Hatim Tai knew nothing of this until one day he was sitting outside his cave and he heard a conversation between a woodcutter and his wife. So he published an edict that whoever should bring him Hatim Tai would be rewarded with five thousand pieces of gold. This means they are not completely my subjects, even though they behave outwardly as such.” While he lives, there is still a loyalty towards him in the hearts of some of these people. “I cannot be real master of this land,” declared the tyrant, “until I have captured Hatim Tai himself. These were the words spoken by some of the people. It was the fact that he heard whispers that, although he had possessed himself of a new realm, yet it had been yielded up to him as an act of generosity by Hatim Tai. He did not increase the taxes, he did not usurp for himself more than Hatim had taken from the people in exchange for being their protector and administrator of justice. Others again, uncertain as to what to believe, remained silent, until they should have some means of making up their minds.Īnd so it was that the tyrant king, accompanied by his glittering hosts, took possession of Hatim Tai’s domain. Perhaps we may become the slaves of this unknown king who is, after all, enough of a tyrant to declare war upon his neighbors.” But others, especially those who sought to make a name for themselves on the field of valor, muttered: “How do we know that this man is not a simple coward?” And others, who had little courage, muttered against him saying: “He has, in a sense, saved himself for he has abandoned us to a fate which is unknown to us. Half the people were deeply affected by the sacrifice of his wealth and position by Hatim Tai on their behalf. So saying, Hatim took only a stout staff and went into the near-by mountains, where he found a cave and sank himself in contemplation. If, on the other hand, you resist, by the conventions of war he will be entitled to regard your possessions as booty, and if you lose the war you will be penniless.” If you yield peaceably, this king will content himself with taking only your services and rents, and you will have suffered no material loss. It would be far from the path of generosity if I were to become the cause of the sacrifice of a life of a single man or woman. “No, instead of your riding forth and shedding your blood for me, I shall flee.
When this message reached Hatim’s court, his advisers at once suggested that he mobilize the warriors in defense of his realm saying: “There is surely not an able-bodied man or woman among your followers who will not gladly lay down his life in defense of our beloved king.”īut Hatim, contrary to the expectation of the people, said: So this man declared war on Hatim, sending him a messenger with the declaration of war: “Yield to me, otherwise I shall surely overrun you and your lands, and possess myself of your sovereignty.” I am told that Hatim Tai’s generosity excelled, in letter and in spirit, that of all other men.Īnother Arabian king coveted the possessions, the villages and oases, the camels and the fighting-men of Hatim Tai. Hatim Tai was an Arabian king who lived during the 6th century. You might want to get a cup of coffee or tea before proceeding further. This tale is a little longer than the usual blog posts here.
I believe Idries Shah found the tale worthy of collection because of the 1804 translation by Mir Amman into the ordinary Urdu language of his day. Idries Shah collected the story “The King Who Decided to be Generous” from the book “The Tale of the Four Dervishes,” by Amir Khusro, written in the late 13th century. I was under the impression until today that Hatim Tai was a fictional figure, as I had only heard of him in one of the stories in Tales of the Dervishes.