Rumi's Masnavi - “Good gracious!” cried he, “implore God's grace, O father and say little (give few instructions) to a messenger who knows his business.”

“Good gracious!” cried he, “implore God's grace, O father and say little (give few instructions) to a messenger who knows his business.” 215

The Súfí said, “Take the comb and curry the ass's back.” “Good gracious! do have some shame, O father,” said he.

The servant said this and briskly girded up his loins. “I go,” said he; “first I will fetch the straw and barley.”

Off he went and never thought of the stable at all: he gave that Súfí (a pretence like) the sleep of the hare.

The servant went off to (join) some rascals and made a mockery of the Súfí's admonition.

The Súfí was fatigued by his journey and stretched his limbs (lay down to sleep): with his eyes closed he was dreaming 220

That his ass was left (helpless) in the clutch of a wolf, (which) was tearing pieces (of flesh) from its back and thighs.

“Good gracious!” he exclaimed, “what melancholy (madness) is this? Oh, where is that kindly servant?”

Again he would see his ass going along the road and falling now into a well and now into a ditch.

He was dreaming various unpleasant dreams; he was reciting the Fátiha and the Qári‘a.

He said (to himself), “What can be done to help? My friends have hurried out: they have departed and made all the doors fast.” 225

Again he would say, “Oh, I wonder—that wretched servant! Did not he partake of bread and salt with us?

I showed him nothing but courtesy and mildness: why should he on the contrary show hatred towards me?

Every enmity must rest on some cause; otherwise, our common humanity would dictate faithfulness (in friendship).”

Then he would say again, “When had Adam, the kind and generous, done an injury to Iblís?

What was done by man to snake and scorpion that they wish (to inflict) death and pain upon him? 230

To rend is the instinct of the wolf: after all, this envy is conspicuous in mankind.”

Again he would say, “It is wrong thus to think evil: why have I such thoughts against my brother?”

Then he would say, “Prudence consists in your thinking evil: how shall he that thinks no evil remain unhurt?”

The Súfí was in (this) anxiety, and (meanwhile) the ass was in such a plight that—may it befall our enemies!

That poor ass was amidst earth and stones, with his saddle crooked and his halter torn, 235

Killed (exhausted) by the journey, without fodder all the night long, now at the last gasp and now perishing.

All night the ass was repeating, “O God, I give up the barley; (but am I to have) less than one handful of straw?”

With mute eloquence he was saying, “O Shaykhs, (have) some pity, for I am consumed (with anguish) because of this raw impudent rogue.”

What that ass suffered of pain and torment, the land-bird suffers (the same) in a flood of water.