- Because of the (Divine) command. What was the wisdom of the (Divine) command? A small part of the mysteries thereof must (now) be shown.
- بهر فرمان حکمت فرمان چه بود ** اندکی ز اسرار آن باید نمود
- The cawing and noisy cry of the black crow is ever asking for (long) life in this world.
- کاغ کاغ و نعره‌ی زاغ سیاه ** دایما باشد به دنیا عمرخواه
- Like Iblís, it (the crow) besought the holy and incomparable God for bodily life till the Resurrection.
- هم‌چو ابلیس از خدای پاک فرد ** تا قیامت عمر تن درخواست کرد
- He (Iblís) said, “Grant me a respite till the Day of Retribution.” Would that he had said, “We repent, O our Lord.”
- گفت انظرنی الی یوم الجزا ** کاشکی گفتی که تبنا ربنا
- Life without repentance is all agony of spirit: to be absent from God is present (instant) death. 770
- عمر بی توبه همه جان کندنست ** مرگ حاضر غایب از حق بودنست
- Life and death—both these are sweet with (the presence of) God: without God the Water of Life is fire.
- عمر و مرگ این هر دو با حق خوش بود ** بی‌خدا آب حیات آتش بود
- Moreover, ’twas from the effect of the (Divine) curse that in such a Presence he was requesting (long) life.
- آن هم از تاثیر لعنت بود کو ** در چنان حضرت همی‌شد عمرجو
- To crave of God aught other than God is (merely) the supposition of gain, and (in reality) it is entire loss;
- از خدا غیر خدا را خواستن ** ظن افزونیست و کلی کاستن
- Especially (to desire) a life sunk in estrangement (from God) is to behave like a fox in the presence of the lion,
- خاصه عمری غرق در بیگانگی ** در حضور شیر روبه‌شانگی
- (Saying), “Give me longer life that I may go farther back; grant me more time that I may become less.” 775
- عمر بیشم ده که تا پس‌تر روم ** مهلم افزون کن که تا کمتر شوم