Three Sorts Of Happy Men

By -


In two verses of poetry, 'Al-Mutanabbi', one of the greatest Arabian poets and philosophers, reduces the number of happy men to three classes. They have been paraphrased and put into English verse as fellows:

'The three life seems a summer sky:

The first who has no mind to know

The heights and depths of life below,

Nor ever asks the reason why.


The second he to whom life's sum

Is self at ease; who never lets

The past disturb with dark regrets,

Nor hopes and fears from days to come


The third who, led by fancies crude,

In scorn of truth, deceived at heart.

Makes fruitless dreams his better part,

And hollow hopes the highest good.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Post

This is not my task

By -
Image
A shop, on which the Mulla was the only passenger, was caught in a typhoon. The captain and crew, having done all they could to save the ship, fell on their knees and started to pray for deliverance. The Mulla stood calmly by. The captain opened his eyes, saw the Mulla standing there, jumped up and cried:' Get down on your knees!" You, a devout man, you should be praying with us.' Nasrudin did not move. 'I am only a passenger. Everything pertaining to the safety of this ship is your concerns, none mine.'
Read more