Poet: Bari Jahani; English translation: Faraz Jamil Kakar
Long time ago
On the bank of Nile
Stood the castle of Pharaoh
His kingdom spread across the world
His might respected by all Sultans
All kings would send him precious gifts
His army had soldiers from all nations
But the Pharaoh had one wish
One desire deep in his heart
To be invincible in this universe
To become God
So people could build temples in kingdom
To worship him
All worlds would bow before him
People would trust
That sun and moon also obey him
And sky is filled with his miracles
Pharaoh had a wise counsellor named Haman
Known for his wisdom and his knowledge
Pharaoh shared his wish with Haman
His heartfelt desire, his sincere longing
Haman said:
O mighty King…
My life be laid at your feet
Till the time your kingdom has
The wise and brave, speakers and scholars
Schools and students, teachers and mentors
Path showing guides and learned scholars
There will always be a threat
To your kingdom and my life
Therefore…
First ensure that
Your kingdom has no thinking minds
No skill, no knowledge
No school and learning
No teacher, logic and no books
Haman said:
I have heard from learned scholars and the virtuous
Eating beans is bad for wisdom
So this crop is good for King
If there is shortage of wheat and maize for 7 years
People will buy beans
Beans will fade their skills and wisdom
The kingdom will become a jungle
A herd of animals
Full of mindless naives
And very few scholars
Naïve accept humans as Gods
They turn the city into kingdom of the dead
You will rule them like herd of sheep
As their king and as their God
All heads will bow before you
They will give alms and will make temples in your name
And worship you
The great Pharaoh ordered farmers of his kingdom
Not to grow wheat in their farms
Nor to store it in their homes
They will grow beans in their farms
Not wheat or maize
Because wheat is bad for wisdom
That who grows wheat is ignorant
For seven years
Farmers grew beans
And filled their stores
Teachers and students became all farmers
Working in bean farms
Teachers would carry heavy loads on their backs
Schools were turned into bean stores
Seminaries of the city were closed
Symbols of ignorance were lightened
One day
There was noise in the city
That turned in to big chaos by the evening
A dispute between two brothers
Was brought to the people of city
And the city was divided between two sides
Some siding the elder brother
Others favouring the younger
The younger said:
I want to build a room
For ten cows and twenty sheep
And will sell cheap milk to city
And will earn a lot of money
Will become wealthy in short time
The wealthiest in Egypt
The elder said:
I don’t accept you having cows
The sharp horns of all your cows
Can pierce the bellies of my kids
As you don’t care about my children and my family
I won’t allow your herd in home
Both of them were soaked in blood
Both had fought with sticks and daggers
But…
The younger brother had no money
To buy food for evening meal (let alone a herd of sheep)
The elder brother had no family and no kids
And no money or belongings back at home
Younger brother was the king of his own dreams
In which he dreamed owning a herd
Elder, too, has kids in dreams
And would imagine pointy horns
Haman smiled hearing the story
He bowed down to the Pharaoh
And said:
”Your stars of luck have started shining
Kingdom is full of mindless naives
People fight over their dreams
Schools are closed
Teachers in dungeons
That time has come
For you to become God
The young and old in every house
Are ready to bow before your feet
To accept your word as will of God”