Story No. 7

Iraqi style
English

Story No. 7

I heard of a wise old teacher who said to his disciple: My son, a person is so consumed with worrying about his daily bread; if only he cared as much about the One who provides it, he would rise above the angels in rank. God did not forget you even then, when you were a buried, unconscious seed of life. He gave you a soul, a nature, reason, and understanding, beauty, speech, judgment, thought, and wit. He arranged ten fingers neatly on your palm, and set two strong arms upon your shoulders. So now, you of little faith, do you imagine that He would forget to give you your bread?
Explanation: The opening line contrasts obsession with 'daily bread' (rizq, one's sustenance) with devotion to God, the true provider. 'Nutfeh' means the seed or drop from which a human forms.

Original · Persian

حکایت شمارهٔ ۷

یکی را شنیدم از پیران مربی که مریدی را همی‌گفت: ای پسر‌! چندان که تعلق خاطر آدمی‌زاد به روزی‌ست اگر به روزی‌ده بودی به مقام از ملائکه در‌گذشتی.
فراموشت نکرد ایزد در آن حال که بودی نطفهٔ مدفون و مدهوش
روانت داد و طبع و عقل و ادراک جمال و نطق و رای و فکرت و هوش
ده انگشتت مرتب کرد بر کف دو بازویت مرکب ساخت بر دوش
کنون پنداری ای ناچیز همت‌! که خواهد کردنت روزی فراموش‌؟