کاغ کاغ و نعره‌ی زاغ سیاه ** دایما باشد به دنیا عمرخواه

The cawing and noisy cry of the black crow is ever asking for (long) life in this world.

هم‌چو ابلیس از خدای پاک فرد ** تا قیامت عمر تن درخواست کرد

Like Iblís, it (the crow) besought the holy and incomparable God for bodily life till the Resurrection.

گفت انظرنی الی یوم الجزا ** کاشکی گفتی که تبنا ربنا

He (Iblís) said, “Grant me a respite till the Day of Retribution.” Would that he had said, “We repent, O our Lord.”

عمر بی توبه همه جان کندنست ** مرگ حاضر غایب از حق بودنست 770

Life without repentance is all agony of spirit: to be absent from God is present (instant) death.

عمر و مرگ این هر دو با حق خوش بود ** بی‌خدا آب حیات آتش بود

Life and death—both these are sweet with (the presence of) God: without God the Water of Life is fire.

آن هم از تاثیر لعنت بود کو ** در چنان حضرت همی‌شد عمرجو

Moreover, ’twas from the effect of the (Divine) curse that in such a Presence he was requesting (long) life.

از خدا غیر خدا را خواستن ** ظن افزونیست و کلی کاستن

To crave of God aught other than God is (merely) the supposition of gain, and (in reality) it is entire loss;

خاصه عمری غرق در بیگانگی ** در حضور شیر روبه‌شانگی

Especially (to desire) a life sunk in estrangement (from God) is to behave like a fox in the presence of the lion,

عمر بیشم ده که تا پس‌تر روم ** مهلم افزون کن که تا کمتر شوم 775

(Saying), “Give me longer life that I may go farther back; grant me more time that I may become less.”

تا که لعنت را نشانه او بود ** بد کسی باشد که لعنت‌جو بود

(The result is) that he (such an one) is a mark for the (Divine) curse: evil is that one who seeks to be accursed.