Original content

English translation

It was in the time of Moses, the Interlocutor, There was Barkh the Black, heartsick, with a heart in two halves. Such verdure was in Barkh, That from his blackness, the face of religion was red. Affairs went to ruin for the Children of Israel, Because an evident drought had arrived. A dreadful famine cast its shadow, The people were about to fall into ruin. The people came to Moses all together, So that perhaps he might go out to pray for rain. Moses went to the desert restlessly, And sought rain from the Almighty God. He began the prayer for rain, And opened his White Hand in supplication. Though he said many prayers at that time, No trace of it appeared in the world. Moses went again another time, The matter did not succeed the other time either. The people were about to perish in that hardship, Moses went and said, 'O Pure Knower, What is the medicine so the cure may appear? What is the command so rain may appear?' God Almighty spoke to Moses in secret: 'If your people are in need of rain, I have a servant who should say a prayer, From his prayer, the need will be fulfilled.' Moses came back to seek that servant, He saw Barkh, that blessed servant. He said to Barkh, 'O gentle, renowned one, Since famine has become apparent to the world, Trouble yourself to go to the desert tomorrow morning, And ask God for rain clouds, Because if this drought remains like this, The life of the world's people will come to an end.' The next day, Barkh came to the plain, Then a world of people gathered around him. He said, 'O Lord, do not drag the people into blood, Do not drag them into a different suffering every moment. Since You raised the people from the dust, Why did You ultimately leave them hungry? Either You should not have created the people, Or undeniably, a morsel is needed for the throat. Has Your grace decreased, or has Your generosity vanished? Has all that bounty and goodness disappeared? All that ocean of forgiveness which is Yours, You do not give, You do not pour, where is it? If You bring this drought, In order to chastise Your creatures, Are you afraid that You will not be able to do it later? Nay, You can do it easily later. Show grace, preserve this bewildered people, Since You gave life, give bread and preserve life.' As soon as black Barkh spoke these words, The grass grew to the height of a man from the rain. The whole world was refreshed by the rain, The joy of the people was measureless. The next day, Moses, son of Amram, by chance, Suddenly saw Barkh on the path. He said, 'O Moses, did you see then, How I spoke to your God like that? Did you see my warmth and my speech? Did you see my manliness and my conduct?' From these words, Moses became so enraged, That the fire of anger came to him and he melted. His anger boiled like a deep sea, He wanted to punish him severely, That such a deranged one, without head or tail, Should speak words so presumptuously! Gabriel came, saying, 'O Moses, do not turn away, Do not afflict Barkh in any way. For the True One says, "This black Barkh, Has been a servant of Ours for a long time. He makes Our Grace laugh three times every day, Like the petals of spring. Our Grace's laughter is from his speech, This is not your work, but it is his work. Everyone receives a particular quality from the Divine, This was the particular quality of black Barkh." What do you know of the mystery of love, O ignorant one, Since you do not come to your senses from sleep and food? You do not rest from your eating and sleeping, You have no work but talking. Eating at evening and sleeping at dawn, Comes first before you start speaking ill again. When the Friend (Abraham) slept for a moment, oh wonder, He fell into the trial of sacrificing his son for this reason. Day and night you sleep and eat well, This is being a donkey, not cultivating humanity. You have the nature of a donkey, I do not call you human, Eat barley, O donkey, alas for your wheat! How did a human turn into a donkey in the end? The story, then, has turned upside down. Since they called you to the market of this world, They seated you on your donkey upside down. How long from blindness and how much from deafness? O donkey, after all, you are backward on a donkey. You have remained a captive to shame and reputation forever, And then you say that the cycle is complete. Months and years you consume blood in greed and avarice, You give this the name of a long life. Day and night you suffer without provisions or supplies, You call this living, not death. O you who have named your hair dye youth, Who have named the death of the heart life! And who have named a swelling fatness, Just like the freedom of the straight cypress. You have made the yellow face dear with rouge, Calling it red-faced and verdant too. You give musk freedom from the wind, You teach wrestling to the coward.