When he saw what the hand of time had manifestly done with the
place, leaving but traces of the things that had been aforetime,
the testimony of his eyes made it needless for him to enquire
of the case; so he turned away and seeing a wretched man, in
a plight that made the skin quake and would have moved the
very rock to pity, said to him, 'Harkye, sirrah! What have
time and fortune done with the master of this place? Where are
his shining full moons[FN#53] and splendid stars;[FN#54] and
what is the cause of the ruin that is come upon his abode, so
that but the walls thereof remain?' Quoth the other, 'He is the
miserable wretch thou seest bewailing that which hath befallen
him. Knowest thou not the words of the Prophet (whom God bless
and preserve), wherein is a lesson to him who will profit by it
and an admonition to whoso will be guided thereby in the right
way? "Verily it is the way of God the Most High to raise up
nothing of this world, except He cast it down again." If thou
enquire of the cause of this thing, indeed, it is no wonder,
considering the vicissitudes of fortune. I was the master of
this place and its builder and founder and owner and lord of
its shining full moons and radiant damsels and of all its
splendid circumstance an magnificent garniture; but Fortune
turned and did away from me wealth and servants, overwhelming
me unawares with disasters unforeseen and bringing me to this
sorry plight.
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