Page:The Mesnevī (Volume 2).pdf/126

THE MERCHANT AND THE PARROT How the parrot bade farewell to the merchant and flew away. The parrot gave him one or two counsels full of (spiritual) savour and after that bade him the farewell of parting.

The merchant said to her, "Go, God protect thee! Just now thou hast shown to me a new Way."

Said the merchant to himself, "This is the counsel for me;

I will take her Way, for this Way is shining with light.

How should my soul be meaner than the parrot? The soul ought to follow a good track like this."

The harmfulness of being honoured by the people and of becoming conspicuous.

The body is cage-like: the body, amidst the cajoleries of those who come in and go out, became a thorn to the soul.

This one says to him, "I will be thy confidant," and that 1850 one says, "Nay, I am thy partner."

This one says to him, "There is none in existence like thee for beauty and eminence and for kindness and liberality."

That one says to him, "Both the worlds are thine, all our souls are thy soul's parasites."

When he sees the people intoxicated with (desire for) him, because of arrogance he loses self-control.

He does not know that the Devil has cast thousands like him into the water of the river (of destruction).

The world's flattery and hypocrisy is a sweet morsel: eat less of it (eat it not), for it is a morsel full of fire.

Its fire is hidden and its taste is manifest: its smoke becomes visible in the end.

Do not say, "How should I swallow that praise? He is speaking from desire (for reward): I am on his track (and see quite well what he is after)."

If your belauder should satirise you in public, your heart would burn for (many) days on account of those scorches (of vituperation).

Although you know that he (only) said it in disappointment because the hopes he had of you brought him no gain,

(Yet) the effect thereof is remaining within you. The same experience happens to you in the case of praise.

The effect of that too lasts for many days and becomes a source of arrogance and deception of the soul,

But it does not show itself, because praise is sweet; (in the case of blame) the evil shows itself, because blame is bitter.

It (blame) is like (bitter) decoctions and pills which you swallow and for a long time you are in disturbance and pain,