Thursday 14 February 2013

On Benevolence and Beauty




Benevolence is a keystone and the way of living for a genuine believer.

The man of good parts
makes choices of benevolence;

For mankind becomes prosperous
from benevolence.
Be conqueror of the world
through kindness and benevolence;
Be a chief in the kingdom
of kindness and generosity.
Benevolence is the attribute
of men of piety,
Benevolence is the duty
of the prosperous.
Benevolence is the touchstone
of the alloy of sin,
Benevolence
is the medicine for all ills.
Be not, if you can,
void of benevolence,
That you may snatch
the ball of excellence
owing to benevolence.
(Saadi)

Beauty..

If anyone looks with
an unfavourable eye
Even the figure of Joseph
will indicate ugliness
And if they look with the eye of favour
on a demon,
It will appear an angel,
a cherub in their sight.
(Saadi)

Time tests beauty
The superficial beauty
that comes with youth
soon starts to fade
Yet the real beauty
of a benevolent heart
may increase with age
(Anon)

Superficial beauty may be seen
by everyone with eyes
Yet real beauty may only be seen
by those with a benevolent heart
(Anon)

As youth fades
Superficial beauty may be
gradually replaced on the face,
a window of the soul,
with ugliness from within
As youth fades
Real beauty may
gradually shine forth on the face
- a window of the soul,
with the beauty of a good heart
(Anon)
A king of the Arabs, having been informed of the relations subsisting between Laila and Majnun, with an account of the latter’s insanity, to the effect that he had in spite of his great accomplishments and eloquence, chosen to roam about in the desert and to let go the reins of self-control from his hands; he ordered him to be brought to his presence, and this having been done, he began to reprove him and to ask him what defect he had discovered in the nobility of the human soul that he adopted the habits of beasts and abandoned the society of mankind. Majnun replied:
‘Many friends have
blamed me for loving her.
Will they not see her one day
and understand my excuse?’
Would that those
who are reproving me
Could see your face,
O ravisher of hearts,
That instead of a lemon
in thy presence
They might heedlessly
cut their hands.
That the truth may bear witness to the assertion: 
This is he for whose sake you blamed me.
The king expressed a wish to see the beauty of Laila in order to ascertain the cause of so much distress. Accordingly he ordered her to be searched for. The encampments of various Arab families having been visited, she was found, conveyed to the king and led into the courtyard of the palace. The king looked at her outward form for some time and she appeared despicable in his sight because the meanest handmaids of his harem excelled her in beauty and attractions.
Majnun, who shrewdly understood the thoughts of the king, said: ‘It would have been necessary to look from the window of Majnun’s eye at the beauty of Laila when the mystery of her aspect would have been revealed to thee.’
It is useless to speak of bees to one
Who never felt their sting.
(Saadi)

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