Saadi
Saadi
god next fear-god
I fear God and next to God I mostly fear them that fear him not.
kindness compassion lust
An enemy to whom you show kindness becomes your friend.
rose sorrow together
The rose and the thorn, and sorrow and gladness are linked together.
war enemy may
Inflict not on an enemy every injury in your power, for he may afterwards become your friend.
pardon tyranny deals
To pardon the oppressor is to deal harshly with the oppressed.
learning men life-is-like
He who learns the rules of wisdom, without conforming to them in his life, is like a man who labored in his fields, but did not sow
mean adversity suffering
He who, when he hath the power, doeth not good, when he loses the means will suffer distress. There is not a more unfortunate wretch than the oppressor; for in the day of adversity nobody is his friend.
fall humility humble
The sons of Adam are formed from dust; if not humble as the dust, they fall short of being men.
secret scandal failing
Expose not the secret failings of mankind, otherwise you must verily bring scandal upon them and distrust upon yourself.
soul body spirituality
There is no great difficulty to separate the soul from the body, but it is not so easy to restore life to the dead.
fowl hunger turnips
To him who is stinted of food a boiled turnip will relish like a roast fowl.
laughter men hands
Where the hand of tyranny is long we do not see the lips of men open with laughter.
hate eye hatred
To the eye of enmity virtue appears the ugliest blemish.
friendship dog stones
A dog will never forget the crumb thou gavest him, though thou mayst afterwards throw a hundred stones at his head.