Khorassan enjoyed great prosperity, which was due to the government of Prince Amid. He was served by a hundred Turkish slaves, moon-faced, cypress-waisted, silver-legged, with musk-scented hair. Each wore a pearl in his ear whose reflection lit up the night and made it resemble day; they wore brocade caps and gold necklaces; their breasts were covered with silver cloth, and they wore a golden belt; they had other belts adorned with precious stones, and they rode white horses. Whoever saw the face of one of these young warriors at once gave him his heart and soul. By chance, a hungry madman, clad in rags and barefoot, saw this troop of youths from afar and said, “What cavalcade of houris is this?” The chief magistrate of the city gave him an exact answer. “These youths,” he said to him, “are the pages of Amid, the prince of the city.” When this fool had heard these words, the vapour of madness rose to his head, and he said, “O God! Thou who possessest the glorious canopy, learn from Amid how to care for Thy servants.”
If thou art like this madman, well then! have his boldness; rise up, if Thou canst, like the slender stalk; otherwise beware of boldness, and do not laugh. The boldness of madmen is a good thing; they burn themselves like moths. Such people cannot tell whether the way is good or bad; they know but one way of acting.