A Cow and A Goat
Poet : Allama Muhammad Iqbal
There
was a verdant pasture somewhere
Whose
land was the very picture of beauty
How
can the beauty of that elegance be described
Brooks
of sparkling water were running on every side
Many
were the pomegranate trees
And
so were the shady peepul trees
Cool
breeze flowed everywhere
Birds
were singing everywhere
A
goat arrived at a brook's bank from somewhere
It
came browsing from somewhere in the nearby land
As
she stopped and looked around
She
noticed a cow standing by
The
goat first presented her compliments to the cow
Then
respectfully started this conversation
'How
are you! Madam Cow'?
The
cow replied, 'Not too well
'My
life is a mere existence
My
life is a complete agony
My
life is in danger, what can I say?
My
luck is bad, what can I say?
I
am surprised at the state of affairs
I
am cursing the evil people
The
poor ones like us are powerless
Misfortunes
surround the ones like us
None
should nicely deal with Man
May
God protect us from Man!
He
murmurs if my milk declines
He
sells me if my weight declines
He
subdues us with cleverness!
Alluring,
he always subjugates us!
I
nurse his children with milk
I
give them new life with milk
My
goodness is repaid with evil
My
prayer to God is for mercy! '
Having
heard the cow's story like this
The
goat replied, 'This complaint is unjust
Though
truth is always bitter
I
shall speak what is fair
This
pasture, and this cool breeze
This
green grass and this shade
Such
comforts, were beyond our lot!
They
were a far cry for us speechless poor!
We
owe these pleasures to Man
We
owe all our happiness to Man
We
derive all our prosperity from him
What
is better for us, freedom or bondage to him?
Hundreds
of dangers lurk in the wilderness
May
God protect us from the wilderness!
We
are heavily indebted to him
Unjust
is our complaint against him
If
you appreciate the life's comforts
You
would never complain against Man'
Hearing
all this the cow felt embarrassed
She
was sorry for complaining against Man
She
mused over the good and the bad
And
thoughtfully she said this
'Small
though is the body of the goat
Convincing
is the advice of the goat! '