Bhojaprabandha 87_266

87_266

Then, having inspected the entire city, the minister did not see any fool whatsoever who could be evicted to give a house to the scholar. Wandering everywhere there, seeing the house of a certain weaver, he said to the weaver: "Weaver, leave your house. A scholar will come into your house."
After that, even after examining the entire city, the chief minister saw no fool who could be removed to give a house to the scholar. Then, wandering everywhere, seeing the house of a certain cloth-weaver, the minister said to him: "O weaver, vacate your house. A scholar will occupy your house."
Then the weaver, arriving at the royal palace, bowed to the king and said: "Your Majesty, your minister is expelling me from my house, deeming me a fool; but you look and see whether I am a fool or a learned man!
I compose poetry, yet I do not compose it very beautifully; / if I compose with effort, then I compose it more beautifully. / O you whose footstool is adorned with the crest-jewels of kings, / O Sāhasāṅka, I compose poetry, I weave cloth, and I depart." (64)