Hekayat 20 from Chapter 2 of Golestan of Saadi

As much as the venerable Sheikh, Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi, may God have mercy on him, forbade me from listening to music and advised me to solitude and seclusion, the vigor of my youth and my desires prevailed;

I inevitably went against the advice of my mentor and took pleasure in listening to music and socializing. When I remembered my Sheikh’s advice, I would say:

If the judge sits with us, he will shake his hand

If the moralist drinks wine, he will excuse the drunkard

One night, I arrived at a gathering where I saw a minstrel among them;

It seemed as if his discordant notes were tearing at the soul

His voice was more unpleasant than the news of a father’s death

Sometimes the listeners would put their fingers in their ears, and sometimes on their lips, signaling silence!

We are drawn to the sound of songs for their sweetness

But you, minstrel, if you remain silent, we will be pleased

No one finds joy in listening

Except when you stop and leave

When the lute player began to sing

I said to the host: For God’s sake

Put wax in my ears so I don’t hear

Or open the door so I can leave

In short, out of respect for my friends, I endured the night with much struggle.

The muezzin called out at an untimely hour

He does not know how much of the night has passed

Ask the length of the night from my eyelashes

For not a moment did sleep come to my eyes

In the morning, as a gesture of blessing, I took off my turban and a dinar from my belt and placed them before the minstrel, embraced him, and thanked him profusely.

My friends saw my unusual kindness towards him and attributed it to my lack of sense.

One of them began to reproach me, saying that this action was not befitting of a wise person; giving the cloak of the elders to such a minstrel who has never had a coin in his hand or a crumb in his drum.

A minstrel, far from this blessed abode

No one has seen him twice in one place

As soon as his voice rises from his mouth

People’s hair stands on end

The birds of the porch fly away in fear

He takes away our minds and tears his own throat

I said: It is best to refrain from reproach, for this person’s honor has become apparent to me.

He said: Will you not inform me of the reason so that I too may seek closeness and repent for my jest?

I said: Yes! Because my venerable Sheikh has repeatedly forbidden me from listening to music and given eloquent advice, but it did not enter my ears. Tonight, my fortunate star and auspicious fate led me to this place so that through this minstrel, I repented and resolved not to engage in listening to music and socializing for the rest of my life!

A sweet voice from the mouth and lips of a sweet one

Whether it sings or not, it captivates the heart

Even if it is the tune of lovers or Khorasan and Hijaz

It does not suit the throat of a disliked minstrel