سندبادنامه 261
English (machine translation) 261
- Language
- English
261.1
"Come, for I am the lover of that face and curly hair; / I sing praises and pray for your auspicious omen."
When the prince drew back the reins of his mount, the slave-girl entered the ruin,
and said softly to the ghouls who had their dwelling and abode in that place: "I have come,
and I have brought a prince; I know that his flesh and fat are exceedingly tender and clean,
and his parts and limbs will be vastly delicious and delicate." The ghouls who were in that place
praised her and said: "Welcome to you and to what you have done! Go out in haste,
and reassure him so that he does not flee, and take away his weapons so that he cannot fight with us!"
261.8
By the power of the sense of hearing, the prince perceived their whispering; he trembled in fear,
and at once turned his reins. The slave-girl came out of the ruin,
and saw the prince galloping his horse. She hastened after him, and jumped up behind
his horse, seated herself on his saddle-strap, and began to speak, saying: "Where
261.12
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261.13
10. The Tale of the Prince, the Vizier, and the Ghouls
are you going? And why do you shy away from my company?" The prince said: "I have a quarrelsome companion,
and by no means can I escape his company; for fear of him I cannot pause with you,
nor seek any share of the beauty of union with you. The prudent course
was that I should go to him and seek his satisfaction." The slave-girl
said: "A bad companion can be bagged by means of wealth, and the harshness of his nature
and his bad character—which is poison to sweet life—can be made into an antidote by a gentle breeze."
The prince said: "He does not enter the bond of obedience through wealth and possessions, for from wealth
is free of need.” The slave-girl said: “Arouse respected intercessors, so that by way of
gentleness they may offer intercession between [you], in the hope that release and liberation may appear.”
The prince said: “Intercession will not find acceptance.” The slave-girl
said: “Repel [it] from yourself by strength of arm, the majesty of an army, and the splendor of sovereignty.”
261.25
The prince said: “With human strength and mortal cunning, resistance is not
conceivable.” The slave-girl said: “Since the matter stands thus, lay hands upon
the knocker of the gate of supplication and weeping, and seek aid from the divine presence; so that with
divine victory and royal assistance, the regard of kindness and the favor of generosity, his evil may be warded off and cut short.”
The prince brought tears to his eyes, and secretly said to the Knower of Secrets:
“O You who answer the distressed when he calls upon Him and remove evil! O Almighty One who,
261.31
[...]
261.32
by means of a spider’s web, bound the seeking hands of the horsemen of the Arabs; and O
Overwhelming One who, through the sting of a gnat’s proboscis, raised smoke from the house of Nimrod to the sky! If
the escort of Your favor and guidance does not assist me, delusion and error will bring ruin upon me:
Linked texts (1)
- سندبادنامه — Ẓahīrī Samarqandī, Persian