https://hermetic.com/moorish/7koran#chapter-xxxix

  1. As the eye of the 🌅 morning to the lark 🐦, as the shade of the 🌇 evening to the owl 🦉, as honey 🍯 to the bee 🐝, or as the carcass 💀 to the vulture even such is life unto the heart ❤️ of man 🧍‍♂️.
  2. Though bright [wisdom], it dazzeleth not, though obscure, it [wisdom] displeaseth not; though sweet, it cloyeth not; though corrupt, if forbiddeth not, yet who is he that knoweth its [widsom’s] true value?
  3. Learn to esteem (value) as thou ought, then art thou near the pinnacle of wisdom.
  4. Think not with the fool, that nothing is more valuable, nor believe, with the pretended wise, that thou oughest to condemn it. Love it not thyself, but for the good it may be of to others.
  5. Gold cannot buy it for thee neither mines of diamonds purchase back the moment thou hast now lost it. Employ the succeeding ones in virtue.
  6. Say not that it were best not to have been born: or, if born that it has been best to die early; neither dare thou to ask of thy Creator, “Where has been the evil, had I not existed?” Good is thy power, the want of good is evil; and if thy question be just, lo, it condemieth thee.
  7. Would the fish swallow the bait if he knew that the hook were hidden therein? Would the lion enter the toils of he saw they were prepared for him? So neither, were the soul to perish with this clay, neither labor thou vainly to run the state thou art in, but know it is allotted thee, and he content with it.
  8. As the bird, enclosed in a cage before he seeth it, yet teareth not his flesh against its sides; so neither labor thou vainly to run the state thou art in, but know it allotted thee, and be content with it.
  9. Though its ways are uneven, yet they are not all painful. Accommodate thyself to all; where there is the least appearance of evil 🕊️, suspect the greatest danger 🔴.
  10. When thy bed is straw, thou sleepest in security; but when thou stretcheth thyself on roses beware of the thorns.
  11. A good death is better than an evil life; strive therefore, to live as long as thou oughtest, not as long as thou canst. While thy life is to others worth more than thy death, it is thy duty to preserve it.
  12. Complain not, with the fool, of the shortness of thy time: remember, with thy days the cares are shortened.
  13. Take from the period of thy life useless part of it; and what remaineth?
  14. Take off the time of thine infancy, thy second infancy of age, thy sleep, thy thoughtless hours, thy days of sickness, and even at thy fulness of years, how few seasons hast truly numbered!
  15. He who gave thee life as a blessing, shortened it to make it even more so.
  16. To what end would longer life have served thee? Wishest thou to have had an opportunity of more vices? As to the good, will not He who limited thy span, be satisfied with the fruit of it?
  17. To what end, O child of sorrow, wouldst thou live longer. To breathe, to eat, to see the world? All this thou hast done often already. Too frequent repetition, is it not tiresome? Or is it not superfluous?
  18. Would thou improve thy wisdom and thy virtue? What would you like to know? Who shall teach it? Badly thou employest the little thou hast; dare not, therefore, to complain that the more is not given thee.