آن طمع را پس چرا در تو نهاد ** چون نخواستت زان طرف آن چیز داد
Why, then, did He implant in thee that hope, since He would not give thee the (desired) thing from that quarter?
از برای حکمتی و صنعتی ** نیز تا باشد دلت در حیرتی
(’Tis) for a wise purpose and contrivance; and also in order that thy heart may be in a state of bewilderment.
تا دلت حیران بود ای مستفید ** که مرادم از کجا خواهد رسد
(’Tis) that thy heart may be bewildered, O learner, (wondering) from where the object of thy desire will come (to thee).
تا بدانی عجز خویش و جهل خویش ** تا شود ایقان تو در غیب بیش 4195
(’Tis) that thou mayst know thy weakness and thy ignorance and that consequently thy faith in the Unseen may be increased;
هم دلت حیران بود در منتجع ** که چه رویاند مصرف زین طمع
And, moreover, that thy heart may be perplexed concerning the source whence the (expected) benefit will arrive, and what (result) the (Divine) Disposer will produce from this hope.
طمع داری روزیی در درزیی ** تا ز خیاطی بی زر تا زیی
Thou hopest (to find) a means of livelihood in tailoring, so that by working as a tailor thou mayst earn money all thy life;
رزق تو در زرگری آرد پدید ** که ز وهمت بود آن مکسب بعید
(But) He causes thy daily bread to come to thee in the goldsmith's craft—a means of gain that was far from (entering) thy imagination.
پس طمع در درزیی بهر چه بود ** چون نخواست آن رزق زان جانب گشود
Wherefore, then, were thy hopes set on tailoring, when He did not intend to let thy daily bread reach thee from that side?
بهر نادر حکمتی در علم حق ** که نبشت آن حکم را در ما سبق 4200
(’Twas) by reason of a marvellous providence in the knowledge of God— an edict which He wrote in the (eternal) past;
نیز تا حیران بود اندیشه‌ات ** تا که حیرانی بود کل پیشه‌ات
And also to the end that thy thoughts should be bewildered, so that bewilderment should be thy whole occupation.