The Merchant and the Parrot - Daftar-e-Awwal

A lovely parrot was presented to a Persian businessman by his Indian trading partners many years ago. He kept the parrot in a secure cage where he could keep an eye on her and listen to her sweet song every day when he came home from work. When the time came for him to go to India on a buying trip, he asked his family for aid in deciding what they wanted him to bring back as gifts for them. Each one, including the little green parrot, requested something dear to his or her heart.

My beloved master, she said, my heart truly wishes nothing from my motherland. However, if you happen to come across a bunch of parrots like myself, please offer my greetings and inform them that I'm stuck in a cage in Persia and miss them much. Ask them if they believe it's fair that they can fly around the country while their cousin languishes in captivity. I beg you to contact them on my behalf and seek their opinion on how to assess my position.

The merchant didn't give the parrot's request much thought, but he vowed to track down the birds and relay her message just as she had expressed it. When he arrived in India, he went about his business as usual, but he didn't forget about his promise of gifts for his servants or the parrot's message. He came upon a flock of parrots chirping loudly in a forest one day while moving from one town to the next. He came to a complete stop and faithfully conveyed his parrot's message, but before he could finish, one of the parrots began to shiver uncontrollably, tumbling off the limb he'd been perched on and dying instantly. The merchant dashed to save the parrot, but the small bird appeared to be dead!

He became disturbed, feeling a deep sense of sorrow that he'd unnecessarily killed the unfortunate bird. He was dying of grief after hearing about his trapped relative and wondered if the falling bird was related to his parrot. Wasn't it true that the human tongue is like an unhappy assemblage of rock and iron that can spark a fire when hit against one other? He was sorry for relaying his parrot's message, but there was nothing he could do at the time, so he continued with his tasks till they were completed, then returned home.

When he arrived, he handed out the gifts that each servant had requested, but he didn't say anything to his parrot. The bird, who had been waiting for her mates' responses with bated breath, finally couldn't take it any longer and asked the merchant, So, where's my gift? Tell me about the Indian parrots. What did you see and hear from them?

I'd rather forget! said the merchant solemnly. What's the matter, Master? Can you tell me why your face is so long?

He hesitantly continued, I relayed your story to a flock of parrots in the woods.

However, before I could finish, one of them began to tremble and suddenly fell from the tree, dying! I'll never be able to forgive myself for killing the poor bird. But what is the point? An arrow that has left the bow will never return, and words that have left our lips will never return.

The small parrot fell from her perch and died on the cage floor before the merchant could finish his statement. The merchant couldn't believe what he was seeing and went into tears, blaming himself for yet another innocent death. He got agitated, cursing and repenting, unable to fathom what was going on. He paced back and forth, his gaze fixed on his bird, who lay unmoving on a heap of leaves on the floor of her beautiful cage. He gently stroked the parrot's feathers, recalling her sweet singing, which had brought him so much joy for so long.

After some time, the merchant nervously unlocked the delicate cage door and carefully lifted up the bird, carrying her to the garden and resting her on the ground while he dug a cemetery for her to be buried. The parrot flew up to the nearest tree and sat on a high branch, blissfully staring at her former master. The merchant was taken aback, unable to comprehend the significance of the words he had spoken.

I'm overjoyed to see you're still alive and well, but tell me, what did I say that made you want to imitate your cousin in India? Now that you're free, tell me your secret.

That parrot had no link to me, yet he taught me how to free myself! said the joyful parrot. Without saying anything, he let me understand that my incarceration was due to my lovely song, my ability to amuse you and your visitors. My priceless voice was, in fact, the source of my enslavement! He taught me that my liberation would be found in the act of dying, in the sense of letting go of my attachment to my worldly talents, which I had so greatly valued.

The parrot said her final goodbyes to her merchant master and promptly flew away.

A lovely parrot was presented to a Persian businessman by his Indian trading partners many years ago. He kept the parrot in a secure cage where he could keep an eye on her and listen to her sweet song every day when he came home from work. When the time came for him to go to India on a buying trip, he asked his family for aid in deciding what they wanted him to bring back as gifts for them. Each one, including the little green parrot, requested something dear to his or her heart.

My beloved master, she said, my heart truly wishes nothing from my motherland. However, if you happen to come across a bunch of parrots like myself, please offer my greetings and inform them that I'm stuck in a cage in Persia and miss them much. Ask them if they believe it's fair that they can fly around the country while their cousin languishes in captivity. I beg you to contact them on my behalf and seek their opinion on how to assess my position.

The merchant didn't give the parrot's request much thought, but he vowed to track down the birds and relay her message just as she had expressed it. When he arrived in India, he went about his business as usual, but he didn't forget about his promise of gifts for his servants or the parrot's message. He came upon a flock of parrots chirping loudly in a forest one day while moving from one town to the next. He came to a complete stop and faithfully conveyed his parrot's message, but before he could finish, one of the parrots began to shiver uncontrollably, tumbling off the limb he'd been perched on and dying instantly. The merchant dashed to save the parrot, but the small bird appeared to be dead!

He became disturbed, feeling a deep sense of sorrow that he'd unnecessarily killed the unfortunate bird. He was dying of grief after hearing about his trapped relative and wondered if the falling bird was related to his parrot. Wasn't it true that the human tongue is like an unhappy assemblage of rock and iron that can spark a fire when hit against one other? He was sorry for relaying his parrot's message, but there was nothing he could do at the time, so he continued with his tasks till they were completed, then returned home.

When he arrived, he handed out the gifts that each servant had requested, but he didn't say anything to his parrot. The bird, who had been waiting for her mates' responses with bated breath, finally couldn't take it any longer and asked the merchant, So, where's my gift? Tell me about the Indian parrots. What did you see and hear from them?

I'd rather forget! said the merchant solemnly. What's the matter, Master? Can you tell me why your face is so long?

He hesitantly continued, I relayed your story to a flock of parrots in the woods.

However, before I could finish, one of them began to tremble and suddenly fell from the tree, dying! I'll never be able to forgive myself for killing the poor bird. But what is the point? An arrow that has left the bow will never return, and words that have left our lips will never return.

The small parrot fell from her perch and died on the cage floor before the merchant could finish his statement. The merchant couldn't believe what he was seeing and went into tears, blaming himself for yet another innocent death. He got agitated, cursing and repenting, unable to fathom what was going on. He paced back and forth, his gaze fixed on his bird, who lay unmoving on a heap of leaves on the floor of her beautiful cage. He gently stroked the parrot's feathers, recalling her sweet singing, which had brought him so much joy for so long.

After some time, the merchant nervously unlocked the delicate cage door and carefully lifted up the bird, carrying her to the garden and resting her on the ground while he dug a cemetery for her to be buried. The parrot flew up to the nearest tree and sat on a high branch, blissfully staring at her former master. The merchant was taken aback, unable to comprehend the significance of the words he had spoken.

I'm overjoyed to see you're still alive and well, but tell me, what did I say that made you want to imitate your cousin in India? Now that you're free, tell me your secret.

That parrot had no link to me, yet he taught me how to free myself! said the joyful parrot. Without saying anything, he let me understand that my incarceration was due to my lovely song, my ability to amuse you and your visitors. My priceless voice was, in fact, the source of my enslavement! He taught me that my liberation would be found in the act of dying, in the sense of letting go of my attachment to my worldly talents, which I had so greatly valued.

The parrot said her final goodbyes to her merchant master and promptly flew away.