Chapter 1 part 3

Story 29

A vezier paid a visit to Zulnun Misri and asked for his favour, saying: 'I am day and night engaged in the service of the sultan and hoping to be rewarded but nevertheless dread to be punished by him.' Zulnun wept and said: 'Had I feared God, the great and glorious, as thou fearest the sultan, I would be one of the number of the righteous.'

If there were no hope of rest and trouble

The foot of the dervish would be upon the sphere

And if the vezier feared God

Like the king he would be king.

Story 30

A padshah having issued orders to kill an innocent man, the latter said: 'O king, seek not thine own injury on account of the anger thou bearest towards me.' He asked: 'How?' The man replied: 'This punishment will abide with me one moment but the sin of it for ever with thee.'

The period of life has passed away like the desert wind. Bitter and sweet, ugliness and beauty have passed away. The tyrant fanded he had done injury to us. It remained on his neck and passed away from us.

This admonition having taken effect, the king spared his blood.

Story 31

The veziers of Nushirvan happened to discuss an important affair of state, each giving his opinion according to his knowledge. The king likewise gave his opinion and Barzachumihr concurred with it. Afterwards the veziers secretly asked him: 'What superiority hast thou discovered in the opinion of the king above so many other reflections of wise men?' The philosopher replied: 'Since the termination of the affair is unknown and it depends upon the will of God whether the opinion of the others will turn out right or wrong, it was better to agree with the opinion of the king so that, if it should turn out to have been wrong, we may, on account of having followed it, remain free from blame.'

To proffer an opinion contrary to the king's Means to wash the hands in one's own blood. Should he in plain day say it is night, It is meet to shout: 'Lo, the moon and the pleiads!'

Story 32

An impostor arranged his hair in a peculiar fashion, pretended to be a descendant of A'li and entered the town with a caravan from the Hejaz, saying that he had just arrived from a pilgrimage. He also presented an elegy to the king, alleging that he had himself composed it. One of the king's courtiers, who had that year returned from a journey, said: 'I have seen him at Bosrah on the Azhah festival, then how can he be a Haji?' Another said: 'His father was a Christian at Melitah. How can he be a

descendant of A'li? And his poetry has been found in the Divan of Anvari.' The king ordered him to be beaten and expelled the country for his great mendacity. The man said: '0 lord of the surface of the earth, I shall say something more and, if it is not true, I shall deserve any punishment which thou mayest decree.' He asked: 'What is it?'

When a stranger brings before thee buttermilk

Two measures of it will be water and a spoonful sour milk.

If thou hast heard heedless talk from thy slave, be not offended.

A man who has seen the world utters much falsehood.

The king laughed, told him that all his life he had not uttered more true words than these and ordered the present which the fellow hoped for to be got ready.

Story 33

One of the veziers of a king treated his subordinates with kindness and sought the goodwill of his colleagues. Once he happened to be called to account by the king for something he had done whereon his colleagues endeavoured to effect his liberation. Those who guarded him treated him leniently and the great men expatiated upon his good character to the padshah till he renounced all further inquiry. A pious man who took cognizance of this affair said:

'In order to gain the hearts of friends Sell even the garden of thy father. In order to boil the pot of well-wishers Burn even all the furniture of the house. Do good even to a malevolent fellow. Tie up the mouth of the dog with a sop.'

Story 34

One of the sons of Harun-ur-Rashid went to his father and angrily informed him that the son of an official had used insulting expressions towards him whereon Harun asked his courtiers what requital he deserved. One of them proposed capital punishment, another the amputation of the tongue whilst a third recommended fine and imprisonment. Then Harun said: 'Oh my son, it would be generous to pardon him but, if thou art unable to do so, use likewise insulting expressions concerning his mother; not however to such a degree as to exceed the bounds of vengeance because in that case the wrong will be on thy side.'

He is not reputed a man by the wise Who contends with a furious elephant But he is a man in reality Who when angry speaks not idle words.

An ill-humoured fellow insulted a man

Who patiently bore it saying: 'O hopeful youth,

I am worse than thou speakest of me

For I am more conscious of my faults than thou.'

Story 35

I was sitting in a vessel with a company of great men when a boat which contained two brothers happened to sink near us. One of the great men promised a hundred dinars to a sailor if he could save them both. Whilst however the sailor was pulling out one, the other perished. I said: 'He had no longer to live and therefore delay took place in rescuing him.' The sailor smiled and replied: 'What thou hast said is certain. Moreover, I preferred to save this one because, when I once-happened to lag behind in the desert, he seated me on his camel, whereas I had received a whipping by the hands of the other. When I was a boy I recited: He, who doth right, doth it to his own soul and he, who doth evil, doth it against the same.'

As long as thou canst, scratch the interior of no one Because there are thorns on this road. Be helpful in the affairs of a dervish Because thou also hast affairs.

Story 36

There were two brothers: one of them in the service of the sultan and the other gaining his livelihood by the effort of his arm. The wealthy man once asked his destitute brother why he did not serve the sultan in order to be delivered from the hardship of labouring. He replied: 'Why labourest thou not to be delivered from the baseness of service because philosophers have said that it is better to eat barley bread and to sit than to gird oneself with a golden belt and to stand in service?'

To leaven mortar of quicklime with the hand

Is better than to hold them on the breast before the amir.

My precious life was spent in considering What I am to eat in summer and wear in winter. O ignoble belly, be satisfied with one bread Rather than to bend the back in service.

Story 37

Someone had brought information to Nushirvan the just that an enemy of his had been removed from this world by God the most high. He asked: 'Hast thou heard anything about his intending to spare me?'

There is no occasion for our rejoicing at a foe's death Because our own life will also not last for ever.

Story 38

A company of philosophers were discussing a subject in the palace of Kesra and Barzachumihr, having remained silent, they asked him why he took no share in the debate. He replied: 'Veziers are like physicians and the latter give medicine to the sick only but, as I perceive that your opinions are in conformity with propriety, I have nothing to say about them.' When an affair succeeds without my idle talk It is not meet for me to speak thereon. But if I see a blind man near a well It is a crime for me to remain silent.

Story 39

Harun-ur-Rashid said when the country of Egypt was surrendered to him: 'In contrast to the rebel who had in his arrogance of being sovereign of Egypt pretended to be God, I shall bestow this country upon the meanest of my slaves.' He had a stupid negro, Khosaib by name, whom he made governor of Egypt but his intellect and discrimination were so limited that when the tribe of Egyptian agriculturists complained and stated that they had sown cotton along the banks of the Nile and that an untimely rain had destroyed it he replied: 'You ought to have sown wool.' A pious man heard this, and said:

'If livelihood were increased by knowledge None would be more needy than the ignorant. Nevertheless the ignorant receive a livelihood At which the learned stand aghast. The luck of wealth consists not in skill But only in the aid of heaven. It happens in the world that many Silly men are honoured and sages despised. If an alchemist has died in grief and misery, A fool discovered a treasure amidst ruins.'

Story 40

A Chinese slave-girl having been brought to a king, he desired to have connection with her whilst in a state of intoxication but, as she repelled him, he became angry and presented her to one of his negro- slaves whose upper lip was higher than his nostrils whilst the lower one hung down to his neck. His stature was such that the demon Sakhrah would have been put to flight and a fountain of pitch emitted stench from his armpits.

Thou wouldst say that, till the resurrection, ugliness Is his stamp as that of Joseph was beauty. His person was of so wretched an aspect That his ugliness surpassed all description And from his armpits we take refuge with Allah, They were like a corpse in the month of Merdad.

At that time the desire of the negro was libidinous, his lust overcame him, his love leapt up and he took off the seal of her virginity. In the morning the king sought the girl but could not find her and, having obtained information of what had taken place, he became angry, ordered the negro and the girl to be firmly tied together by their hands and feet and to be thrown from the lofty building into a ditch. One of the veziers, placing the face of intercession upon the ground, pleaded that there was no guilt in the negro since all the servants of his majesty usually receive presents and benefits as he had received the girl. The king rejoined: 'What would it have mattered if he had for one night delayed his

enjoyment?' He said: 'My lord, hast thou not heard that it was said:

When a man with a burning thirst reaches a limpid spring, Think not that he will care for a mad elephant. When a hungry infidel is in an empty house at table Reason will not believe that he cares for the Ramazan.'

The king, being pleased with this sally, exclaimed: 'I make thee a present of the negro. What am I to do with the girl?' He replied: 'Give the girl to the negro because that half is also due to a dog of which he has consumed the other half.'

The thirsty heart does not wish for limpid water Half of which was consumed by a fetid mouth.

How can the king's hand again touch An orange after it has fallen into dung?

Story 41

Iskandur Rumi, having been asked how he had conquered the east and the west, considering that the treasures, territories, reigns and armies of former kings exceeded his own and they had not gained such a victory, replied: 'Whatever country I conquered by the aid of God the most high, I abstained from distressing its population and spoke nothing but good of the king.'

The intelligent will not call him great Who speaks ill of the great.

All this is nothing as it passes away:

Throne and luck, command and prohibition, taking and giving.

Injure not the name of those who have passed away

In order that thy own name may subsist.'