In Jami's *Haft Awrang*, the narrative of Avicenna treating a prince with melancholia (who believed he was a cow) demonstrates an early implementation of psychotherapeutic intervention. Rather than directly opposing the patient's delusion, Avicenna entered the patient's reality by pretending to be a butcher, diagnosing the 'cow' as too thin to be slaughtered. This strategic validation encouraged the patient to eat and eventually led to his cure, highlighting medieval Persian insights into psychosomatic medicine and cognitive reframing.

Google

## Original content
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right; line-height: 2; margin-top: 0.5rem;">

بود در عهد بوعلی سینا 
آن به کنه اصول طب بینا
ز آل بویه یکی ستوده خصال 
شد ز ماخولیا پریشان حال
بانگ می زد که کم بود در ده 
هیچ گاوی به سان من فربه
آشپز گر پزد هریسه ز من 
گرددش گنج سیم کیسه ز من
زود باشید و حلق من ببرید 
به دکان هریسه پز سپرید
صبح تا شام حال او این بود 
با حریفان مقال او این بود
نگذشتی ز روز و شب دانگی 
که چو گاوان نبودیش بانگی
که به زودی به کارد یا خنجر 
بکشیدم که می شوم لاغر
تا به جایی رسید کو نه غذا 
خورد از دست هیچ کس نه دوا
اهل طب راه عجز بسپردند 
استعانت به بوعلی بردند
گفت سویش قدم نهید از راه 
مژده گویان که بامداد پگاه
که رسد بهر کشتنت به شتاب 
شنه در دست خواجه قصاب
رفت ازین مژده زور گرانیها 
کرد اظهار شادمانی ها
بامدادان که بوعلی برخاست 
شد سوی منزلش که گاو کجاست
آمد و خفت در میان سرای 
که منم گاو هان و هان پیش آی
بوعلی دست و پاش سخت ببست 
کارد بر کارد تیز کرد و نشست
برد قصاب وار کف سویش 
دید هنجار پشت و پهلویش
گفت کین گاو لاغر است هنوز 
مصلحت نیست کشتنش امروز
چند روزیش بر علف بندید 
یک زمانش گرسنه مپسندید
تا چو فربه شود برانم تیغ 
نبود افسوس ذبح او و دریغ
دست و پایش ز بند بگشادند 
خوردنی هاش پیش بنهادند
هر چه دادندش از غذا و دوا 
همه را خورد بی خلاف و ابا
تا چو گاوان ازان شود فربه 
شد خود او از خیال گاوی به

</div>

## English translation
In the era of Avicenna,
who was deeply insightful of the principles of medicine,
there was a praiseworthy person of the Buyid dynasty
who fell into a distraught state due to melancholia.
He would cry out, 'There is rarely in this village
any cow as fat as me!
If the cook makes a stew of my meat,
his purse will be filled with a treasure of silver from me.
Hurry and cut my throat,
and deliver me to the shop of the stew-maker!'
From morning till evening, this was his condition,
and this was his speech with his companions.
Not a moment of day or night would pass
without him making a lowing sound like cows,
crying, 'Kill me quickly with a knife or dagger,
for I am growing thin!'
Until it reached a point where he would neither eat food
nor take medicine from anyone's hand.
The practitioners of medicine trod the path of helplessness,
and sought assistance from Avicenna.
He told them, 'Go to him
and give him the glad tidings that at early dawn,
the master butcher will arrive in haste to slaughter him,
with a sharp blade in his hand.'
Upon hearing these glad tidings, his heavy grief departed,
and he expressed great joy.
In the morning, when Avicenna arose,
he went to his house asking, 'Where is the cow?'
The man came and lay down in the middle of the courtyard,
saying, 'I am the cow! Lo and behold, step forward!'
Avicenna bound his hands and feet tightly,
sharpened knife against knife, and sat down.
Like a butcher, he reached his hands toward him,
inspected the condition of his back and flanks,
and said, 'This cow is still lean;
it is not wise to slaughter it today.
Fodder it for a few days,
and do not let it remain hungry for a moment,
so that when it becomes fat, I may draw the blade,
and there will be no regret or pity in its slaughter.'
They untied his hands and feet,
and placed food before him.
Whatever they gave him of food and medicine,
he consumed all without any opposition or refusal,
so that he might become fat like a cow;
and through this, he recovered from the delusion of being a cow.

بخش ۴۵ - معالجه کردن ابوعلی سینا آن صاحب ماخولیا را که طبیبان از معالجه وی عاجز مانده بودند / Section 45 - Avicenna's Treatment of the Melancholic Man Whom the Physicians Were Unable to Cure

Root URL: https://ganjoor.net/
Source URL: https://ganjoor.net/

This Reference node represents the source used by the Literature-to-1Cademy migration agent.

Learn Before

Related