The Decayed Tooth by Anil Bhusal

The Decayed Tooth

anilbhusal — 2025-01-25 13:51:48 UTC

I had a decayed tooth in my mouth that troubled me. It stayed dormant (inactive, not moving or causing problems) during the day. But in the tranquility (peacefulness, calmness) of the night, when the dentists were asleep and drug stores closed, it began to ache.

One day, as I grew impatient (restless, unable to wait calmly), I went to the dentist and told him to extract that damned (cursed, condemned) tooth that dealt me misery (great suffering, unhappiness) and denied me the joy of slumber (sleep) by converting the silence of my night into moaning and uproar (loud disturbance, noise).

anilbhusal — 2025-01-25 13:54:18 UTC

The dentist shook his head and said, “It is foolish (unwise, not sensible) to have your tooth extracted if we can cure it.”Then he started to drill its sides and clean its cavities (holes caused by decay) and used every means to restore it and free it from decay. Having finished drilling, he filled it with pure gold and said boastfully (proudly, arrogantly), “Your bad tooth now is stronger and more solid than your good ones.” I believed him and paid him and departed from the place.

anilbhusal — 2025-01-25 13:55:02 UTC

But before the week was over, the cursed (doomed, unlucky) tooth returned to its diseased condition (sick state) and the torture it inflicted converted the beautiful songs of my soul into wailing (crying in pain) and agony (intense suffering).

anilbhusal — 2025-01-25 14:05:27 UTC

So I went to another dentist and said to him, “Extract this damned tooth without asking me any question, for the person who receives the blows is not like the one who counts them.” (This means someone suffering pain knows it more deeply than those who only observe or measure it.)

anilbhusal — 2025-01-25 14:06:26 UTC

Obeying my command, he extracted the tooth. Looking at it he said, “You have done well to have this rotten (severely decayed, spoiled) tooth extracted.”

anilbhusal — 2025-01-25 14:06:40 UTC

In the mouth of Society are many diseased teeth (a metaphor for societal problems), decayed to the bones of the jaws. But Society makes no efforts to have them extracted and be rid of the affliction (something causing suffering). It contents itself with gold fillings. Many are the dentists who treat the decayed teeth of Society with glittering (shining, attractive) gold.

anilbhusal — 2025-01-25 14:07:04 UTC

Numerous are those who yield to the enticements (temptations, lures) of such reformers, and pain, sickness, and death are their lot. In the mouth of the Syrian nation are many rotten, black, and dirty teeth that fester (become infected and worse) and stink (smell bad). The doctors have attempted cures with gold fillings instead of extraction. And the disease remains.

anilbhusal — 2025-01-25 14:07:59 UTC

A nation with rotten teeth is doomed (destined for failure or destruction) to have a sick stomach. Many are the nations afflicted with such indigestion (difficulty in digesting food, used metaphorically for societal issues). If you wish to take a look at the decayed teeth of Syria, visit its schools where the sons and daughters of today are preparing to become the men and women of tomorrow.

anilbhusal — 2025-01-25 14:08:25 UTC

anilbhusal — 2025-01-25 14:09:27 UTC

Visit the courts and witness the acts of the crooked (dishonest) and corrupted purveyors (providers) of justice. See how they play with the thoughts and minds of the simple people (common, uneducated people) as a cat plays with a mouse. Visit the homes of the rich where conceit (excessive pride), falsehood (lying, untruth), and hypocrisy (pretending to have beliefs or values one does not actually have) reign. But don’t neglect to go through the huts of the poor as well, where dwell fear, ignorance, and cowardice.

Then visit the nimble-fingered (skillful) dentists, possessors of delicate instruments, dental plasters, and tranquilizers, who spend their days filling the cavities in the rotten teeth of the nation to mask (hide, cover) the decay.

anilbhusal — 2025-01-25 14:10:02 UTC

Talk to those reformers who pose as the intelligentsia (intellectuals, educated elite) of the Syrian nation and organize societies, hold conferences, and deliver public speeches. When you talk to them you will hear tunes that perhaps sound more sublime (noble, inspiring) than the grinding of a millstone, and nobler than the croaking (low, harsh sound) of frogs on a June night.

anilbhusal — 2025-01-25 14:10:30 UTC

When you tell them the Syrian nation gnaws (chews) its bread with decayed teeth and each morsel (small piece of food) it chews is mixed with poisoned saliva that spreads diseases in the nation’s stomach, they answer, “Yes, but we are seeking better tooth fillings and tranquilizers.”

anilbhusal — 2025-01-25 14:11:02 UTC

And if you suggest “extraction” to them, they will laugh at you because you have not yet learned the noble art of dentistry that conceals disease. If you were to insist, they would go off (become angry) and shun (avoide) you, saying to themselves, “Many are the idealists in this world, and weak are their dreams.” (This means idealists are often ignored because their ideas seem impractical to others.)

anilbhusal — 2025-01-25 14:11:30 UTC

Audio

anilbhusal — 2025-01-25 14:34:22 UTC