صد هزار اندر هزار از مرد و زن ** پس چرا محروم ماندند از زمن
Myriads on myriads of men and women—why, then, did they remain deprived of fortune?
صد هزاران قرن ز آغاز جهان ** همچو اژدرها گشاده صد دهان950
From the beginning of the world myriads of generations have opened a hundred mouths, like dragons:
مکرها کردند آن دانا گروه ** که ز بن بر کنده شد ز آن مکر کوه
Those clever people devised plots (of such power) that the mountain thereby was torn up from its foundation.
کرد وصف مکرهاشان ذو الجلال ** لتزول منه اقلال الجبال
The Glorious (God) described their plots (when He said): (though their guile be such) that the tops of the mountains might be moved thereby.
جز که آن قسمت که رفت اندر ازل ** روی ننمود از شکار و از عمل
(But) except the portion which came to pass (was predestined) in eternity, nothing showed its face (accrued to them) from their hunting and doing.
جمله افتادند از تدبیر و کار ** ماند کار و حکم‌‌های کردگار
They all fell from (failed in) plan and act: the acts and decrees of the Maker remained.
کسب جز نامی مدان ای نامدار ** جهد جز وهمی مپندار ای عیار955
O illustrious one, do not regard work as aught but a name! O cunning one, think not that exertion is aught but a vain fancy!”
نگریستن عزراییل بر مردی و گریختن آن مرد در سرای سلیمان و تقریر ترجیح توکل بر جهد و قلت فایده‌‌ی جهد
How ‘Azrá‘íl (Azrael) looked at a certain man, and how that man fled to the palace of Solomon; and setting forth the superiority of trust in God to exertion and the uselessness of the latter.
زاد مردی چاشتگاهی در رسید ** در سرا عدل سلیمان در دوید
One forenoon a freeborn (noble) man arrived and ran into Solomon's hall of justice,
رویش از غم زرد و هر دو لب کبود ** پس سلیمان گفت ای خواجه چه بود
His countenance pale with anguish and both lips blue. Then Solomon said, “Good sir, what is the matter?”
گفت عزراییل در من این چنین ** یک نظر انداخت پر از خشم و کین
He replied, “Azrael cast on me such a look, so full of wrath and hate.”