DESCRIPTION OF CONTENTMENT
IN CONDEMNATION OF AVARICE
DESCRIPTION OF OBEDIENCE AND WORSHIP
IN CONDEMNATION OF SATAN
IN EXPLANATION OF THE WINE OF AFFECTION AND LOVE
AS TO THE NATURE OF FIDELITY
ON THE EXCELLENCE OF GRATITUDE
IN EXPLANATION OF PATIENCE
DESCRIPTION OF RECTITUDE
IN CONDEMNATION OF LYING
ON THE VICISSITUDES OF FORTUNE AND DIFFERENCES OF STATION
AGAINST PLACING HOPE IN CREATED BEINGS
SADI’S SCROLL OF WISDOM
In the Name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate!
O merciful Being! take pity on our condition;
For we are captives in the snare of lust!
We have no protector save Thee!
Thou art the all-sufficient Forgiver of sins to us sinners!
Keep us from the path of error;
Forgive us our trespasses, and show us righteousness.
IN PRAISE OF MUHAMMAD
The Peace of God be upon him and his Posterity!
So long as the tongue is fixed in the mouth,
May the praise of Muhammad be a source of delight.
The beloved of God, the most exalted of Prophets,
Whose pillow is the glorious firmament.
The earth-conquering horseman with his chestnut Buraq,1
Which passed beyond the palace of the cerulean portico!
1 The steed on which Muhammad is supposed to have visited Heaven.
ADDRESS TO THE SOUL
Forty years of thy precious existence have expired;
Yet thy life hath not passed beyond childhood.
Thou hast spent all in lust and licence;
Not a moment hast thou acted according to righteousness.
Rely not upon unstable life;
Be not confident that thou art safe from the sport of fortune.
IN PRAISE OF GENEROSITY
O soul! whoever spreadeth the table of benevolence
Is famous in the world of liberality.
Generosity will make thee renowned throughout the universe;
Generosity will secure thee happiness.
Beside generosity there is nothing in the world,
Nor is aught more current in any market!
Generosity will be the source of delight;
Generosity will be the harvest of life.
Freshen the heart of the world by generosity;
Fill the globe with the renown of thy generosity.
For ever be steadfast in generosity;
Since the Creator of the soul is beneficent.
DESCRIPTION OF BENEVOLENCE
The man of good parts maketh choice of benevolence;
For mankind becometh prosperous from benevolence.
Be conqueror of the world through kindness and benevolence;
Be a chief in the kingdom of kindness and generosity.
Benevolence is the attribute of men of piety,
Benevolence is the duty of the prosperous.
Benevolence is the touchstone of the alloy of sin,
Benevolence is the medicine for all ills.
Be not, if you can, void of benevolence,
That you may snatch the ball of excellence owing to benevolence.
IN CONDEMNATION OF PARSIMONY
Were the spheres to fall to the share of the miser,
Were fortune the slave of the miser,
Were the wealth of Korah 2 in his hand,
Were a quarter of the universe subservient to him
The miser is not worthy that thou shouldest mention his name.
And were fortune to become his servant,
Pay no regard to the property of the miser —
Speak not of the miser’s property and possessions.
Were the miser a devotee both on land and sea,
He would be so it is ordered — unknown in Paradise.
Though the miser be rich in possessions,
He would suffer distress, as if he were a poor man.
Benevolent persons enjoy the fruit of their wealth;
The niggardly suffer grief from their gold and silver.
2 A man proverbial for his wealth and avarice.
DESCRIPTION OF HUMILITY
O soul! if thou makest choice of humility,
The people of the world will be thy friends.
Humility will augment thy station,
Just as the moon gets light from the sun.
Humility is the source of intimacy,
For exalted will be the dignity of friendship.
Humility exalteth a man,
Humility is a decoration to men of position.
Every one who is human is humble;
Nought becometh a man save magnanimity.
The man of wisdom maketh choice of humility;
The bough laden with fruit rests upon the earth.
Humility will increase thy reputation,
It will get thee a place in the glorious Paradise.
Humility is the key of the gate of Heaven;
It is an ornament to position and dignity.
Whoever is accustomed to humility
Will enjoy rank and power.
Whoever is born to command,
It is more than delightful to find in him humility.
Humility will make thee beloved in the world
Thou wilt become dear in men’s hearts as their own soul.
Do not withhold humility from mankind,
For thus thou mayest withdraw thy neck (from perplexity) as it were a sword (from the scabbard).
Humility on the part of the exalted is commendable.
If a beggar be humble, it is his nature.
IN CONDEMNATION OF PRIDE
Beware, O son! that thou dost not become proud,
Lest fortune thereby slip from thine hands.
Pride on the part of a wise man is not comely;
Sad is such demeanour in the case of a prudent person.
Pride is the habit of the ignorant,
Pride doth not proceed from men of intelligence.
Pride caused the fall of Azazil, 3
And led to his being ensnared in the prison of the accursed.
Whoever is by nature arrogant,
His head is filled with pride beyond imagination.
Pride is the source of adversity,
Pride is the nature of the evil-disposed.
Since thou knowest about pride, why dost thou pursue it?
If thou actest thus, thou doest wrong.
3 Satan.
ON THE EXCELLENCE OF LEARNING
Sons of Adam from learning will find perfection —
Not from dignity, and rank, and wealth, and property.
Like a taper one must melt in pursuit of learning,
Since without learning one cannot know God.
A man of wisdom is a student of learning,
For the market of wisdom is always brisk.
Whoever is fortunate as regards Eternity,
Maketh choice of the pursuit of knowledge.
This pursuit of knowledge is a duty on thy part,
Even if it be necessary to traverse the earth.
Go, seize fast hold of the skirt of knowledge,
For learning will convey thee to everlasting abodes.
Seek nought but knowledge if thou art wise,
For it is neglectful to remain without wisdom.
From learning there will come to thee perfection as regards religion and the world,
For thine affairs will be settled by knowledge.
AS REGARDS AVOIDING THE SOCIETY OF THE IGNORANT
O soul! if thou art wise and intelligent,
Make not choice of the society of the ignorant.
Dart from the ignorant, as it were an arrow;
Mix not with them, as it were sugar and milk.
If thou hast a dragon for a friend in the cave,
It is better than to have a
n ignorant associate.
If the enemy of thy soul be intelligent,
It is better than an ignorant friend.
From the ignorant proceed nought but bad deeds,
And no one hath heard therefrom but base words.
No one in the world is so despicable as the ignorant,
For nothing is more worthless than ignorance.
The end of the ignorant will be the abode of the lost,
For the ignorant seldom end life well.
It is best that the ignorant should be abased,
For it is fitting that the ignorant should find disgrace.
It is well to shun the ignorant,
For from them will arise disgrace in this world and the next.
DESCRIPTION OF JUSTICE
Since God hath given thee all things to thy desire,
Why dost thou not eventually bring forth the fruits of justice?
Since justice is the adornment of royalty,
Why dost thou not fix thine heart upon justice?
Thy kingdom will be established
If justice cometh to thine aid.
Since Nushirwan4 made choice of justice
His name is now held in remembrance for his goodness.
Peace befalleth the kingdom from the effects of justice,
Since from justice the kingdom attaineth its wishes.
There is no better architect in the world than justice,
Since nought is more excellent than righteousness.
Make the world populous through justice;
Fill the hearts of mankind with delight through justice.
What will be the end thereof to thee?
Even this, that thou wilt have the name of a righteous monarch.
Dost thou wish a token of good fortune?
Close the door of oppression against mankind;
Withhold not thy favour from thy subjects;
Gratify the desires of those who seek justice.
4 A king of Persia, surnamed “the Just,” who reigned from A. D. 531 to A. D. 579.
IN CONDEMNATION OF OPPRESSION
The world witnesseth desolation owing to failure of justice,
As it were a beautiful garden from the autumn gale.
Do not give way to oppression in any case,
Lest the sun of monarchy suffer decline.
He who raiseth the fire of oppression in the world
Occasioneth a sigh on the part of the people of the land.
If a tyrant raiseth a sigh from the soul
The anguish createth a flame over land and water.
Do not oppress poor helpless people,
Without further thought as to the narrowness of the grave.
Be not disposed towards the market-place of oppression;
Be not neglectful of the smoke of men’s hearts.
O man of haste! be not an oppressor of humanity,
For of a sudden the wrath of God will overtake thee.
Do not oppress the poor humble people,
For without doubt the tyrant passeth to perdition.
DESCRIPTION OF CONTENTMENT
O soul! if thou acquirest contentment,
Thou wilt exercise sway in the kingdom of repose.
If thou art pinched with the trials of poverty,
Then, in the estimation of the wise, wealth is nought.
The poor man is not disgraced by poverty,
For mankind attain glory from penury.
Gold and silver are the glory of the rich,
But the poor have inward repose.
Be not distressed if thou art not wealthy,
Since a sovereign cannot extract taxes from the desolate.
In all circumstances contentment is preferable.
Whoever is born under a lucky star is happy.
Enlighten thy soul with the radiance of contentment,
If thou hast any token of good fortune.
IN CONDEMNATION OF AVARICE
Beware! thou that art snared in the net of avarice,
Lest thou be mad and intoxicated with the cup of greed.
Waste not thy life in the acquisition of wealth,
Since an earthen pot is not of the same value as a pearl.
Whosoever hath fallen into the snare of greed
Giveth the harvest of his life to the winds.
I grant that all the wealth of Korah 5 is thine —
That all the riches of the habitable globe are with thee
But in the end thou wilt be enveloped in the earth,
Like the helpless, with distress of heart.
Why dost thou distress thyself with the anguish of gold?
Why dost thou bear the burden of distress, as if thou wert an ass?
Why dost thou undergo anguish on account of wealth,
For it will of a sudden be swept away.
Hast thou thus given thine heart to the picture of money?
For with the taste thereof thou wilt become a penitent boon companion.
Thou art become such a lover of the face of gold,
That thine affairs are distressed and thy head upset.
Thou art become as it were a prey to its pursuit,
That thou thinkest not of the day of judgment.
Let not the heart of that base wretch rejoice,
Who on account of the world scattereth faith to the winds.
5 A man proverbial for his wealth and avarice.
DESCRIPTION OF OBEDIENCE AND WORSHIP
When fortune is a person’s slave
His heart is perpetually disposed towards obedience.
It is not fit to turn aside one’s head from servitude,
Since fortune is obtainable from obedience.
Happiness is procured from obedience;
The heart becometh illumined from the light of obedience.
If thou girdest thy loins with submission,
Thou wilt open the door of everlasting happiness.
The wise man doth not turn his head from obedience,
Since no excellence is more lofty than obedience.
Keep thine ablutions freshened with the waters of obedience,
So that to-morrow thou mayest be free as from fire.
i Stablish thy prayers with sincerity,
So that thou mayest attain everlasting prosperity.
Enlightenment of soul springeth from obedience,
Just as the earth deriveth light from the sun.
Worship the Creator;
Sit down in the portals of obedience.
If thou makest choice to worship the Creator,
Thou wilt be a chieftain in the kingdom of fortune.
Raise thy head and keep not abstinence in thy pocket,
For Paradise is the abode of the abstinent.
Lighten the lamp of thy soul with piety,
That thou mayest become happy, like the prosperous.
Whoever is clad with the garment of religion
Hath no fear for the trials of the day of judgment.
IN CONDEMNATION OF SATAN
O soul! whoever is overpowered by Satan,
Is night and day in the snare of sin.
Whoever hath Satan for his ruler,
How can he return to the way of God?
O soul! beware that thou dost not give way to sin,
That to-morrow thou mayest be free as from fire.
A wise man avoideth offence,
As sugar melteth in water.
A man of good disposition doth not commit sin,
Lest he becometh as the light of the sun concealed by the clouds.
Do not give way to thy lusts,
Lest thou be suddenly snatched to perdition.
If thine heart doth not turn aside from sin,
Amongst the lowest of the low will be thine abode.
Do not destroy the house of life
With the torrent of bad and improper actions.
If thou keepest away from sin and iniquity,
Thou wilt not be far from the garden of Pa
radise.
IN EXPLANATION OF THE WINE OF AFFECTION AND LOVE
O cupbearer! bring wine as it were a garment of fire,
For a man with a soul desires this (religious) intoxication.
The ruby wine in the golden goblet
Is soul-inspiring, as it were a beautiful pearl.
Welcome is the fire of desire to those inspired with love!
Welcome are the delightful pains of the lords of love!
Bring this wine as it were the water of immortality,6
For from its fragrance the soul findeth deliverance from grief!
Happy that soul that desires a Friend!7
Happy that person who is ensnared in the bonds of affection for Him!
Happy that person who is enamoured of the face of the Friend!
Happy that person whose abode is the Nook of the Friend!
A Friend as it were wine like soul-refreshing Peace!
Wine — the purest like a beautiful face!
Happy men of soul who adore wine!
Happy the flavour of wine to men of spirit!
6 These stanzas must be construed in a figurative and religious sense.
7 That is “God.”
AS TO THE NATURE OF FIDELITY
O soul! be firm footed as regards fidelity,
For money hath no currency without its stamp.
If thou turnest not the rein from the path of fidelity,
Thou wilt be a friend in the hearts of thine enemies.
Turn not thy soul’s face from the abode of fidelity,
That thou be not ashamed before the face of thy friends.
Place not thy foot outside the street of fidelity,
Since tyranny is not fitting in the case of friends.
It is wrong to separate thyself from beloved ones;
It is contrary to fidelity to sever thyself from thy comrades.
Want of fidelity is the attribute of women.
Do not learn the unseemly conduct of that sex.
ON THE EXCELLENCE OF GRATITUDE
Whosoever hath a heart filled with gratitude to God,
It is not becoming that he should tie up the tongue of praise.
The Collected Works of Saadi Page 9