• Life-giving wine

195- When the stranger arrived and turned from the road, the physician brought him into the presence of the king.
196- Proudly and delicately they conducted him to the king of kings, that he might burn like a moth on the love’s flames of that moon-faced woman.
197- The king beheld the goldsmith and showed great regard for him, and entrusted to him the treasure house full of gold.
198- Then the physician said to him: “O mighty King, give the handmaiden to this lord,
199- In order that the handmaiden may be happy in union with him, and that the water of union with him may put out the fire of passion.”
200- The king bestowed on him that moon-faced one and wedded those twains who were craving each other's company.
201- During the space of six months they were satisfying their desire, till the girl was wholly restored to health.
202- Thereafter the physician prepared a potion for goldsmith so that when he drank it, he began to dwindle away.
203- When because of sickness his beauty not remained, the soul of the girl not remained in his pestilence and deadly toils.
204- Since he became ugly and ill-favoured and sallow-cheeked, little by little he became cold irksome and unpleasing in her heart.
205- Those loves which are for the sake of a color and outward beauty are not love; in the end, they are a disgrace.
206- Would that he too had been disgrace or deformity altogether, and if only he hadn’t had any attractiveness and good looks, so that that evil judgement might not have come to pass upon him!
207- Blood ran from his eye that flowed with tears like a river; his handsome face became the enemy of his life.
208- As the peacock's plumage is its enemy, O many kings who have been slain by his magnificence!
209- He said, “I am the musk deer on account of whose fragrant gland that hunter shed my pure innocent blood.
210- I am the fox of the field whose head was cut off for the sake of the fur by the hunters springing forth from the covert.
211- Oh, I am the elephant whose blood was shed by the blow of the mahout for the sake of the bone ivory.
212- He who has slain me for my appearance and for his own greeds, does not he know that my blood will not rest unavenged? He who has slain me for that which is other than I, dose not he know that my blood will not waist?
213- To-day it lies on me and to-morrow it lies on him, when does the blood of one such as I am, go waste like this? my blood will not waist? He who blows into fire will have sparkles in his eyes.
214- Although the wall casts a long shadow, yet at last the shadow turns back again towards it.
215- This world is the mountain, and our action the shout; the echo of the shouts comes back to us.”
216- He said this and at the same moment went under the earth, he gave up the ghost. The handmaiden was purged of pain and love,
217- Because love of the dead is not enduring, because the dead one is never coming back to us;
218- But love of the living is every moment fresher than a bud in the spirit and in the sight.
219- Choose the love of that Living One who is everlasting, who gives you to drink of the life-giving wine that extends and increases life.
220- Choose the love of Him from whose love all the prophets gained power and glory.
221- Do not say, “We have no admission to that King.” Dealings with the generous are not difficult.

Please listen to the story "Moses and Khidr 1" before listening to the (verses 222 to 235 )