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3
133-157

  • A tomb with domes and turrets—that is not good (approved) on the part of the followers of Reality.
  • Look now at a living person attired in satin: does the satin help his understanding at all?
  • His soul is in hateful torment, the scorpion of grief is in his grief-laden heart. 135
  • Outside, on his exterior, broideries and decorations; but within he is sorely lamenting from (bitter) thoughts,
  • While you may see another in an old patched frock, his thoughts (sweet) as the sugar-cane and his words (like) sugar.
  • Returning to the Story of the elephant.
  • Said the sincere adviser, “Hearken to this counsel of mine, so that your hearts and souls may not be afflicted.
  • Be content with herbage and leaves, do not go in chase of the young elephants.
  • I have put off from my neck (I have discharged) the debt of admonition: how should the end (final result) of admonition be aught but felicity? 140
  • I came to deliver the message, that I may save you from (fruitless) repentance.
  • Beware! Let not greed waylay you, let not greed for victual tear you up by the roots!”
  • This he said, and gave a farewell and departed; their famine and hunger waxed great on the way.
  • Suddenly, in the direction of a highroad, they espied a fat young elephant, newly born.
  • They fell upon it like furious wolves, ate it clean up, and washed their hands. 145
  • One of the fellow-travellers did not eat (of it) and exhorted (the others to abstain), for the sayings of that dervish were remembered by him.
  • Those words hindered him from (eating) its roasted flesh: old intelligence bestows on thee a new fortune.
  • Then they all fell down and slept, but the hungry one (was awake) like the shepherd in the flock.
  • He saw a frightful elephant approaching: first she came and ran towards him who was keeping guard.
  • She smelt his mouth thrice: no disagreeable smell came from it. 150
  • She paced round him several times and went off: the huge queen-elephant did him no hurt.
  • She smelt the lips of every sleeper, and the smell (of her young one's flesh) was coming to her from each of those slumbering men.
  • He (each man) had eaten of the roasted flesh of the young elephant: the (mother) elephant quickly tore him to pieces and killed him.
  • At once she set about rending the people of that company one by one, and she had no awe of (doing) it.
  • She tossed each one in the air recklessly, so that he dashed on the earth and was cloven asunder. 155
  • O drinker of the people's blood, begone from the way, lest their blood wage war against thee.
  • Know for sure that their property is (as) their blood, because property comes into one's hand (is acquired) by strength (of body).