Kelileh
& Demneh
Chapter1: The Lion & The Ox
Introduction: The Jackals
Discussion
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The Maharaja, ruler of India,
ordered the Brahman priest, “Tell me a tale about two friends whose
friendship is ruined because of a treacherous slanderer who causes
enmity between them and finally they break up.” (In ancient times the
kings would ask court attendants to read them stories for entertainment
and teaching. Often these stories became a part of the teaching
materials for the nation.)
Brahman priest, “Anytime a
friendship is mingled with someone or something very wicked any moment
the two may fall apart. And what follows is an example:
An affluent merchant who owned
much wealth fathered many children, but these children refused to work
and manage the business instead they stretched their hands to waste his
wealth. The father found it necessary to admonish and blame the
children, “The folk seeking (the success of) this world have three
goals and they shall not reach them unless by four characteristics. The
three goals are: 1) the expansion of the wealth, 2) rising in fame and
3) reaching a good end (hereafter). And there are four instruments to
reach these goals: 1) preservation of the wealth in proper manner, 2)
keeping up fine appearances in public, 3) spending justifiably on the
family as well as charitable causes, 4) safeguarding against the
dangers and plagues as much as possible. And whomever fails in any of
the four, destiny shall block what he yearns to achieve by the veil of
hardship and problems. If he avoids doing business then he can not take
care of himself nor any of his dependants, and if he finds wealth but
neglects to flourish it then soon he may find himself poor and in need.
In other words he shall spend little by little but finally all is spent
and gone, especially if he does not make an effort to invest or manage
the funds thus wasting away the funds and people opening the tongue of
blame at him. Even if he becomes a miser and does not spend anything no
matter how justified and lives like a pauper (accumulating the wealth)
forbidding for himself and others the pleasures of the blessings, there
shall come a fateful decree from the heavens that will waste away and
scatter his wealth. Similar to a reservoir of water, if constantly
water is pumped within but there is no way to drain water out,
eventually a hole or a crack would appear and consequently the water
would gush out through a much larger crack and all is wasted, thus
nothing left.”
The merchant’s sons did take
note of his advice and understood the benefit of what the father said.
The eldest brother set on a far away journey to trade. He took along
two ox: Shanzabeh and Nandabeh. Somewhere along the way Shanzabeh was
trapped in a swamp, with much effort, he was pulled out but not much
life was left within him to move, so the merchant hired a man to nurse
him back to health and afterwards to track him down and to bring the ox
back to him. But he did the work for hire for only one day, got
disgusted with the task, let Shanzadeh loose and told the merchant that
the ox had died.
For some time Shanzabeh looked
around for pasture until he reached a bird sanctuary indeed a vernal
meadow with terrific variety of plants and herbs that made even the
custodian of the Paradise envious and the skies opened the wondering
eyes of bewilderment upon this garden:
In every direction the
reservoir like rosewater [1]
Black ducks buoy on every wave
of that water
Like a fierce warrior laying
on the bed of his armor
Like a Hindu shining light on
the surface of his mirror
***
The pine trees swaying as if
walked through [2]
Zainab amongst a crowd of very
shy women
Shanzabeh appreciated the
meadows (to stay) and as has been said:
And once in peace you reached
to your destination, go no further!
And in Amthāl (Parables) has
been mentioned, “Once you reach the pastures, dismount!”. And he stayed
for sometime, regained his strength back, became fat and the wantonness
of comfort and good life got into him so with much energy he let out a
loud moo. In the outskirts of this bird sanctuary a lion reigned
accompanied with many wild animals and predatory beasts, all obedient
to his command, he was young handsome and quite arrogant dictating his
own will. He had never seen any cow and never heard any such noise. And
when the moo of the Shanazbeh reached his ears, not wanting the other
predatory beasts to be aware of his fear, he became quite still not
moving to any direction.
Amongst his followers there
were two jackals: Kelileh & Demneh, both endowed with much
intelligence and wit and yet Demneh was more avid and ambitious.
He said to Kelileh: What do
you think about the king’s immobility and lack of activities?
Kelileh: What is your business
with that why do you ask such questions? We are quite comfortable at
the court of this king. We find some prey to eat and we are not of the
high rank afforded the socialization with the regal nobility so their
words are heard in close proximity of the king. Give these words up!
Since the person who deals with affairs that cannot afford nor handle
shall reach no place except where the chimpanzee reached.
Demneh: What do you mean by
reaching where the chimpanzee reached?
Kelileh: Once a chimpanzee saw
a carpenter sitting on two wooden planks. With two nails, he wanted to
hammer a nail on each end to hold the planks together but as soon as he
moved to the other end to hammer, the nail would jet out of the
previous end. Finally the carpenter got off the planks to do something
else, and of course the chimpanzee jumped and sat on the gap between
the two planks (to help the carpenter). However unbeknownst to the
chimpanzee his testicles dangled through the gap. With agility
chimpanzee attempted to nail the planks together, proceeded with the
nailing of both ends quickly but as soon as the second end was hammered
in the gap tightly closed and the chimpanzee’s testicles slammed shut
between the nailed planks and immediately he lost consciousness. The
carpenter returned, with much anger start beating the chimpanzee and
the animal was killed. Because of this incident the wise have said,
“Carpentry is not the work of chimpanzees”.
Demneh: Ok I understand now.
However seeking a closer relationship with monarchs does not necessary
stem from the need for food or provisions, since the belly can be
filled with almost anything and almost anywhere:
Can more than a measure of one
hand fit within the ‘Amr’s stomach?
(This is a proverb so there is
no person called ‘Amr)
The benefit from befriending
the kings is to seek a higher rank, making more allies and subjugating
more enemies, frugality in this affair is the lowliness of the personal
vigor and lack of manhood:
Counting the frugality that of
lowliness!
Who has called the ambition
greediness?
Whoever just eats for the sake
of eating reduces himself to that of animals, like a dog that is happy
with even a hard bone or dried piece of bread, yet the lion in the
midst of the hunt for a rabbit upon spotting a zebra shall abandon the
rabbit and chase after the zebra:
Coward considers the weakness
as being resolute
And this is the trick of the
nature of the lowbred
When you are busied in an
affair so mundane
With what is under the stars
be not so content
***
Be lofty like the hawk and
commanding like the tiger
Be beautiful while hunting and
triumphant in the battle
Whoever has reached a lofty
rank, though so short lived like a flower, the intellectuals consider
his life very long due to what was achieved and the good name left
behind. And whoever pleased with obscurity, though long lived like the
leaves of the pine, amongst the people of virtue and asceticism carries
no weight.
Kelileh: I hear what you say,
however refer to your own mind and knowing that each nation has a
place, and we are not of such status to be the candidates for
attainment of such high ranks:
Squat as squatted your father
in his place
He saw the fresh bones but
could not attain
(Arabic word squat was used
which normally used for dogs)
***
You shan’t be a shade setting
the sky afire
You shan’t be a mud-brick
baked under the sun
(You are just a mud dying
drying under the sun not a precious mud-brick so much in demand)
Demneh: Whoever endears
himself noble shall soar from being common to the loftiest of the
ranks, and whoever is weak and simple-minded shall fall from the high
ranks to obscurity. To arise to loftiness requires much effort but to
fall from grace is quite easy, same as lifting a very heavy stone to
the shoulder requires much effort but without any struggle can be
dropped on the ground. And those who cannot offer help to an aspiring
man are indeed excused:
The bigger the goal the lesser
the help [3]
We deserve to seek a high rank
and not satisfied with this obscurity and decline.
Kelileh: So what is it that
you are thinking?
Demneh: I want to present
myself to the lion in this opportune moment, this moment where he is in
doubt and paralyzed by bewilderment and by means of my advice a door
opens for him and this way I gain closeness and high position.
Kelileh: How do you know that
the lion is bewildered?
Demneh: I observed this
through my own wisdom, since the intelligent individual can discern the
characteristics of what is within someone by means of the observation
of what is on the surface of their behavior.
Kelileh: How do you proposed
to become close to the lion? You have never served a king and you do
not know the protocols.
Demneh: If a man is truly well
learned and capable of socializing with the prominent men it will not
difficult for him, specially if he is enlightened with a clear vision
he fears not the fact he is alone and being the stranger brings him no
harm:
If a man is secure within
himself
Can embrace the enemies’ battle
Kelileh: The king does not
favor to promote the capable people, instead offers the opportunity for
those already close to him since there are inherited ranks that are
respected (reserved) for those around him, similar to a branch of roses
that will not seek a better tree to lean on rather it will lean on the
closest, no matter what it is.
Demneh: The companions of the
king and their predecessors not always elevated to their status as you
mentioned, they also made effort struggled to acquire the high ranks,
indeed the same for me:
I do not care after reaching a
rank aloft
Whether was inherited or
acquired alike
(The end justifies the means,
the modern fallacy! No! Not modern just human condition)
***
I shall remember myself as
though a garnet
Not like that worthless ash,
begat the fire
Those who are the regulars in
the courts of the kings, they mind not to drink the bitterness of the
torments and hardships, and the sting of the anger’s flames to be put
out with the waters of forbearance, the Satan of lust imprisoned in the
bottle by the witchcraft of the wisdom, the deceptive greed no match
for the guiding mind, foundation of all affairs upon the righteous
command, patience and resilience with the events, and at any moment the
desired goal enrobed with evermore beautiful gown may appear to welcome
them.
Kelileh: Now lets say you are
in close circles of the king what strategy you may adopt?
Demneh: If I am able to get
close to the king I shall spend time to get to know his disposition and
propensity while serving him with utmost of sincerity. Obey him in full
compliance and make his every desire my desire yet avoid all his
repugnant affairs. When he commences a new task, focusing on affairs
that are fine and in favor of the kingdom rendering them favorably in
his heart and exaggerate in their goodness and benefit so that he would
add to his own image of self-righteousness. And yet if he is delving
into an affair with outcome of evil loss & corruption i.e. general
foulness for his kingdom, I let him muse upon the affair while staying
by his side as a friend using the finest and softest words make him
aware of the awful outcome to turn him around, and doing so in such
dedicated manner that he has never seen from any of his servants. Since
the skilled advisor can talk his way into enrobing a truth into the
gown of falsehood and propping the falsehood in front of the truth:
If I turn the falsehood into
the truth the universe is my sanctuary
Or if I turn the truth into
the falsehood who can ever oppose my ruling
A skillful painter can turn
three-dimensional objects into flat pictures and these flat pictures
look like a three-dimensional object:
The skilled painter who fears
none else
Seen no ‘Anqā yet paints the
‘Anqā’s face
(Anqā is a legendary &
imaginary bird in Arabic tales very much like Simorgh the Farsi
counterpart)
And once the king sees my
savvy-ness he would be more & more inclined towards rewarding me
and raising my rank than I am to serve him.
Kelileh: If you are firmly set
on this decision and prepared to embark upon it, you should be aware of
the dangers. The wise men say there are three things no one take parts
in except the idiot: 1) Serving the king 2) Being a taster for
poisonous food 3) Sharing secrets with women. The learned men compared
a king to a mountain: In the mountain there are many riches e.g. mines
and other precious things but it is also home to wild animals snakes
and other annoying and dangerous creatures, therefore similar to the
king, climbing this mountain difficult and residing within horrifying.
Demneh: This is sound but if
one does not accept the dangers one does not become momentous:
Had there been no hardships
all men would have been chieftains
The Spartan falls upon poverty
and the brave steps into slaughter
***
From danger rises the
importance and from ten comes the forty
The merchant would not pack
the goods if concerned with fear
(‘importance’ means the
prominence ‘from ten comes forty’ means profiting from $10 investment
getting $40)
One should not dabble into
three matters unless by the strongest conviction and powerful nature:
1) Working for a king 2) Trading in the seas 3) Opposing enemies. The
leaned men say there are two admired men: 1) Good fortunate one in
service of the king 2) Content individual amongst the ascetics
Kelileh: Although I am against
this mission but may God bless and bring peace and health.
End. (To Be Continued…)
[1]
‘Rosewater’ means distilled flower perfume however in the poem it
indicates the fragrance and the beauty of the water in this reservoir.
The warrior making bed out of the armor means, the reservoir was so
protective of its residence like the armor so comfortable for a warrior
that he could even sleep in, since normally one finds it difficult to
sleep with the armor on. This is the metaphor for protection while
providing comfort. The Hindu lighting a mirror means the mirror-works
of Indians that was so beautiful and yet resplendent as the description
of the beauty of the reservoir. The Hindu mirror-work is mostly
speculation as to what it means and requires more research.
[2] Here we
can see the influence of an Indian tale upon the Sufi literature.
Indeed the ‘pine’ is a Sufi code word, which indicates the loftiness of
the Beloved. The word Zainab that is a name for a woman meaning very
beautiful, also indicates the concept of a beautiful beloved.
[3] This
I have seen in Sufi books I just do not remember where!? This proverb
means when you are on the Divine Path the desired goal is That Beloved
and that is such a large goal that no one can help you with in any
fashion i.e. you are all alone on the Path even you can not help your
Self.
© 2004-2002,
Dara O. Shayda