FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38  
39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   >>   >|  
lean, even as one to whom Fortune oweth a long debt. Tell me now of thy barbercraft: perchance thy gain will be great thereby?' And Shibli Bagarag answered, 'My gain has been great, O eminent in rank, but of evil quality, and I am content not to increase it.' And he broke forth into lamentations, crying in excellent verse:-- Why am I thus the sport of all-- A thing Fate knocketh like a ball From point to point of evil chance, Even as the sneer of Circumstance? While thirsting for the highest fame, I hunger like the lowest beast: To be the first of men I aim And find myself the least. Now, the Vizier delayed not when he heard this to have a fair supply set before Shibli Bagarag, and meats dressed in divers fashions, spiced, and coloured, and with herbs, and wines in golden goblets, and slaves in attendance. So Shibli Bagarag ate and drank, and presently his soul arose from its prostration, and he cried, 'Wullahy! the head cook of King Shamshureen could have worked no better as regards the restorative process.' Then said the Chief Vizier, 'O Shibli Bagarag, where now is thy tackle?' And Shibli Bagarag winked and nodded and turned his head in the manner of the knowing ones, and he recited the verse: 'Tis well that we are sometimes circumspect, And hold ourselves in witless ways deterred: One thwacking made me seriously reflect; A SECOND turned the cream of love to curd: Most surely that profession I reject Before the fear of a prospective THIRD. So the Vizier said, ''Tis well, thou turnest verse neatly' And he exclaimed extemporaneously: If thou wouldst have thy achievement as high As the wings of Ambition can fly: If thou the clear summit of hope wouldst attain, And not have thy labour in vain; Be steadfast in that which impell'd, for the peace Of earth he who leaves must have trust: He is safe while he soars, but when faith shall cease, Desponding he drops to the dust. Then said he, 'Fear no further thwacking, but honour and prosperity in the place of it. What says the poet?-- "We faint, when for the fire There needs one spark; We droop, when our desire Is near its mark." How near to it art thou, O Shibli Bagarag! Know, then, that among this people there is great reverence for the growing of hair, and he that is hairiest is honoured most, wherefore are barber
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38  
39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Shibli
 

Bagarag

 

Vizier

 

wouldst

 
thwacking
 
turned
 

exclaimed

 
neatly
 

attain

 

turnest


achievement

 

Ambition

 
summit
 

extemporaneously

 
deterred
 
witless
 

circumspect

 

reflect

 
SECOND
 

reject


Before

 

prospective

 

profession

 
surely
 

labour

 
desire
 

honoured

 

hairiest

 

wherefore

 

barber


growing

 

people

 
reverence
 

leaves

 

steadfast

 

impell

 
honour
 
prosperity
 

Desponding

 

Shamshureen


knocketh

 

chance

 

excellent

 

lowest

 
hunger
 

Circumstance

 
thirsting
 

highest

 
crying
 

lamentations