I AM A HORSE

  IghefactthatI’mstandingherepladstill;iftruthbetold,I’vebeengallopingforturies;I’vepassedoverplains,foughtinbattles,carriedoffthemelancholydaughtersofshahstobewed;I’vegallopedtirelesslypagebypagefromstorytohistory,fromhistorytolegendandfrombooktobook;I’veappearedintlessstories,fables,booksandbattles;I’veapaniedinvincibleheroes,legendaryloversandfantasticarmies;I’vegallopedfromcampaigntocampaignwithourvictorioussultans,andasaresult,I’veappearedintlessillustrations.

  Howdoesitfeel,youask,tobepaintedsooften?

  Ofcourse,I’mproudofmyself.Yet,Ialsoquestioher,iisIbeiedinallcases.ItisevidentfromthesepicturesthatI’mperceiveddifferentlybyeveryoill,Ihavethestrohatthere’saonality,aunitytotheillustrations.

  Myminiaturistfriendswereretingastoryretly,andfromit,Ilearhefollowing:Thekingof

  theFrankishinfidelswassideringmarriagetothedaughteroftheVeianDoge.Hewassideringit,butthenhelaguedwiththethought,“WhatifthisVeianispoorandhisdaughterugly?”Toreassurehimself,heorderedhisbestartisttopainttheVeianDoge’sdaughter,possessions,propertyandbelongings.TheVeianscouldcarelessaboutgrossindecy:They’llexposenotonlytheirdaughterstothepryiheartist,buttheirhorsesandpalazzos,aswell.Thegiftediistcoulddepictamaidenorahorseinsuchawaythatyou’dbeabletopickeitheroutofacrowd.Bahiscourtyard,astheFrankishkingexamihepicturesfromVenice,pwhetherheshouldtakethemaidenashiswife,hisstallion,suddenlyaroused,attemptedtomouractivemareinthepainting,andthehroomswerehardpressedttheferociousanimalundertrolbeforehedestroyedthepictureanditsframewithhishugemember.

  Theysaythatitwasn’tthebeautyoftheVeiahadarousedtheFrankishstallion—thoughshewasiriking—buttheactoftakingaparticularmareandpaintingapictureilikeness.Now,thequestionarises:Isitsinfultobedepictedasthatmarehadbeen,thatis,likearealmare?Inmycase,asyousee,thereisverylittlediffereweenmyimageandotherpicturesofhorses.

  Actually,thoseofyouarticularattentiontothegraidse,thelengthofmylegsandtheprideofmybearingwilluandthatIamindeedutheseexcelleurespointtotheuniquenessoftheminiaturistwhoillustratedme,nottomyuniquenessasahorse.Everyoneknowsthatthere’snohorseexactlylikeme.I’msimplytherenderingofahorsethatexistsinaminiaturist’simagination.

  Lookingatme,observersfrequentlysay,“GoodGod,whatageoushorse!”Butthey’reactuallypraisiist,notme.Allhorsesareinfactdistindtheminiaturist,aboveall,oughttoknowthis.

  Takeacloselook,evenagivenstallion’saresembleanother’s.Don’tbeafraid,youexamiupclose,aakeitinyourhands:MyGod-givenmarvelhasashapeandcurveallitsown.

  Nowthen,allminiaturistsillustrateallhorsesfrommemoryinthesameway,eventhoughwe’veeachbeenuniquelycreatedbyAllah,GreatestofallCreators.Whydotheytakeprideinsimplyrenderingthousandsandtensofthousandsofhorsesinthesamewaywithoutevertrulylookingatus?I’lltellyouwhy:Becausethey’reattemptingtodepicttheworldthatGodperceives,nottheworldthattheysee.Doesn’tthatamounttochallengingGod’sunity,thatis—Allahforbid—isn’titsayingthatIcoulddothewod?Artistswhoaredistentwithwhattheyseewiththeirowneyes,artistswhodrawthesamehorseathousandtimesassertingthatwhatrestsintheirimaginationisGod’shorse,artistswhoclaimthatthebesthorseiswhatblindminiaturistsdrawfrommemory,aren’ttheyallittingthesinofpetingwithAllah?

  TheylesoftheFrankishmastersaren’tblasphemous,quitetheopposite,they’rethemostin

  keepingwithourfaith.IpraythatmyErzurumibrethrendon’tmisuadispleasesmethatFrankishinfidelsparadetheirwomenaroundhalfnaked,indifferenttopiousmodesties,thattheydon’tuandthepleasuresofcoffeeandhandsomeboys,andthattheyroamaboutwith-shavenfaces,yetwithhairaslongaswomen’s,claimingthatJesusisalsotheLod—Allahprotectus.IbeesoaggravatedbytheseFranksthatifIevercameacrossone,I’dgivehimagoodmulekick.

  Still,I’msickofbeingincorrectlydepictedbyminiaturistswhositaroundthehouselikeladiesandnevergoofftowar.They’lldepictmeatagallopwithbothofmyfsextehesametime.Thereisn’tahorseinthisworldthatrunslikearabbit.Ifoneofmyfsisforward,theotherisaft.trarytowhat’sdepictedinbattleillustrations,thereisn’tahorseinthisworldthatextendsoneflikeacuriousdog,leaviherfirmlyplaheground.Thereisnospahicavalrydivisioencewhosehorsessaunterinunison,asiftracedwithaicalstenciltwentytimesbacktoback.Wehorsessgeforahegreengrassatourfeetwhennobodyislooking.Weneverassumeastatuesquestandwaitarouly,thewaywe’reshowninpaintings.Whyiseverybodysoembarrassedaboutoureating,drinking,shittingandsleeping?Whyaretheyafraidtodepictthiswod-givenanduniqueimplementofmihesly,womenandchildren,inparticular,lovetostareatit,andwhat’stheharminthis?IstheHojafromErzurumagainstthisaswell?

  TheysaythatonceuponatimetherewasafeebleandnervousshahinShiraz.HewasinmortalfearthathisenemieswouldhavehimdeposedsohissoncouldassumethethroherthansendingtheprioIsfahanasprovincialgovernor,heimprisonedhimioutofthewayroomofhispalace.Theprincegrewupandlivedinthismakeshiftcell,whichlookedohercourtyardnarden,forthirty-oneyears.Afterhisfather’sallottedtimeohranout,theprince,who’dlivedalohhisbooks,asdedthethroneanddeclared:“Iandthatymeahorse.I’vealwaysseenpicturesoftheminbooks,andamcuriousaboutthem.”Theybroughthimthemostbeautifulgraysteedinthepalace,butwhenthenewkingsawthatthehorsehadnostrilslikemine-shafts,ashamelessass,acoatdullerthanintheillustrationsandabrutishrump,hewassodisentedthathehadallthehorsesinhiskingdommassacred.Afterthisbrutalslaughter,whichlastedfortydays,allthekingdom’sriversflowedasomberred.ButExaltedAllahdidnotrefrainfrommetingoutHisjustice:Thekingnowhadnocavalrywhatsoever,andwhehthearmyofhisaremy,theTurkmeheBlacksheep,hewasroutedand,intheend,hackedapart.Lettherebenodoubt:Asallthehistorieswillreveal,thenationofhorseshadtakenitsrevenge.松语文学www.16sy.coM免费小说阅读

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