Observations placeholder
Saadi - The Gulistan of Sa‘di – 22 from The Morals of Dervishes
Identifier
015297
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Literal and figurative use of the word camel
A description of the experience
Saadi - The Gulistan of Sa‘di – 22 from The Morals of Dervishes
It once happened that on a journey to the Hejaz a company of young and pious men, whose sentiments harmonized with mine, were my fellow-travellers. They occasionally sung and recited spiritual verses but we had with us also an abid, who entertained a bad opinion of the behaviour of the dervishes and was ignorant of their sufferings. When we reached the palm-grove of the Beni Hallal, a black boy of the encampment, falling into a state of excitement, broke out in a strain which brought down the birds from the sky. I saw, however, the camel of the abid, which began to prance, throwing him and running into the desert.
Know you what that matutinal bulbul said to me?
What man are you to be ignorant of love?
The Arabic verses threw a camel into ecstasy and joy.
If you have no taste you are an ill-natured brute.
When a camel’s head is turned by the frenzy of joy
And a man does not feel it, he must be an ass.
When the winds blow over the plain
The branches of the ban-tree bend, not hard rocks.
Whatever you behold chants His praises.
He knows this who has true perception.
Not only the bulbul on the rosebush sings praises
But every bramble is a tongue, extolling Him.