I saw, in Africa, a schoolmaster of a sour countenance and harsh address, ill-natured, cruel, mulish and intemperate; such that the very sight of him dispelled the pleasure of Muslims, and whose reading of the Kur'an threw a gloom over men's hearts. A multitude of fair boys and young maidens were surrendered to his cruel grasp, who neither dared to laugh, nor durst venture on conversing. Sometimes he would box the silver cheeks of the latter, and put the crystal legs of the former in the stocks. In short, I heard that people came to the knowledge of some of his disloyal acts, on which they beat him, and expelled him, and gave his school to a man of conciliating temper—a pious, good and meek person, who never uttered a word but when compelled, and never said anything which could distress any one. The children forgot the awe they had been wont to feel for their former master, when they saw that the present one possessed the qualities of an angel, and became demons to each other, and, depending on his mildness, abandoned study, and spent the chief part of their time in play, and, without finishing their copies, broke their tablets on each other's heads.
COUPLET.
When the schoolmaster gentle is and sweet, The boys will play at leap-frog in the street.
Two weeks after, I passed by the door of the mosque, and saw there the former master, whom they had pacified and reinstated in his former office. I was sadly vexed, and uttering the deprecatory formula, “There is no power but in God,” I said, “Why have they a second time made Iblis the instructor of angels?” An old man, who knew the world, heard me, and said, “Hast thou not heard that they have said:
DISTICHES.
‘A monarch sent his son to school, and placed A silver tablet round his neck, where, traced In gold, appeared—“The fondness of thy sire Will harm thee more than the schoolmaster’s ire?”’
The son of a religious personage acquired incalculable riches by the bequest of his uncles. He began to indulge in licentiousness and impiety, and entered on a course of extravagance. In short, there was no sinful or criminal action that he failed to commit, nor intoxicating liquor that he abstained from drinking. At last I said to him, by way of admonition, “O my son! income is a passing current, and pleasure a revolving mill. In other words, a prodigal expenditure is safe only for one who has a permanent and settled revenue.
When the schoolmaster gentle is and sweet, The boys will play at leap-frog in the street.
Two weeks after, I passed by the door of the mosque, and saw there the former master, whom they had pacified and reinstated in his former office. I was sadly vexed, and uttering the deprecatory formula, “There is no power but in God,” I said, “Why have they a second time made Iblis the instructor of angels?” An old man, who knew the world, heard me, and said, “Hast thou not heard that they have said:
DISTICHES.
‘A monarch sent his son to school, and placed A silver tablet round his neck, where, traced In gold, appeared—“The fondness of thy sire Will harm thee more than the schoolmaster’s ire?”’
The son of a religious personage acquired incalculable riches by the bequest of his uncles. He began to indulge in licentiousness and impiety, and entered on a course of extravagance. In short, there was no sinful or criminal action that he failed to commit, nor intoxicating liquor that he abstained from drinking. At last I said to him, by way of admonition, “O my son! income is a passing current, and pleasure a revolving mill. In other words, a prodigal expenditure is safe only for one who has a permanent and settled revenue.
STANZA.
Hast thou no income—then thy wants restrain; For ever sing the boatmen merrily: ‘If on the mountain-summits fell no rain,
One year would make the Tigris channel dry.
Betake thyself to a rational and moderate life, and give up thy follies; for, when thy wealth is exhausted, thou wilt have to endure hardship, and wilt suffer remorse." The youth, seduced by the delights of music and wine, was deaf to my advice, and rejected my counsel, saying, "It is opposed to the opinion of the wise to disturb, by forebodings of death, the pleasures of this transitory life.
DISTICHS.
Through fear of ill should fortune's favourites Make for themselves ills that are premature?
Be happy thou in whom my heart delights! Nor thus to-day to-morrow's pangs endure.
Much less should I do as thou sayest, I who hold the highest rank for generosity, and have made a compact to be liberal, and the fame of whose munificence is blazed abroad among all classes.
Hast thou no income—then thy wants restrain; For ever sing the boatmen merrily: ‘If on the mountain-summits fell no rain,
One year would make the Tigris channel dry.
Betake thyself to a rational and moderate life, and give up thy follies; for, when thy wealth is exhausted, thou wilt have to endure hardship, and wilt suffer remorse." The youth, seduced by the delights of music and wine, was deaf to my advice, and rejected my counsel, saying, "It is opposed to the opinion of the wise to disturb, by forebodings of death, the pleasures of this transitory life.
DISTICHS.
Through fear of ill should fortune's favourites Make for themselves ills that are premature?
Be happy thou in whom my heart delights! Nor thus to-day to-morrow's pangs endure.
Much less should I do as thou sayest, I who hold the highest rank for generosity, and have made a compact to be liberal, and the fame of whose munificence is blazed abroad among all classes.
DISTICHS.
Whom mankind with the name of 'Generous' grace Must on his dirams no restriction place: When our good fame pervades the public street, We must no suitor with denial meet.
I saw that he did not accept my advice, and that my warm breath made no impression on his cold iron. I left off counselling him, and turned away from his society. I seated myself in the corner of security, and put in practice that saying of the sages, which they have uttered: "Convey to them that which it behoves thee to say, and then, if they receive it not, what does it concern thee?"
VERSE.
What though thou know'st they will not hearken, still Thy warning counsel give—'tis best. Soon shalt thou see the man of headstrong will With his two legs by fetters pressed; Smiting his hands, he cries, in accents shrill, "To hearken to the sage is best."
Whom mankind with the name of 'Generous' grace Must on his dirams no restriction place: When our good fame pervades the public street, We must no suitor with denial meet.
I saw that he did not accept my advice, and that my warm breath made no impression on his cold iron. I left off counselling him, and turned away from his society. I seated myself in the corner of security, and put in practice that saying of the sages, which they have uttered: "Convey to them that which it behoves thee to say, and then, if they receive it not, what does it concern thee?"
VERSE.
What though thou know'st they will not hearken, still Thy warning counsel give—'tis best. Soon shalt thou see the man of headstrong will With his two legs by fetters pressed; Smiting his hands, he cries, in accents shrill, "To hearken to the sage is best."
After some time, what I had anticipated as to his downfall came to pass, for he had to sew rag to rag and beg scrap by scrap. My heart was pained at his wretched state. I thought it unkind, in his then condition, to irritate and scatter salt on the wound of the poor man by reproaches; but I said to myself,
DISTICHS.
"The profligate, in pleasure's ecstasy, Dreads not the coming day of poverty: Trees that in summer fruits profusely bear, Stand, therefore, leafless in the wintry air."
DISTICHS.
"The profligate, in pleasure's ecstasy, Dreads not the coming day of poverty: Trees that in summer fruits profusely bear, Stand, therefore, leafless in the wintry air."