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ibrahim al-koni
and insanity. In her pupils
was that distressing sign seen
only in the eyes of people
whom time has afflicted with
an unexpected calamity so
that they find themselves
standing before the house
of destruction without ever
yielding to an unknown destiny
or believing that death might
be so easy.
The sorceress stood by her
longtime neighbor’s head
and remarked, “What do you
suppose a person in whom
human liquid is retained will
give if one day a person is
found who can expel from
the body poisoned by this
pollution a single drop of the
sacred liquid that purifies man
from his defilements?”
Theneighborwomancollapsed
and howled at the top of her
lungs. Wallowing in the dirt
at the feet of the longtime
sorceress, she begged, “A
person suffering from urine
retention will give everything
her hand possesses to the
person who can expel from
her body a single drop of the
one liquid that purifies man’s
body from man’s defilement.”
“I am happy to hear a tongue
describe man’s water as
sacred today after I heard it
accuse urine yesterday of all
types of impurity.”
“Man, my lady, is a dull-witted
child who does not realize
that fire burns till it scorches
his fingers.”
“Man won’t be wise, man
won’t be happy, till he
recognizes the contrary in its
contrary.”
“It is pointless to think the
haughty fellow will learn that
before the day he receives a
punishing lesson.”
“Isn’t it astonishing that