Arabian Wisdom Part 9

He who seeks riches must seek them in contentment.

Give freely, and be content with little.

A contented man is happy in life.

Life is a vanis.h.i.+ng s.p.a.ce of time, and he alone vanquishes its changing fortunes who lives in contentment.

Be content with what G.o.d has given you, and you will be the richest of men.

If you cannot have what you want, be content with what you have.

If all cannot be obtained, a part may be attained.

There is relief in despair.

CHEERFULNESS

G.o.d loves a cheerful man.

A main part of friends.h.i.+p is cheerfulness.

Cheerfulness denotes a generous nature, as a flower denotes fruit.

The first duty of a host is cheerfulness.

He who is sparing in cheerfulness is more sparing in doing a kindness.

A cheerful countenance is a presage of good.

A bright face and bright eyes are a greater boon than a rich inheritance.

The expression of the eyes shows what is in the heart.

An expression of the face may be more eloquent than that of the tongue.

The face of an enemy betrays his secret thoughts.

No one has ever harboured a secret which may not be discovered by a slip of the tongue or an expression of the face.

Hope for good from one who has a beautiful face.

A gloomy look is an omen of ill, and a bright face is good news.

Life has no cloud to an ignorant man, to one who heeds not past or future events, and to him who deceives himself and constrains his soul to seek and hope for what is impossible.

WAR

War is an evil thing to both victor and vanquished.

It is better to avoid than to make war.

The most honourable death is on the battlefield.

To die in battle from a thousand cuts of the sword is easier than to die in bed.

He who incites soldiers to courage in action is of more value than a thousand fighting men.

An army to a king is like wings to a bird.

To carry out a well-devised plan in war is more effectual than strokes and thrusts.

A battle is fought by feints and stratagems.

What an easy thing is a battle to one who looks on at a distance!

Patient constancy is the key to victory.

Two wolves kill a lion. Two weak men vanquish one that is strong.

Beware of aggression in war--for it can lead to no glory in victory.

To overcome the weak has all the shame of a defeat.

A butcher is not frightened at the sight of a mult.i.tude of sheep.

To retire from an unsuccessful battle is defeat.

Magnanimity to captives, and mercy to the fallen, are a hymn of praise to G.o.d for victory.

ANGER

The first part of anger is madness and the second is regret.

Pa.s.sion and blindness are inseparable mates.

Beware of anger, for it ends in the humiliation of apology.

Anger leads to all kinds of evil.

When you are angry be silent.

It is not a trait of n.o.ble character to be hasty either in anger or in revenge.

The anger of a fool reveals itself in what he says, and the anger of a wise man in what he does.

Quarrelsomeness is a contemptible habit.