Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 6 (of 6)
General
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 6 (of 6)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
'These busy are with worldly gear * Those of their moneys proud
appear:
But some be rich by God's approof -- * Praise Him o' nights with
love sincere:
Their Guardian's eye regards them aye * Praying, confessing sins
to clear:
They wot nor worship aught but Him * And hail His name with love
and fear.' "
Therewith quoth the Fowl-let, "Sooth hast thou said, O my
brother, in each word by thee sped and right eloquently was
announced all by thee pronounced; however (I am thy protected!),
do thou tell me why I see thee one half buried in earth and the
other half above ground?" And quoth the Trap, "For the reason
that I thereby resemble the dead and in life I am shunning the
pernicious lusts of the flesh; and Almighty Allah (be He
glorified and magnified!) said in His August Volume, 'From earth
have We created you and unto her We will return you and from her
will We draw you forth a second time.' "[FN#287] Replied the
Birdie, "The truth thou hast told in whatso thou dost unfold, but
why do I see thee so bent of back?" and rejoined the Trap,
"Learn, O my brother, that the cause for this bowing of my back
is my frequent standing in prayer by day and my upstanding by
night in the service of the King, the Clement, the One, the
Prepotent, the Glorious, the Omnipotent; and verily upon this
matter right well the poet hath spoken,
'None save the pious Youth gains boon of Paradise * (To whom the
Lord doth pardon crime and sin and vice),
Whose back by constant prayer through murk o' night is bent * And
longs to merit Heaven in sore and painful guise.
Hail to the slave who ever would his lord obey * And who by death
is saved when he obedient dies.' "
The Fowl-let continued, "O my brother, of truth the token is that
whereof thou hast spoken and I have understood thee and am
certified of thy sooth. But yet, I see upon thee a robe[FN#288]
of hair!" and the Trap rejoined, "O my brother, knowest thou not
of hair and wool that they be the wear of the pious and the
religious, whereof one of the poets hath spoken in these words,
'Folk who in fear of long accompt[FN#289] for naught of worldly
care * Hail to them! haply garb of wool they'll change for
silken wear:
In life for provaunt shall suffice them salt and barley bread *
Who seek th' Almighty Lord and bow the head in sedulous
pray'r.' "
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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