II. The Oilman and the Parrot.
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Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana and Redhouse, James W. (James William), Sir
The equals of prophets acknowledged they be;
Of saints they’re the brethren, as all men agree.
Fools say: “The elect are but human, you see;
To eat and to sleep they’re constrained, just as we.”
Through blindness they miss the real point of the strife,
The diff’rence between them’s immense all through life.
The wasp and the bee eat and drink from the fields;
The one stings, the other sweet honey still yields.
The deer of both sorts browse the same mountain’s side;
The one gives rich musk; dung the other; go, hide.25
The canes of two species in one land may grow;
Quite empty that one; from this, sugar will flow.
By thousands, examples of pairs thus are known,
Which differ as much as does cheese from the moon.
Our bread, in one case, turns to dirt in our meat;
Another produces the mind, God’s own seat.
His food the one man swells with envy and greed;
By like means another gains virtue indeed.
One soil is productive; one barren and salt;
One angel’s in heaven; the other’s at fault.30
In form, many pairs may appear as though one,
Clear water is sometimes as hard as a stone.
Excepting the taster by practice, who knows
The wholesome from unwholesome water that flows?
Supposing saints’ miracles tricks, magic-wrought,
They fancy them both the result of deep thought.
Magicians, at bidding of Pharaoh, did cast
Their wands down, to Moses’ rod as a repast.
From his rod to their wands a chasm there must be;
From his act to theirs we an interval see.35
God’s curse on their witchcraft and devilish art!
His blessing on Moses, who chose the best part!
To me, like as apes are man’s miscreants all;70
To speak of them causes me, straight, sick to fall!
Whatever men practise, apes will copy still;
Our actions they mimic; of thought they know nil.
They cunningly do what they’ve seen that man did;
The reason they seek not; from them that is hid.
A man acts from reason; an ape from mere whim.
Perdition may seize all such actors, and him!40