20
accuse of bitterness the All-seeing,[1] who is tender to all! And why should the Creator of good make evil!
113. "If this knight[2] was indeed (a man) of flesh wandering over the earth, others must have seen him; they will appear to instruct you. If not, it is a devil[3] who has appeared to you to disturb your joys. Refrain from sadness. Why art thou become cheerless?
114. "This is my advice: Thou art king, ruler over kings[4]; wide is your boundary, boundless is your power[5]; send everywhere men with news of this story; soon shall you know whether this youth be a mortal or not."[6]
115. He commanded men and sent them forth even to the four corners of the heavens, saying: "Go, spare yourselves no pains; search, hunt for that youth, let nothing hinder you; send a letter whither ye cannot go nor attain."
116. The men went, they wandered about for a year; they looked, they sought that youth, they inquired again and again. They could find none of God's creatures who had seen him. Wearied in vain, they returned, dissatisfied with themselves.[7]
117. The slaves said: "O king, we have wandered over the lands, yet could we not find that youth, so we could not rejoice; we could meet no living man who had seen him; we have not been able to serve you, now devise some other plan."
118. The king replied: "My daughter, my child, spoke truth. I have seen a hideous, unclean spirit; he has been sent as my foe, flying down from heaven. Grief is fled from me; I care nothing for all that."[8]
119. Thus he spoke, and sporting was increased with rejoicing; they called the minstrel[9] and the acrobat[10] wherever they were found, many gifts were distributed, he
- ↑ 1028, 1119.
- ↑ Moqme.
- ↑ Eshma.
- ↑ Cf. 46, note 3.
- ↑ Thus Ch., but? "So wide is your boundary your behests scarce can reach it."
- ↑ Born or unborn—shobili t'hu ushobeli.
- ↑ "With a void (zadi) in their hearts;" for zadi, 1468.
- ↑ Ara mgama (from gava), 14, 310, 492, 733, 775.
- ↑ Mgosani.
- ↑ Mushait'hi (Ar.), 1370.
