Story of the druggist whose balance-weight was clay for washing the head; and how a customer, who was a clay-eater, stole some of that clay covertly and secretly, whilst sugar was being weighed.
625. A certain clay-eater went to a druggist to buy (a quantity of)
fine hard sugar-loaf.
Now, at the druggist's, (who
was) a crafty
vigilant man, in place of the balance-weight there was clay.
He said, “If you want to buy sugar,
my balance-weight is clay.”
He (the customer)
said, “I am
requiring
sugar for an urgent affair:
let the balance-weight
be whatever you wish.”
To himself he said, “What does the weight matter to one that eats clay? Clay is better than gold.”
630. As the dallála (go-between) who said, “O son, I have found a very beautiful new bride
(for you).
(She is) exceedingly pretty, but there
is just one thing,
that the lady is a
confectioner's
daughter.”
“(All the) better,” said he;
“if it is indeed
so, his daughter will be fatter
and sweeter.”
“If you have no (proper) weight and
your
weight is of clay, this is
better and better: clay is the
fruit (desired)
of
my heart.”
He (the druggist) placed the clay,
because of its being
ready (to his hand), in one
scale of the
balance instead of the (proper)
weight;
635. Then, for the other scale, he was breaking with his hand
the equivalent amount of
sugar. Since he had no
pick-axe, he
took a long time and made the customer
sit waiting.
(Whilst) his face was (turned)
towards that (sugar),
the clay-eater,
unable to restrain
himself, began covertly to steal
the
clay from him,
Terribly frightened lest his
(the druggist's)
eye should fall upon him of a
sudden for the purpose
of testing (his honesty).
The druggist saw it, but made
himself busy,
saying, “Come, steal
more, O pale-faced one!
640. If you will be a thief and take some of my clay, go on (doing so), for you are eating out of
your own side.
You are afraid of me,
but (only) because you are a (stupid) ass:
I am afraid you will eat less
(too
little).
Though I am occupied, I am not
such a fool (as to suffer)
that you should get too much of my sugar-cane.
When you see (find) by experience
the (amount of) sugar (which you have
bought), then you will
know who
was foolish and careless.”
The bird looks pleased at the bait; still, the bait, (though) at a distance (from
it), is waylaying
it.
645. If you are
deriving
some pleasure from
the eye's cupidity, are not you eating
roast-meat from your own side?
This looking from a distance is like arrows
and poison: your
fond passion is increased (thereby)
and your self-restraint
diminished.
Worldly riches are a trap
for the weak birds; the kingdom of the next
world is a trap for the noble birds,
To the end that by
means of this
kingdom, which is a deep
trap, the great
birds may be
ensnared.
“I, Solomon,
do
not desire your
kingdom;
nay, but I will deliver
you from every
destruction;
650. For at this time ye are indeed slaves to the kingdom; the
owner of the
kingdom is he that
escaped from destruction.”
Preposterously, O prisoner of this world, you
have named yourself prince of this world.
O you slave of
this world, you whose spirit is imprisoned, how long wilt
you call yourself lord
of the world?
How Solomon, on whom be peace, showed affection and kindness to the envoys and
removed (feelings of) resentment and injury from their hearts and explained to them the reason for declining the gift.
“O envoys, I will send you as envoys (to Bilqis): my refusal (of the gift) is better for you than acceptance.
Relate to Bilqis what
marvellous
things ye have seen concerning the desert
of gold,
655. That she may know we do not
covet gold: we have gotten
gold from the gold-Creator, At
whose will the whole earth’s soil from
end to end would
become gold and precious
pearls.” On
that account, O you who
choosest gold, God will make this earth silvern on the Day
of Resurrection.
“We have no need
of gold, for we are very skilful:
we make earthly beings entirely golden.
How shall we beg gold
of you? We (can)
make you (spiritual) alchemists.
660. Abandon (all) that,
(even) if it is the kingdom of Saba, for beyond
(this) water and
earth there are many
kingdoms.”
That which you have called a throne is
(really) a splint-
bandage: you deemest (it) the
seat of honour, but (in truth) you have remained at the door.
(If) you have not sovereignty over yours own beard, how wilt you exercise
sovereignty over
good and evil?
Without your wish,
your beard grows white:
be ashamed of your bend, O you whose hopes are
perverse.
He (God) is the Possessor of the Kingdom: whosoever lays
his
head before Him, to him He gives
a hundred
kingdoms without the terrestrial world;
665. But the (inward) savour of a single prostration before God will be more sweet to you than two hundred
empires:
Then you wilt cry (in humble entreaty), “I desire not kingdoms: commit
unto me the
kingdom of that prostration.”
The kings of the
world, because of their
evil nature, got no scent
of the wine of service
(to God); Otherwise, dizzy and
dumbfounded like (Ibráhim
son of)
Adham, without delay
they would
have dashed their sovereignty to pieces.
But (this they do not inasmuch
as), for the maintenance of this world, God set a seal
upon their
eyes and mouths,
670. To the end
that throne and
crown should be sweet to them, “for” they say) “we will exact tribute from
the rulers of the world.’.
If by way of tribute you amass gold as (though
it were) sand, at last it will be left
behind you as an inheritance.
Sovereignty and gold will not accompany your spirit on its journey: give your gold away, get
collyrium for your sight,
In order that you mayst see that this world is a narrow well, and that, like
Joseph, you mayst grasp that rope,
So that, when you comest from the
well (up) to the
roof, the Soul will say,
“Oh, good news for
met This is a youth for me.”
675. In the
well (of this world)
there are optical inversions, the least
(of which is)
that stones appear to be
gold.
To children
at play-time, from infirmity (of mind), those potsherds
(with which they
play) appear to
be gold and riches.
His (God’s) knowers
have become alchemists, so that mines (of gold) have become worthless in their eyes.
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