Original content

English translation

A dog, deprived of every morsel, was standing at the city gate. It saw a loaf of bread come rolling and rolling out of the city and set its face toward the open plain. The dog ran after it and called out: O strength of the body and O strength of the soul, desire of the heart and ease of the soul! Where have you resolved to go, and toward where have you turned your face?

It said: In this wilderness I am acquainted with a company of chieftains among the wolves and leopards; I have donned the pilgrim's garb to go and visit them.

The dog said: Do not try to frighten me, for even if you go into the maw of a crocodile and the mouth of a leopard, I am right behind you.

I am the one who, in all my life, was never for a moment emptied of longing for you; Though you should circle the whole world round, I will not rest from my search for you.

Those whose souls are kept alive by nothing but bread turn their faces to the service of base men for the sake of bread. Even if, for instance, they take a hundred blows from people's hands, like a hungry dog they still run after the bread.