Masnavi i Ma'navi — trans. E. H. Whinfield (abridged) (1898)

Abu-l Jahl, again, what gained he from his wit Save to be hurled head-foremost into hell for infidelity? Know real science is seeing the fire directly, Not mere talk, inferring the fire from the smoke. Your scientific proofs are more offensive to the wise Than the urine and breath whence a physician infers. If these be your only proofs, O son, Smell foul breath and inspect urine like physicians. Such proofs are as the staff of a blind man, Which prove only the blindness of the holder. All your outcry and pompous claims and bustle Only say, "I cannot see, hold me excused!" This is illustrated be an anecdote of a peasant who, hearing a proclamation issued by the Prince of Tirmid, to the effect that a large reward would be given to him who should take a message to Samarcaud in the space of four days, hurried to Tirmid by relays of post-horses in the utmost haste, and threw the whole city into alarm, as the people thought that his extreme haste and bustle must portend the approach of an enemy or some other calamity. But when he was admitted to the presence of the prince, all he had to say was, that he had hurried to inform him that he could not go to Samarcand so quickly. The prince was very angry with him for making all this disturbance about nothing, and threatened to punish him. The uses of chastisements. He said, "Alms of mercy repel calamity, 4 Alms cure thy sickness, O son 'Tis not charitable to burn up the poor, Or to put out the eyes of the meek." The prince replied, "Kindness is good in its place, Provided you do kindness in its proper place. If at chess you put the king in the rook's place That is wrong; and so if you put the knight in the king's, The law prescribes both rewards and chastisements. The king's place is the throne, the horse's the gate.

What is justice but putting each in his place?
What injustice but putting each in what is not his place?
Nothing is vain of all that God has created,
Whether vengeance or mercy, or plain dealing or snares.
Not one of all these is good absolutely,
Nor is any one of them absolutely bad.
Each is harmful or beneficial according to its place,
Wherefore knowledge of these points is proper and useful.
Ah! many are the chastisements sent to the poor
Which are more beneficial to him than bread and sweets;
Because sweets out of season excite biliousness,
While blows make him pure from impurity.
Strike the poor man timely blows,
Which may save him from being beheaded later."

The peasant, in reply, urged the prince not to be over hasty in punishing him, but to take counsel with suitable advisers, as enjoined in various texts, 5 and in the Hadis prohibiting monkery, and warned him that if he shunned the advice and society of his equals he would assuredly be led astray by wretched companions. 6 In illustration of this a story is told of a mouse who conceived a great affection for a frog living in a neighboring pond. 7 That he might be able to communicate with his friend at all times, he fastened a string to the frog's leg, and the other end of it to his own. The proverb says, "Occasional intermission of visits augments love," 8 but ardent lovers desire to be in communication with the object of their love without intermission. The frog was at first unwilling to enter into such close relations with an animal of another species, but at last allowed himself to be persuaded to do so, against his better judgment. Shortly afterwards a raven swooped down on the mouse and carried him off, and the frog, being fastened to the mouse, was dragged off and destroyed along with it. The raven's friends said to him, "How is it you managed to catch an animal that lives in the water?" and he replied, "Because it was so silly as to consort with one of another species that lived on dry land." Comparison of the body to the mouse, and the soul to the frog. The two friends discussed the matter long, And after discussion this plan was settled, That they should fetch a long string, By means of which to communicate with one another. The mouse said, "One end must be tied to your leg, And the other end to the leg of me, your double, That by this contrivance we two may be united, And be mingled together like soul and body." Body is like a string tied to sod's foot,