174 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Benfjnl. [^rarc5i, 1907. 



Tlieii Solomon was surprised at their language and pondered 

 -on their intelligence and their waj of putting things,^ and replied, 

 "I will see that 3^ou ohtain your wishes in this, and I will put 

 jour questions to those against whom you have lodged objection." 



He then summoned the first, namely, the Hawk, who at once 

 obeyed the summons and said, " Oh Prophet of God ! what wiliest 

 thou ? I will not turn aside from thy behest/* 



Solomon said, ** A company of the birds objects to thy de- 

 clining to speak to them, and asks thee to give them thy reasons," 



The Hawk said, *' Oh Prophet of God ! the tongue often slips, 

 and man has been born merely to act ; for God loves only those 

 among men that are doers, and closes the door in the face of all 

 .talkers that do not act»" Then the hawk recited in verse : — 



■ 



*' Those that are slothful we approve not ; 



AVe approve only those that are doers. 



Everyone whose habit is obedience to us, 

 He is accepted and his sins forgiven him." 



Then Solomon summoned the second, namely, the Owl, and 

 said to him, "Oh odions bird ! why dost thou seclude thyself in 

 rnins, avoiding habitations ; and why hast thou forsaken the com- 

 panionship of birds on branching trees ? " ^ 



The Owl said, « Oh Prophet of God ! He that regards the 

 world is sednced, and he that knows that he "svill be called to 



thought 



rowfnl 



in my heart except Him CH 



So pi-aise be to Him of whom it is said tliere is none bnt Him 

 {Bit):' Then he added : 



f 



" Repeating the name of tbe only God is food for tbe souls of those that 

 are lost in His love. * 



Their bodies are emaciated through their fear of God, and througb tbe 

 sallownesa of their cheeks they have risen to high eminence." 



4 



i 



Then Solomon summoned the third, namely, the Raven, and 

 said, *' Oh bird-of-sorrow, styled nnhappy ! Why dost thou wear 

 the garb of mourning when it is the garb of those separated from 

 tlieir loved ones ? " 



The Raven said, *' Oh Prophet of God! the careless have 

 remembered theii^ departure from this world and the pangs of im- 

 pending death ^ ; for I have never seen a company but it dispersed, 

 nor a society but it scattered ; and this world has no real value, * and 

 the life of this world is but a passing life. ' " ^ Then he added :— 



J 27izfl/n; not an appropriate word here. 

 cwSft e»li j^iWt; there appears to be an omission in tbe text. 



e;lii)|f c(S might possibly be taken to mean "of different classes/' 



The xneaniTig of tbe Arabic is not clear. 



* Qt4r*«n, snrah liii, ayah 26, 



careless 



J3 



