But some be rich by God’s approof— ✿ Praise Him o’ nights with love
sincere:
Their Guardian’s eye regards them aye ✿ Praying, confessing sins to
clear:
They wot nor worship aught but Him ✿ And hail His name with love and
fear.”
Therewith quoth the Fowl-let: “Sooth hast thou said, O my brother, in
each word by thee sped and right eloquently was announced all by thee
pronounced; however (I am thy protected!), do thou tell me why I see
thee one half buried in earth and the other half above ground?” And
quoth the Trap, “For the reason that I thereby resemble the dead and in
life I am shunning the pernicious lusts of the flesh; and Almighty Allah
(be He glorified and magnified!) said in His August Volume:—‘From earth
have We created you and unto her We will return you and from her will We
draw you forth a second time.’”[287] Replied the Birdie, “The truth thou
hast told in whatso thou dost unfold, but why do I see thee so bent of
back?” and rejoined the Trap, “Learn, O my brother, that the cause for
this bowing of my back is my frequent standing in prayer by day and my
upstanding by night in the service of the King, the Clement, the One,
the Prepotent, the Glorious, the Omnipotent; and verily upon this matter
right well the poet hath spoken:—
None save the pious Youth gains boon of Paradise ✿ (To whom the Lord
doth pardon crime and sin and vice),
Whose back by constant prayer through murk o’ night is bent ✿ And longs
to merit Heaven in sore and painful guise.
Hail to the slave who ever would his lord obey ✿ And who by death is
saved when he obedient dies.”
The Fowl-let continued, “O my brother, of truth the token is that
whereof thou hast spoken and I have understood thee and am certified of
thy sooth. But yet, I see upon thee a robe[288] of hair!” and the Trap
rejoined, “O my brother, knowest thou not of hair and wool that they be
the wear of the pious and the religious, whereof one of the poets hath
spoken in these words:—
Folk who in fear of long accompt[289] for naught of worldly care ✿ Hail
to them! haply garb of wool they’ll change for silken wear:
In life for provaunt shall suffice them salt and barley-bread ✿ Who seek
th’ Almighty Lord and bow the head in sedulous pray’r.”
The Birdie resumed, “In very deed thy speech the sooth doth teach; but
say me what be this staff[290] thou hendest in hand?” Replied the Trap,
“O my brother, know that I have become an olden man well shotten in
years and my strength is minished, wherefor I have taken me a staff that
I may prop me thereon and that it aid my endeavour when a-fasting.” The
Fowl-let pursued, “Thy speech is true, O my brother, and thou speakest
as due, yet would I ask thee of a matter nor refuse me information
thereanent: tell me why and wherefore this plenty of grain scattered all
about thee?” The Trap answered, “Indeed the merchants and men of wealth
bring to me this victual that I may bestow it in charity upon the Fakir
and the famisht;” and the Birdie rejoined, “O my brother, I also am
an-hungered; so dost thou enjoin me to eat thereof?” “Thou art my
companion,” cried the Trap, “so upon me such injunction is a bounden
duty,” presently adding, “Be so kind, O my brother, and haste thee
hither and eat.” Hereat the Fowl-let flew down from off his tree and
approaching little by little (with a heart beating for fear of the Trap)
picked up a few grains which lay beside it until he came to the corn set
in the loop of the springe. Hereupon he pecked at it with one peck nor
had he gained aught of good therefrom ere the Trap came down heavily
upon him and entangled his neck and held him fast. Hereupon he was
seized with a fit of sore affright and he cried out “Zík! zík!” and
“Mík! mík![291] Verily I have fallen into wreak and am betrayed by
friendly freke and oh, the excess of my trouble and tweak, Zík! Zík! O
Thou who kennest my case, do Thou enable me escape to seek, and save me
from these straits unique and be Thou ruthful to me the meek!” Thereupon
quoth to him the Trap, “Thou criest out Zik! Zik! and hast fallen into
straits unique and hast strayed from the way didst seek, O Miscreant and
Zindík,[292] and naught shall avail thee at this present or brother or
friend veridique or familiar freke. Now understand and thy pleasure
seek! I have deceived thee with a deceit and thou lentest ear and
lustedst.” Replied the Bird, “I am one whom desire hath cast down and
ignorance hath seduced and inordinate greed, one for whose neck the
collar of destruction is fitted and I have fallen along with those who
lowest fall!” Hereupon the Fowler came up with his knife to slaughter
the Fowl-let and began saying, “How many a birdie have we taken in all
ease for desire of its meat that we may dress their heads with rice or
in Harísah[293] or fried in pan and eat thereof pleasurably myself or
feed therewith great men and grandees. Also ’tis on us incumbent to feed
privily upon half the bodies and the other half shall be for our guests
whilst I will take the wings to set before my family and kinsmen as the
most excellent of gifts.”[294] Hearing these words the Bird fell to
speaking and saying:—
“O Birder, my mother’s in misery ✿ And blind with weeping my loss is
she.
I suffice not thy guest nor can serve for gift: ✿ Have ruth and
compassion and set me free!
With my parents I’ll bless thee and then will I ✿ Fly a-morn and at
e’en-tide return to thee.”
Presently resumed he, “Seest thou not how my meat be mean and my maw be
lean; nor verily can I stand thee in stead of cate nor thy hunger
satiate: so fear Allah and set me at liberty then shall the Almighty
requite thee with an abundant requital.” But the Fowler far from heeding
his words, made him over to his son saying, “O my child, take this bird
and faring homewards slaughter him and of him cook for us a cumin-ragout
and a lemon-stew, a mess flavoured with verjuice and a second of
mushrooms and a third with pomegranate seeds and a fourth of clotted
curd[295] cooked with Summák,[296] and a fine fry and eke conserves of
pears[297] and quinces and apples and apricots hight the rose-water and
vermicelli[298] and Sikbáj;[299] and meat dressed with the six leaves
and a porridge[300] and a rice-milk, and an ’Ajíjíyah[301] and fried
flesh in strips and Kabábs and meat-olives and dishes the like of these.
Also do thou make of his guts strings for bows and of his gullet a
conduit for the terrace-roof and of his skin a tray-cloth and of his
plumage cushions and pillows.” Now when the Fowl-let heard these words
(and he was still in the Fowler’s hand), he laughed a laugh of sorrow
and cried, “Woe to thee, O Birder whither be wended thy wits and thine
understanding? Art Jinn-mad or wine-drunken? Art age-foolish or asleep?
Art heavy-minded or remiss in thought? Indeed had I been that
long-necked bird the ’Anká, daughter of Life, or were I the she-camel of
Sálih to be, or the ram of Isaac the sacrificed, or the loquent calf of
Al-Sámiri[302] or even a buffalo fattened daintily all this by thee
mentioned had never come from me.” Hereat he fell to improvising and
saying:—
“The Ruthful forbiddeth the eating of me ✿ And His Grace doth grace me
with clemency:
A Camel am I whom they overload ✿ And the Birder is daft when my flesh
seeth he:
From Solomon’s breed, O my God I have hope: ✿ If he kill me the Ruthful
his drowning[303] decree.”
Then quoth the Fowl to the Fowler, “An thou design to slaughter me in
thy greed even as thou hast described, verily I shall avail thee naught,
but an thou work my weal and set me free I will show thee somewhat shall
profit thee and further the fortunes of thy sons’ sons and thy latest
descendants.” “What is that direction thou wouldst deal to me?” asked
the Fowler, and answered the Fowl-let, “I will teach a trio of words
all-wise and will discover to thee in this earth a Hoard wherewith thou
and thy seed and posterity shall ever be satisfied and shall ever pray
for the lengthening of my years. Moreover I will point out to thee a
pair of Falcons ashen-grey, big of body and burly of bulk, who are to me
true friends and whom thou didst leave in the gardens untrapped.” Asked
the Birder, “And what be the three words which so savour of wisdom?” and
answered the other, “O Fowler, the three words of wisdom are:—Bemourn
not what is the past nor at the future rejoice too fast nor believe
aught save that whereon thy glance is cast. But as regards the Hoard and
the two Falcons, when thou shalt have released me I will point them out
to thee and right soon to thee shall be shown the sooth of whatso I have
said to thee.” Hereat the Birder’s heart became well affected towards
the Birdie for his joy anent the Treasure and the Falcons; and the
device of the captive deceived the Capturer and cut short his wits so
that he at once released the prey. Forthright the Fowl-let flew forth
the Fowler’s palm in huge delight at having saved his life from death;
then, after preening his plume and spreading his pinions and his wings,
he laughed until he was like to fall earthwards in a fainting-fit. Anon
he began to gaze right and left, long breaths a-drawing and increase of
gladness ever a-showing; whereupon quoth the Birder, “O Father of
Flight, O thou The Wind hight! what saidst thou to me anent pointing out
the two Falcons ashen-grey and who were the comrades thou leftest in the
gardens?” Quoth the Birdie in reply, “Alack and alas! never saw I thy
like for an ass nor aught than thyself meaner of capacity nor mightier
of imbecility; for indeed thou carriest in thy head lightness and in thy
wits slackness. O Scant of sense, when sawest thou ever a sparrow
company with a Falcon, much less with two Falcons? So short is thine
understanding that I have escaped thy hand by devising the simplest
device which my _nous_ and knowledge suggested.” Hereat he began to
improvise and repeat:—
“When Fortune easy was, from duty[304] didst forbear ✿ Nor from that
malady[305] hast safety or repair:
Then blame thyself nor cast on other wight[306] the fault ✿ And lacking
all excuse to death of misery fare!”
Then resumed the Fowl-let, “Woe to thee, O mean and mesquin, thou
wottedst not that which thou hast lost in me, for indeed baulked is thy
bent and foiled is thy fortune and near to thee is poverty and nigh to
thee is obscurity. Hadst thou when taking me cut my throat and cloven my
crop thou hadst found therein a jewel the weight of an ounce which I
picked up and swallowed from the treasury of Kisrà Anúshírwán the King.”
But when the Birder heard the Birdie’s words he scattered dust upon his
head and buffeted his face and plucked out his beard and rent his
raiment, and at last slipped down a-swooning to the ground. And
presently recovering his senses he looked towards his late captive and
cried, “O Father of Flight, O thou The Wind hight, say me is there any
return for thee me-wards, where thou shalt with me abide, and thee
within the apple of mine eye will I hide, and after all this toil and
turmoil I will perfume and fumigate thee with ambergris and with Comorin
lign-aloes, and I will bring thee sugar for food and nuts of the
pine[307] and with me thou shalt tarry in highmost degree?” Replied the
Birdie, “O miserable, past is that which passed; I mean, suffice me not
thy fraud and thy flattering falsehood. And laud to the Lord, O thou
meanest of men, how soon hast thou forgotten the three charges wherewith
I charged thee! And how short are thy wits seeing that the whole of me
weighteth not ten drachms[308] and how then can I bear in crop a jewel
weighing an ounce? How far from thee is subtilty and how speedily hast
thou forgotten mine injunctions wherewith I enjoined thee
saying:—Believe not aught save that whereon thine eye is cast nor regret
and bemourn the past nor at what cometh rejoice too fast. These words of
wisdom are clean gone from thy memory, and hadst thou been nimble of
wits thou hadst slaughtered me forthright: however, Alhamdolillah—Glory
to God, who caused me not to savour the whittle’s sharp edge, and I
thank my Lord for my escape and for the loosing of my prosperity from
the trap of trouble.” Now when the Birder heard these words of the
Birdie he repented and regretted his folly, and he cried, “O my sorrow
for what failed me of the slaughter of this volatile, and as he sank on
the ground he sang:—[309]
“O brave was the boon which I held in my right ✿; Yet, O Maker of man,
’twas in self-despight.
Had my lot and my luck been of opulence, ✿ This emptiness never had
proved my plight.”
Hereupon the Fowl-let farewelled the Fowler and took flight until he
reached his home and household, where he seated him and recited all that
had befallen him with the Birder, to wit, how the man had captured him,
and how he had escaped by sleight, and he fell to improvising:—
“I charged you, O brood of my nestlings, and said, ✿ Ware yon Wady, nor
seek to draw near a stead
Where sitteth a man who with trap and with stakes ✿ Entrapped me, drew
knife and would do me dead.
And he longed to destroy me, O children, but I ✿ Was saved by the Lord
and to you was sped.”
And here endeth the History of the
Fowl-let and the Fowler
entire and complete.
M.
TALE OF ATTAF.
=Here we begin to write and indite the Tale of a man of Syria, Attaf
hight.=[310]