And yet there's no resemblance in their motions loth. Thou'rt sorry that thou shakedst that man's hand anon, When thou seest him annoyed at what thou'st just nov done."
A question 'tis of judgment; judgment shrewdness is, 130 Until some weakness intervene to mar all this.
A question, now, of judgment as to corals, pearls,
Is not the same as one about the soul, you churls.
A question of the soul's another matter quite;
The wine that feeds the soul comes not from grapes, black, white.
When any matter is a question of judgment,
'Umer with Abu-Jahl's in one predicament.
'Umer gave up his judgment; rested on his soul. 'Bu-Jahl received this name through lack of self-control.1 In sense and reason Abu-Jahl a master was;
135 But as to soul, in ignorance he fell, alas!
Of sense and reason questions are cause and effect;
But miracles and wonders show soul is a fact.
Enlightenment of soul, whatever it may see.
By quibbles of school logic cannot silenced be.
We now return again our tale to take in hand,
Though certainly we've never left it out of mind.
In ignorance, our souls are in God's prison chained.
In wisdom, by God's help, their liberty's regained.
In sleep, God's lethargy it is in which we sink.
140 Awake, we're in God's hands, whatever we may think.
In weeping, we are clouds from which His mercy flows.
In laughter, we're the flash with which His lightning glows.
1 'Bū is often used as a contraction for Abū. Abu-Jahl (Father of Ignorance) was a nickname (see Tale iv. dist. 48, note) given by Muhammed to 'Amr, son of Hisham, a chief of
the Quraysh, his bitter enemy, for merly entitled Abu-'l-Hakem (Father of the Arbitrator). He was killed, a pagan, in the battle of Bedr, in the second year of the Hijra, A.D. 624.
anger, we're reflections of the wrath of God. In amity, the mirrors of His favour's nod.
What are we in this world? All tortuous and bent.
There is not one upright, straightforward, innocent.
Cæsar's ambassador no sooner 'Umer heard,
Than light broke on his heart; at which he stroked his
beard.
All questions and all answers from his mind went quite;
All sense of right and wrong had vanished from his sight. 145
He'd found the source; what need, then, of the streams?
To gather further wisdom, pondering on the means,
He said: "Umer, pray tell me what's the end and use
Of shutting up that thing of light in darkness' house?
How can clear water be expected from black mud?
Why then is the pure soul combined with flesh and
blood?"
He answered: "Most important question hast thou raised.
A sense, a spirit, by the letter paraphrased.
The free, the jocund spirit prisoner thou'st made;
As though the mind, the air, could into letter fade.
Thou hast done this for explanation's sake,-1
Thou, who beyond the explanation place wouldst take.
How should the man in whom the explanation's gleamed,
Not yet distinguish what's to me so clearly beamed?
Ten thousand explanations are there, each of which
Is most momentous,-than ten thousand others, rich.
With that, thy speech, now compoundly particular,
A universal explanation were,-no bar.
Thou art a partial,-seekest explanation still;
Why set thyself, then, to deny th' universal?
Unless thy speech contain some use, propound it not ;
And if it have, objection quit; give what thou'st got.
1 The word rendered by "explanation" here, means also information, and use, advantage, profit, benefit, &c.
Thanks are incumbent upon every mortal's head;
Contention and sour looks are surely no one's bread.
If to put on sour looks, of thankfulness sign be,
Then vinegar the sweetest-spoken thing we'd see.
If vinegar desire to hearts a way to find,
It oxymel becomes, with honey sweet combined.
True, verse is not best vehicle for sense abstract.
160 It's like a sling; one's never certain how 't will act."
Th' ambassador his senses lost with this one cup
Of wine spiritual. His mission he gave up.
O'erwhelmed with wonder at the power of God, he fell
He came ambassador; now sovereign was, as well.
A river overflooded constitutes a lake.
Some grains, when sown in earth, a field of corn can make.
When eaten, bread assimilated is by man,
That bread inanimate takes life, and reason can.
When wood or candle is made victim unto fire,
165 Its substance dark becomes a source of light entire.
Black stibium, a stone, when placed in human eye,
Expands the power of vision, objects can descry.
Good luck to him who's saved from his own fleshly self,
And has become a parcel of some living elf.
Alas for him, who, living, sits among the dead.
He's dead himself, his life from out of him has fled.
If thou take refuge in the Qur'an, God's own book, With spirit of Muhammed thou'lt soon exchange look. The Qur'an is the essence of all prophets right. 170 They were the whales who swam in ocean of God's might. If thou canst read or not, the Qur'an take to heart, The saints and prophets study; they were as thou art. Read thou it carefully; read, mark, digest its tales; Thy soul, like bird in cage, will long to break its rails.
The bird shut up, imprisoned in a little cage,
That seeks not to get out, is ignorant, not sage.
The souls who've freed themselves from cages of the flesh,
Are worthy fellow-travellers with prophets, fresh.
Their voices they lift up, religion to impart:
"The way of sure deliverance is here. Take heart!
Religion hath us saved from fleshly cages, sure.
No other way is there, salvation to secure.
You then upon yourselves will chastisements inflict,
That you may be delivered from the world's respect.'
Respect of mortal man a heavy fetter is;
Within religion's path the gravest bond is this.
Consider well this tale, ingenuous young friend;
'Twill teach thee many lessons may thy morals mend.
The Merchant and the Parrot.
A MERCHANT there was, who a parrot did own;
Confined in a cage, wisest bird in the town.
This merchant to journeying made up his mind
To fair Hindustan, there some rich wares to find.
From generous motives, to each of his slaves,
To male, and to female, some gift to bring craves.
He made them all tell him what best they would like;
And promised to bring it, most gentlemanlike.
He said to the parrot: "Poll! Poll! With the rest,
5 From Hind I must bring thee what thou mayst like best."
The parrot replied: "Sure, thou'lt see parrots there,
To them pray impart how it is that I fare.
Inform them, a parrot who loves them all well,
By thee's kept confined, close shut up in a cell.
He sends you his love, and his very best wish;
Desiring from you wise advice, parrotish.
He fears he may pine, through longing to see
His dear absent friends,-die in foreign countree.
He asks if it is altogether thing fit,
10 That he should be caged, while you on the trees sit.
If this is the way in which true friends should act;
Leave him in his cage, while you forests affect.
He wishes you'd call to your mind your lost friend,
When drinking your bumpers, ere fieldward you wend.1
1 Literally, "your morning cup," drunk at dawn ere leaving a house.
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