The Morals of Dervishes
contemplate the beauty of the slave-boy and -girl in conformity with the maxim of wise men, who have said that the curls of belles are fetters to the feet of the intellect and a snare to a sagacious bird. In short, the happiness of his [former] time of contentedness had come to an end; as the saying is: 'Any Faqih, Pir, and Murid,[1] or pure-minded orator, descending into the base world, sticks in the honey like a fly.'
Once a King desired to visit him, but saw the hermit changed from his former state, as he had become red, white, and corpulent. When the King entered, he beheld him reclining on a couch of gold brocade, whilst the boy and the fairy stood near his head with a fan of peacock's feathers. He expressed pleasure to behold the hermit in so comfortable a position, conversed with him on many topics, and said at the conclusion of the visit: "I am afraid of these two classes of men in the world: scholars and hermits."
The vizier, who was a philosopher and experienced in the affairs of the world, being present, said: "O King! The conditions of friendship require thee to do good to both classes. Bestow gold upon scholars, that they may read more; but give nothing to hermits, that they may remain hermits. A hermit requires neither dirhams nor dinârs[2]; if he takes any, find another hermit."
Who has a good behaviour and a secret with God, is an anchorite without the Waqfbread[3] or begged morsel. WIth a handsome figure and heart-ravishing ear-tip [a girl] is a belle without turquoise ring or pendants.
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