Sufi parable from Attar The royal daughter was like the moon with her beauty and enchanted everyone who was honored to look at her at least once.
One day, a dervish, about to refresh himself, brought a piece of bread to his mouth, when he suddenly saw her and froze in amazement. His fingers unclenched on their own, and the bread fell to the ground. Passing by, the princess smiled at the dervish. Delight sent his body into awe, the bread remained in the dust, and he himself almost fainted.
The dervish remained in this ecstatic state for seven years. The street became his home, and his neighbors were stray dogs. The princess was tired of the mad dervish, and her bodyguards decided to kill him.
Then she called him to her and told him:
- No alliance between us is possible. You must leave the city immediately because my servants want to kill you.
The unhappy lover answered her like this:
“Since I saw you, life has no value for me.” They will shed innocent blood. But before I die, I implore you, fulfill my only desire, for you are the reason for my death. Tell me why did you smile at me then?
- Stupid! - said the princess. “When I saw what a laughingstock you made of yourself, I smiled only out of pity.”
And having said this, the princess disappeared.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru