CHAPTER X

 CONCERNING PRAYER

 

Come, let us raise our hands in prayer, for to-morrow they will be powerless in the dust.

 

Think not that he who supplicates¹ before the Door of Mercy, which is never shut, will turn away in hopelessness.

 

O Lord, regard us with compassion², for sin has entered among thy servants.

 

O gracious God! by Thy bounty³ have we been sustained; to Thy gifts and lovingkindness have we become habituated.

 

Since in this life Thou hast ennobled us above all things created, hope of similar glory have we in the world to come.

 

O God, humiliate⁴ me not by reason of Thy greatness; make me not ashamed by reason of my sins.

 

Let no one prevail over me, for it is better that I should suffer punishment from Thy hand.

 

Let it suffice that I am ashamed in Thy presence; make me not ashamed before my fellow-men.

 

[121]

 

If the shadow of Thy mercy fall upon me, mean is the dignity of the sky before mine eyes.

 

If Thou give to me a crown, I will raise my head: exalt⁵ me, so that no one may cast me down.

A Worshipper’s Lament⁶

 

I tremble when I recall the prayer of one distracted in the temple of Mecca. Thus did he lament:

 

“Throw me not down, for no one will hold my hand to succour me. Whether Thou call me or drive me away, my head has no resting-place but Thy threshold. Thou knowest that I am poor and helpless; I am oppressed by my evil passions. Keep me from pollution, and forgive my sins. Close not mine eyes from the face of happiness; bind⁷ not my tongue when I recite the creed⁸. Place the lamp of Faith before my way; make my hand short from doing evil. From the sun of Thy goodness one ray suffices, for except in Thy rays I am not seen. Why should I weep because of my condition? If I am weak, my refuge is strong.”

Story of an Idolater

 

A fire-worshipper turned his back upon the world and girt up his loins in the service of an[122] idol⁹. After some years he was overtaken by misfortune and wept at the feet of the idol, saying: “I am afflicted—help me, O idol! I am weary—have pity upon me.”

 

Long did he continue in his lamentation¹⁰, but no benefit did he derive¹¹. How can an idol accomplish the desires of a man when of itself it cannot drive away a fly?

 

The idolater frowned and said: “O thou, whose feet are bound to error! with folly¹² have I worshipped thee for years. Help me to fulfil my wishes, or I will ask them of God.”

 

While his face was yet besmeared with the dust of the idol’s feet, the Almighty¹³ fulfilled his object.

 

A pious¹⁴ man was astonished when he heard this. Then did a voice from heaven speak into his ear, saying: “This old man prayed before the idol, but his prayer was not heard. If at the shrine¹⁵ of God he were likewise spurned¹⁶, what difference would there be between an idol and Him Who is eternal?”

The End

1 supplicates   

vt.& vi.祈求，哀求，恳求（supplicate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

2 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

3 bounty   

n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与

参考例句：

• He is famous for his bounty to the poor.他因对穷人慷慨相助而出名。
• We received a bounty from the government.我们收到政府给予的一笔补助金。

4 humiliate   

v.使羞辱，使丢脸[同]disgrace

参考例句：

• What right had they to bully and humiliate people like this?凭什么把人欺侮到这个地步呢？
• They pay me empty compliments which only humiliate me.他们虚情假意地恭维我，这只能使我感到羞辱。

5 exalt   

v.赞扬，歌颂，晋升，提升

参考例句：

• She thanked the President to exalt her.她感谢总统提拔她。
• His work exalts all those virtues that we,as Americans,are taught to hold dear.他的作品颂扬了所有那些身为美国人应该珍视的美德。

6 lament   

n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹

参考例句：

• Her face showed lament.她的脸上露出悲伤的样子。
• We lament the dead.我们哀悼死者。

7 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

8 creed   

n.信条；信念，纲领

参考例句：

• They offended against every article of his creed.他们触犯了他的每一条戒律。
• Our creed has always been that business is business.我们的信条一直是公私分明。

9 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。

10 lamentation   

n.悲叹，哀悼

参考例句：

• This ingredient does not invite or generally produce lugubrious lamentation. 这一要素并不引起，或者说通常不产生故作悲伤的叹息。 来自哲学部分
• Much lamentation followed the death of the old king. 老国王晏驾，人们悲恸不已。 来自辞典例句

11 derive   

v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自

参考例句：

• We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。
• We shall derive much benefit from reading good novels.我们将从优秀小说中获得很大好处。

12 folly   

n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话

参考例句：

• Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。
• Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。

13 almighty   

adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的

参考例句：

• Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。
• It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。

14 pious   

adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的

参考例句：

• Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。
• Her mother was a pious Christian.她母亲是一个虔诚的基督教徒。

15 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

16 spurned   

v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Eve spurned Mark's invitation. 伊夫一口回绝了马克的邀请。
• With Mrs. Reed, I remember my best was always spurned with scorn. 对里德太太呢，我记得我的最大努力总是遭到唾弃。 来自辞典例句