685 He saw an ass, fleet and load-carrying;
Strong, powerful, and effective.

A certain man,—a bone in his hand,
He so struck it, that he broke its bone.

The king was astonied and said:—“Oh youth!
“Thy cruelty to this tongueless one has passed bounds.

“Since thou art strong, make not this self-display;
“Exercise not strength against the fallen.”

The idle words of the king came not pleasing to him;
He expressed a shout, in terror, against the king.

690 Saying:—“I chose not, in folly, this action;
“Since thou knowst not,—go about thy own business.

“Many an one, who is in thy opinion not excused,
“—If thou wilt look well into the matter,—is not far from
good counsel.”

To the king, his reply seemed severe;
He said:—“Come; what right hast thou?

“I think thou art a stranger to reason;
“Thou art, assuredly, not drunk,—but mad.”

The man laughed, saying:—“Oh foolish soldier! silence;
“The tale of Khizr has not perhaps come to thy ears?

695 “No one calls him either mad, or intoxicated;
“Why broke he the ship of the feeble folk?”

The king said:—“Oh tyranous one!
“Knowst thou not, why Khizr so acted?

“In that sea, was a king, a tyrant,
“On whose account, hearts were a sea of terror.

“Creatures, from his deeds, full of lamentation;
“A world, by his power, like a river in agitation.

“Then, for the sake of the good, he broke (in pieces) that
ship;
“That the chief, the tyrant, might not acquire it.

700 “A broken (article of) property, that is in thy hand,
“Is better than that whole (should be) in the enemy's
power.”

The villager of enlightened mind laughed,
Saying:—“O Amír! the right is in my hand.

“Not, through stupidity, do I break the ass's leg;
“But, through the oppression of the unjust sultán.

“The ass, in this place, lame and pain-suffering,
“Is better than that (ass) which (is) a load-carrier before
the king.

“Fie upon such (a tyrant king) who ruled (this) country
and empire!
“On whom, shame will remain till the Judgment Day.

705 “If the woman, burden-bearing (pregnant) brings forth a
snake,
“It is better than one man-born of demon-form.”

The tyrant exercised tyranny on his own body;
He exercised it not on the state of the poor darvesh.

For, to-morrow, in that assembly of fame and infamy,
The darvesh will seize, in his grasp, the tyrant's collar and
beard.

The darvesh places the load of his own sins, on his neck;
He (the tyrant) is unable to raise his head.

I grant—that the ass now carries his load;
How will he (the tyrant) bear the load of asses, on that
Day (of Judgment).

710 If thou askest justice, he is ill-starred,
To whom, another's sorrow is joy.

These very fine days of delight, he has
Whose delight is in the grief of men.

If that dead-heart (ignorant one) rise not (from his sleeping-
garment), it is better than that
Men should, on his account, sleep heart-distressed.