Hekayat 12 from Chapter 2 of Golestan of Saadi
English Translation for Hekayat
One night in the desert of Mecca, I was so exhausted from sleeplessness that I could no longer walk. I lay down and told the camel driver, “Leave me alone.”
How far can a poor pedestrian go?
The camel is weary from bearing the load
Until the fat body becomes lean
The lean one would have died from hardship
He said, “Brother! The sanctuary is ahead and the bandit behind; if you move, you will be saved, and if you sleep, you will die.”
It is pleasant to sleep under the thorn bushes on the road to the desert
But on the night of departure, one must say farewell to life.
متن حکایت
شبی در بیابانِ مکّه از بی‌خوابی پایِ رفتنم نماند؛ سر بنهادم و شتربان را گفتم: دست از من بدار.
پایِ مسکینْ پیاده چند رود؟
کز تحمّل ستوه شد بُختی
تا شود جسمِ فربهی لاغر
لاغری مرده باشد از سختی
گفت: ای برادر! حرم در پیش است و حرامیّ در پس؛ اگر رفتی بُردی، وگر خفتی، مُردی.
خوش است زیرِ مُغیلان به راه بادیه خُفت
شبِ رَحیل ولی ترکِ جان بباید گفت
