CHAPTER
VII - ON THE EFFECTS OF EDUCATION
Story 1
A vezier who had a stupid
son gave him in charge of a scholar to instruct him and if possible
to make him intelligent. Having been some time under instruction
but ineffectually, the learned man sent one to his father with
the words: ‘The boy is not becoming intelligent and has
made a fool of me.’
When a nature is originally
receptive
Instruction will take effect
thereon.
No kind of polishing will
improve iron
Whose essence is originally
bad.
Wash a dog in the seven
oceans,
He will be only dirtier
when he gets wet.
If the ass of Jesus be taken
to Mekkah
He will on his return still
be an ass.
Story 2
A sage, instructing boys,
said to them: ‘O darlings of your fathers, learn a trade
because property and riches of the world are not to be relied
upon; also silver and gold are an occasion of danger because
either a thief may steal them at once or the owner spend them
gradually; but a profession is a living fountain and permanent
wealth; and although a professional man may lose riches, it does
not matter because a profession is itself wealth and wherever
he goes he will enjoy respect and sit in high places, whereas
he who has no trade will glean crumbs and see hardships:
It is difficult to obey
after losing dignity
And to bear violence from
men after being caressed.
Once confusion arose in
Damascus.
Everyone left his snug corner.
Learned sons of peasants
Became the veziers of padshahs.
Imbecile sons of the veziers
Went as mendicants to peasants.
If you wanted thy father’s
inheritance, acquire his knowledge
Because this property of
his may be spent in ten days.
Story 3
An illustrious scholar,
who was the tutor of a royal prince, had the habit of striking
him unceremoniously and treating him severely. The boy, who could
no longer bear this violence, went to his father to complain
and when he had taken off his coat, the father’s heart was
moved with pity. Accordingly he called for the tutor and said:
‘Thou dost not permit thyself to indulge in so much cruelty
towards the children of my subjects as thou inflictest upon my
son. What is the reason?’ He replied: ‘It is incumbent
upon all persons in general to converse in a sedate manner and
to behave in a laudable way but more especially upon padshahs
because whatever they say or do is commented on by everybody,
the utterances or acts of common people being of no such consequence.
‘If a hundred unworthy
things are committed by a dervish
His companions do not know
one in a hundred.
But if a padshah utters
only one jest
It is borne from country
to country.
‘It is the duty of
a royal prince’s tutor to train up the sons of his lord
in refinement of morals-and Allah caused her to grow up as a
beautiful plant-more diligently than the sons of common people.’
He whom thou hast not punished
when a child
Will not prosper when he
becomes a man.
While a stick is green,
thou canst bend it as thou listest.
When it is dry, fire alone
can make it straight.
The king, being pleased
with the appropriate discipline of the tutor and with his explanatory
reply, bestowed upon him a robe of honour with other gifts and
raised him to a higher position.
Story 4
I saw a schoolmaster in
the Maghrib country, who was sour-faced, of uncouth speech, ill-humoured,
troublesome to the people, of a beggarly nature and without self-restraint,
so that the very sight of him disgusted the Musalmans and when
reading the Quran he distressed the hearts of the people. A number
of innocent boys and little maidens suffered from the hand of
his tyranny, venturing neither to laugh nor to speak because
he would slap the silver-cheeks of some and put the crystal legs
of others into the stocks. In short, I heard that when his behaviour
had attained some notoriety, he was expelled from the school
and another installed as corrector, who happened to be a religious,
meek, good and wise man. He spoke only when necessary and found
no occasion to deal harshly with anyone so that the children
lost the fear they had entertained for their first master and,
taking advantage of the angelic manners of the second, they acted
like demons towards each other and, trusting in his gentleness,
neglected their studies, spending most of their time in play,
and breaking on the heads of each other the tablets’ of
their unfinished tasks.
Two weeks afterwards I happened
to pass near that same mosque where I again saw the first master
whom the people had made glad by reconciliation and had reinstalled
in his post. I was displeased, exclaimed ‘La haul’,
and asked why they had again made Iblis the teacher of angels.
An old man, experienced in the world, who had heard me, smiled
and said: ‘Hast thou not heard the maxim?
A padshah placed his son
in a school,
Putting in his lap a silver
tablet
With this inscription in
golden letters:
The severity of a teacher
is better than the love of a father.’
Story 5
The son of a pious man inherited
great wealth left him by some uncles, whereon he plunged into
dissipation and profligacy, became a spendthrift and, in short,
left no heinous transgression unperpetrated and no intoxicant
untasted. I advised him and said: ‘My son, income is a flowing
water and expense a turning mill; that is to say, only he who
has a fixed revenue is entitled to indulge in abundant expenses.
‘If thou hast no income,
spend but frugally
Because the sailors chant
this song:
“If there be no rain
in the mountains
The bed of the Tigris will
be dry in one year.”
‘Follow wisdom and
propriety, abandon play and sport because thy wealth will be
exhausted, whereon thou wilt fall into trouble and will repent.’
The youth was prevented by the delights of the flute and of drink
from accepting my admonition but found fault therewith, saying
that it is contrary to the opinion of intelligent men to embitter
present tranquillity by cares concerning the future:
Why should possessors of
enjoyment and luck
Bear sorrow for fear of
distress?
Go, be merry, my heart-rejoicing
friend.
The pain of tomorrow must
not be eaten today.
And how could I restrain
myself, who am occupying the highest seat of liberality, have
bound the knot of generosity and the fame of whose beneficence
has become the topic of general conversation?
Who has become known for
his liberality and generosity
Must not put a lock upon
his dirhems.
When the name of a good
fellow has spread in a locality
The door cannot be dosed
against it.
When I perceived that he
did not accept my advice and that my warm breath was not taking
effect upon his cold iron, I left off admonishing him and turned
away my face from his companionship, acting according to the
words of philosophers, who said: Impart to them what thou hast
and if they receive it not, it is not thy fault.
Although thou knowest thou
wilt not be heard, say
Whatever thou knowest of
good wishes and advice.
It may soon happen that
thou wilt behold a silly fellow
With both his feet fallen
into captivity,
Striking his hands together,
and saying: ‘Alas,
I have not listened to the
advice of a scholar.’
After some time I saw the
consequences of his dissolute behaviour-which I apprehended-realized.
When I beheld him sewing patch upon patch and gathering crumb
after crumb, my heart was moved with pity for his destitute condition,
in which I did not consider it humane to scratch his internal
wounds with reproaches or to sprinkle salt upon them. Accordingly,
I said to myself:
A foolish fellow in the
height of intoxication
Cares not for the coming
day of distress.
The tree which sheds its
foliage in spring
Will certainly have no leaves
remaining in winter.
Story 6
A padshah entrusted a tutor
with the care of his son, saying: ‘This is thy son. Educate
him as if he were one of thy own children.’ He kept the
prince for some years and strove to instruct him but could effect
nothing, whilst the sons of the tutor made the greatest progress
in accomplishments and eloquence. The king reproved and threatened
the learned man with punishment, telling him that he had acted
contrary to his promise and had been unfaithful. He replied:
‘O king, the instruction is the same but the natures are
different.’
Although both silver and
gold come from stones
All stones do not contain
silver and gold.
Canopus is shining upon
the whole world
But produces in some places
sack-leather and in others adim.
Story 7
I heard a pir-instructor
say to his murid: ‘The mind of man is so much occupied with
thoughts about maintenance that he would surpass the position
of angels if he were to devote as many of them to the giver of
maintenance.’
Yazed has not forgotten
thee at the time
When thou wast sperm, buried,
insensible.
He gave thee a soul, nature,
intellect and perception,
Beauty, speech, opinion,
meditation and acuteness.
He arranged five fingers
on thy fist.
He fixed two arms to thy
shoulders.
O thou whose aspirations
are base, thinkest he will now
Forget to provide thee with
a maintenance?
Story 8
I saw an Arab of the desert
who said to his boy: ‘O son, on the day of resurrection
thou wilt be asked what thou hast gained and not from whom thou
art descended, that is to say, thou wilt be asked what thy merit
is and not who thy father was.’
The covering of the Ka’bah
which is kissed
Has not been ennobled by
the silkworm.
It was some days in company
with a venerable man
Wherefore it became respected
like himself.
Story 9
It is narrated in the compositions
of philosophers that scorpions are not born in the same manner
like other living beings but that they devour the bowels of their
mother and, after gnawing through the belly, betake themselves
to the desert. The skins which may be seen in the nests of scorpions
are the evidence of this. I narrated this story to an illustrious
man who then told me that his own heart bore witness to the truth
of it for the case could not be otherwise inasmuch as they, having
in their infancy dealt thus with their fathers and mothers, they
were beloved and respected in the same manner when they grow
old.
A father thus admonished
his son:
O noble fellow, remember
this advice.
‘Whoever is not faithful
to his origin
Will not become the companion
of happiness.’
A scorpion, having been
asked why he did not go out in winter, replied: ‘What honour
do I enjoy in summer that I should come out also in winter?’
Story 10
The wife of a dervish had
become enceinte and when the time of her confinement was at hand,
the dervish who had no child during all his life said: ‘If
God the most high and glorious presents me with a son, I shall
bestow everything I possess as alms upon dervishes, except this
patched garment of mine which I am wearing.’ It happened
that the infant was a son. He rejoiced and gave a banquet to
the dervishes, as he had promised. Some years afterwards when
I returned from a journey to Syria, I passed near the locality
of the dervish and asked about his circumstances but was told
that he had been put in prison by the police. Asking for the
cause, I was told that his son, having become drunk, quarrelled
and having shed the blood of a man, had fled; whereon his father
was instead of him loaded with a chain on his neck and heavy
fetters on his legs. I replied: ‘He had himself asked God
the most high and glorious for this calamity.’
If pregnant women, O man
of intellect,
Bring forth serpents at
the time of birth,
It is better in the opinion
of the wise
Than to give birth to a
wicked progeny.
Story 11
When I was a child I asked
an illustrious man about puberty. He replied: ‘It is recorded
in books that it has three signs. First, the age of fifteen years;
secondly nocturnal pollutions; and thirdly, sprouting of hair
on the pudenda; but in reality there is only one sign which is
sufficient that thou shouldst seek the approbation of the most
high and glorious rather than to be in the bondage of sensual
pleasures; and whoever does not entertain this disposition is
by erudite men considered not to have attained puberty.’
The form of man was attained
by a drop of water
Which remained forty days
in the womb.
If in forty years it has
not attained sense and propriety
It can in reality not be
called a man.
Virility consists in liberality
and amiableness.
Think not that it is only
in the material figure.
Virtue is necessary because
the form may be painted
In halls with vermilion
or verdigris.
If a man possesses not excellence
and goodness
What is the difference between
him and a picture on the wall?
It is no virtue to gain
the whole world.
Gain the heart of one person
if thou canst.
Story 12
One year discord had arisen
in a caravan among the walking portion and I also travelled on
foot. To obtain justice we attacked each other’s heads and
faces, giving full vent to pugnacity and contention. I saw a
man sitting in a camel litter and saying to his companion: ‘How
wonderful! A pawn of ivory travels across the chess-board and
becomes a farzin, and the footmen of the Haj travelled across
the whole desert only to become worse.’
Tell on my part to the man-biting
Haji
Who tears the skins of people
with torments:
Thou art not a Haji but
a camel is one
Because, poor brute, it
feeds on thorns and bears loads.
Story 13
An Indian who was learning
how to throw naphtha was thus reproved by a sage: ‘This
is not a play for thee whose house is made of reeds.’
Story 14
A little man with a pain
in his eyes went to a farrier to be treated by him. The farrier
applied to his eyes what he used to put in those of quadrupeds
so that the man became blind and lodged a complaint with the
judge who, however, refrained from punishing the farrier, saying:
‘Had this man not been an ass, he would not have gone to
a farrier.’ The moral of this story is to let thee know
that whoever entrusts an inexperienced man with an important
business and afterwards repents is by intelligent persons held
to suffer from levity of intellect.
A shrewd and enlightened
man will not give
Affairs of importance to
a base fellow to transact.
A mat-maker although employed
in weaving
Is not set to work in a
silk-factory.
Story 15
An illustrious man had a
worthy son who died. Being asked what he desired to be written
upon the sarcophagus of the tomb, he replied: ‘The verses
of the glorious book’ are deserving of more honour than
to be written on such a spot, where they would be injured by
the lapse of time, would be walked upon by persons passing by
and urinated upon by dogs. If anything is necessarily to be written,
let what follows suffice:
Wah! How-every time the
plants in the garden
Sprouted-glad became my
heart.
Pass by, O friend, that
in the spring
Thou mayest see plants sprouting
from my loam.’
Story 16
A pious man happened to
pass near a rich fellow who had a slave and was just chastising
him after having tied his feet and hands. He said: ‘My son,
God the most high and glorious has given a creature like thyself
into thy power and has bestowed upon thee superiority over him.
Give thanks to the Almighty and do not indulge in so much violence
towards the man because it is not meet that in the morn of resurrection
he should be better than thyself and put thee to shame.’
Be not much incensed against
a slave.
Oppress him not, grieve
not his heart.
Thou hast purchased him
for ten dirhems
And hast not after all created
him by thy power.
How long is this command,
pride and power to last?
There is a Master more exalted
than thou.
O thou owner of Arslan and
of Aghosh,
Do not forget him who is
thy commander.
There is a tradition that
the prince of the world, upon whom be the benediction of Allah
and peace, has said: ‘It will occasion the greatest sorrow
on the day of resurrection when a pious worshipper is conveyed
to paradise and a lord of profligacy to hell.’
Upon the slave subject to
thy service
Vent not boundless anger
but treat him gently
Because on the day of reckoning
it will be a shame
To see the slave free and
his owner in chains.
Story 17
One year I travelled from
Balkh with Damascenes and the road being full of danger on account
of robbers, a young man accompanied us as an escort. He was expert
with the shield and the bow, handled every weapon and so strong
that ten men were not able to span his bow-string. Moreover the
athletes of the face of the earth could not bend his back down
to the ground. He was, however, rich, brought up in the shade,
without experience in the world, the drum-sounds of warriors
never having reached his ears nor the lightning of the swords
of horsemen dazzled his eyes.
I happened to be running
together with this youth, who threw down by the force of his
arm every wall that came in his way, and pulled up by the strength
of his fist every big tree he saw, exclaiming, boastingly:
On that occasion two Indians
showed their heads from behind a rock, desirous to attack us.
One of them had a club in his hand whilst the other showed a
sling under his arm. I asked our youth what he was waiting for.
Show what thou hast of bravery
and strength
For here is the foe, coming
on his own feet to the grave.
I saw the arrow and bow
falling from the hands of the young man and his bones trembling:
Not everyone who splits
a hair with a cuirass-piercing arrow
Can, on the day of attack
by warriors, extricate his feet.
We saw no other remedy but
to abandon our baggage, arms and clothes, whereby we saved our
lives.
Employ an experienced man
in important affairs
Who is able to ensnare a
fierce lion with his lasso.
A youth, though he may have
a strong arm and elephant-body,
His joints will snap asunder
for fear in contact with a foe.
The issue of a battle is
known by a tried man before the contest
Like the solution of a legal
question to a learned man.
Story 18
I noticed the son of a rich
man, sitting on the grave of his father and quarreling with a
dervish-boy, saying: ‘The sarcophagus of my father’s
tomb is of stone and its epitaph is elegant. The pavement is
of marble, tesselated with turquois-like bricks. But what resembles
thy father’s grave? It consists of two contiguous bricks
with two handfuls of mud thrown over it.’ The dervish-boy
listened to all this and then observed: ‘By the time thy
father is able to shake off those heavy stones which cover him,
mine will have reached paradise.’
An ass with a light burden
No doubt walks easily.
A dervish who carries only
the load of poverty
Will also arrive lightly
burdened at the gate of death
Whilst he who lived in happiness,
wealth and ease
Will undoubtedly on all
these accounts die hard.
At all events, a prisoner
who escapes from all his bonds
Is to be considered more
happy than an amir taken prisoner.
Story 19
I asked an illustrious man
for the reason of the tradition: Account as an enemy the passion
which is between thy two loins. He replied: ‘The reason
is because whatever enemy thou propitiatest becomes thy friend,
whereas the more thou indulgest in a passion, the more it will
oppose thee.’
Man attains angelic nature
by eating sparingly
But if he be voracious like
beasts he falls like a stone.
He whose wishes thou fulfillest
will obey thy command
Contrary to passion, which
will command, when obeyed.
Story 20
Contention of Sa’di
with a Disputant concerning Wealth and Poverty
I saw a man in the form
but not with the character of a dervish, sitting in an assembly,
who had begun a quarrel; and, having opened the record of complaints,
reviled wealthy men, alleging at last that the hand of power
of dervishes to do good was tied and that the foot of the intention
of wealthy men to do good was broken.
I, who had been cherished
by the wealth of great men, considered these words offensive
and said: ‘My good friend, the rich are the income of the
destitute and the hoarded store of recluses, the objects of pilgrims,
the refuge of travellers, the bearers of heavy loads for the
relief of others. They give repasts and partake of them to feed
their dependants and servants, the surplus of their liberalities
being extended to widows, aged persons, relatives and neighbours.’
The rich must spend for
pious uses, vows and hospitality,
Tithes, offerings, manumissions,
gifts and sacrifices.
How canst thou attain their
power of doing good who art able
To perform only the prayer-flections
and these with a hundred distractions?
If there be efficacy in
the power to be liberal and in the ability of performing religious
duties, the rich can attain it better because they possess money
to give alms, their garments are pure, their reputation is guarded,
their hearts are at leisure. Inasmuch as the power of obedience
depends upon nice morsels and correct worship upon elegant clothes,
it is evident that hungry bowels have but little strength, an
empty hand can afford no liberality, shackled feet cannot walk,
and no good can come from a hungry belly.
He sleeps troubled in the
night
Who has no support for the
morrow.
The ant collects in summer
a subsistence
For spending the winter
in ease.
Freedom from care and destitution
are not joined together and comfort in poverty is an impossibility.
A man who is rich is engaged in his evening devotions whilst
another who is poor is looking for his evening meal. How can
they resemble each other?
The worship of those who
are comfortable is more likely to meet with acceptance, their
minds being more attentive and not distracted or scattered. Having
a secure income, they may attend to devotion. The Arab says:
‘I take refuge with Allah against base poverty and neighbours
whom I do not love. There is also a tradition: Poverty is blackness
of face in both worlds.’ He retorted by asking me whether
I had heard the Prophet’s saying: Poverty is my glory. I
replied: ‘Hush! The prince of the world alluded to the poverty
of warriors in the battlefield of acquiescence and of submission
to the arrow of destiny; not to those who don the patched garb
of righteousness but sell the doles of food given them as alms.’
O drum of high sound and
nothing within,
What wilt thou do without
means when the struggle comes?
Turn away the face of greed
from people if thou art a man.
Trust not the rosary of
one thousand beads in thy hand.
A dervish without divine
knowledge rests not until his poverty, culminates in unbelief;
for poverty is almost infidelity, because a nude person cannot
be clothed without money nor a prisoner liberated. How can the
like of us attain their high position and how does the bestowing
resemble the receiving hand? Knowest thou not that God the most
high and glorious mentions in his revealed word the Pleasures
of paradise-They shall have a certain provision in paradise-to
inform thee that those who are occupied with cares for a subsistence
are excluded from the felicity of piety and that the realm of
leisure is under the ring of the certain provision.
Wherever thou beholdest
one who has experienced destitution and tasted bitterness, throwing
himself wickedly into fearful adventures and not avoiding their
consequences, he fears not the punishment of Yazed and does not
discriminate between what is licit or illicit.
The dog whose head is touched
by a clod of earth
Leaps for joy, imagining
it to be a bone.
And when two men take a
corpse on their shoulders,
A greedy fellow supposes
it to be a table with food.
But the possessor of wealth
is regarded with a favourable eye by the Almighty for the lawful
acts he has done and preserved from the unlawful acts he might
commit. Although I have not fully explained this matter nor adduced
arguments, I rely on thy sense of justice to tell me whether
thou hast ever seen a mendicant with his hands tied up to his
shoulders or a poor fellow sitting in prison or a veil of innocence
rent or a guilty hand amputated, except in consequence of poverty?
Lion-hearted men were on account of their necessities captured
in mines which they had dug to rob houses and their heels were
perforated. It is also possible that a dervish, impelled by the
cravings of his lust and unable to restrain it, may commit sin
because the stomach and the sexual organs are twins, that is
to say, they are the two children of one belly and as long as
one of these is contented, the other will likewise be satisfied.
I heard that a dervish had been seen committing a wicked act
with a youth, and although he had been put to shame, he was also
in danger of being stoned. He said: ‘O Musalmans, I have
no power to marry a wife and no patience to restrain myself.
What am I to do? There is no monasticism in Islam.” Among
the number of causes producing internal tranquility and comfort
in wealthy people, the fact may be reckoned that they take every
night a sweetheart in their arms and may every day contemplate
a youth whose brightness excels that of the shining morn and
causes the feet of walking cypresses to conceal themselves abashed.
Plunging the fist into the
blood of beloved persons,
Dying the finger-tips with
the colour of the jujube-fruit.
It is impossible that with
his beauteous stature he should prowl around prohibited things
or entertain intentions of ruin to himself.
How could he who took as
booty a Huri of paradise
Take any notice of the benes
of Yaghma?
Who has before him fresh
dates which he loves
Has no need to throw stones
on clusters upon trees.
Mostly empty handed persons
pollute the skirt of modesty by transgression, and those who
are hungry steal bread.
What a number of modest
women have on account of poverty fallen into complete profligacy,
throwing away their precious reputation to the wind of dishonour!
Whilst I was uttering these
words, the dervish lost the bridle of patience from his hands,
drew forth the sword of his tongue, caused the steed of eloquence
to caper in the plain of reproach and said: ‘Thou hast been
so profuse in this panegyric of wealthy men and hast talked so
much nonsense that they might be supposed to be the antidote
to poverty or the key to the storehouse of provisions; whereas
they are a handful of proud, arrogant, conceited and abominable
fellows intent upon accumulating property and money and so thirsting
for dignity and abundance, that they do not speak to poor people
except with insolence, and look upon them with contempt. They
consider scholars to be mendicants and insult poor men on account
of the wealth which they themselves possess and the glory of
dignity which they imagine is inherent in them. They sit in the
highest places and believe they are better than anyone else.
They never show kindness to anybody and are ignorant of the maxim
of sages that he who is inferior to others in piety but superior
in riches is outwardly powerful but in reality a destitute man.
If a wretch on account of
his wealth is proud to a sage
Consider him to be the podex
of an ass, though he may be a perfumed ox.’
I said: ‘Do not think
it allowable to insult them for they are possessors of generosity.’
He rejoined: ‘Thou art mistaken. They are slaves of money.
Of what use is it that they are like bulky clouds and rain not,
like the fountain of light, the sun, and shine upon no one? They
are mounted on the steed of ability but do not use it; they would
not stir a step for God’s sake nor spend one dirhem without
imposing obligation and insult. They accumulate property with
difficulty, guard it with meanness and abandon it with reluctance,
according to the saying of illustrious men that the silver of
an avaricious man will come up from the ground when he goes into
the ground.
I retorted: ‘Thou hast
not become aware of the parsimony of wealthy men except by reason
of mendicancy or else, to him who has laid aside covetousness,
a liberal and an avaricious man would appear to be the same.
The touchstone knows what gold is and the beggar knows him who
is stingy.’ He rejoined: ‘I am speaking from experience
when I say that they station rude and insolent men at their gates
to keep off worthy persons, to place violent hands upon men of
piety and discretion, saying: “Nobody is here”, and
verily they have spoken the truth.’
Of him who has no sense,
intention, plan or opinion,
The gatekeeper has beautifully
said: ‘No one is in the house.’
I said this is excusable
because they are teased out of their lives by people expecting
favours and driven to lamentation by petitions of mendicants;
it being according to common sense an impossibility to satisfy
beggars even if the sand of the desert were to be transmuted
into pearls.
Hatim Tai dwelt in the desert;
had he been in a town he would have been helpless against the
assaults of beggars and they would have torn to pieces his upper
garments as it is recorded in the Tayibat:
He said: ‘No. I take
pity on their state.’ I replied: ‘No. Thou enviest
them their wealth.’ We were thus contending with each other,
every pawn he put forward I endeavoured to repel, and every time
he announced check to my king, I covered him with my queen until
he had gambled away all his ready cash and had shot off all the
arrows of his quiver in arguing.
Have a care; do not throw
away the shield when attacked by an orator
Who has nothing except borrowed
eloquence to show,
Practise thou religion and
marifet because a Suja-speaking orator
Displays weapons at the
gate but no one is in the fort.
At last no arguments remained
to him and, having been defeated, he commenced to speak nonsense
as is the custom of ignorant men who, when they can no more address
proofs against their opponent, shake the chain of enmity like
the idol-carver Azer who being unable to overcome his son in
argument began to quarrel with him saying if thou forbearest
not I will surely stone thee. The man insulted me. I spoke harshly
to him. He tore my collar and I caught hold of his chin-case.
He falling upon me and I
on him,
Crowds running after us
and laughing,
The finger of astonishment
of a world
On the teeth; from what
was said and heard by us.
In short we carried our
dispute to the qazi and agreed to abide by a just decision of
the judge of Musalmans, who would investigate the affair and
tell the difference between the rich and the poor. When the qazi
had seen our state and heard our logic, he plunged his head into
his collar and after meditating for a while spoke as follows:
‘O thou, who hast lauded the wealthy and hast indulged in
violent language towards dervishes, thou art to know that wherever
a rose exists, there also thorns occur; that wine is followed
by intoxication, that a treasure is guarded by a serpent, and
that wherever royal pearls are found, men-devouring sharks must
also be. The sting of death is the sequel of the delights of
life and a cunning demon bars the enjoyment of paradise.
‘What will the violence
of a foe do if it cannot touch the seeker of the Friend?
Treasure, serpent; rose,
thorn; grief and pleasure are all linked together.
‘Perceivest thou not
that in a garden there are musk-willows as well as withered sticks?
And likewise in the crowd of the rich there are grateful and
impious men, as also in the circle of dervishes some are forbearing
and some are impatient.
‘Those near to the
presence of the most high and glorious are rich men with the
disposition of dervishes and dervishes with the inclination of
the rich. The greatest of rich men is he who sympathizes with
dervishes and the best of dervishes is he who looks but little
towards rich men. Who trusts in Allah, he will be his sufficient
support.’
After this the qazi turned
the face of reproof from me to the dervish and said: ‘O
thou who hast alleged that the wealthy are engaged in wickedness
and intoxicated with pleasure, some certainly are of the kind
thou hast described; of defective aspirations, and ungrateful
for benefits received. Sometimes they accumulate and put by,
eat and give not; if for instance the rain were to fail or a
deluge were to distress the world, they, trusting in their own
power, would not care for the misery of dervishes, would not
fear God and would say:
If another perishes for
want of food
I have some; what cares
a duck for the deluge?
The women riding on camels
in their howdahs
Take no notice of him who
sinks in the sana.
The base when they have
saved their own blankets
Say: What boots it if all
mankind perishes?
‘There are people of
the kind thou hast heard of, and other persons who keep the table
of beneficence spread out, the hand of liberality open, seeking
a good name and pardon from God. They are the possessors of this
world and of the next, like the slaves of His Majesty Padshah
of the world who is aided by devine grace, conqueror, possessor
of authority among nations, defender of the frontiers of Islam,
heir of the realm of Solomon, the most righteous of the kings
of the period, Muzaffar-ud-dunia wa uddin Atabek Abu Bekr Ben
Sa’d Ben Zanki, may Allah prolong his days and aid his banners.
‘A father never shows
the kindness to his son
Which the hand of thy liberality
has bestowed on mankind.
God desired to vouchsafe
a blessing to the world
And in his mercy made thee
padshah of the world.’
When the qazi had thus far
protracted his remarks and had caused the horse of his eloquence
to roam beyond the limits of our expectation, we submitted to
his judicial decision, condoned to each other what had passed
between us, took the path of reconciliation, placed our heads
on each other’s feet by way of apology, kissed each other’s
head and face, terminating the discussion with the following
two distichs:
Complain not of the turning
of the spheres, O dervish,
Because thou wilt be luckless
if thou diest in this frame of mind.
O wealthy man, since thy
heart and hand are successful
Eat and be liberal for thou
hast conquered this world and the next.
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