After going to and fro like this many times...

After going to and fro like this many times, Majnūn consequently realized that they have not even covered a half day’s distance and that his actual problem was the rider heading toward his beloved and the animal ridden heading in another direction; he would not be able to reach Laylā so long as this situation was such and the two conflicting aims persisted.

Mawlānā relates the story in the following words: ﻤﻴﻞﻣﺠﻧﻮﻦ ﭘﻴﺶﺁﻦ ﻠﻴﻠﻰﺮﻮﺍﻦ ﻤﻴﻞ ﻧﺎﻗﻪﭘﺲ، ﭘﻰ ﻛﺮّﻩﺩﻮﺍﻦ ﻴﮓﺩﻢ ﺍﺮ ﻣﺠﻧﻮﻦﺰ ﺨﻮﺩ ﻏﺎﻔﻞﺒُﺩى ﻧﺎﻗﻪﮔﺮﺩﻴﺩى ﻮﻮﺍﭙﺲ ﺁﻤﺩى ﻋﺸﻖﻮ ﺳﻮﺪﺍ، ﭽﻮﻦﻜﻪ ﭙﺮ ﺒﻮﺪﺶﺒﺪﻦ ﻤﻰ ﻧﺒﻮﺪﺶ ﭽﺎﺮﻩﺍﺯ ﺒﻴﺧﻮﺪﺷﺪﻦ ﺁﻧﻜﻪﺒﺎﺷﺪ ﺍﻮﻤﺮﺍﻗﺐ، ﻋﻗﻞﺒﻮﺪ ﻋﻗﻞ ﺮﺍﺴﻮﺪﻯ ﻠﻴﻠﻰﺪﺮ ﺮﺒﻮﺪ ﻠﻴﮓﻧﺎﻗﻪ، ﺒس ﻤﺮﺍﻗﺐ ﺒﻮﺪ ﻮ ﭽُﺴﺖ ﭽﻮﻦ ﺒﺪﻴﺪﻯ ﺍﻮﻤﻬﺎﺮ ﺧﻮﻴﺶﺴﺴﺖ ﻓﻬﻡﻜﺮﺪﻯ ﺯﻮ، ﻜﻪﻏﺎﻔﻞ ﮔﺷﺖ ﻮﺪﻧﮓ ﺮﻮ ﺳﭘﺲﻜﺮﺪﻯ ﺒﻪﻜﺮّﻩ ﺒﻰﺪﺮﻧﮓ ﭽﻮﻦﺒﻪ ﺨﻮﺪﺒﺎﺯﺁﻣﺪﻯ، ﺪﻳﺪﻯ ﺯ ﺟﺎ ﻜﻮﺴﭘﺲﺮﻓﺗﻪﺴﺖﺒﺲﻓﺮﺴﻧﮕﻬﺎ ﺪﺮ ﺴﻪﺮﻮﺯﻩ ﺮَﻩ، ﺒﺪﻳﻦﺍﺤﻮﺍﻟﻬﺎ ﻤﻧﺪﻤﺟﻧﻮﻦ ﺪﺮﺗﺮﺪﺪ ﺴﺎﻟﻬﺎ Majnūn’s desire is speeding to the presence of that (beloved) Laylā; The she-camel’s desire is running back after her foal.

If Majnūn forgot himself for one moment, The she-camel would turn and go back. Since his body was full of love and passion, He had no recourse but to become beside himself. That which is regardful was (ever) reason: Passion for Laylā carried (his) reason away. But the she-camel was very regardful and alert: Whenever she saw her toggle slack She would at once perceive that he had become heedless and dazed, And would turn her back to the foal without delay.

When he came to himself again, he would see on the spot [100] That she had gone back many leagues. In these conditions Majnūn remained going to and fro For years on a three days’ journey. [101] Yes, this is the condition of man, possessing existential dichotomy. As a result, man is always experiencing the greatest war he can ever imagine. All the great wars in history in reality are echoes of this same inner war.

The wildest animals have never been observed to kill and tear up other animals except when they have to eat and cater for their subsistence needs. No animal ever enjoys killing just for the sake of it or for amusement. However, man is not like this. Rather, at times he sinks so low that if he gets tired of slaying others, he teaches other human beings to rip up and butcher one another in front of him.

There was a time in the Roman Empire when physically powerful slaves were given training in warfare.