Dialogue

"Great Sculptor! In your presence I am, With my forehead Touching the ground. I am here With entreaties You alone can bear." "Pour them at my feet. But do not forget It's ripe corns only That I hang on my eaves." "My legs, Great Sculptor, They are sturdy. But also bandy they are. It is my wish You touch them And make them comely Like a pretty damsel's." "Ask from your neighbour Whose buttocks Calloused by friction Take him without grudging To wherever he goes." "My eyes, Great Sculptor Cannot see through the wall. What if, Great Sculptor, You create them anew? Make the lashes fluffy Like newly hatched chicks." "See that man Behind the walking stick. Darkness and pitch darkness Are all he sees. Then ask the serpent Where he got his fluffy eyelashes." "Now about my voice, Good in oratory only. Would you Great Sculptor Make it melodious too? Sweeter than the nightingale's." "Look! Behind your proud back. Tell me what you see." "A man gesticulating With his hands and head. He cannot utter Even a single word, For his vocal chords, no doubt Can only produce silence." "You answered well. When a dog thinks He does not run fast, Let him watch the snail And the pregnant tortoise Compete in a race." "But my Lord, Would it be wrong If you give me wings? I will perch on a peak. I will see those Who defile the air And fracture their arms, Then gently hurl A handful of dew On withering crops." "The pompous bush rat Wanting to be seen by all, Stood on an anthill And was devoured By a colony of termites. Craning your neck To see the crown Of the giraffe's head Will only break your neck. So let the water Your mouth can hold Quench your thirst." "Finally my Lord Answer me this: Why does a leper Want an embrace If you allow him A handshake?" "You are the child Stroking a bird's beak And still asks the father, "From where does a bird eat?" Answer your own question For you are much worse Than a leper. Why should a monkey ask Why the squirrel Disturbs the tree When at play?" "Forgive me Lord. I will let the water My mouth can hold Quench my thirst."