一千零一夜-天方夜谭-1001 Nights(英文版)-第48部分

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　the　Most　High　and　praising　Him　for　His　favours　and　bounties。　I　also　render　thanks　to　God；　for　that　I　am　but　a　slave　manded；　my　heart　is　in　His　hand　and　my　tongue　obedient　to　Him；　accepting　that　which　He　adjudgeth　to　me　and　to　them；　e　what　may。

Each　one　of　them　hath　said　what　came　to　his　thought　on　the　subject　of　this　boy　and　hath　set　forth　that　which　was　of　the　renewal　of　＇God's＇　favour　to　us；　after　I　had　reached　the　age　when　despair　is　uppermost　and　hope　faileth。　So　praised　be　God　who　hath　saved　us　from　disappointment　and　from　the　alternation　of　rulers；　like　to　the　alternation　of　night　and　day！　For　verily；　this　was　a　great　boon　both　to　us　and　to　them；　wherefore　we　praise　God　the　Most　High　who　hath　given　a　ready　answer　to　our　prayer　and　hath　blessed　us　with　this　boy　and　set　him　in　high　place；　as　the　inheritor　of　the　kingship。　And　we　entreat　Him；　of　His　bounty　and　clemency；　to　make　him　happy　in　his　actions；　apt　to　good　works；　so　he　may　bee　a　king　and　a　sultan　governing　his　people　　from　the　perils　of　error　and　frowardness　of　His　bounty　and　grace　and　goodness！'

When　the　king　had　made　an　end　of　his　speech；　the　sages　and　learned　men　rose　and　prostrated　themselves　before　God　and　thanked　the　king；　after　which　they　kissed　his　hands　and　departed；　each　to　his　own　house；　whilst　the　king　withdrew　into　his　palace；　where　he　looked　upon　the　newborn　child　and　offered　up　prayers　for　him　and　named　him　Wird　Khan。　The　boy　grew　up　till　he　attained　the　age　of　twelve；　（153）　when　the　king；　being　minded　to　have　him　taught　the　various　branches　of　knowledge；　built　him　a　palace　amiddleward　the　city；　wherein　were　three　hundred　and　threescore　rooms；　and　lodged　him　therein。　Then　he　assigned　him　three　learned　men　and　bade　them　relax　not　from　teaching　him　day　and　night　and　look　that　there　was　no　kind　of　knowledge　but　they　instructed　him　therein；　so　he　might　bee　versed　in　all　sciences。　Moreover；　he　manded　them　to　sit　with　him　one　day　in　each　of　the　rooms　in　turn　and　write　on　the　door　thereof　that　which　they　had　aught　him　therein　of　various　kinds　of　knowledge　and　report　to　himself　every　seven　days　what　he　had　learnt。　So　they　went　in　to　the　prince　and　stinted　not　from　teaching　him　day　nor　night；　withholding　from　him　nought　of　that　which　they　knew；　and　there　was　manifest　in　him　quickness　of　wit　and　excellence　of　apprehension　and　aptness　to　receive　instruction　such　as　none　had　shown　before　him。　Every　seventh　day　his　governors　reported　to　the　king　what　his　son　had　learnt　and　mastered；　whereby　Jelyaad　became　proficient　in　goodly　learning　and　fair　culture；　and　they　said　to　him；　'Never　saw　we　one　so　richly　gifted　with　understanding　as　is　this　boy；　may　God　bless　thee　in　him　and　give　thee　joy　of　his　life！'

　When　the　prince　had　pleted　his　twelfth　（154）　year；　he　knew　the　better　part　of　all　sciences　and　excelled　all　the　sages　and　learned　men　of　his　day。　So　his　governors　brought　him　to　his　father　and　said　to　him；　'God　solace　thine　eyes；　O　king；　with　this　happy　youth！　We　bring　him　to　thee；　after　he　hath　learnt　all　manner　of　knowledge；　and　there　is　not　one　of　the　learned　men　of　the　time　who　hath　attained　to　that　whereto　he　hath　attained　＇of　proficiency＇。'　The　king　rejoiced　in　this　with　an　exceeding　joy　and　prostrated　himself　in　gratitude　to　God　（to　whom　belong　might　and　majesty）；　saying；　'Praised　be　God　for　His　mercies　that　may　not　be　told！'　Then　he　called　his　chief　vizier　and　said　to　him；　'Know；　O　Shimas；　that　the　governors　of　my　son　are　e　to　tell　me　that　he　hath　mastered　all　kinds　of　knowledge　and　there　is　nothing　but　they　have　instructed　him　therein；　so　that　he　surpasseth　all　who　have　foregone　him　in　this。　What　sayst　thou；　O　Shimas？'

The　vizier　prostrated　himself　before　God　（to　whom　belong　might　and　majesty）　and　kissed　the　king's　hand；　saying；　'The　ruby；　though　it　be　embedded　in　the　solid　rock；　cannot　but　shine　as　a　lamp；　and　this　thy　son　is　such　a　jewel；　his　tender　age　hath　not　hindered　him　from　being　a　sage　and　praised　be　God　for　that　which　He　hath　bestowed　on　him！　But　tomorrow　I　will　call　an　assembly　of　the　flower　of　the　amirs　and　men　of　learning　and　examine　the　prince　and　cause　him　speak　forth　that　which　is　with　him　in　their　presence。'

So　the　king　manded　the　attendance　of　the　keenestwitted　and　most　acplished　of　the　erudite　and　learned　and　sages　of　his　dominions；　and　they　all　presented　themselves　on　the　morrow　at　the　door　of　the　palace；　whereupon　the　king　bade　admit　them。　Then　entered　Shimas　and　kissed　the　hands　of　the　prince；　who　rose　and　prostrated　himself　to　him：　but　Shimas　said；　'It　behoveth　not　the　lionwhelp　to　prostrate　himself　to　any　of　the　beasts；　nor　is　it　seemly　that　light　prostrate　itself　to　darkness。'　Quoth　the　prince；　'When　the　lionwhelp　sees　the　leopard；　he　prostrates　himself　to　him；　because　of　his　wisdom；　and　light　prostrates　itself　to　darkness　for　the　purpose　of　showing　forth　that　which　is　thereas；　'True；　O　my　lord；　but　I　would　have　thee　answer　me　that　whereof　I　shall　ask　thee；　by　leave　of　his　highness　and　his　folk。'　And　the　youth　said；　'With　＇my　father's＇　permission；　I　will　answer　thee。'

So　Shimas　began　and　said；　'What　is　the　Eternal；　the　Absolute；　and　what　are　the　two　essences　（155）　thereof　and　whether　of　the　two　is　the　abiding　one？'　'God；'　answered　the　prince；　'（to　whom　belong　might　and　majesty；）　is　the　Eternal；　the　Absolute；　for　that　He　is　the　first；　without　beginning；　and　the　last；　without　end。　His　two　essences　are　this　world　and　the　next；　and　the　abiding　one　of　the　two　is　the　world　to　e。'　（Q。）　'Thou　sayst　truly：　but　tell　me；　how　knowest　thou　that　one　of　God's　essences　is　this　world　and　the　other　the　world　to　e？'　（A。）　'＇I　know　this＇　because　this　world　was　created　from　nothingness　and　had　not　its　being　from　any　existing　thing；　wherefore　its　affair　is　referable　to　the　first　essence。　Moreover；　it　if　a　modity　swift　of　ceasing；　the　works　whereof　call　for　requital；　and　this　presumes　the　reproduction　（156）　of　that　which　passes　away：　so　the　next　world　is　the　second　essence。'　（Q。）　'How　knowest　thou　that　the　world　to　e　is　the　abiding　one　of　the　two　states？'　（A。）　'Because　it　is　the　stead　of　requital　for　deeds　done　in　this　world；　prepared　by　the　Eternal　without　cease。'　（Q。）　'Who　are　the　people　of　this　world　most　to　be　praised　for　their　practice？'　（A。）　'Those　who　prefer　their　weal　in　the　world　to　e　to　their　weal　in　this　world。'　（Q。）　'And　who　is　he　that　prefers　his　future　to　his　present　weal？'　（A。）　'He　who　knows　that　he　dwells　in　a　perishing　house；　that　he　was　created　but　to　pass　away　and　that；　after　passing　away；　he　will　be　called　to　account；　and　indeed；　were　there　in　this　world　one　abiding　for　ever；　he　would　not　prefer　it　to　the　next　world。'　（Q。）　'Can　the　future　life　subsist　without　the　present？'　（A。）　'He　who　hath　no　present　life　hath　no　future　life：　and　indeed　I　liken　the　people　of　this　world　and　the　goal　to　which　they　fare　to　certain　handicraftsmen；　for　whom　an　amir　builds　a　narrow　house　and　lodges　them　therein；　manding　each　of　them　to　do　a　certain　work　and　assigning　to　him　a　set　term　and　appointing　one　to　act　as　steward　over　them。　Whoso　doth　the　work　appointed　unto　him；　the　steward　brings　him　forth　of　that　straitness；　but　whoso　doth　it　not　is　punished。　After　awhile；　they　find　honey　exuding　from　the　chinks　of　the　house；　and　when　they　have　eaten　thereof　and　tasted　its　sweetness；　they　slacken　in　their　appointed　task　and　cast　it　behind　their　backs。　So　they　endure　the　straitness　and　anxiety　in　which　they　are；　with　what　they　know　of　the　punishment　to　which　they　are　going；　and　are　content　with　this　trifling　sweetness：　and　the　steward　leaves　not　to　fetch　every　one　of　them　forth　of　the　house；　＇for　punishment　or　reward；＇　when　his　appointed　term　is　expired。　Now　we　know　the　world　to　be　a　dwelling；　wherein　all　eyes　are　dazed；　and　that　each　of　its　folk　hath　his　appointed　term；　and　he　who　finds　the　little　sweetness　that　is　in　the　world　and　occupies　himself　therewith　is　of　the　number　of　the　lost；　since　he　prefers　the　things　of　this　world　to　those　of　the　next：　but　he　who　pays　no　heed　to　this　paltry　sweetness　and　prefers　the　things　of　the　world　to　e　to　those　of　this　world；　is　of　those　who　are　saved。'　（Q。）　'I　accept　what　thou　sayest　of　this　world　and　the　next：　but　I　see　they　are　as　two　set　in　authority　over　man；　needs　must　he　content　them　both；　and　they　are　contrary