ** وانگهان ویران کنی این را چرا
Thou hast made the form, male and female, that gives unto the spirit increase (of joy); and then Thou dost ruin it: why?”
گفت حق دانم که این پرسش ترا ** نیست از انکار و غفلت وز هوا
God said, “I know that this question of thine is not from disbelief and heedlessness and idle fancy;
ورنه تادیب و عتابت کردمی ** بهر این پرسش ترا آزردمی
Else I should have corrected and chastised thee: I should have afflicted thee on account of this question.
لیک می‌خواهی که در افعال ما ** باز جویی حکمت و سر بقا3005
But (I know that) thou wishest to discover in My actions the wisdom and hidden meaning of (phenomenal) duration,
تا از آن واقف کنی مر عام را ** پخته گردانی بدین هر خام را
That thou mayst acquaint the vulgar therewith and by this means make every raw (ignorant) person to become cooked.
قاصدا سایل شدی در کاشفی ** بر عوام ار چه که تو زان واقفی
Thou hast become a questioner on purpose to disclose (this matter) to the vulgar, albeit thou art acquainted with it;
زآنک نیم علم آمد این سال ** هر برونی را نباشد آن مجال
For this questioning is the half of knowledge, and this ability (to ask questions) does not belong to every outsider.”