“11. Meanwhile that foolish son is wandering from village to village, poor and miserable, seeking

food and clothing.

12. When begging, he at one time gets something, another time he does not. He grows lean in his

travels, the unwise boy, while his body is vitiated with scabs and itch.

13. In course of time he in his rovings reaches the town where his father is living, and comes to his

father's mansion to beg for food and raiment.

14. And the wealthy, rich man happens to sit at the door on a throne under a canopy expanded in

the sky and surrounded with many hundreds of living beings.”

…

16. The poor man, seeing the splendid mansion of the householder, thinks within himself: Where

am I here? This man must be a king or a grandee.

17. Let me not incur some injury and be caught to do forced labour. With these reflections he

hurried away inquiring after the road to the street of the poor.

18.The rich man on the throne is glad to see his own son, and despatches messengers with the

order to fetch that poor man.

19. The messengers immediately seize the man, but he is no sooner caught than he faints away thinking

These are certainly executioners who have approached me; what do I want clothing or

food?

20. On seeing it, the rich, sagacious man (thinks): This ignorant and stupid person is of low

disposition and will have no faith in my magnificence, nor believe that I am his father.”

Text based on the Translation of JHC Kern