IX. The Poor Scenite Arab and his Wife.
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Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana and Redhouse, James W. (James William), Sir
With syncope, not syntax, now we’ll have to deal.
With syncope, from water comes nor hurt, nor weal,
The sea bears on its surface bodies of the dead;
But living men it drowns; them sinks, as though of lead.
So soon as thou’lt be dead to every human art
To thee eternity its secrets will impart.
Thou hitherto hast deemed us mortals asses all;
Now thou thyself, as ass on ice, must have a fall.
Although thou be the very Plato of the age,
Thou’st still to learn that time, the world, is but a page.”605
This tale about the syntax-teacher we’ve tacked on,
To show the grammar dissolution turns upon.
All syntax, grammar, jurisprudence, law, and art,
Thou’lt find, my friend, of knowledge is but a small part.
Our little learning is the Arab’s water-pot.
In Caliph, of God’s wisdom we’ve an emblem got.
We bring our pot of water to great Tigris’ stream.
If we ourselves not asses call, us asses deem.
The Arab of our tale excusable was,—troth;
He knew not of a Tigris. Where’s the Arab doth?610
Had he, as we, known Tigris’ stream, and all its store,
His water-pot had never travelled to its shore;
Had he become aware of what a Tigris meant,
Arrived at Bagdād, he’d his pot to fragments sent.
The Caliph, when he saw that pot, and heard that tale,
The vase had filled with golden sequins, like a bale,
Our Arab thus to free from poverty’s rude grasp;—
A robe of honour, too; and presents for his clasp,
He ordered. Then the whole unto the guards were sent,
With kindliest injunctions, fruit of good intent:615
“That all unto that Arab man be safely given,
Whose journey home by Tigris’ arrowy stream be driven.
By land he came; he’d travelled all the way on foot;
But Tigris’ stream may bear him back a shorter route.”
Our Arab in a boat was placed at river’s side;
The stream he saw, admired, bowed low, lost all his pride;
Exclaiming: “Wondrous goodness of the sovereign will!
Th’ acceptance of my water-pot more wondrous still!
How could that sea of wealth my drop deign to accept,
And largely thus to recompense the trifle kept?”620