“Hayrat ul-abror” and “The Lion and the Durroj”

“Hayrat ul-abror” (The Amazement of the Righteous) is the first doston in Navoiy’s “Xamsa”; it has 63 chapters and 20 maqolat (discourses). In each discourse the poet first explains the theme, then illustrates it with comparisons, and finally gives a moral tale. The tale “Sher bilan durroj” comes from the “In praise of true speech” part of the tenth discourse. In it a lion carries its cub in its mouth to protect it from ants; when the durroj suddenly flutters up, the startled lion wounds its cub with its teeth. So the lion makes friends with the durroj and promises to help it in danger. But the durroj has made a habit of lies in its songs and ignores the lion’s advice. One day it is caught in a hunter’s net and cries for help, but the lion thinks this is a lie too, and the durroj perishes. At the end the poet says: speak the truth – a liar’s true word is counted as a lie too.