Discourse concerning Riches and Poverty
Say not that no dignity excels that of sovereignty, for no kingdom is more free from care than that of the darwesh.
They that are the most lightly burdened reach the destination first.
The poor man is afflicted by lack of bread; the king by the cares of his kingdom.
Though one may rule and another may serve, though the one be exalted to the height of Saturn and the other languish in a prison, when death has claimed them it will not be possible to distinguish between the two.
Story of Qazal Arsalān[10] and the Fort
Qazal Arsalān possessed a fort, which raised its head to the height of Alwand.[11] Secure from all were those within its walls, for its roads were a labyrinth, like the curls of a bride.
From a learned traveller Qazal once inquired: “Didst thou ever, in thy wanderings, see a fort as strong as this?”
“Splendid it is,” was the reply, “but methinks not it confers much strength. Before thee, did not other kings possess it for a while, then pass away? After thee, will not other kings assume control, and eat the fruits of the tree of thy hope?”
In the estimation of the wise, the world is a false gem that passes each moment from one hand to another.