Chapter II: Story of Abraham and the Fire-Worshipper
I have heard :—for a week not a son of the road,At the liberal guest-house of Abraham showed.From his sociable nature, he broke not his fast,Hoping some needy trav'ller might share his repast.Out he went and most carefully looked all around ;His gaze travelled over the valley: he foundOne alone in the wild, like a willow to sight ;With his head and his hair, from the snow of age, white.By way of consoling, "You're welcome!" he said;In the mode of the gen'rous, invitement he made :—" My eye's tender pupil, oh stranger! thou art;Be gen'rous, and of my provisions, take part!""With pleasure," he said, then arose and progressed,For he knew the "friend's" nature (on him safety rest!).The attendants of Abraham's charity Khan,In dignity seated the humble old man.He ordered; they sorted the trays on the ground,And seated themselves in their places around.When all at the board, the "bismillah" began,He heard not the phrase from the feeble old man.He spoke to him, thus: "Oh old man, full of days!I see not the old's faith and warmth in your ways.Before you eat bread, does the rule not hold good,That you mention the name of the Giver of food?"He answered, " I keep not the custom, at least ;For it never was taught me by Magian priest."Then the prophet, of prosperous lot, could detectThat the old wreck belonged to the Magian sect.He instantly drove him away in disgrace ;For in front of the holy, the vile have no place.An angel came down from the Maker adored,And with awe thus rebuked him: "Oh friend of the Lord!Food and life I have giv'n him for one hundred years ;Your dislike for the man, in a moment, appears.Though a person should show adoration for fire,Why cause Liberality's hand to retire?"
Words in this poem
- broke v. i.
- To transact business for another. Brome. [See Broker, and cf. Brook.]
- went n.
- Course; way; path; journey; direction.
- consoling a.
- Adapted to console or comfort; cheering; as, this is consoling news.
- invitement n.
- Invitation. Chapman.
- khan n.
- A king; a prince; a chief; a governor; -- so called among the Tartars, Turks, and Persians, and in countries now or formerly governed by them. [Pers. & Tart. khan.]
- bismillah interj.
- An adjuration or exclamation common among the Mohammedans. [Arabic, in the name of God!]
- spoke n.
- The radius or ray of a wheel; one of the small bars which are inserted in the hub, or nave, and which serve to support the rim or felly. [OE. spoke, spake, AS, spaca; akin to D. speek, LG. speke, OHG. speihha, G. speiche. sq. root170. Cf. Spike a nail.]
- giver n.
- One who gives; a donor; a bestower; a grantor; one who imparts or distributes.
- magian a.
- Of or pertaining to the Magi.
- drove n.
- A collection of cattle driven, or cattle collected for driving; a number of animals, as oxen, sheep, or swine, driven in a body. [AS. draf, fr. drifan to drive. See Drive.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Chapter II: Story of Abraham and the Fire-Worshipper is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Garden of Fragrance: being a complete translation of the Bostan of Sadi from the original Persian into English verse, by G. S. Davie (London: Kegan Paul, Trench and Co., 1882), Internet Archive, the G. S. Davie translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Saadi, Chapter II: Story of Abraham and the Fire-Worshipper, in The Garden of Fragrance (1882), text of Internet Archive, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/saadi-bostan/2-4.html, id L29561.
Form and metre
Chapter II: Story of Abraham and the Fire-Worshipper is 36 lines in a single stanza. It is in rhyming couplets, 78% of the lines. The metre is anapaestic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 95%).
See other poems in rhyming couplets, other poems in anapaestic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 AABBCCDD--EEFF-GHHGGII--JJKKLLMMNN-- roadA · showedA · fastB · repastB · aroundC · foundC · sightD · whiteD · said · made · artE · partE · progressedF · restF · khan · manG · groundH · aroundH · beganG · manG · daysI · waysI · good · food · leastJ · priestJ · detectK · sectK · disgraceL · placeL · adoredM · lordM · yearsN · appearsN · fire · retire
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against anapaestic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| I have heard :—for a week not a son of the road, | 12 | ············ |
| At the liberal guest-house of Abraham showed. | 12 | ··/˘˘···/˘·· |
| From his sociable nature, he broke not his fast, | 12 | ··/˘˘/˘····· |
| Hoping some needy trav'ller might share his repast. | 12 | /˘·/˘·····˘/ |
| Out he went and most carefully looked all around ; | 12 | ·····/˘˘···· |
| His gaze travelled over the valley: he found | 12 | ··/˘˘···/˘·· |
| One alone in the wild, like a willow to sight ; | 12 | ·˘/·····/··· |
| With his head and his hair, from the snow of age, white. | 12 | ············ |
| By way of consoling, "You're welcome!" he said; | 11 | ···˘/˘·/˘·· |
| In the mode of the gen'rous, invitement he made :— | 12 | ·······˘/˘·· |
| " My eye's tender pupil, oh stranger! thou art; | 11 | ··/˘/˘·/˘·· |
| Be gen'rous, and of my provisions, take part!" | 11 | ······˘/˘·· |
| "With pleasure," he said, then arose and progressed, | 12 | ·/˘···˘/·˘/˘ |
| For he knew the "friend's" nature (on him safety rest!). | 12 | ·····/˘··/˘· |
| The attendants of Abraham's charity Khan, | 12 | ·˘/˘·/˘·/˘˘· |
| In dignity seated the humble old man. | 11 | ·/˘˘/˘·/˘·· |
| He ordered; they sorted the trays on the ground, | 12 | ·/˘˘·/˘····· |
| And seated themselves in their places around. | 11 | ·/˘˘/··/˘·· |
| When all at the board, the "bismillah" began, | 11 | ······˘/˘˘/ |
| He heard not the phrase from the feeble old man. | 11 | ·······/˘·· |
| He spoke to him, thus: "Oh old man, full of days! | 11 | ··········· |
| I see not the old's faith and warmth in your ways. | 11 | ··········· |
| Before you eat bread, does the rule not hold good, | 11 | ··········· |
| That you mention the name of the Giver of food?" | 12 | ··/˘····/˘·· |
| He answered, " I keep not the custom, at least ; | 12 | ·/˘˘····/˘·· |
| For it never was taught me by Magian priest." | 12 | ··/˘····/˘˘· |
| Then the prophet, of prosperous lot, could detect | 12 | ··/˘·/˘˘··˘/ |
| That the old wreck belonged to the Magian sect. | 12 | ····˘/··/˘˘· |
| He instantly drove him away in disgrace ; | 11 | ·/˘˘··˘/·˘/ |
| For in front of the holy, the vile have no place. | 12 | ·····/˘····· |
| An angel came down from the Maker adored, | 12 | ·/˘····/˘˘/˘ |
| And with awe thus rebuked him: "Oh friend of the Lord! | 12 | ····˘/······ |
| Food and life I have giv'n him for one hundred years ; | 12 | ·········/˘· |
| Your dislike for the man, in a moment, appears. | 12 | ·˘/·····/˘˘/ |
| Though a person should show adoration for fire, | 13 | ··/˘···˘/˘·/˘ |
| Why cause Liberality's hand to retire?" | 11 | ···˘/˘˘··˘/ |
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