بَابُ النَّاسِكِ وَابْنِ عِرْسٍThe Ascetic and the Weasel

قَالَ دَبْشَلِيمُ الْمَلِكُ لِبَيْدَبَا الْفَيْلَسُوفِ: قَدْ سَمِعْتُ هَذَا الْمَثَلَ، فَاضْرِبْ لِي مَثَلَ الرَّجُلِ الْعَجْلَانِ فِي أَمْرِهِ، مِنْ غَيْرِ رَوِيَّةٍ وَلَا نَظَرٍ فِي الْعَوَاقِبِ.

King Dabshalim said to Bidpai the philosopher: "I have heard this parable. Now tell me the parable of the man who is hasty in his affairs, acting without thought and without regard for the consequences."

قَالَ الْفَيْلَسُوفُ: إِنَّهُ مَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي أَمْرِهِ مُتَثَبِّتًا، لَمْ يَزَلْ نَادِمًا، وَيَصِيرُ أَمْرُهُ إِلَى مَا صَارَ إِلَيْهِ النَّاسِكُ مِنْ قَتْلِ ابْنِ عِرْسٍ، وَقَدْ كَانَ لَهُ وَدُودًا.

The philosopher said: "Whoever is not careful in his affairs will never cease to regret it, and his affair will end as the ascetic's did when he killed the weasel that had been devoted to him."

قَالَ الْمَلِكُ: وَكَيْفَ كَانَ ذَلِكَ؟

The king said: "And how was that?"

قَالَ الْفَيْلَسُوفُ: زَعَمُوا أَنَّ نَاسِكًا مِنَ النُّسَّاكِ كَانَ بِأَرْضِ جُرْجَانَ، وَكَانَتْ لَهُ امْرَأَةٌ جَمِيلَةٌ، فَمَكَثَا زَمَانًا لَمْ يُرْزَقَا وَلَدًا، ثُمَّ حَمَلَتْ مِنْهُ بَعْدَ الْإِيَاسِ.

The philosopher said: "They say there was an ascetic in the land of Jurjan who had a beautiful wife. For a long time they were not blessed with a child, and then, after they had given up hope, she became pregnant by him."

فَسُرَّتِ الْمَرْأَةُ وَسُرَّ النَّاسِكُ بِذَلِكَ، وَحَمِدَ اللهَ تَعَالَى، وَسَأَلَهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْحَمْلُ ذَكَرًا.

The woman was delighted, and so was the ascetic. He praised God Most High and asked Him that the child be a boy.

وَقَالَ لِزَوْجَتِهِ: أَبْشِرِي، فَإِنِّي أَرْجُو أَنْ يَكُونَ غُلَامًا، لَنَا فِيهِ مَنَافِعُ وَقُرَّةُ عَيْنٍ، أَخْتَارُ لَهُ أَحْسَنَ الْأَسْمَاءِ، وَأُحْضِرُ لَهُ سَائِرَ الْأُدَبَاءِ.

He said to his wife: "Rejoice, for I hope it will be a boy who brings us benefit and comfort. I will choose for him the finest of names and bring him every man of learning."

فَقَالَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ: مَا يَحْمِلُكَ أَيُّهَا الرَّجُلُ عَلَى أَنْ تَتَكَلَّمَ بِمَا لَا تَدْرِي أَيَكُونُ أَمْ لَا؟ وَمَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ أَصَابَهُ مَا أَصَابَ النَّاسِكَ الَّذِي أَرَاقَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ السَّمْنَ وَالْعَسَلَ.

The woman said: "What makes you, O man, speak of what you do not know will happen or not? Whoever does that suffers what befell the ascetic who poured ghee and honey over his own head."

قَالَ لَهَا: وَكَيْفَ كَانَ ذَلِكَ؟

He said to her: "And how was that?"

قَالَتْ: زَعَمُوا أَنَّ نَاسِكًا كَانَ يَجْرِي عَلَيْهِ مِنْ بَيْتِ رَجُلٍ تَاجِرٍ، فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ، رِزْقٌ مِنَ السَّمْنِ وَالْعَسَلِ، وَكَانَ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ قُوتَهُ وَحَاجَتَهُ، وَيَرْفَعُ الْبَاقِيَ، وَيَجْعَلُهُ فِي جَرَّةٍ، فَيُعَلِّقُهَا فِي وَتَدٍ فِي نَاحِيَةِ الْبَيْتِ، حَتَّى امْتَلَأَتْ.

She said: "They say that an ascetic used to receive, every day, a portion of ghee and honey from the house of a merchant. He would eat what he needed of it and put the rest away in a jar, which he hung on a peg in a corner of the house, until the jar was full."

فَبَيْنَمَا النَّاسِكُ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ مُسْتَلْقٍ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ، وَالْعُكَّازَةُ فِي يَدِهِ، وَالْجَرَّةُ مُعَلَّقَةٌ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ، تَفَكَّرَ فِي غَلَاءِ السَّمْنِ وَالْعَسَلِ.

One day, as the ascetic lay on his back with his staff in his hand and the jar hanging above his head, he began to think about the high price of ghee and honey.

فَقَالَ: سَأَبِيعُ مَا فِي هَذِهِ الْجَرَّةِ بِدِينَارٍ، وَأَشْتَرِي بِهِ عَشْرَةَ أَعْنُزٍ، فَيَحْبَلْنَ وَيَلِدْنَ فِي كُلِّ خَمْسَةِ أَشْهُرٍ بَطْنًا، وَلَا تَلْبَثُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا حَتَّى تَصِيرَ غَنَمًا كَثِيرَةً، إِذَا وَلَدَتْ أَوْلَادُهَا.

He said: "I will sell what is in this jar for a dinar, and with it buy ten goats. They will conceive and give birth every five months, and before long, once their young have young of their own, they will become a large flock."

ثُمَّ قَدَّرَ عَلَى هَذَا النَّحْوِ بِسِنِينَ، فَوَجَدَ ذَلِكَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ أَرْبَعِمِائَةِ عَنْزٍ.

Then he reckoned on in this way for years ahead, and found that it came to more than four hundred goats.

فَقَالَ: أَنَا أَشْتَرِي بِهَا مِائَةً مِنَ الْبَقَرِ، بِكُلِّ أَرْبَعَةِ أَعْنُزٍ ثَوْرًا أَوْ بَقَرَةً، وَأَشْتَرِي أَرْضًا وَبَذْرًا، وَأَسْتَأْجِرُ أَكَرَةً وَأَزْرَعُ عَلَى الثِّيرَانِ، وَأَنْتَفِعُ بِأَلْبَانِ الْإِنَاثِ وَنِتَاجِهَا، فَلَا يَأْتِي عَلَيَّ خَمْسُ سِنِينَ إِلَّا وَقَدْ أَصَبْتُ مِنَ الزَّرْعِ مَالًا كَثِيرًا.

He said: "With them I will buy a hundred cattle, a bull or a cow for every four goats. I will buy land and seed, hire ploughmen, plough with the bulls, and profit from the cows' milk and their calves. Five years will not pass before I have made a great fortune from the crops."

فَأَبْنِي بَيْتًا فَاخِرًا، وَأَشْتَرِي إِمَاءً وَعَبِيدًا، وَأَتَزَوَّجُ امْرَأَةً جَمِيلَةً ذَاتَ حَسَبٍ، ثُمَّ تَأْتِي بِغُلَامٍ سَرِيٍّ نَجِيبٍ، فَأَخْتَارُ لَهُ أَحْسَنَ الْأَسْمَاءِ.

"Then I will build a splendid house, buy slaves, women and men, and marry a beautiful woman of good family. She will bear me a noble, gifted son, and I will choose for him the finest of names."

فَإِذَا تَرَعْرَعَ أَدَّبْتُهُ، وَأَحْسَنْتُ تَأْدِيبَهُ، وَأُشَدِّدُ عَلَيْهِ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَإِنْ يَقْبَلْ مِنِّي، وَإِلَّا ضَرَبْتُهُ بِهَذِهِ الْعُكَّازَةِ.

"When he grows up I will educate him, educate him well, and be strict with him about it. If he accepts my teaching, good; if not, I will beat him with this staff."

وَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى الْجَرَّةِ فَكَسَرَهَا، فَسَالَ مَا كَانَ فِيهَا عَلَى وَجْهِهِ.

And he gestured with his hand toward the jar and broke it, so that everything in it poured down over his face.

وَإِنَّمَا ضَرَبْتُ لَكَ هَذَا الْمَثَلَ لِكَيْلَا تَعْجَلَ بِذِكْرِ مَا لَا يَنْبَغِي ذِكْرُهُ، وَمَا لَا تَدْرِي أَيَصِحُّ أَمْ لَا يَصِحُّ.

"I have told you this parable only so that you do not rush to speak of what should not be spoken of, and of what you do not know will come true or not."

فَاتَّعَظَ النَّاسِكُ بِمَا حَكَتْ زَوْجَتُهُ.

The ascetic took to heart what his wife had told him.

ثُمَّ إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ وَلَدَتْ غُلَامًا جَمِيلًا، فَفَرِحَ بِهِ أَبُوهُ.

Then the woman gave birth to a beautiful boy, and his father rejoiced in him.

وَبَعْدَ أَيَّامٍ حَانَ لَهَا أَنْ تَتَطَهَّرَ، فَقَالَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ لِلنَّاسِكِ: اقْعُدْ عِنْدَ ابْنِكَ حَتَّى أَذْهَبَ إِلَى الْحَمَّامِ فَأَغْتَسِلَ وَأَعُودَ.

Some days later the time came for her to purify herself, and she said to the ascetic: "Stay with your son while I go to the bathhouse to wash, and I will come back."

ثُمَّ إِنَّهَا انْطَلَقَتْ إِلَى الْحَمَّامِ، وَخَلَّفَتْ زَوْجَهَا وَالْغُلَامَ.

So she set off for the bathhouse, leaving her husband and the boy behind.

فَلَمْ يَلْبَثْ أَنْ جَاءَهُ رَسُولُ الْمَلِكِ يَسْتَدْعِيهِ، وَلَمْ يَجِدْ مَنْ يَخْلُفُهُ عِنْدَ ابْنِهِ غَيْرَ ابْنِ عِرْسٍ دَاجِنٍ عِنْدَهُ، كَانَ قَدْ رَبَّاهُ صَغِيرًا، فَهُوَ عِنْدَهُ عَدِيلُ وَلَدِهِ.

Before long the king's messenger came to summon him. He found no one to leave with his son except a tame weasel he kept, which he had raised from when it was small and which was to him like a second child.

فَتَرَكَهُ النَّاسِكُ عِنْدَ الصَّبِيِّ، وَأَغْلَقَ عَلَيْهِمَا الْبَيْتَ، وَذَهَبَ مَعَ الرَّسُولِ.

So the ascetic left it with the boy, locked the house on the two of them, and went off with the messenger.

فَخَرَجَتْ مِنْ بَعْضِ أَحْجَارِ الْبَيْتِ حَيَّةٌ سَوْدَاءُ، فَدَنَتْ مِنَ الْغُلَامِ، فَضَرَبَهَا ابْنُ عِرْسٍ، ثُمَّ وَثَبَ عَلَيْهَا فَقَتَلَهَا، ثُمَّ قَطَّعَهَا، وَامْتَلَأَ فَمُهُ مِنْ دَمِهَا.

Then a black snake came out from among the stones of the house and drew near the boy. The weasel struck it, then leapt on it and killed it, then tore it to pieces, and its mouth was filled with the snake's blood.

ثُمَّ جَاءَ النَّاسِكُ وَفَتَحَ الْبَابَ، فَالْتَقَاهُ ابْنُ عِرْسٍ كَالْمُبَشِّرِ لَهُ بِمَا صَنَعَ مِنْ قَتْلِ الْحَيَّةِ.

Then the ascetic came back and opened the door, and the weasel ran to meet him as if bringing him the good news of what it had done in killing the snake.

فَلَمَّا رَآهُ مُلَوَّثًا بِالدَّمِ، وَهُوَ مَذْعُورٌ، طَارَ عَقْلُهُ، وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ قَدْ خَنَقَ وَلَدَهُ.

But when he saw it smeared with blood and in a frenzy, he lost his head and thought it had strangled his child.

وَلَمْ يَتَثَبَّتْ فِي أَمْرِهِ، وَلَمْ يَتَرَوَّ فِيهِ، حَتَّى يَعْلَمَ حَقِيقَةَ الْحَالِ، وَيَعْمَلَ بِغَيْرِ مَا ظَنَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ.

He did not pause to make sure of the matter, nor think it over, so as to learn the truth of the situation and act on something other than what he had assumed.

وَلَكِنْ عَجِلَ عَلَى ابْنِ عِرْسٍ، وَضَرَبَهُ بِعُكَّازَةٍ كَانَتْ فِي يَدِهِ عَلَى أُمِّ رَأْسِهِ، فَمَاتَ.

Instead he rushed at the weasel and struck it on the crown of its head with a staff he had in his hand, and it died.

وَدَخَلَ النَّاسِكُ فَرَأَى الْغُلَامَ سَلِيمًا حَيًّا، وَعِنْدَهُ أَسْوَدُ مُقَطَّعٌ.

Then the ascetic went in and saw the boy alive and unharmed, with a black snake torn to pieces beside him.

فَلَمَّا عَرَفَ الْقِصَّةَ، وَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُ سُوءُ فِعْلِهِ فِي الْعَجَلَةِ، لَطَمَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ، وَقَالَ: لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُرْزَقْ هَذَا الْوَلَدَ، وَلَمْ أَغْدِرْ هَذَا الْغَدْرَ.

When he understood what had happened, and saw how badly he had acted in his haste, he struck his own head and said: "Would that I had never been given this child, and had never committed this betrayal!"

وَدَخَلَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ فَوَجَدَتْهُ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْحَالِ، فَقَالَتْ لَهُ: مَا شَأْنُكَ؟

His wife came in and found him in that state, and said to him: "What is the matter with you?"

فَأَخْبَرَهَا بِالْخَبَرِ، مِنْ حُسْنِ فِعْلِ ابْنِ عِرْسٍ وَسُوءِ مُكَافَأَتِهِ لَهُ.

He told her the story: the weasel's good deed, and how badly he had repaid it.

فَقَالَتْ: هَذِهِ ثَمَرَةُ الْعَجَلَةِ!

She said: "This is the fruit of haste!"

فَهَذَا مَثَلُ مَنْ لَا يَتَثَبَّتُ فِي أَمْرِهِ، بَلْ يَفْعَلُ أَغْرَاضَهُ بِالسُّرْعَةِ وَالْعَجَلَةِ.

Such is the parable of the one who does not make sure of his affairs, but pursues his aims with speed and haste.