So, when thou
speak'st, I counsel thee, give not thy tongue the rein.
Since, for one time that thou repent the having held thy tongue,
Thou shalt of having spoke repent again and yet again.
Fourthly, O my son, beware of drinking wine, for wine is the root
of all evils and the thief of wit. Guard thyself from it, for the
poet says:
Wine and the drinkers of wine I have put away, And am become of
those that of it mis-say.
For wine indeed diverts from the road of right, And to all kinds
of evil opens the way.
Lastly, O my son, keep thy wealth, that it may keep thee, and
watch over it, that it may watch over thee. Squander not thy
substance, or thou wilt come to need the meanest of folk. Guard
well thy money, for it is a sovereign salve for the wounds of
life, even as says the poet:
If wealth should fail, there is no friend will bear thee company,
But whilst thy substance still abounds, all men are friends
to thee.
How many a foe for money's sake hath companied with me! But when
wealth failed beneath my hand, my dearest friend did flee."
And Noureddin ceased not to exhort his son till his spirit
departed and his house became the abode of mourning. The King and
all the Amirs grieved for him and buried him; but Bedreddin
ceased not to bewail his father for two whole months, during
which time he never left the house, nor did he attend the Divan
or present himself before the Sultan.
Pages:
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253