Myriads on myriads of men and women—why, then, did they remain deprived of fortune?
صد هزار اندر هزار از مرد و زن ** پس چرا محروم ماندند از زمن
From the beginning of the world myriads of generations have opened a hundred mouths, like dragons:950
صد هزاران قرن ز آغاز جهان ** همچو اژدرها گشاده صد دهان
Those clever people devised plots (of such power) that the mountain thereby was torn up from its foundation.
مکرها کردند آن دانا گروه ** که ز بن بر کنده شد ز آن مکر کوه
The Glorious (God) described their plots (when He said): (though their guile be such) that the tops of the mountains might be moved thereby.
کرد وصف مکرهاشان ذو الجلال ** لتزول منه اقلال الجبال
(But) except the portion which came to pass (was predestined) in eternity, nothing showed its face (accrued to them) from their hunting and doing.
جز که آن قسمت که رفت اندر ازل ** روی ننمود از شکار و از عمل
They all fell from (failed in) plan and act: the acts and decrees of the Maker remained.
جمله افتادند از تدبیر و کار ** ماند کار و حکم‌‌های کردگار
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!”955
کسب جز نامی مدان ای نامدار ** جهد جز وهمی مپندار ای عیار
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.
نگریستن عزراییل بر مردی و گریختن آن مرد در سرای سلیمان و تقریر ترجیح توکل بر جهد و قلت فایده‌‌ی جهد
One forenoon a freeborn (noble) man arrived and ran into Solomon's hall of justice,
زاد مردی چاشتگاهی در رسید ** در سرا عدل سلیمان در دوید
His countenance pale with anguish and both lips blue. Then Solomon said, “Good sir, what is the matter?”
رویش از غم زرد و هر دو لب کبود ** پس سلیمان گفت ای خواجه چه بود
He replied, “Azrael cast on me such a look, so full of wrath and hate.”
گفت عزراییل در من این چنین ** یک نظر انداخت پر از خشم و کین