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6
2816-2840

  • While King Mahmúd was roaming about alone at night he encountered a band of thieves.
  • Thereupon they said to him, “Who art thou, O honest man?” “I am one of you,” replied the King.
  • One (of the thieves) said, “O company practised in cunning, let each of us declare his (special) talent;
  • Let him tell his comrades in the night-talk what (eminent) skill he possesses in his nature.”
  • One said, “O ye fellows who are exhibiting (your) cleverness, my specialty lies in my two ears. 2820
  • (It is this), that I know what a dog is saying when it barks.” The (rest of the) party replied, “Two dángs of a dínár.”
  • Another (thief) said, “O company of gold-worshippers, my specialty lies wholly in my eyes.
  • If I see any one in the world by night, I know him by day without (having any) doubt (as to his identity).”
  • Another said, “My specialty lies in my arm: I make tunnels (through walls) by strength of hand.”
  • Another said, “My specialty lies in my nose: my business is to detect the (characteristic) smell in (different) earths (soils). 2825
  • The secret of ‘men are mines’ has yielded itself (to me), so that (I know the reason) why the Prophet has said it.
  • From (smelling) the earth of the body I know how much good ore is (hidden) therein and what (sort of) mine it holds.
  • In one mine is contained gold immeasurable, while (in the case of) another the revenue (derived) from it is less than the expenditure (cost of working it).
  • Like Majnún, I smell the soil and detect the soil (abode) of Laylá without mistake.
  • I smell and know from (the scent of) every shirt whether ’tis (belongs to) a Joseph or an Ahriman (devil). 2830
  • Like Ahmad (Mohammed), who catches scent from Yemen, this nose of mine has gained (been endowed with) some portion of that (spiritual faculty),
  • (So that I can smell) which soil is a neighbour of gold, or which soil is empty and poor.”
  • Another said, “Look here, my specialty lies in my fist: I can throw a lasso to the height of a mountain,
  • Like Ahmad (Mohammed), whose spirit threw a lasso so (high) that his lasso bore him to Heaven,
  • And God said to him, ‘O thrower of the lasso (of thy aspiration) at the (celestial) House, deem that (act of throwing) to be from Me: thou didst not throw when thou threwest.’” 2835
  • Then they (the thieves) asked the King, saying, “O man of authority, in what may thy special talent consist?”
  • He replied, “My specialty lies in my beard: I can save criminals from punishment.
  • When criminals are handed over to the executioners, as soon as my beard moves they are saved.
  • When I move my beard in mercy, they (the executioners) put an end to the killing and (all) the trouble.”
  • The company said to him, “Thou art our qutb (supreme chief), for thou wilt be the (means of our) deliverance on the day of tribulation.” 2840