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第49部分

一千零一夜-天方夜谭-1001 Nights(英文版)-第49部分


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ee they are as two set in authority over man; needs must he content them both; and they are contrary to one another。 So; if the creature set himself to seek his livelihood; it is harmful to his soul in the world to e; and if he devote himself to 'preparation for' the next world; it is hurtful to his body; and there is no way for him of pleasing both these contraries at once。' (A。) 'Indeed; the quest of one's worldly livelihood with a 'pure' intent and on lawful wise is a provision for the quest of the 'goods of the' world to e; if a man spend a part of his day in seeking his livelihood in this world; for the sustenance of his body; and devote the rest of his day to seeking 'the goods of' the next world; for the repose of his soul and the warding off of hurt therefrom; and indeed I see this world and the next as they were two kings; a just and an unjust。' 'How so?' asked Shimas; and the youth said;

 The Two Kings。

There were once two kings; a just and an unjust。 The latter's country abounded in trees and fruits and herbs; but he let no merchant pass without robbing him of his goods and his merchandise; and the merchants endured this with patience; by reason of their gain from the fatness of the land in the means of life and its pleasantness; more by token that it was renowned for its richness in precious stones and jewels。 Now the just king; who loved jewels; heard of this land and sent one of his subjects thither; giving him much money and bidding him buy jewels therewith from that country。 So he went thither and it being told to the unjust king that a merchant was e to his realm; with much money to buy jewels withal; he sent for him and asked him whence and what he was and erchant; 〃I am of such a country; and the king of the land gave me money and bade me buy therewith jewels from this country; so I obeyed him and came。〃 〃Out on thee!〃 cried the unjust king。 〃Knowst thou not my fashion of dealing with the people of my realm and how each day I take their good? How then est thou to my country? And behold; thou hast been a sojourner here since such a Time!〃 〃The money is not mine;〃 answered the stranger; 〃not a doit of it; nay; it is a trust in my hands; till I bring it (157) to its owner。〃 But the king said; 〃I will not let thee take thy livelihood of my country or go out therefrom; except thou ransom thyself with this money; all of it; else shalt thou die。〃

So the man said in himself; 〃I am fallen between two kings; and I know that the oppression of this one embraceth all who abide in his dominions: and if I content him not; I shall lose both life and money and shall fail of my errand; whilst; on the other hand; if I give him all the money; it will assuredly prove my ruin with the other king; its owner: wherefore nothing will serve me but that I give this one a small part thereof and content him therewith and avert perdition from myself and from the money。 Thus shall I get my livelihood of the fatness of this land; till I buy that which I desire of jewels and return to the owner of the money with his need; trusting in his justice and indulgence and fearing not that he will punish me for that which this unjust king taketh of the money; especially if it be but a little。〃

Then he called down blessings on the unjust king and said to him; 〃O king; I will ransom myself and this money with a small portion thereof; from the time of my entering thy country to that of my going forth therefrom。〃 The king agreed to this and left him at peace for a year; till he bought jewels with all 'the rest of' the money and returned therewith to his master; to whom he made his excuses; confessing to having rescued himself from the unjust king as before related。 The just king accepted his excuse and praised him for his wise ordinance and set him on his right hand in his divan and appointed him in his kingdom an abiding inheritance and a happy life。

Now the just king is the similitude of the next world and the unjust king that of this world; the jewels that be in the latter's dominions are good deeds and pious works。 The merchant is man and the money he hath with him is the provision appointed him of God。 When I consider this; I know that it behoves him who seeks his livelihood in this world to leave not a day without seeking the goods of the world to e; so shall he content this world with that which he gains of the fatness of the earth and the next with that which he spends of his life in seeking after it。' (Q。) 'Are the soul and the body alike in reward and punishment or is the 'body as the' luster of lusts and doer of sins; alone affected with punishment?' (A。) 'The inclination unto lusts and sins may be the cause of earning reward by the withholding of the soul therefrom and the repenting thereof; but the affair (158) is in the hand of Him who doth what He will; and by their contraries are things distinguished。 Thus subsistence is necessary to the body; but there is no body without soul; and the purification of the soul is in making clean the intent in this world and taking thought to that which shall profit in the world to e。 Indeed; soul and body are like two horses running for a wager or two fosterbrothers or two partners in affairs。 By the intent are good deeds distinguished and thus the body and soul are partners in actions and in reward and punishment; and in this they are like the blind man and the cripple with the overseer of the garden。' 'How so?' asked Shimas; and the prince said;

 The Blind Man and the Cripple。

'A blind man and a cripple were travellingpanions and used to beg in pany。 One day they sought admission into the garden of some one of the benevolent; and a kindhearted man hearing their talk; took passion on them and carried them into his garden; where he left them and went away; bidding them do no waste nor damage therein。 When the fruits became ripe; the cripple said to the blind man; 〃Harkye; I see ripe fruits and long for them; but I cannot rise to theme to eat thereof; so go thou; for thou art sound of limb; and fetch us thereof; that we may eat。〃 〃Out on thee!〃 replied the blind man。 〃I had no thought of them; but now that thou callest them to my mind; I long to eat of them and I cannot avail unto this; being unable to see them; so how shall we do to get at them?〃 At this moment; up came the overseer of the garden; who was a man of understanding; and the cripple said to him; 〃Harkye; overseer! I long for some of those fruits; but we are as thou seest; I am a cripple and my mate here is stoneblind: so what shall we do?〃 〃Out on ye!〃 replied the overseer。 〃Have ye fotten that the master of the garden stipulated with you that ye should do no waste nor damage therein? Take warning then and abstain from this。〃 But they answered; 〃Needs must we get at these fruits; that we may eat thereof: so tell us how we shall contrive this。〃

When the overseer saw that they were not to be turned from their purpose; he said; 〃O cripple; let the blind man take thee on his back and carry thee to the tree whose fruit pleaseth thee; so thou mayst pluck what thou canst reach thereof。〃 So the blind man took the cripple on his back and the latter guided him; till he brought him to a tree; and he fell to plucking from it what he would and tearing at its branches; till he had despoiled it; after which they went round about the garden and wasted it with their hands and feet; nor did they cease from this fashion; till they had stripped all the trees in the garden。

Then they returned to their place and presently up came the master of the garden; who; seeing it in this plight; was sore angered and said to them; 〃Out on ye! What fashion is this? Did I not stipulate with you that ye should do no waste in the garden?〃 Quoth they; 〃Thou knowest that we cannot avail to e at any of the fruit; for that one of us is a cripple and cannot rise and the other is blind and cannot see that which is before him: so what is our offence?〃 But the master answered; saying; 〃Think ye I know not how ye wrought and how ye have gone about to do waste in my garden? I know; as if I had been with thee; O blind man; that thou tookest the cripple on thy back and he guided thee; till thou borest him to the trees。〃 Then he punished them grievously and put them out of 

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