Ancient Wisdom

  ' Hurmuz' (ancient Persian King)  was asked, "What fault did you see in your father's viziers that you had them imprisoned." "I did not discover any particular fault," he said, "but I saw that dread of me in their hearts was boundless and they did not have complete confidence in my ability to rule. I was afraid that, in fear of being stung themselves, they would try to destroy me. Therefore I put into practice the saying of the wise: "Fear him who fears you, O wise on, even if you can overcome in battle a hundred like him."

A friend said to me, "Exercise patience, for with patience you can do your work nicely and quickly. Patience brings the water again to the rivulet that has been dry, and makes a thing better than it was before." I replied, "Even if they water returns to the stream, of what use is it to the fish that has already died!" -Anwary, Wit, Humour and Fancy of Persia

People say there is no narcissus with thorns, and no rose without a thorn, but I believe not what they say; because thy narcissus [i.e., eyes] is surrounded with thorns [i.e., the eyelashes], while around thy blossomed rose [the cheeks] there is not a single thorn.  -Moezzi, Wit, Humour and Fancy Of Persia

  A rain drop, dripping from a cloud, Was ashamed when it saw the sea 'Who am I where there is a sea? it said When it saw itself with the eye of humility, A shell nurtured it in its embrace.

Pluck the cotton wool of heedlessness from the ear of awareness, So that the wisdom of dead men may reach your ear

A tailor became a soldier, and in a battle was wounded in the head, with an arrow. The surgeon told him not to fear the result, for the arrow had not penetrated to the brain. "I had not fear of that," said the tailor, "for had i the least particle of brains, should not have left my profession and come here."

A Poet showed a poem of his to a critic. The poem was full of plagiarisms, almost all lines having been stolen from other poets. The critic, after reading the poem said: "You have brought me a wonderful caravan of camels tied together; let any one but untie the cord wherewith they are tied, and each of them will return to its original master."

Once Caliph Haroon asked Bohlool (a famous Sage in Muslim World) whether he would like to be a Caliph? (Emperor). "No," replied Bohlool. "Why not?" asked the Caliph. "Because," replied Bohlool, "I have seen the funeral of three Caliphs, but you have not seen the funeral of a single Bohlool."

The favourites of Sultans are like people climbing up a precipitous mountain, and falling off from it in consequences of the quakes of anger and the vicissitudes of time. There is no doubt that the fall of those who are higher up, is more disastrous, than the coming down of those who are in lower position. 

  Bazarjamhir's [Persian Minister] wife asked him a certain question and he replied, "I know not the answer." Thereupon she said unto him, "Dost thous take such large wages from the king[for thy wisdom] and yet not know the answer to my question?" And he replied, "I receive my wages for what I know, and it is not payment for what I know not. If I were to receive wages for what which Know not all the king's treasure would be insufficient to reward me, for the things which I know not are exceedingly many."

One Sage went down to the Ocean and said to it: "O thou Ocean, wherefore dost wear this robe of blue?  Why art thou clothed thus with a mourning garment? There is no fire to be seen, why art thou boiling thus?" Then the Ocean made reply to that man of spiritual insight: "I am in anguish because of sepration from my Beloved. Since, by reason of my shortcomings, I am not worth of him, I have clad myself in a vesture of blue [Blue represents the colour of mourning in the East in Past] as a sign of my grief for Him. Grief stricken I remain, with lips for ever parched with thirst, and the turbulence of my waves is due to the burning flame of my love. Could I attain to but one drop of water from the river which flows through His Paradise, then should I dwell for ever, immortal within His courts. Without that water of life for which I crave, I shall perish of my longing for Him, like the thousands who die in anguish, day and night, in their search for Him."

  There are four sayings, uttered by four kings, four arrows as it were, shot from one bow:- The first is by ' Kesra ' who said:-"I have never repented of what I have not said, but said much the repentance for which humbled me into dust and ashes." The second is by the ' Qaisar' of Rum who said: - "I have more power over what is unsaid than what is said; meaning that I am able to say what I have not said, but unable to cancel what I have said." On the same subject 'Khuqan' Of China has said: - "It often happens that heedless talk is worse [in its consequences] than sorrow for restraining it." The king of India has announced this maxim: - "The words which have escaped from my mouth are beyond my control; but what I have not spoken is in my possession, and I may utter it or not, as I like. 

  However much you study, you cannot know without action. A donkey laden with books is neither an intellectual nor a wise man. Empty of essence, what learning has he- Whether upon him is firewood or book? [Saadi Of Sheraz]

Someone asked  Bazarjamhir , "what is the defect of this world?" Bazarjamhir said:  "The defect of this world is that it never give to a man that of which he is deserving. For it either giveth to him more than that of which he is worth, or it giveth to him less than that of which he is worthy."

Once a horse met a frog. The horse said, 'Take this message to a snake for me, and you can have all the flies which surround me.' The frog answered, "I like the pay, but I cannot say that i can complete my task."

Once a man loved two women equally. They asked him to tell them which one was his favourite. He asked them to wait for a time until his decision should be known. Then he had two rings made each exactly resembling the other. To each of the women separately, he gave one ring. Then he called them together and said, "The one whom I love best is she who has the ring."

Once a king built for himself a palace adorned with much gilding, for the construction of which he paid one thousand dinars. When the decorations of this palace, like unto Paradise, were complete, it was embellished still further by the display of precious rugs.  From all corner of the World came people to present their homage to the king and bring him gifts, which they offered to him. The king then summoned his great men and chosen companions to come to him, and when they were seated, he said to them; "What do you think of this palace of mine? Is there anything left to desire in the way of beauty and perfection?" All of them united in saying, "None has ever seen or will see such a palace on the face of the earth." Thereupon one person rose up and said: "O thou favourite of Fortune, there is one breach remaining in this palace, and it constitute a great defect. If the palace were not spoilt by this fault, it would serve as a gift for Paradise itself and the inv...

Bazarjamhir said, "Of the supporters of a king some are like spears which can only be used by those who guard [him] at a distance; and some are like arrows which are shot away and return not; and some are like swords for which it is not meet that they should turn away from him."

The Sage of Ascalon would only speak to his disciples rarely. When he did, they were overcome by his ideas. 'May we have lectures at times when we can conveniently attend?' they asked, 'because when you speak some of us have family duties and cannot always be there.' 'You will have to find someone else to do that, ' he said, 'because whereas I only teach when I do not feel the urge to teach, there do exist some who can teach in accordance with who is present at a fixed time. It is they who feel the urge to teach, and consequently only have the need to adapt what they say to the audience.'

  A poet went to see a doctor. He said to him: ' I have all kinds of terrible symptoms. I am unhppy and uncomfortable, my hair and my arms and legs are as if tortured. The doctor answered: 'Is it not true that you have not yet given out your latest poetic composition?' 'That is true, 'said the poet. 'Very well,' said the poet. 'Very well, ' said the physician, 'be good enough to recite.' He did so, and, at the doctor's orders, said his lines again and again. Then the doctor said: 'Stand up, for you are now cured. What you had inside had affected your outside. Now it is released, you are well again.'