In the remote past I've been invited

By the governor of a certain country

Who treated me as a honoured guest,

Trying to pay a lot of compliments,

Of the learned men in this state,

But still there are few of them who

Would be compared with you, Sir.'

I tried to be polite all the way, but

At that moment I lost my cool

And retorted, 'I hate to tell you this,

But where can I see the learned men

Of this region?' 'Everywhere,' he said,

'Didn't you see men wearing the dress

Of the learned class? How come that

You have not seen them all around?!'

'I've heard' I said, 'That those of men who

Wear round hats know of Heaven's pattern,

And those who wear blunt-nose shoes

Know the contour of Earth's square ground,

And that those who saunter about

With precious stones settled on their breasts

Are able to settle matters in dispute

As they come before them. But I also know

That superior men who are possessed

Of such knowledge will not be found

Wearing such fashion dress, and

It does not follow at all that those who wear

Such garments possess such knowledge.

If Your Excellency think otherwise,

Why not issue a notification

Throughout all the country that

It shall be a capital offence

To wear the dress without possessing

The due knowledge -- what would you say?'

On this the governor felt utterly at a loss

In his embarrassment, but issued

Such a notification and in a week,

Throughout all the state, there was no one

Who dared to wear the dress of the learned class.

Nevertheless, there was one old man who

Came and stood in it at the governor's gate.

The governor instantly called him in

And questioned him about the state affairs

And its proper governing when he talked about

A thousand points and even more divergences

From them. At the end of the day,

I suggested the governor of that state

To think the matter over in all fine details

Can produce but only one man of the learned grade,

Can he be considered as a multitude of intellects?