A Short Tale

Iraqi style
English

A Short Tale

A man who had fallen behind on the road was weeping: 'Who in this whole plain is more wretched than I am?' A man who had seen the world said to him, 'Listen, if you are truly a man, heed this one word.' 'Go and be grateful that you are not riding on a donkey, since after all you are a child of Adam, not a donkey yourself.'
Explanation: The final line plays on a double meaning: be thankful you are not the donkey being ridden, and remember your worth as a human being.

Original · Persian

بخش ۱۱ - حکایت

ز ره باز پس مانده‌ای می‌گریست که مسکین تر از من در این دشت کیست؟
جهاندیده‌ای گفتش ای هوشیار اگر مردی این یک سخن گوش دار
برو شکر کن چون به خر بر نه‌ای که آخر بنی آدمی، خر نه‌ای