Story 82-the Rules for Conduct in Life- gulistaan-e-sa.adii

Two men died, bearing away their grief One had possessed wealth and not enjoyed it, the other knowledge and not practised it.

No one sees an excellent but avaricious man

Without publishing his defect

But if a liberal man has a hundred faults

His generosity covers his imperfections.

Conclusion of the Book

The book of the Gulistan has been completed, and Allah had been invoked for aid! By the grace of the Almighty, may his name be honoured, throughout the work the custom of authors to insert verses from ancient writers by way of loan, has not been followed.

To adorn oneself with one's own rag

Is better than to ask for the loan of a robe.

Most of the utterances of Sa'di being exhilarant and mixed with pleasantry, shortsighted persons have on this account lengthened the tongue of blame, alleging that it is not the part of intelligent men to spend in vain the kernel of their brain, and to eat without profit the smoke of the lamp; it is, however, not concealed from enlightened men, who are able to discern the tendency of words, that pearls of curative admonition are strung upon the thread of explanation, and that the bitter medicine of advice is commingled with the honey of wit, in order that the reader's mind should not be fatigued, and thereby excluded from the benefit of acceptance; and praise be to the Lord of both worlds.

We gave advice in its proper place

Spending a lifetime in the task.

If it should not touch anyone's ear of desire

The messenger told his tale; it is enough.

O thou who lookest into it, ask Allah to have mercy

On the author and to pardon the owner of it.

Ask for thyself whatever benefit thou mayest desire,

And after that pardon for the writer of it.

If I had on the day of resurrection an opportunity

Near the Compassionate one I should say: 'O Lord,

I am the sinner and thou the beneficent master,

For all the ill I have done I crave for thy bounty.'

Gratitude is due from me to God that this book is ended Before my life has reached its termination.

Two men died, bearing away their grief One had possessed wealth and not enjoyed it, the other knowledge and not practised it.

No one sees an excellent but avaricious man

Without publishing his defect

But if a liberal man has a hundred faults

His generosity covers his imperfections.

Conclusion of the Book

The book of the Gulistan has been completed, and Allah had been invoked for aid! By the grace of the Almighty, may his name be honoured, throughout the work the custom of authors to insert verses from ancient writers by way of loan, has not been followed.

To adorn oneself with one's own rag

Is better than to ask for the loan of a robe.

Most of the utterances of Sa'di being exhilarant and mixed with pleasantry, shortsighted persons have on this account lengthened the tongue of blame, alleging that it is not the part of intelligent men to spend in vain the kernel of their brain, and to eat without profit the smoke of the lamp; it is, however, not concealed from enlightened men, who are able to discern the tendency of words, that pearls of curative admonition are strung upon the thread of explanation, and that the bitter medicine of advice is commingled with the honey of wit, in order that the reader's mind should not be fatigued, and thereby excluded from the benefit of acceptance; and praise be to the Lord of both worlds.

We gave advice in its proper place

Spending a lifetime in the task.

If it should not touch anyone's ear of desire

The messenger told his tale; it is enough.

O thou who lookest into it, ask Allah to have mercy

On the author and to pardon the owner of it.

Ask for thyself whatever benefit thou mayest desire,

And after that pardon for the writer of it.

If I had on the day of resurrection an opportunity

Near the Compassionate one I should say: 'O Lord,

I am the sinner and thou the beneficent master,

For all the ill I have done I crave for thy bounty.'

Gratitude is due from me to God that this book is ended Before my life has reached its termination.