Original content

English translation

A wise man was riding along on a horse; a snake was going into the mouth of a sleeping man. The rider saw it and hurried, but found no chance to drive the snake away. Because reason gave him abundant help, he struck the sleeper several hard blows with a mace. The blows of that hard mace drove him away; he fled from the rider to beneath a tree. Many rotten apples had fallen there. The rider said, “Eat these, you wretch caught in pain.” He made him eat so many apples that they kept falling back out of his mouth. He cried, “O emir, why have you set upon me, though you have seen no wrong from me? If you have an original quarrel with my life, strike once with your sword and spill my blood. Cursed be the hour when I appeared before you; blessed is the one who has not seen your face. Without crime or sin, in no respect, even unbelievers would not deem this oppression lawful. Blood leaps from my mouth as I speak; O God, repay him at last.” Each moment he uttered a fresh curse, while the rider beat him, saying, “Run in this desert.” From the mace blows and the rider like the wind, he ran and again fell on his face. He was full, sleepy, and weak; his feet and face received countless wounds. Until evening the rider kept dragging and driving him, until vomiting from bile came upon him. From him came up what he had eaten, foul and fair; the snake leapt out of him with those foods. When he saw that snake outside himself, he prostrated before that benefactor. When he saw the terror of that black, ugly, huge snake, all those pains left him. He said, “You are surely Gabriel of mercy, or God, who are the patron of blessing. Blessed the hour when I saw you; I was dead, and you gave me new life. You were seeking me like mothers, while I fled from you like asses. An ass flees from its master out of stupidity; its owner follows from noble nature, not seeking profit or loss, but lest wolf or beast tear it. Blessed is the one who sees your face, or suddenly falls into your lane. O pure spirit, praised be you; how much nonsense and idle talk I spoke to you. O lord and king and emir, I did not speak; my ignorance spoke, so do not count it against me. Had I known even a scent of this state, how could I have spoken idly? I would have praised you much, O fine-natured one, if you had told me one sign of the situation. But you kept silent and agitated me; silently you struck me on the head. My head became dazed and reason sprang from it, especially this head, whose brain is scant. Forgive me, fair-faced, good-doing one; pass over what I said in madness.” He said, “If I had told you a sign of it, your gall would have turned to water at that moment. If I had told you the snake’s qualities, fear would have destroyed your life. Mustafa said, ‘If I were to tell truly the description of that enemy that is in your soul, the gallbladders of the brave-hearted too would burst; one would neither travel the path nor care about any work. His heart would have no endurance for supplication, nor his body strength for fasting and prayer. He would be laid low like a mouse before a cat; like a lamb before a wolf he would bolt from his place. No stratagem or method would remain in him.’ So I nurture you without telling you. Like Bu Bakr the rebab-player, I keep silent; like David, I put my hand into iron, so that the impossible may become an actuality by my hand and a bird with plucked wings may gain wings. Since ‘the hand of God is above their hands,’ the One called our hand His own hand. Therefore my hand has surely become long, passing beyond the seventh heaven. My hand showed skill upon the firmament; reciter, read, ‘The moon was split.’ This description too is only for the weakness of intellects; with the weak, how can explaining power be fitting? You yourself will know when you raise your head from sleep. It is finished, and God knows best what is right. You had neither strength to eat nor path and concern for vomiting. I heard your abuse and drove the ass on, reciting ‘Lord, make it easy’ under my breath. I had no permission to state the cause, and I had no power to abandon you. Each moment, from inward pain, I said, ‘Guide my people, for they do not know.’” The one freed from suffering made prostrations, saying, “O felicity, O my fortune and treasure, may you find rewards from God, noble one; this weak man has no strength to thank you. May God thank you, O leader; I do not have those lips and chin and that melody.” Such is the enmity of the wise; their poison is the soul’s delight. The friendship of the fool is suffering and error; hear this tale as an example.