Slivers of Life : Musings on Human Values [1 ed.] 9781443894203, 9781443890236

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Slivers of Life

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values By

Yusef Saee Translated by Ali Salami

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values By Yusef Saee Translated from the Persian by Ali Salami This book first published 2016 Originally published in Persian by Lovepen Publications (Qalam-e Mehr) under the title Rasm-e Hasti, this book was awarded a UNESCO logo for glorifying human values in 2015. Cambridge Scholars Publishing Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2016 by Yusef Saee All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN (10): 1-4438-9023-5 ISBN (13): 978-1-4438-9023-6

TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements .................................................................................. viii About the Writer and Translator ................................................................. ix Introduction ................................................................................................. x Sliver 1: Wish, Today and Future ................................................................ 1 Sliver 2: Awareness and Recognition.......................................................... 4 Sliver 3: Customs, Beliefs and Superstitions ............................................... 9 Sliver 4: Good Manners and Behavior ...................................................... 13 Sliver 5: Literature, Writing and Education............................................... 16 Sliver 6: Willpower, Invincibility, Doubt .................................................. 18 Sliver 7: Marriage and Matrimony ............................................................ 21 Sliver 8: Resistance and Endurance........................................................... 23 Sliver 9: Wastefulness and Prudence ......................................................... 26 Sliver 10: Tears.......................................................................................... 28 Sliver 11: Moderation, Extravagance and Thrift ....................................... 32 Sliver 12: Self-confidence ......................................................................... 35 Sliver 13: Economy, Labor and Investment .............................................. 37 Sliver 14: Hope and Despair ...................................................................... 40 Sliver 15: Thought and Freedom ............................................................... 48 Sliver 16: Humanity .................................................................................. 53 Sliver 17: Forgiveness, Sacrifice, and Vengeance ..................................... 57 Sliver 18: Humanity and Unity .................................................................. 60 Sliver 19: Purity, Kindness, Piety .............................................................. 64 Sliver 20: Money and Wealth .................................................................... 68 Sliver 21: Victory and Defeat .................................................................... 72 Sliver 22: Victory and Its Sweet Secret ..................................................... 75 Sliver 23: Experience and Knowledge ...................................................... 78 Sliver 24: Education and Culture............................................................... 80 Sliver 25: Fear and Danger ........................................................................ 82 Sliver 26: Bias and Hideboundness ........................................................... 86 Sliver 27: Effort and Chance ..................................................................... 89 Sliver 28: Civilization and Society ............................................................ 92 Sliver 29: Laziness and Indolence ............................................................. 94 Sliver 30: Health, Hygiene and Exercise ................................................... 96

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Table of Contents

Sliver 31: Solitude and Loneliness ............................................................ 98 Sliver 32: Self-purification and Self-improvement.................................. 100 Sliver 33: Immortality ............................................................................. 102 Sliver 34: War and Peace......................................................................... 106 Sliver 35: Youth and Its Unique Joy........................................................ 109 Sliver 36: Flattery and Compliment ........................................................ 111 Sliver 37: Now, Yesterday and Today ..................................................... 113 Sliver 38: Greed and Avarice .................................................................. 115 Sliver 39: Moving and Its Miracle ........................................................... 117 Sliver 40: Jealousy and Bigotry ............................................................... 119 Sliver 41: Law and Rights ....................................................................... 123 Sliver 42: Truth and Superstitions ........................................................... 125 Sliver 43: God and Man........................................................................... 133 Sliver 44: Stinginess ................................................................................ 136 Sliver 45: Fury and Logic ........................................................................ 138 Sliver 46: Conceit, Selfishness, Vanity ................................................... 141 Sliver 47: Self-Knowledge and Self-Ignorance ....................................... 145 Sliver 48: Pretension and Duplicity ......................................................... 150 Sliver 49: Felicity and Its Nature ............................................................. 153 Sliver 50: Wisdom and Ignorance ........................................................... 157 Sliver 51: Pain, Agony and Spiritual Similarity ...................................... 160 Sliver 52: Prayer and Its Essence............................................................. 162 Sliver 53: Heart, Life and Its Infinite Glory ............................................ 170 Sliver 54: Loving and Its Endless Joys .................................................... 175 Sliver 55: Friends and Ways to Find Them ............................................. 180 Sliver 56: Taste and Its Infinite Glory ..................................................... 183 Sliver 57: Truth and Falsehood................................................................ 186 Sliver 58: Salvation and Admitting One’s Mistakes................................ 189 Sliver 59: Salvation and Change.............................................................. 192 Sliver 60: Leadership and Power ............................................................. 197 Sliver 61: Mathematics and Its Endless Subtlety..................................... 200 Sliver 62: Woman .................................................................................... 203 Sliver 63: Life and Its Endless Joys......................................................... 206 Sliver 64: Beauty and Its Magical Power ................................................ 211 Sliver 65: Simplicity and Composure ...................................................... 215 Sliver 66: Gratitude, Blessings and Negligence ...................................... 217 Sliver 67: Destiny and Its Beautification................................................. 220 Sliver 68: Journey, Going, and Caution................................................... 222 Sliver 69: Silence and Its Endless Peace ................................................. 225 Sliver 70: Politics .................................................................................... 232 Sliver 71: Delight .................................................................................... 234

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Sliver 72: Merit and Popularity ............................................................... 237 Sliver 73: Dignity and Its Endless Value ................................................. 243 Sliver 74: Patience and Tolerance ........................................................... 245 Sliver 75: Fame and Its Limitless Troubles ............................................. 248 Sliver 76: Honesty and Unity .................................................................. 251 Sliver 77: Justice and Its Limitless Magnificence ................................... 255 Sliver 78: Love and Its Eternal Light ...................................................... 260 Sliver 79: Sorrow and Depression ........................................................... 270 Sliver 80: Separation and Its Mysterious World ...................................... 274 Sliver 81: Opportunity and Its Endless Treasures.................................... 277 Sliver 82: Humility and Modesty ............................................................ 279 Sliver 83: Poverty and Its Causes ............................................................ 280 Sliver 84: Books and Reading ................................................................. 282 Sliver 85: Deeds ...................................................................................... 284 Sliver 86: Sin and Innocence ................................................................... 286 Sliver 87: A Smile and the Secret of Its Beauty ...................................... 289 Sliver 88: Mother and Her Heavenly Divinity......................................... 293 Sliver 89: Management and Planning ...................................................... 296 Sliver 90: Death and Its Endlessly Beautiful Truth ................................. 298 Sliver 91: Problems ................................................................................. 303 Sliver 92: Revelation and Transcendence................................................ 306 Sliver 93: Hatred, Spite, and Malice ........................................................ 309 Sliver 94: The Soul and Its Essence ........................................................ 313 Sliver 95: Sight and Its Infinite Joys........................................................ 316 Sliver 96: Prayer ...................................................................................... 322 Sliver 97: Conscience and Nature............................................................ 324 Sliver 98: Duty and Attempt .................................................................... 326 Sliver 99: Time and Its Boundless Value ................................................ 328 Sliver 100: Goals ..................................................................................... 331 Sliver 101: Art and Its Mysterious Beauty .............................................. 333 Sliver 102: Flaming Rubies and the Ash of My Poems ........................... 336

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to express my deep gratitude to Dr. Ali Salami who masterfully translated Slivers of Life from the Persian. I would also like to acknowledge the support of the management at Cambridge Scholars Publishing who embarked on publishing this book in English. All comments and criticisms may be sent to Yusef Saee and Majid Nikrad, manager of Lovepen Publications at [email protected] or [email protected].

ABOUT THE WRITER AND TRANSLATOR

Yusef Saee is a prominent Iranian writer. He largely writes on human values, mysticism and human interests. He is widely read in Iran and some of his books have been translated into English. Ali Salami, PhD, is a Shakespearean scholar, lexicographer, literary translator and Professor of English Literature and Translation Studies at the University of Tehran. An internationally published author, Salami has written extensively on gender and discourse, Shakespeare, and postcolonial literature.

INTRODUCTION

I imbibe eternal joy and the sound of man’s freedom streams in my soul. How exultantly I take the seeds of crystalline light from the fingertips of love and scatter them in the firmament of human existence. Is that the path to salvation? Even if I don’t attain salvation, I truly believe that I will get to somewhere near the land of salvation. Because, for the hand that plants flowers, it is impossible for others not to be scented. Thus I speak to you in this book: Slivers of Life. I write for salvation. And this beautiful purpose will save mankind too. I feel the beauty of love and I become a never-ending feast. I smell your smile and all my words smell of joy. Eternal joy exists because eternal purity exists. So let’s take a walk in Slivers of Life to find it. Slivers of Life includes a hundred and two slivers on two hundred topics. Some of the slivers are related to different subjects. For instance, subjects such as conscience and instinct or duty and endeavor are discussed in one sliver. Read the sentences in full. For example, you can only come to a sound conclusion if you read these sentences along with each other: “Money doesn’t have a heart, though life’s pulse never beats without it.” “Man loses all he has, when money becomes all he has.”

My commitments oblige me to insist on this point: Only those who have refined their souls and curbed their ego should read the parts about love; otherwise they cannot find purification through it. So always keep this in mind: “Love reveals its ultimate power after refining the soul; otherwise it’s like crimson blood, staining everywhere.”

Some of the sentences in the book may look alike, but they explain one another. For instance:

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

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“Maybe the torch of desire never lights, but the torch of hope is always on” and “The shining of desire is like a mirage, but hope always slakes thirst like an ocean.”

Also, one concept can be viewed from different points of view, each with its own beauty. As it’s said in the part about vision: “Beauty blossoms into a hundred, seen in a hundred different viewpoints.”

There are times when, as long as the truth is not distorted, I shall tolerate people’s ideas even if I don’t agree with them. Because reform is possible only after ideas are articulated and they are not opposed. Even sometimes tolerating the ideas of others contributes to the truth; when, with tolerance, we elevate the soul and the soul discerns with more precision that the way to prosperity will not be lost. If I could find equivalents for words such as heaven, hell, angel, evil and the like, I would have used them, because truth is something beyond them all. I don’t want to talk about things, the real meaning of which is different from what people have in mind. So by these words, I have just meant the positive or negative sense of them. Anything but this would betray my pen, which is the holiness of the endless pen. Slivers of Life is just part of my writings. I don’t just tire you out by giving you a long boring text. This way you can read them more carefully and be filled with beauty and delight. I think to myself: can I always retain the glory of being a human in me? So, I try to write only what is to man’s benefit. That’s the only way to take this glory to the other world with me. Every day I imbibe life and celebrate the grandeur of humanity. When I think of it, I become a perpetual feast; my feelings an incessant exhibition of endless beauty shown in full and this gives me endless energy. I never feel tired of writing about the glory of humanity and trying to soothe man’s anguish. So, I write and write because it is the only way to deliver mankind from his loneliness. I am proud that the glory of man is my endless feast. And how exulted I am when I think of man’s glory as one of my greatest achievements. If I think this way, every word I write will illuminate your life like stars with the light of joy and joviality.

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Introduction

When I was writing Slivers of Life, I stopped reading anything in order not to be affected by them. I wanted my writings to be pure and purged from anything else, to be driven only from the ultimate sincerity of my love, because only in this way would it please you. Each writer’s work, like his fingerprint, resembles the beauty of his soul. All that I have written in this book comes from the world of my experiences and the thoughts hitherto discovered in my life. I see some people who want victory at any cost. They impose defeat on their rivals in an unfair way. It’s hard to bear; then at that moment, I discover this truth and write: I buy my own defeat at the highest cost when I’ve not paid for victory with my dignity. When I am in the deepest moments of tranquility and delight, I am inspired to write. You can also experience this feeling. You can be in this sweet, exceptional moment. Imbibe it all and use it word by word in your conduct in order to feel the eternal joy. I wish that there were no traces of me in my writings. But that seems impossible, for all traces digress but the trace of love shows the way, not itself. Do not feel vain, for they have vowed to serve man, but now they are living the derision of this world at man’s spiritual prosperity. When you can be an ennobled man, celebrating the glory of mankind every day and every moment, you do not need help from the selfish and the snobbish. Contemplate this way and you will be freed from the torment of vanity, and you will gain a most pleasant feeling. When man’s freedom becomes your goal, then you’ll march forward, resolute and indefatigable. I write for the benefit of all humanity, not just for one ideology or group. This is one of the secrets of my achievements, because man’s bliss is their only faith. Never deny your bosom the rain of love or you’ll never turn into a man’s ocean of glory. A kid gives his toys, all he has, to his friend. He doesn’t understand hatred and hypocrisy; he just wants to share his joy with others. I, too, offer you my glowing words, which are my handiwork. Even sometimes in loneliness when my tears roll down, I say to myself, “I wish I could offer my tears to you, for I want to watch you grow forever.” Darling! I’ll water the flowers of your felicity with my tears. I’ll watch the smile of your felicity forever. Then all haters will drown in the rain of love.

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Someday everything will turn into the smile of love. Then I will fly in the sky of your felicity forever. Watching your success, I’ll fly with more delight. I wish I could turn all of my being into a piece of paper and write on it: “O man! Whoever you are and from whatever race you come, I love you endlessly.” Three of my first books need to be rewritten, so I do not want them published before I edit them. No matter how knowledgeable and spiritual you are, the least you can do for humanity is to say: “I might not be right. You might doubt me.” This way, no one would be misled. And the only religion would be the religion of all humanity. So I say: “I might not be right. You might doubt me.” Oh! I feel relieved, when I think of others and myself like this. I have no doubts. After reading Slivers of Life, your life will be like an unparalleled starry night, if you use it in your life. Many of my readers ask, “How can all of these sentences be the work of only one writer?” Do not be astounded! When your love and all of man’s love turn my soul into a panorama of lights, smiles and words, at that moment thoughts hail down, like limpid rain on the land of the existence of all beings, to water them. What pristine, gleaming delight embraces me, when I see the land of man’s felicity watered with my love’s rain! I do not write about the eternal joy; I drink it, so that you know felicity will always defeat pain. I have returned to celebrate the endless glory of love with the dance of my pen, and to enshrine purity and freedom. Yusef Saee 2016

SLIVER 1: WISH, TODAY AND FUTURE

How gleeful I am to see a myriad of my wishes Come true every day, for every time someone attains their wishes, One of mine is attained too. If the color pencils of wishes did not exist, Man’s future home would never be drawn so beautifully. A life void of beautiful wishes Is like a sky void of beautiful stars. One single glorious goal Seems sweeter than all of our fulfilled desires. Try not to let your wishes rise so high That the length of your life may fail to fulfill them. Man shall die under the walls of his aspirations If he builds them too high. Love only has one wish: to delight in watching others in joy. Do not think of how many unwelcome pieces of gravel are lurking in the shoes of your wishes. Rather, contemplate the infinite number of the stars scintillating in your sky at night. Stars cause more joy than any of our fulfilled wishes: They shine in the sky without you having ever desired them. Wishes are beautiful; yet more beautiful is having no wishes. Man finds endless peace when he attains absolute peace, For in pure peace, there will be no possible wish that we may entertain.

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Sliver 1: Wish, Today and Future

I found something beyond wishes: having no wishes at all. Having no wishes is the lightest burden in life. The lighter the aspirations become, The stronger becomes the power of man to fly. Living Is much sweeter than attaining all of your wishes. Once a drop in the heart of the sea wished to become a pearl and shine on the bosoms of lovely dames. Finally, it became a pearl in the heart of nacre and shone on the bosoms of pretty maids. However, suddenly, it came to realize that it was a pearl now, and no longer the sea! Therefore, it fell to feeling eternal pity that if it had not left the soul of the sea, it would still be the sea whose purity could create an infinite number of pearls and wonders. Wishes are born in the home of hope. Hopes are better than wishes. Wishes constantly seek to get rich, while hopes are eternally rich. The fire of wishes may never be kindled But the light of hopes keeps shedding light. The shining of aspirations is often deceptive, like a mirage, However, hopes are like an ever-satisfying ocean. Hopes bring man the gift of joy much more than wishes do. Yet, man usually entertains wishes rather than hopes. The future of our lives Is becoming as beautiful as our hobbies today. I will be elated by my future’s beauty For I have not lost my today. How easily our failures yesterday Are compensated by the splendor of hope for our today!

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

If you lose heart about your future felicity The joys that exist today will vanish. He who does not struggle for his dreams today Will rot in his future world. The palace of our future is as high as our hopes today. You will fly higher than yesterday, If you think beyond yesterday. Do not remain on the railway of the past Lest the golden train of the future runs you over. The feet of lethargy get you to the desert of the past Whereas the feet of freedom get you to infinite futures. Hope is an oven in which bread for our future is baked. Sunrise Is the fulfilled everyday aspiration of all creatures. Today’s vinegar is sweeter than the future’s honey. A bird’s wing reaches the rooftop of heaven And the wings of hope reach the acme of the future. Motion teaches the river how to get to the sea And hope teaches man how to get to the future. Uncertainty is a high wall between man and his future. A customer’s satisfaction is our future investment bank. He who imitates his past Will never attain the paradise of his future. If hope did not exist, the path of man’s future would never be built. Today’s pains are tomorrow’s gains.

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SLIVER 2: AWARENESS AND RECOGNITION

Awareness causes a greater joy than Paradise. Many a people mine the sea to its very depths in order to find water! Awareness and joy Always move side by side like parallel lines. A key cannot open the lock and a human being cannot find a way To a friend’s heart unless each knows the inside. If a flower became a bud again, It would know how to gain Eternal Joy by becoming a flower. Bats worship dark caves And hidebound people worship their own blurred mirrors. We fly for a lifetime to catch the stars but we do not know That their light always kisses our feet on earth. He who does not know his own worth will remain unworthy forever. Man’s goal is as glorious as his awareness. Awareness is the most valuable thing We can acquire during our lives. After gaining awareness, the whole universe will belong to us. The brightness of awareness dispels the gloom of death. Imparting awareness to the poor Is better than giving them wealth. The greater your willpower is, the higher your steps will be

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

And the more aware you become, the greater your goals will be. Awareness is like an ocean And joys are like the infinitely beautiful fish floating in it. The seed that seeks to become a jungle Should first learn how to climb. Misery is made of darkness. Shine your light so that you may avoid it forever. A bird that does not know how to fly has burdensome wings. The sufferings tolerated wittingly Serve as beacons to man’s felicity. Whatever you can recognize will become yours. Once you recognize the sea, every drop of it will be recognized. Man’s pleasure is as high as his awareness, rather than his wealth. Life gifts you as much as you know it. The feet of pain lead to the path of gain If you know where you are headed. If you understand the cause of your mistake, You will never slip again. The fish that do not know the sea Will die of thirst in the depths of it. Time is extremely kind to people who know where they are headed. You can enjoy the delicious taste of your being Only when you are aware of your existence, rather than when you exist. If a mad man knew he was mad, he would regain sanity. The pain that burns and gives awareness

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Sliver 2: Awareness and Recognition

Is better than the joy that makes you laugh but creates ignorance. Only a small portion of our wealth turns into pleasure Whereas man’s whole awareness becomes his pleasure. A drop is a sea just as it knows that it is the sea, Not when it is in the sea. Awareness is the most assured way to obliterate adversity. Be the sea so that others may perceive your depth Only if they sink in you. The bird that does not know its flight Will assume the color of dust rather than that of the stars. The inhabitants of Hell do not know that they are in Hell; Otherwise, they would deliver themselves. He who denies the truth after knowing it Worships his stray path. All of our wealth will be bequeathed unto others Except for our awareness. As many as our conscious heartbeats, We can have birds of fortune. Make a short-cut road! If you achieve clarity, You will find no distance from here to eternity. If you reach clarity, you will suddenly see That primordiality is eternity and eternity is primordiality. A blind man will look into the heart of the sun for light. He who obeys unwittingly will be made a slave knowingly. Be clear so that you can discover.

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No matter how you travel – in golden shoes or in cotton ones – What matters is where you land. He who has an accurate manner of address and a firm resolve Is always a friend to success. All elements strive to elevate man. He who learns this important fact will discover his lost paradise. When you travel in awareness, You will encounter a new miracle every moment. When the flame of our awareness is kindled, Nothing will be fearful anymore, except for uncleanliness. We can discern deceit when we attain a level of maturity, not when we attain the age of maturity. Poor are those who are deprived of two things: Awareness and tolerance. How soon your pains will be alleviated If you know that the whole universe Seeks to deliver all beings from suffering, like a unified soul! As soon as we realize humiliation, We shall be delivered from slavery. The cosmos will belong to us When the soul of our awareness, the hand of possession, soars. If man knew that the power of awareness is a miracle in history, He would not need any other miracle to be fooled by. There is no distance from here to Paradise Except for a step towards awareness And another towards kindness. If the pleasure of those who dwell in paradise is made up of silver, The pleasure of awareness is made of gold.

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Sliver 2: Awareness and Recognition

The pain of our dreamland will vanish when we wake up. Thus, the agony of wakefulness Will vanish when we achieve awareness. An unaware bubble is a part of the ocean And does not understand its glory, as an unaware person Is a part of the ocean of felicity, but fails to understand its glory. Man always antagonizes Something whose beauty he fails to appreciate. To reach the endless paradise of your soul, you need two things: Clear awareness and purity. The greatest source of felicity is awareness. I have achieved this wondrous awareness That no one can be as kind to me as the cosmos. When we reach the end of life’s road, We shall understand that joy was awaiting us at its beginning. Everybody dreads distance; I fear proximity, though, For I fail to understand its glory. If you obtain an ‘A’ in ‘awareness’ and ‘perseverance’, You will get As in all of your other lessons. Awareness is alchemy; It turns your life into gold.

SLIVER 3: CUSTOMS, BELIEFS AND SUPERSTITIONS

If we recognize the glory of being a human, No false rite can impose its heavy burden Upon our backs. Many a custom ruins felicity at the price of an afterlife But the faith of truth safeguards both. False customs cannot brook beauty, For it is destroyed in is presence. He asked, “Who taught you to be constant?” I answered, “I learned the eternal lesson of constancy From my beloved whose eye color never changes.” Many a custom resembles the grave of its followers, For they have converted their spirit in the shape of the dread of death. Many a religion has pretty temples but unsightly teachings. A fool never leaves his cocoon of fear, For he imagines that it contains his faith. Pious people say: “We shall abide by our religious teachings so as to enter paradise.” Love says, “You are already in paradise; just do not defile it.” They say, “Take our color in order to be admitted into paradise.” Love says, “Be utterly colorless,” For its glory is lovelier than paradise. Flowers follow the purest faith, For they bloom to delight others.

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Sliver 3: Customs, Beliefs and Superstitions

Flowers always attain salvation, For they never lose their quality of being flowers. Any man’s faith is as beautiful as his spirit. The faith of truth is like conquering a peak; It never postpones to another day the progress of its followers. What a glorious faith it is to dispel sorrow, To love God and to create felicity! Beauty is a faith, which never nourishes superstitions. They say, “Do good, for you will be rewarded many times over.” I say: “Do good, for goodness is your present paradise.” Whatever does not contribute To the glory of my spirit is not part of my faith. Whatever contributes to my peace is part of my faith. False customs mold the spirits and minds of their followers In the shape of their own interests. False customs impoverish their adherents For they can only rule over the poor. Discover your own path! Do not inherit the paths of others! The faith of cowards always profits the masters of superstition While the faith of the immortals benefits the whole of mankind. If false faiths called beauty their most sacred creed, Their followers would never behave in such an ugly manner. Every time something achieves its apex of beauty, It becomes the mightiest tool for debilitating false faiths. A false faith has a double face: A kind face and a cruel face. It uses each to its own benefit.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

A fair faith will appear When we discern the grandeur of our humanity. False faiths make people love their difficulties. Many a people have petrifying religions, not terrifying times. So, both their lives become frightening. People who do not think in a beautiful manner Shall be captivated by the beliefs of others. Those who have no olfactory sense Shall deny the scent of perfume. He who lacks a gustatory sense shall deny sweetness; He who lacks eyes denies light, and he who lacks heart denies love. Our safest friend for tomorrow is our simplest belief today. Those who believe in sunshine Will not rot in the darkness of night. Snowmen cry lies to the shining of the sun. Disbelief means to camouflage the grandeur of love’s purity. The light of awareness Easily dispels the darkness of superstition. Finally, the beauty of my love defeated their superstitions, Carrying me on its velvety wings Into the infinity of the dancing seconds, For I never tolerated the ugliness of hatred And never took it as my faith. Craven people seek shelter inside the dark sacks of superstition. He who does not believe in the power of his mind Believes in superstitions. My mind is brighter than the sun,

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Sliver 3: Customs, Beliefs and Superstitions

For I recognize superstitions and I do not worship them. Man’s felicity is as big as his awareness of superstitions.

SLIVER 4: GOOD MANNERS AND BEHAVIOR

Teams win just for a day, but good manners always win. Most of the knots in our lives Are untied as our knitted brows are untied on our faces. The venom of frowning poisons the joys of life. Life imbibes the beauty of good manners and becomes intoxicated. Humanity is not a faith but a type of resurrection Which revives all the codes of good manners. A man’s frown is as big as his greed. A morose face reflects selfishness While a smiling face reflects kindness. Those who take home their frowning faces Shall give the hell of their faces to their families. When the faces of parents are free from frowns, They will give delight to their children more than any gifts. Hell never banishes a frown from its face; Otherwise, it would turn into paradise. A smile is more eloquent than a frown. A smile is the purest logic of humanity. Poverty makes the face of life frown. If you expect your spouse to be good-tempered,

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Sliver 4: Good Manners and Behavior

Give her your joy. Do not be so strict that you may fall into oblivion Or so soft that you may incur your death. An empty stomach is the worst-tempered in the world. Bad temper is an owl emerging through the night of misfortunes; So do not admit it into your home. A frown is the sign of a house in hell. The sun shines equally on all people While good-tempered people shine more. Ideal understanding is the architect of man’s magnificent mansion. Ideal understanding makes manners ideal. The thorns of grouchiness grow in the fields of selfishness. A frowning face is a sore for other people’s sights. A cold temper is far more freezing than the cold weather in winter. I wish for a happy face, For a happy face is a paradise for the eyes of others. You cannot build a paradise in your home With your plentiful wealth But with your good manners, you can. If ugliness removed its frown, it would turn pretty. The beauty of your face is the fruit of your smile While the wrinkle on your face is the result of your frown. Love created a smile So that a frown may not make human beings look ugly. The best-tempered person in the world Is the one shorn of arrogance.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Modesty decks out a person’s behavior. Love does not give rewards, but it creates glory in behavior. The glory in a man’s manners is the blithest reward in the world. A man’s manner is a picture in his intellectual gallery. Life grants man the grandeur of behavior While man gives life the dust of his behavior. No greater virtue is there in the world than this: Awareness and using it in practice. Treat others as they are parts of your felicity. Cold weather is more tolerable than a cold greeting. When a man does not suffer any other pains, His manners shall work miracles. At the finish line, everything comes to an end but for one single thing: The glory of our behavior.

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SLIVER 5: LITERATURE, WRITING AND EDUCATION

Man learned how to build his paradise When he learned how to write: I love you. Literature delights the flamingos of our emotions In order to create its most astonishing dance. If literature did not exist, The boundless beauty of life would never be painted. Literature makes the invisible glory of life visible. Literature is the present paradise. Literature waters and feeds the garden of our emotions. Literature is a unique, talented painter, for its entrancing words Create the infinitely beautiful picture of the beloved. Literature dispels the sorrows of life. Literature is the most infinitely pleasing composition on earth. There is no forest in the world more incredible than literature. Literature is the resurrection of man’s talent. Do not fret if there is no justice. I shall use my pen in such a way that I will universalize your interests, Rather than those of the luminaries. The eloquent power of a pen is the statue of man’s felicity. The marks left by a pen are like bullets in the heart of a dictator.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

The pen of the one who loves humankind’s felicity Is a candle, which burns and weeps but can never be put out. The black ink of a pen is brighter than the white light of the dawn As one of them lights a man’s day and the other lights his spirit. Promising words fill our sky with dreams Better than the stars. Each writer writes the novel of his soul. An amorous writer only enjoys one style of ruling: Ruling over one’s own mind. Beauty teaches kindness and kindness teaches felicity. A mother’s kiss teaches life to man. Those who do not teach how to make others happy Will never learn how to be happy. When you learn how to love, You will also learn how to build paradise. Teach your soul not to seek anything but the glory of love. Teach your eyes not to seek anything but the glory of beauty And teach your hands not to seek anything But the glory of goodness. This is salvation.

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SLIVER 6: WILLPOWER, INVINCIBILITY, DOUBT

Willpower is the locomotive of life, Setting all wagons into motion. Willpower is higher than any summit. The axle of willpower never bends. Willpower is more powerful than fate. When willpower faces an obstacle, it flies higher, Just like a river turning itself into a waterfall When it faces an obstacle. Giant mountains are always moved By magnificent willpower rather than by huge hands. Talented people bereft of willpower Resemble cars without drivers. The backs of problems will be broken When you do not break the back of your willpower. Willpower has been the strongest man In the world throughout history. The summit told my feet of willpower: “How short you are!” My feet of willpower conquered the summit and exclaimed: “Lo! How short you are!” The strength of willpower dwarfs high summits But a lack of willpower Makes small hills look like high peaks.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Willpower makes the impossible possible And sloth makes the possible unthinkable. High summits kowtow before great willpowers. Willpower means: Take your first step And think of the last one! Those who do not learn to bloom out of their own volition Shall learn to rot under pressure by others. Walk on and behold! There is no summit higher than your steps. Every sparrow can fly on a serene day. But in tempest, the eagle is the sole ruler in the sky. The highest degree of merit belongs to someone Who straightens his back after falling to the ground. Do not say to the obstacles: How high you are! Address the obstacles: My steps are higher than you. The first step is copper and the final one alchemy. With the last step, turn all the steps of your life into gold! Going and reaching are not difficult But staying and rotting are extremely difficult. High summits are dwarfed under large steps. Do not panic! Be afraid of slipping without standing up later. Listen to the warbling swallow: Staying is decaying and going is reaching. The great people in history were people who did not forget to rise After they fell to the ground. When you fall, Know that Time teaches you how to rise and not to fall into ruination!

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Sliver 6: Willpower, Invincibility, Doubt

When a kite is smitten by an unfavorable wind, it soars up. When you take steps, obstacles will bend low. High summits do not weary of standing after standing up; Thus, great people do not tire of standing after falling down. Summits become insurmountable When we forget the size of our steps. It does not matter what impediment blocks the river. It matters if the movement of the river overcomes every obstacle. Great people change their conditions and conditions alter trivial people. The weakest creature in the world is doubt But it can wear out the most powerful person. The home of doubt is doomed to fall soon. Do not enter this home! When doubt is grafted onto the tree of life, It will yield fruits called misfortune. Mountains are shaken by willpower And willpower is shaken by doubt. The shoes of doubt Never get the feet of their owner to the treasure.

SLIVER 7: MARRIAGE AND MATRIMONY

The Nescafé of felicity is extremely pleasant Only if you taste it with your tongue of perception. Marriage means: one plus one equals infinity. Marriage is an arena Where two people behold the glory of each other’s spirit. Marriage is the deepest ocean Made by the unification of the two seas of man and woman. If you gift a mosquito to a nightingale and a flower to a spider, You will have deprived them both of felicity. Life is the sweetest book of creation And marriage is its prettiest poem, If we ourselves learn how to compose it. Marriage is a wondrous miracle, which turns two little joys Into one mammoth pleasure. Marriage means: the glory of mixing two waterfalls together; A waterfall of the glory of music, and one of the wonder of dancing. Life is the most beautiful shell of creation And marriage is its whitest pearl. Your lost half should be the person who loves The beauty of your felicity more than the beauty of his felicity. Love your spouse since he/she is the only person With whom you can share all your known and unknown glories.

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Sliver 7: Marriage and Matrimony

Marriage is the intermingling of the moon and the sun To create a glory more beautiful than them both. A child’s sounds of laughter Reflect a joy caused By the mutual understanding of the couple therein. Love your wife, For she is your beloved and the mother of your children. The most superb picture in the world is that of a pair of smiles, Exchanged between two spouses. Family is a world as vast as the perception among its members. Our homes become a small heaven If they have the color of love, rather than the color of demanding. A home lit by a shining smile Will never lose light. A fortunate spouse Is one who can make his spouse love him back. The weakest person Is he who cannot love his spouse. The most beautiful photo in the cosmos: a woman standing Beside her husband, smiling with their child in her arms. The beauty of your spouse’s face shall not cheer you up When she lacks a beautiful mind. A woman said: “My husband wants a divorce. What shall I do?” I told her: “If you had treated him with the same sweetness As you treat others, you would not be wondering why now.” Divorce should be the last resort rather than the first.

SLIVER 8: RESISTANCE AND ENDURANCE

In the bazaar of creation, perseverance is the price of victory. Watching beauty increases the perseverance of people. History is made through conscious resistance. Perseverance is a steed that will not stop But at its destination. The function of a spring can teach us The lessons of resistance and victory. In perseverance, we should be like our hearts Which never stop under any circumstances. Perseverance is the most upstanding mountain in the world. The everlasting law of creation is this: Smooth waves always conquer hard rocks. The most powerful person is he who never loses his tolerance Under the burden of humanity. Obstacles will cave in when you do not. When rocks sneer at the sea, The waves will chant the hymn of victory louder. He who smiles in dire straits, the world will turn him into a hero. A forest sacrifices the power of a storm before its trees. When you do not suffer anymore, Know that you have found your treasure.

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Sliver 8: Resistance and Endurance

The intensity of pain turns into the intensity of glory When we pay the price through conscious perseverance. Coal said to Diamond: “We are close relatives. So why are you much harder than me?” Without asking: “Why are you so black?” Diamond replied: “Tolerating hardships makes me invulnerable And the glory of patience makes me shine.” History is made by conscious acts of tolerance. The most patient creature is love. Pain is a gate to felicity, If you do not lose patience when opening it. My mother pierces my sister’s ear. “My dear sister, do not cry! The pain of piercing your ear lasts for a moment but the pleasure of watching beautiful earrings lasts forever.” The river, which does not tolerate the irony of sharp stones Shall never reach the sea and become the sea. He who thinks about the joy of climbing Shall not feel the pain of climbing. After the morning fog, the high mountains emerge; After the fog of cruelty, great spirits emerge. Great souls imbibe the pain and roar And the pain devours great souls. If conquering the summit were easy, How would great people be distinguished from weak ones? If we were born in the high summits at the very beginning, We would never perceive the endless pleasure of climbing. He who shuns the thorns of a flower will never obtain one. I smile twice when I am defeated But only once when I win.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Our defeat will fade away when we smile at it. Impatience is the most intolerable pain. If the sky did not tolerate the fiery whips of lightening, Its chest would never turn into a paradise of rainbows. To gain is to tolerate pain, and a diamond is to tolerate the stone. Conscious tolerance leads to a perennial smile. Why do the immortals reach eternity? They never forget the glory of climbing Under any circumstance. If becoming a diamond Did not require the suffering of billions of years, Glass would become diamonds. If mountains had become weary of standing up, Great people would never have been likened to them.

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SLIVER 9: WASTEFULNESS AND PRUDENCE

Waste is a bug eroding the home of your economy. To save is to invest in our future. Purchasing low-quality goods Is a most impoverishing form of squandering. Squandering exhausts a man’s assets As a flood destroys the yields of a garden. When we waste our wealth, we become poor And when we waste our time, we become empty. Waste is the ugliest basis of ingratitude. Living badly means: wasting our time and opportunities And cooking badly means: wasting assets and blessings. When a faucet leaks, It is as if the blood were leaking from the veins of life. If you do not consider squandering as your most costly expense, You will lose your dearest assets. The squandering of man today is his road to future poverty. Unnecessary spending is the most torturous form of squander. To waste is tantamount to financial suicide. Necessity is the torture chamber of feelings. Saving provides some portion of living expenses.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

A rich man who squanders will become a provident mendicant. Saving is the only asset that will never be subjected to losses. Poverty never enters the house of thrift. Saving is the most secure source of a man’s earnings. A man’s savings are his future asset. If we buy things that we do not really need, We might as well someday sell things that we really need. Saving with a little suffering Is far better than the great pain of poverty.

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SLIVER 10: TEARS

He who speculates on the dew of love’s tears, His lost paradise can be regained in its shining. If the shining tears of love did not exist, The sun by itself could not brighten our world. Blessed are the children Who have no assets but the tears in their eyes. The tear wiped away by love’s hand is the most aromatic tear. A cloud’s tears wash the dust of sadness from our flowers As the tears of love clean the dust of sorrow from our hearts. The tears of our love rather than those of our eyes Testify to our true love. Tear says: Three extremely beautiful facts exist: Soul, purity and love. Pious people are nourished by clear streams in paradise While lovers are nourished by the excoriating tears of separation. If the clear drops of tears did not exist, The dust of weariness would never be washed off the face of life. Laughing and crying are the permanent comedies of life, For life will not be complete when either of them are imperfect. A teardrop seems more tranquillizing than a few tablets. The most silent masterpiece in the universe

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Is a lover’s weeping eyes. Love is created from three elements: affection, teardrops and light. A man’s pure teardrop is the freshness of his innocent spirit. He who prevents his tears from falling Resembles someone who is trying to stop rainfall. Love is the purest bride in the universe, For it always washes itself in the clarity of its tears. The best present a lover can ever offer his beloved Is the clarity of his tears. The most beautiful glance is the one through clear tears. Rain reflects the purity of clouds And tears reflect the purity of the heart. The teardrops welling up to the eyes of a lover Will turn into stars of felicity for posterity. White tears flow from the darkness of the eye And a white dawn emerges through the darkness of night. No melodious music Is as pleasing as the sound of a lover’s crying. If a lover’s tears did not exist, The paradise of man’s soul would never grow. Only through the limpid tears of love, Can you behold the eternal beauty of your beloved. Love keeps silent So that the tears of its loneliness can weep perpetually. The passion of love is only satisfied by its own tears. The most beautiful tears run from the eyes of Love,

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Sliver 10: Tears

For it cries out of loving, not out of wanting. Eyes rinsed clean by Love shall never lose their purity. If smiling did not exist, half of the glory of life would be lost, And if crying did not exist, the entirety of life would be lost. The alley of parting would be infinitely dreamlike If lanterns of tears shimmered in it. Love illuminates a path of felicity for others Through the shining of its tears. Tears are doctors. A lover’s tears are the most passionate poetry in the world. The tears of love are as beautiful as its boundless loneliness. I shall buy my tears at the highest price If my smiles are engendered by the suffering of others. The kindest companions to man are the tears of his eyes. Water washes our bodies while tears wash our souls. The most mysterious world-revealing cup Is the lover’s heart, while his tears are the purest water of life. Leaves and fruit reflect the purity of tree roots; And tears and smiles reflect the purity of human love. Love is a bird that drinks from the clarity of its tears And quenches its thirst. Yesterday evening, my tears said to me: “Do not be so impatient, For you shall never find a kinder companion than I.” Most of those who wipe the tears from the faces of the poor Are themselves to blame for those tears.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

With one hand, he wipes the tears from an orphan’s face While with the other, he devours his property. Love tastes the fever of its union With the beloved in its warm tears.

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SLIVER 11: MODERATION, EXTRAVAGANCE AND THRIFT

Wisdom means moderation; Moderation means life, and life means victory. Spring is a paradise of leaves; summer is a paradise of scents; autumn is a paradise of colors and winter is a paradise of snow. The four seasons of our lives are the four seasons of our spirits Only if we do not lose our spirit of moderation. Optimism gifts us with energy, but moderation presents life to us. Optimism is better than pessimism And realism is better than optimism. Infinity is created in balance and life is created in balance. Moderation is the pulse of life; we fall ill when it gets too low or high. Human felicity is always imprisoned Between the two brackets of his stinginess and indulgence. Many a man slips into excessive carelessness And many a man suffers a similar fate for his excessive behavior. The feet of moderation never falter. Moderation is mightier than indulgence. How blithe the breeze is! Moderation wavers between storm and calm. The most mysterious ‘additions’ and ‘divisions’ are those Of stinginess and indulgence, for the result is moderation. Stinginess and indulgence are two blades of scissors

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

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By means of which the string of human felicity is cut short. Life always blooms in the terrain of moderation. When a breeze seeks more than it requires, It turns into a storm and shatters the plants. When a storm reaches moderation, it turns into a pleasant breeze. The balance of life is lost when humanity is not taught. It has a small gizzard; it picked a big bite; its gizzard cracked. Spring is the miracle in the moderation of the seasons As the spring of the spirit is the miracle of moderation in humanity. As the tide is the breathing of the sea, summer and winter are the breaths of the year and an absence of them will cause death. If you do not want to be stopped completely, Modify your speed. Extreme kindness is sweet but moderate kindness is sweeter still. Do not sharpen your tongue more than you need, For the sharper it is, the sooner it will go blunt. Felicity is a mysterious bird That warbles only in the garden of balance. Shyness turns to folly when it goes to extremes. Extravagance and thrift are two millstones Between which a man is powdered. He said, “How can I progress?” I replied, “Be moderate so that you can progress.” A man’s extravagance Is an insatiable lotus in the garden of balance.

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Sliver 11: Moderation, Extravagance and Thrift

In the steep vicissitudes of life, Only those who tread the path of moderation Reach their destination. Extravagance mocks thrift and thrift sneers at extravagance. Nevertheless, a moderate man laughs at neither.

SLIVER 12: SELF-CONFIDENCE

When you say, “I can do this,” The entire universe becomes your friend. Victory belongs to people who trust in their willpower More than they trust in others. A man’s power of honesty is his strong arm of self-confidence. When you say, “I cannot do this,” The palace of your future will collapse all of a sudden. A lion only roars when he is confident of his power. The storm roars but the mountain will not tremble, For it relies on its firm foundations. There is not any dead-end for great people, For when they face a dead-end, they build another path. No power in the world can ever untie impossible ties Except for one’s willpower. When you say, “I cannot,” the little straw of problems Will become a giant mountain of problems. What you are is much more beautiful Than what others want you to be. A timid bird flaps the bars of its cage More than it flaps its own wings. The higher the obstacles are, The more pleasant it is when you overcome them.

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Sliver 12: Self-confidence

He who walks with the feet of others Shall fall with the feet of others. How easily you can overcome problems when you put pressure on them With your feet in order to walk more stably. If others do not respect you, What should be their fear when you reserve self-respect? Suicide is the highest form of ridiculing oneself. He who contemplates suicide Will return to life if he dwells on the beauty of a starry sky. Hope is the pole propping up the tent of self-confidence. Standing on your own low hill Is more pleasant than standing on another’s high hill. He who has the mountain for his handhold will never fall. A diamond will not lose its value if it is not admired. The river, which trusts in the miracle of motion Will never turn into a quagmire. The most powerful person Is he who does not lose his self-esteem when criticized by others. “I can’t,” manacles the feet of success. The more confident we are in action, the paler the problems grow. Doubt is a quagmire for self-confidence. It is not difficult to reach a destination, Unless you walk in the shoes of doubt. Doubt is more formidable than a foe. He who walks in the doubts of doubt Will reach the desert of nowhere.

SLIVER 13: ECONOMY, LABOR AND INVESTMENT

Little is better than none. Do not lose the minimum Just because you cannot obtain the maximum. Gold is the thermometer of economy; In the cold market of economy, its price goes up; When it is warm, its price plummets. He who is inflated like a bubble shall burst like a bubble too. Deceiving customers is economical suicide. Economy is accruing good profit from little investment Rather than gaining little from a big investment. The more you improve the quality of your products, The more you reduce the power of your rival to compete. Quality is the only coin that cannot be forged. If quality were accidental, Every glass would be wrought in a royal ring. Credit is more precious than gold. He asked, “How can credit be more precious than the gold?” I replied, “A gram of banknotes is more precious Than a few grams of gold.” One gram of quality is better than tons of quantity. Gold speaks by its quality and straw by its quantity.

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Sliver 13: Economy, Labor and Investment

Economizing is more lucrative than any other occupation. If you graft the unknown minimums onto one another, You will achieve unlimited maximums. Factories are valuable but libraries are more valuable, For factories provide welfare and libraries salvation. A hundred unfinished jobs are not equal to one complete one. Creating jobs provides a lifetime of comfort While making excuses works for one day. Willpower creates more work than muscle does. Working erodes three things: poverty, sorrow and ignorance. Working teaches you experience While experience corrodes ignorance. You work is your baby; you raise him and he you. Unemployment is harder than any job. When you work, you un-employ Satan. Tools and levers are the miracles of our modern age. Cruelty invents a lever of pressure And humanity invents a pressure-relief lever. Our tools are our most efficient laborers Which do not receive any payment for their job. Man invented small tools and they provide huge comforts. Tools are man’s most humble companions. Sometimes the tiny handle of a screwdriver Functions much more powerfully than man’s big fists.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Never to do is better than to do incompletely. When you do not reduce the quality of your products, You safeguard your most lucrative benefits for tomorrow. A wise man’s metal coin is more profitable than a fool’s gold coin. A customer’s satisfaction is alchemy, Turning the copper of investment into gold. A dam invests in floods While patience changes a caterpillar into a butterfly.

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SLIVER 14: HOPE AND DESPAIR

Hope is the sweetest comedy of life While despair is the bitterest tragedy of life. Winter is a passage to spring. The string of hope never becomes entangled. Man’s hope for today shall construct his future palace. The Sun kisses three realities every dawn: The face that smiles and forgets how to frown; The hand that gives and forgets to be rewarded, And the foot that walks and forgets how to despair. Hope satisfies its own owner as the sea satisfies the shore. Dark nights harbor shining days As black coals harbor bright sparkles. We shall not grieve if all our wealth is stolen, For we still have hope. Therefore, to arrive at the destination is never difficult. The stars of a man’s fortune always glisten in the sky of his hopes. The bread of our bliss is baked in the oven of our hope And the life of our infinity is baked in the kiln of love. Do not despair of your dark clouds, For their hearts are steeped with rain as glorious as a rainbow. The darker the night, the brighter the dawn.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Hope lives more opulently than a wish. The pockets of hope never become empty of money While wishes even get their travel costs from the hands of hope. The Nescafé of felicity never loses the heat of its unique taste If you only keep it warm in the flames of your hope. Felicity is the coloring pencil of hope. Dawn is not confined in the darkness of night Nor is the river between rocks. Hope is better than any rain. The pitcher of hope never empties of water. There is no sound sweeter than water’s footfall Except for the footfall of hope. He who steals the treasure of others is a thief But he who steals hope from others is a devil. The power of hope rather than the passage of time Shall turn man’s winter into a paradise of springs. Hope is a land which will never experience draught. The pieces of our failure Are the best parts that can be used to construct our stairway to victory. Be optimistic, for hope is the breeze, Which caresses even the graves And dispels them over time; Then what remains are merely the signs of existence. Hope does not promise a miracle, for it is a miracle in itself. Paint on the canvas of your obstacles So that you can turn them into your masterpiece.

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Sliver 14: Hope and Despair

Success is the miracle of hope. The majesty of our future comes from windows Which are not veiled by disappointments. Those who achieve felicity Attain bliss, owing to the power of their hope Rather than the power of their wishes. Hope is a time with very short winters and very long springs. Hope lifts obstacles more easily than any other power. The only way to reach the shining harvest of dawn Is by passing through the dark tunnel of night. A candle survives by fire and man survives by hope. A hopeful heart creates more joy than a hundred flower gardens. There was a bird warbling in a city struck by earthquake. I asked, “How can you be singing so sweetly?” It answered, “The houses are ruined altogether But hope is everlasting.” In an earthquake, the home of hope never collapses. The feet of hope can reach spring sooner than any other feet. The boat of hope never sinks. Hope is the happiest foot with which to arrive. A man’s heart beats in its warm blood; His life heats in the warmth of his hope. Every winter turns into spring, except the winter of despair. Hope is the simplest bread for man’s tomorrow. Disabled is he whose foot of hope is disabled, not his physical feet.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

I shall not stay in the depths of the tale of despair, For I am sitting by the daisy And I am reading the infinitely beautiful story of life Through the winsome eyes of the daisy. Man’s sky grows dark after his hope vanishes, Not when the sun sets. I like winters, because I write on its steamy windows: “Hope,” and from its clarity, I look at the alley In search of the traces of spring on the snow. The sunset of hope is more dismal than all other sunsets. No key can unlock the impossible When it does not seek help from the hands of hope. Hope intoxicates a man as the sea intoxicates a fish. The parachute of hope is always open. The child of our soul will remain eternally happy If we do not seize his balloon of hope. The beach never becomes separated from the sea, As hope would never leave love. The cosmos helps those who walk With the feet of hope to reach their destination sooner. Hope is the lantern of God on earth. A hopeful sparrow can climb higher than a hopeless eagle. Hope is the most inexhaustible guide of humankind. In the world of hope, there’s the word ‘problem’, But there is no word such as ‘impossible’. The unevenness of the path is not felt under the steps of hope.

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Sliver 14: Hope and Despair

Any bird is intercepted by the storm except the bird of hope. Do not despair of the smallness of a seed, For a big forest pulsates in the heart of any small seed. The daisy is the red statue of hope, For it never forgets the glory of life In its fiery smiles when it flutters. A life void of hope Is like a vase empty of flowers. Hope is the most unbeatable power. There is only one guardian angel: hope. Hope has a healing power, like that of an antidote. In the heaven of hope, the sun never sets. The sea that does not roar will soon rot And the man who is void of hopes will freeze. The most decorated felicity Is the one painted by hope’s watercolors. Joy emanates from hope as scent issues from a flower. The path trodden in hope will never be long. The flames of hope will never go out even in the cruelest tempests. The felicity of a hopeful man rises before the sun. A heavenly elixir Is when you turn a hopeless man Into an assiduous and happy man. The child of my soul Is so exultant that the balloon of its joy does not seem to burst.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Every balloon bursts Except the balloon of our hope in the sky of our tomorrow. A hopeful snail arrives at its home earlier than a despairing rabbit. Hope is the selfsame sweet coating That covers the bitter pill of our problems To sweeten our palates. Hope is not afraid of death as a flame does not dread the cold. Hope is the parachute Which helps us to land safely when the plane of life falls. In the hot drink of life, Hope is the delectable ice, which refreshes man’s parched throat. The river roars and reaches the sea and joins the sea So does man in the journey of his hope. The warmth of man’s hope mocks cold cruelty. The warmth of hope always conquers the coldness of winter. Everything freezes in the coldness of winter but the feet of hope. The dawn rises when hope does, Rather than when the sun rises. Life is the paradise of our freshness If we do not lose the freshness of hope. Life is a sea and hope is its coast. Life is an eternal struggle, a struggle of hope against despair, But hope is always the winner in this arena. He who forgets his dreams today Will have no garden for his tomorrow. Hope always leads man into the river of life.

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Sliver 14: Hope and Despair

The sea dries up without its streams And man dies without his hope. A man’s hope is the steed of his success. Write in the redness of the moon: ‘Night’, but read: ‘Morning’. The windows of the dawn always open over the walls of night. A butterfly will never remain without a nest, For the smile of every flower is its nest. When the feet of hope become exhausted, The winter of the years turns to spring, But the winter of life, never! Darkness cannot incarcerate the dawn for more than a single night Nor can the winter the spring. When children do not hear their mother’s tales, they will not fall asleep; When the youth do not have a tale for their hopes, They will fall asleep! When the day’s eyelids are shut, a billion stars open their eyes. When your sky turns downcast, say, “In the bright corners of the clouds, We have the treasure of the sun And in the dark corners of the clouds, The treasure of the rains”. Never leave the shore of your hope, For the boats of felicity always berth therein. Be full of hope, For hope is a stream which even gushes out of the heart of a rock. O my clear stream! Why despair? Your feet, used for travelling, will lead you to the sea.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Small spirits always have great despair. A hopeful old man lives a happier life than a despairing youth. Despair is equal to the darkness of nightmares and nothingness. Despair erodes a man as a file corrodes copper. Hope banishes sickness. The coldness of winter erodes the garden of man And the coldness of despair corrodes a man’s bliss. The coughs of despair in the breasts of despairing men Are more harmful than the coughs in the breasts of tubercular men. The whitest meanings shine in the blackest words And the most mysterious beauty shines in the bluest glance. The spring of our seasons starts at the end of winter And the spring of our hearts starts at the end of despair. The greatest passage to life is the window of hope. Hope is the reception hall of existence for man. Rain irrigates the earth and hope irrigates humankind.

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SLIVER 15: THOUGHT AND FREEDOM

Only one dawn is allowed: Inflaming the features of your mind So that the world may become the butterflies of your popularity. Those who think more beautifully than yesterday Will live a happier tomorrow than today. Superior guidance burgeons in unbiased thinking. When we think beautifully, Misery cannot afflict us, however fast it runs. The beauty of our life is like the beauty of our questions. And the beauty of our mind is like that of our thoughts. Think so beautifully that you no longer need paradise. Our world is like our behavior And our behavior is like our thoughts. An old garment hurts the body as an old thought hurts life. Thinking about what you have rather than what you lack Is like glowing in the joys of paradise. He who does not think will have a brain with a surplus. Those who think beautifully would not utter uncomely words. The thoughts of a jealous person will never be joyful. In the passage of time, contemplating beauty Has perfected the beauty of humankind’s face.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Life is your canvas and your mind paints it. A starry heart thinks about starry skies. And a heart of pebbles thinks about pebbled-covered ground. Those who think about beauty would never comply with cruelty. Beauty of mind is the only cure for loquacity. If you contemplate the treasure in the treatment, You will never feel the pain of the treatment. The joy of every human is as beautiful as his mind. Thinking is not easy but it eases life greatly. He who thinks with someone else’s mind will rot with another’s mind. Those who think beautifully will never rot In the ugliness of others’ thoughts. A dynamic mind is the most advanced university. No animals make any progress, because they all think alike. Life takes the shape of your mind. The spirit of an animal is in the shape of its body And a human’s soul is in the shape of his mind. As long as you have not discovered the glory of your mind, You will be deceived by the opinions of others. Man’s joy takes the form of his mind. And a man’s power is like his muscles. It does not matter if your position is high or low; What matters is that in every position you are in, Think in a high rather than a low manner. The size of our world is as big as our minds, not our houses.

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Sliver 15: Thought and Freedom

A pure mind treats disease. He who uses his mind more than his muscles Will never descend into poverty. The longest night is for those Who do not think about the sunshine at sunset. The mind is the steed of life; make it nice so that it can be reached with more ease. Only those who have roots in the ground And thoughts in the sky become green. Our flight is as high as our mind, not as high as our wings. Think so loftily that it may cause your low position to vanish. Beauty of the mind compensates for ugliness of appearance. But physical beauty will not compensate for intellectual ugliness. Being earthly but thinking in a heavenly manner Is higher than being heavenly and thinking in an earthly manner. A poor man may become rich someday, But a poor mind will never become rich. Nothing is uncomely in the world except one uncomely mind. Foresight is the reason for the glory of the soul And prejudice is the reason for its lowness. When you face a closed door, do not moan about why it is closed; Rather, think of ways to open it. There is a complete world where its residents think perfectly. He who thinks his today is worse than his yesterday Will never find the glory of his tomorrow. An ignoramus is he who thinks with his colorful mind

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Rather than with his truthful brain. Think so loftily that you may awaken the tortured souls Rather than the torturers. Our beliefs shape our thoughts and our thoughts shape our lives. If your tongue precedes your mind, it will fall into a pit. A new mind renews our joys and a new year renews our shoes. Everybody will have a new year, But only those endowed with insight will have a new world. When a train derails, It loses its freedom. The body of a cypress tree is imprisoned by thorny wires, Not its tall height, never. I paint: I do not paint a mind in a cage, For when a mind is limited, Man’s joy will never be unlimited. An open-minded person is like a butterfly. The more light you shed on it, the nearer it gets. If the power of freedom exceeded that of emperors, No emperor would ever be lost in history. I heard a bird singing in a cage: You can imprison a bird in a cage, but not freedom. I saw history climbing the gallows, saying: “I never knew I was this tall.” Then it said: “And freedom will always stand taller than we.” The cage cannot overcome the bird If we sing the glory of freedom throughout our lives. We are free when we do not tolerate humility.

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Sliver 15: Thought and Freedom

Truth grows out of freedom As the ground grows out of the rain’s freedom. A freedom-seeking heart will stop beating at the gallows While the heart of freedom will beat permanently at the gallows. A cage is a cage even if it is made of gold. I write: Fly, but I do not write: Cage, For the great glory of flying would be shattered near a cage. You can imprison a bird, but not flight.

SLIVER 16: HUMANITY

Every star is heaven’s salutation to the glory of humans. Humanity is the golden rule of God. Beauty chisels a man’s soul And puts the glory of humanity on a pedestal. He was destroyed, for he made himself a hero, not a human being. Morals are the everlasting brilliant features of humanity. All paths of mercy lead to the summit of humanity. The practice of humanity is the only way that leads to heaven. My darling! Do not fret about the bustle of betrayal! Humanity is the architect of posterity’s paradise. Cautionary whips teach submission but humanity does not. When the glory of humanity is shown, True religion will be self-taught. Anyone can be misled Except those who have discovered the path of humanity. In the world of humanity, there exists the eternal joy of humanity, For there exists no law except for humanity. The first contract between people was invented When the law of humanity was violated. Neither that creed nor this is right; only humanity is right.

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Sliver 16: Humanity

And as long as we are not human, we will never find it. I saw the glory in the stature of humanity when he said: “He who opposes me should give voice to his thoughts before me.” Do not defile the kissing spots of the stars, For the way to humanity Is the eternal kissing spots of the stars on earth. Felicity loses its brilliance When the glory of humanity does not shine. In the city of the immortals, There exists only one source of felicity: humanity. Kindness is our soul’s praise And humanity is the glorification of our lives. He who becomes human thanks to the power of sincere love Will never lose the glory of humanity. In the flames of the sun, we shine and become shiny And in the flame of love we become human. In the world of humanity, There is no distance but the privacy of others. The only one who wins the love of history Is the one whose face reflects a human glory, not a royal one. Do not say: “Since there is punishment, I will not sin.” Say: “Since I am a human, I will not sin.” Purity is uplifting If we do not pay more attention to the straight line of our pants Than to the straight line of our humanity. The best way to overcome our foes is To fascinate them with the glory of humanity. Nothing like a human face looks like heaven.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Great humans have small claims and small men have big claims. No matter what position you attain, it will not please you. But when you reach the glory of humanity, You will see you have achieved a station The size of the infinity of the galaxies. He who does not pay the price for his humanity Will not reach the eternal joy of humanity. Humanity is an exceptional bliss That endures for as long as the shining lights. Humanity is the only world where no rules can be violated. The law is endorsed only for those who forget the law of humanity. Man’s loneliness is as large as his aloofness from his humanity. When a person thinks There is a more beautiful paradise than his glory, Then, his paradise will be lost. The feet of humanity will reach paradise More quickly than any other feet. The world of being is God’s beautiful salutation And our humanity is the only beautiful answer that we can give. Humanity is the answer to all the riddles we do not understand. Humanity is an eternal prayer. There is only one unique word: Humanity. A human face is the most rhythmic verse of the universe. And human laughter is the most mellifluous music in the world. Beauty in the face of a human being reaches its purest perfection Because his soul is able to reach all this perfection.

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Sliver 16: Humanity

A human face is the miracle of all beauties. The greatest virtue Is that we may not forget our humanity under any circumstance. Become human to become the universe! Humanity is the only way Through which man attains all his wishes. Humanity is infinitely sweeter than being number one. When you feel the endlessly pleasant taste of humanity, How easily you become oblivious to fame. Humanity does not have any parliament. But it recreates all happy rules. Goodness is the scent emanating from the flower of humanity. Each human’s face is another volume of God’s poetry. I heard the rose telling God, “How can we make all people happy?” God replied, “Do not forget you are a flower.” What matters is that we stay human, not that we are human.

SLIVER 17: FORGIVENESS, SACRIFICE, AND VENGEANCE

Love drowns so much in the joy of its forgiving That it shall never understand the joy of reward. Every treasure box is the wealth of a man’s inheritors And any man’s donated money is the wealth of his hereafter. The smile you offer others Is more valuable than the castle you build yourself. Eschewing evil is the best good thing. The mind says, “How much should I give in order not to be poor?” Love says, “How much should I give to obliterate all poverty?” The hands of love always carry the scent of distributing the bread of joy. He who is generous in the passion of his love towards others Will be eternalized in the paradise of his heart. Helping others is a heavenly task and combating poverty is heavenly. When a person thinks of the felicity of others, His behavior works miracles moment by moment. A red flower reaches utmost spirituality, For in its soul, nothing remains but its joy for others. It does not matter if you donate gold or copper; What matters is that you give without expecting any rewards in return. Rain is amorous, for it gives itself to the roots of the flowers. It becomes soaked in mud and a flower becomes soaked in aroma.

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Sliver 17: Forgiveness, Sacrifice, and Vengeance

Generous is he who gives with no regard for any reward. When we break a branch, we are always deprived of its fruits. A mirror gives the lightness of its soul to humans And humans show their darkness to it. The smallest amount of help that one can provide to the poor Is not to be a conducive factor in their poverty. A mirror gives all its beauty to those who face it. Life is like a mirror; it reflects what we really are. When a drop gives itself to the sea, The sea becomes bigger by as much as a drop, And the drop becomes bigger by as much as the sea. A candle gives its light to the mirror And the mirror gives its beauty to the candle. If you do not have much money to appease the poor, You will have a brilliant smile to gladden them. Crystals are seen better when they are showing off And humans are shown better when they create joy. If a flower does not give its perfume to human beings, Its scent will not be eternalized in heaven. Generosity makes one day of a poor man’s life joyful, But job-creating makes his whole life joyful. Generosity is beautiful, but giving without any claims is more beautiful. The lover gives without knowing it. A candle becomes so busy enlightening others That it is not aware that it is being melted. Be generous and simple like a mother’s kiss!

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Forbearance is one small word. But it carries an endless miracle in itself. Those who let go easily, Will find it easy to feel happier than others. Love sulks with difficulty and compromises with ease. Those who do not give the night its darkness Are deprived of bright stars. I forgave you so as not to lose the endless beauty of forgiving. Damned souls have only one joy: the joy of vengeance. If we do not forgive the mistakes of others, We will always burn in the hell of our spite. The joy of vengeance reeks of old blood And the joy of forgiveness smells of eternity. Forbearance is more victorious than vengeance. Our advice is that vengeance can be hard rather than soft When it is not uttered through the velvety larynx of love. Lowly people criticize to mock And great people criticize to benefit others. Man is one whose blade of love is sharp, not his blade of power. If you want to punish your rival, Increase the power of your merit rather than the power of your spite. There is no paradise in the world of vengeance. When you do not exact revenge on your rival, You will enamor him with your personality forever. Make your forgiving step higher and your vengeance shorter So that you will never reach the precipice of vengeance.

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SLIVER 18: HUMANITY AND UNITY

A warmonger is the architect of human hell And a peacemaker is the architect of human paradise. No stature is taller than a shortened pencil That writes for humanity. When we consider each other’s sufferings as our own, Our treasure will be found. When we do not tolerate human suffering today, We shall turn into human treasure tomorrow. I will give all my life not to kiss the hands of power; But I will kiss your hands, for they smell of humanity’s love. The best service to humanity is to elevate its worth. The perfume of a flower is caused by its love for humanity. Great people adopt humanity at least as their second son And make efforts to ensure its comfort. If everyone removes their color, only one color remains: The color of human values. A love for humanity reflects a love for all the cosmos. One drop of kindness is more useful for humanity than one rainy season. Love carries the heaviest of human suffering In its simplest behavior So that no one will break under it.

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Humanity reaches redemption When we do not believe in any miracle other than the power of love. The winter of human suffering reaches its end When the earth is heated by a lover’s amorous sighs. Someday, the garden of love Will be the only beautiful paradise for humanity. A petty person has a country as small as his nationality And a great human has a country as big as all of humanity. Our purest praise begins When the perfume of our love wafts towards humanity. In the sight of love, the lines between countries are not seen, For in the sight of love, there is only one country: The country of all human beings. There is only one way to happiness: Holding love in our arms and granting it to all humanity. The loveliest hue is the color of a smile, for it is the color of all humanity. The tear of a pen is the water of life for humanity. I do not tolerate human suffering; so I can reach eternity. Every human is one unique word in the book of human felicity. The only way to save humanity is by increasing the number of sages. For our bodies to feel joy, We need to see every part of our body happy And the body of humanity is comforted in this way. The most glorious service to humanity Is to educate human beings to respect each other’s rights. Stars are our heavenly masters And their friendship is our lesson in felicity.

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Sliver 18: Humanity and Unity

How easily human beings could achieve salvation If only a course to detect deception were offered to them at universities. In classrooms, we write ‘smile’ and ‘joy’ And send them out to humanity, so that they can rest in their exceptional joys. B, for bliss, is the first and last lesson at school. A philosopher is he who, in portraying man’s bliss, Does not benefit but gives benefit. Human beings achieve salvation When we consider loving one another as our most joyful treasure. Lead human beings to salvation, for every man’s felicity is our heaven; So, with every man’s felicity, one paradise will be ours. The beads of sweat issuing out in our efforts to promote peace Will be humanity’s water of life. When I have a share of humanity’s suffering, It is like achieving an immeasurable treasure. The boundary of humanity’s lost paradise starts At the beginning of humanity’s love And finishes at the end of humanity’s love. Humanity shall be saved when hearts are utterly pure, Smiles red and forbearance colorless. The most holy man is he who does not tolerate another man’s suffering. They will not allow love in their homes As if no one wants to share a man’s pain. The felicity of others completes our felicity And their misery leaves our felicity incomplete. A human society has wisdom as much as all of humanity, Not merely as much as a ruler’s mind.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

One only cannot find felicity If one never knows that every happy person Partly contributes to his own felicity. Raindrops join in love and make rain And everyone is elated to watch them. The universe is one endlessly large puzzle of felicity; By omitting the felicity of every creature, This endlessly happy puzzle of ours would be incomplete. The tempest roots out single trees But it itself may be rooted out in the jungle. One wing does not have the power to fly. Every drop at sea owns the whole sea. A bubble becomes the sea when it reaches its origin. How can the universe not be extremely kind While it has the salient part of your existence? The most propitious understanding is the one between the words That make up the eternal poem of the universe: “I love you!” A human smile is a window that – when opened – The breeze of understanding will be blown through. I am a drop in the ocean of existence. So how is it possible That the ocean does not make every drop of itself extremely happy? Forests, not trees, make nests for wonderful birds. The roar of those big seas Comes out of these small drops.

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SLIVER 19: PURITY, KINDNESS, PIETY

I swear by the endless glory of purity that I will always promulgate the endless glory of purity. Love is like the sea; it dies when it loses its purity. A heart’s purity is an elixir; It transmutes the copper of felicity into gold. A pure soul produces one different paradise in itself every day And watches its extremely joyful films at nights. Man’s felicity emanates from his pure soul As the flower’s scent emanates from its pure soul. I will create purity in my way and purity will create joy in my life. A pure heart Is the only world where no danger threatens others. Love’s elixir works faster in a pure heart And gilds all its beats. An impure heart does not shine, nor does a polluted cup. A flower’s scent is the reward of its pure soul. An ignoramus drinks the world’s deceiving poison While a wise man drinks the world’s clean nectar. A man’s heart is his eternal garden and its gardener is his heart’s joy. The hands that plant flowers in the paths of others always smell good.

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Cleanliness is the hometown of paradise. Scare away the flies with cleanliness rather than with poison! Learn the secret of beauty from cleanliness! Spring begins in the breast of mercy, not in the pages of a calendar. Purity and joy are the most brilliant paths that stream into eternity. A clean city is the world’s heaven and a pure heart is God’s paradise. Lucifer does not know that a pure and plain life Is much sweeter than an impure and clandestine one. The balloon of our feelings soars up to the most beautiful point In the sky, if we fill it with the pure breeze of our hearts. As light is not divorced from the sun, man is not divorced from felicity. But impurity of the heart is a deep rift between man and bliss. The uncleanliness of mirrors creates such a deep chasm Between man and the dream of beauty. He who is cleaned by the sincerity of love will never be impure. In the entire world, no creature is superior to another one Except in purity and awareness. An impure glance does not see the glory of eternity As an impure mirror does not see the glory of life. I cleanse my soul with beauty so that I can achieve immortality. In order that I may retain the purity of my soul, I shall always hallow beauty. One only reaches the paradise of goodness When one does not find any joy more uplifting than goodness. When you fall, do not forget the glory of rising.

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Sliver 19: Purity, Kindness, Piety

And when you rise, do not forget the glory of your departure. And when you depart, do not forget the glory of your arrival. And when you arrive, do not forget the glory of your goodness. This is the way to immortality. In the garden of goodness, the weed of misery never grows. The joy of flying is the gift to harmless birds. And the torture of crawling is the punishment for harmful snakes. Paradise is the mirror of goodness. Clouds are kinder to good men’s territory Than to any other place. With every good thing we do, A new star is born in the galaxy of our soul. The glory of goodness is far sweeter than its reward. Goodness is the most respected act of bowing down to truth. The light of goodness dissipates the darkness of misery More than any other light. Every kind thing we do is like a feather growing in the wings of our felicity. With every felicity, we fill others; One flamingo of felicity will fly in the sky of our tomorrow. Being important is so hard and being useful is so easy. The best way to commend someone’s goodness Is to be unified with them. With every kind deed, we get one step ahead of misery. Flowers never weary of beauty, nor does love weary of kindness. Piety means intolerance in pollution.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Pious people shall enter paradise. But lovers are always in paradise. Avoidance is power. The shunning of bad deeds Holds celestial powers. A devil is he who teaches piety with his speech And teaches impiety with his behavior.

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SLIVER 20: MONEY AND WEALTH

Money is man’s second heart; Alas, it does not beat to give life. Money is man’s second heart But it only beats and gives life in the hands of the wise. The circle of money becomes the tightest prison If it imprisons man’s heart within it. The circle of money is the most mysterious wheel in the world If it spins round creating bliss. First we possess wealth; then wealth possesses us. Man will be so happy If he does not take the sound of money for the song of felicity. Wasting time creates more poverty than wasting wealth. The sound of money is the sound of comfort, not that of peace. A stingy man likes an abundance of wealth More than the sweetness of his palate. Stinginess vanishes as soon as man calculates The shortness of his life rather than the amount of his money. If felicity could be bought and sold for money, All rich people would be happy now. What you have saved up is your wealth today And what you have donated is your eternal wealth.

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A bribe is a batch of banknotes, Which always wears a golden strap round its waist. Man’s pockets shall always remain empty If they are not filled with the wealth accrued from working hard. The wealth in our pockets will be left for others But, for us, the wealth of our hearts endures forever. Money fills man’s pockets, not his heart. Whatever we like turns into our property. With no exorbitant price can we buy time Except with the power of our discipline. Ill-gotten money is our life’s demon. I spend my money so that money cannot spend me. Man can translate his peace into money But money cannot change itself into peace. Money does not have a heart, though the beat of life will stop without it. The circle of money does not have an engine But it works far better than any other wheel and arrives at its destination. Money does not have a brain, but it starts the brain. An empty soul is more torturous than an empty pocket. Pennilessness is the utmost form of loneliness. Everything will vanish when money becomes everything for man. A man is as big as the treasures in his life Not as big as the treasure of his money. Time is more precious than money Though it loses its value without money!

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Sliver 20: Money and Wealth

Plentiful money decks out your world, and abundant love, your soul. Wealth increases the beauty of your face And poverty decreases the beauty of your face. He who is enriched by the wealth of his love will never lose his wealth. The mind says, “You have as much as you earn.” Love says, “You are as rich as you donate.” A drop is enriched by its own sea and man is enriched by the size of his love. The most hallowed wealth Is the wealth that serves as man’s steed, not as his rider. The waves under the ship become its steed, and over it, its misery. A person’s property operates in a similar manner. Money cleanses the poverty of your world, But love washes away the poverty of your soul. You regain your lost paradise when you realize that there’s a treasure In you which cannot be exhausted, however much you spend it. A modest poor person lives more joyfully than a greedy rich one. Love does not need any treasure, for it is more than wealth. Dynamite explodes a man’s house And impure money implodes his felicity. Knowing the causes of poverty is an endless wealth in itself. Your goodness is a wealth that cannot be inherited. The suffering of a wise person is More enriching than the treasure of an ignoramus. In your paradise of tomorrow, they will not ask How much money you have in your pocket;

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Rather, they will ask how much love you have in your heart. If the garden is ours, so its fruits are ours too. A garden’s treasure looks like its gardener And the treasure of flowers resembles its lovers. The circle of money becomes the tight ring of life, If it does not turn into the smooth wheel of life. Wealth is an expensive garment on our body And courtesy is the garment of our reputation. Miserable is he who knows the art of stacking money, But does not know how to spend it.

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SLIVER 21: VICTORY AND DEFEAT

The best way to defeat one’s rivals Is to become more deserving than they. The easiest way to overcome falsity Is not to become firewood in its furnace. Death defeats everything and love defeats death. Those who win the beautiful power of their minds Will never lose their triumph. Those who win through the suffering of others Will never attain their treasure. If we did not fall, how could we discover the joy of rising? The best way to overcome the waves is to ride them. A man is victorious when he steps onto his problems Not onto his rival’s heart when he reaches the top. When you reach the summit, The crown of your victory will be the tallest point of the summit. No power can surmount impossible summits Except the feet of self-confidence. Beside every summit, there is a valley and beside every valley a summit; Therefore, in the valley of our failure, You can lean on your summit of victory and stand high amid the sky. Do not aggrandize your idol So much so that tomorrow you will not be able to break it.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Be a summit so that if someone does not understand your height, They may stand short, not you. When you conquer the top, There remains one height: the height of your stature. A storm roars at sea and the sea laughs at the storm; Then the storm dies. Victory gladdens you for one day But bringing victory to others makes you eternally victorious. The balloon of victory will not always stay aloft And our backs will not lie forever on the ground. Great people make boats from the shattered pieces of their failure And reach the shore of victory. Failure is a great victory If it teaches the lesson of rising, not frustration. Do not awaken the dragon Unless you find the power to confront it. With two steps, we reach the most wonderful island of success: Accepting our own mistakes and making up for them. If we were always winners, We would not discover the sweetness of compensating for our failures. Only one person experiences no failure at all: The one who performs his duties. Worse than failure is to forget your own smile in the face of it. Falsity always lends the name of victory to his failure. There it is to be ruined. Why is gambling so stressful?! Because in it, winning is tantamount to losing.

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Sliver 21: Victory and Defeat

If there were no thirst, the joy of water would never be discovered; And if there were no failure, the joy of victory would never be discerned. Great people make their jigsaw of success from the pieces of their failure. I elevate my soul so high that I can stand higher than my failures. The easiest way to overcome the pangs of failure Is to rise over the ground of failure. Failure breaks man once, And the fear of failure, a whole lifetime. Not rising is more dangerous than falling. The highest act of climbing is rising after falling. Do not touch the fire of your failure. It may burn you. Just let its light render your tomorrow bright and unique. If you do not lose yourself in your failure, You have lost nothing. A wise man benefits more in his failure Than an ignoramus does in his victory. When we rise from the mattress of our failure, The demon of failure disappears. Failures create more heights than victories When we take them under our feet. Losing becomes the most golden triumph When we lose in a courteous manner.

SLIVER 22: VICTORY AND ITS SWEET SECRET

In the comfort of conscience, old age fades away. We can create very young smiles in our very old faces. The older a tree grows, the more attractive it becomes And great men are like that. I do not fear ageing, for I have transformed all your past sufferings Into your future joys. Love dispels old age with the smallest attempt. He whose life was bright does not fear the nightfall of his old age. Those endowed with novel minds will never grow old; Only hidebound people grow old. A young body does not lose its liveliness in ragged clothes Nor does a young soul, in a ragged body. Laziness is more detrimental than old age. The older great men get, the more wisely their minds shine And the more childishly their souls exult. A man ages when he does not enjoy being with himself. Old age is the world’s heaviest weight. Old age becomes the paradise of our life If we do not destroy the bridges behind us. The gold of youth changes into the copper of old age.

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Sliver 22: Victory and Its Sweet Secret

Fear not whether the copper of old age changes into immortal gold By the power of the elixir of pure life. A man grows old when his soul is black, not when his hair turns grey. However old a man grows, his world becomes crueler If his views do not become new. Youth is the book of our felicity, But we learn how to read it when we are old. The oldest tree becomes the youngest flame when it is burned. The best way of saving for the tomorrow of old age Is by doing the tasks of today. If you do not ever want to feel old age, Always feel the benefits of being good. Despair is more frightening than old age. In old age, our body shrinks and in despair, our soul shrinks. A beautiful mind defers old age. Old age mocks a man, If his beautiful face does not turn into the beauty of his soul. Old age ruins newness, and death ruins raggedness. Old age in self-aware people Is sweeter than youth in unaware ones. Old age is the youth of disease. There will be no fear if man’s past purity is an eternal youth. Great is he who cleans the wearisome hue of his old age By burnishing the goodness of his soul. Old people walk in a bent manner, As if they were carrying the backpack of their past over their shoulders. Youth is the comedy of life, and old age is its tragedy.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

There will be no fear if a delicate mind Turns every tragedy into the glory of comedy. Rain over the oldest roof of a house Sings the youngest song of life.

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SLIVER 23: EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

If man had both youth and experience at the same time, Life would not be less than paradise. Experience is more knowledgeable than knowledge. Failure is the school of experience. The traffic light of experience turns green in old age. The flame of experience is to be fanned, not taught. Turn the flame of your youth into the light of experience. Every experience of others is one box of jewelry, For which we do not pay anything. Experience is the only gold, which will not be discovered If man does not extract it. Experience brings felicity and knowledge brings information. Time sells the glasses of experience at a high price At the cost of youth; alas, there will not be any time to see. Quite unlike knowledge, experience has a soul and life Therefore, it easily reveals the world of felicity. Knowledge has one dimension, but experience has three dimensions And man always accepts three-dimensional realities. Experience is the umbrella That time gives to man after it stops raining. How easily felicity is achieved

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When experience is acquired as easily as we find knowledge. The experience of old people is better than the power of young people, but there is no benefit when experience is without power; And power without experience is like a bird with one single wing. The bridge of experience shall be operative at the end of youth. The gazelles of our felicity will always be whipped for our mistakes Unless we learn from them. Experience teaches lessons to knowledge. Knowledge carries you to the apex of galaxies While experience carries you to the summit of eternity. The master teaches knowledge and failure teaches experience. Knowing the factors for misery is the most elevated form of knowledge. To be able to detect deception is the most lucrative knowledge.

SLIVER 24: EDUCATION AND CULTURE

Education convinces man to abide by laws More so than punishment does. A university trains scientists and love trains man. Education is the city which never assumes the color of crime. You might not be able to give your children the best food But you can give them the best education. A flower is not taught how to decorate its heart. Language is your child; if you do not educate it well You will consequently lose your capital. Life is your child; However you educate it, you will find it is the way you want it. Before being the best parents to your children, Be the best friends for them. In a society bright with the blaze of education, The bliss of its people will never grow gloomy. Education is an oyster in which the pearl of felicity develops. Love your teacher more than the sun, For the sun brightens your world but a teacher illuminates your soul. After the masterpiece of birth, Education is the most glorious masterpiece in a mother’s life. Your life will be an eternal masterpiece If you regard the training of your children

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As more necessary than their daily bread. In a country where education is not respected, The children will be enslaved by a country which respects education. Education is the most long-lasting capital for our children’s future. A mother who prefers education to love Will never witness the misery of her children. The presence of education creates glory in our history And its absence causes the decline of our history. A lack of housing is painful, but even more painful is a lack of education. Love is important and education is even more important. In a land where the tenets of education are institutionalized, The budget for decriminalization will be used to create welfare for its citizens. Housing constitutes part of our felicity and education makes up all of it. Man’s soul wearies in the absence of love And its absence causes education to stray. In cultural richness, the poverty in society loses its color. A lack of culture is more harmful than the lack of any other blessing. Financial poverty ruins social welfare And cultural poverty destroys the future of society. A happy society has only one highway: A sagacious culture. Creating culture heals social ills. Lack of culture is the father of all dictators.

SLIVER 25: FEAR AND DANGER

Fear is the cage of redemption. I do not fear, for I cognize the glory of love. The most fearful things are superstitions; Yet the most cowardly people follow them by all means. Sometimes moving towards fear is more soothing than being in fear. When I do not fear, the demon disappears. Nothing is hard but the fear of hardship. Only those who are afraid of shadows Forget the sun behind them. False rites are cowards’ bags of fear. I said: “He will never be redeemed, For the coldness of fear has frozen all his thoughts; For his religion is made of fear, not of a path.” Love Can eliminate the deepest darkness even with its faintest light. True rites are made of man’s heart, not of man’s fear. A mountain does not fear an impact and the light does not fear darkness. Man is redeemed When his religion is made of moderation rather than bribery. I do not fear my tomorrow,

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

For I did not make my today frightening. He who fears the pain of treatment is fascinated by his wounds. He who is afraid of pain never gains. Cowards will never be redeemed Because those who foment fear will take them on their path. Man’s fear is the shadow of his ignorance. If a woodpecker were afraid of getting its beak broken, It would never have a nest. The seeds of fear will always be imprisoned underneath the ground. I do not fear grey clouds, For they are impregnated with dazzling rains. Timid birds will be hunted soon. A snake is not afraid of another snake. A cloud is not afraid of being void, since it knows it will become rain. A cowardly bird falls in love with his cage. A true leader makes you frightened of ignorance, not of death. All fears will end in the best interests of demons Except the fear of ignorance. If you have fear, a demon will follow your shadow for all eternity. Those who arrive have a fear of hopelessness, not of fear. Frighten away your feeling of fear, so that it may not scare you away! Wither away your fear so that it may not wither you away. A coward will never enjoy the benefits of a journey.

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Sliver 25: Fear and Danger

The coldness of a season freezes our towns And the coldness of fear freezes our minds. Timid birds Do not see any supporters but the tight bars of their cages. Black hearts are frightening, not black clouds, For dust falls from the former and blessings fall from the latter. A bird’s place in its cage is safer, but the joy of flying is something else. Paper scarecrows will wane away When you do not scare your birds of hope from flying. Do not fear high waves! The higher the waves, The higher the ship of your life will sail. Timid birds will eventually fall prey to their hunter. I saw two drops falling into the sea. The first one said: “Do not fear and join the sea!” The second one said: “I fear a lot!” The first one said: “If you knew that you are made of the sea, It would be easy for you to join it.” Fear is your shadow! Turn to the sun so as to never see it. Bigotry is far more fearful than a short lifespan. A heart which does not know love is the most fearful cage in the world. Fear of modern thinking is the eternal prison of redemption. Do not fear silence! Fear silence without any message! I have always feared hell But we never realize that ignorance is the most painful hell. The feet of fear will never reach the paradise of awareness. The demon of dread is made of ignorance.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Shine so that you may never see it! Fear is more dangerous than any danger And caution is safer than any path. Caution neutralizes danger. The bird who thinks about the dangers of flying more than its joys Will assume earthly colors rather than heavenly ones. Sometimes the only thing that delivers us from danger is taking risks.

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SLIVER 26: BIAS AND HIDEBOUNDNESS

A lack of bias can prove the truth better than any other argument. Bias is more dangerous than mistakes. Truth would easily prevail If people sacrificed their bias As much as they sacrificed their lives. The frame of bias incarcerates those who do not think. Bias is the most deceitful language in the world. An unbiased mind Is like a window opening towards the path of felicity. Bias in fellowship can highlight the borders of countries And a smile in fellow feeling can erase the borders. A fanatic’s mind is the narrowest blind alley. The unique rules of felicity can never be seen in the darkness of bias. We will always cry over history; The history which imprisons people in their own bias And calls it their absolute holy way. Intellect cannot be imprisoned by bias As the sun cannot be imprisoned by darkness. Bias is the logic of false rites. The realities of others are obscured by the glasses of bias; The only thing they see clearly is the tip of their owner’s nose.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Man’s freedom does not happen just because The more the followers of rites increase their bias, The more they are considered holy. A fanatic can become the most dangerous, bloodthirsty person, Although he may be the kindest among his own fellow beings. Never argue with a fanatic; He seeks to defend his own interests and not the merits of truth. Each rite is as strict as the bias of its followers, Except the right of truth, which is as vast as all of man’s love. Hatred is fed by the darkness of bias and becomes strong. In the darkness of night, our town darkens And in the darkness of bias, our felicity grows dark! A fanatic’s virtue becomes a weapon in the hands of demons. All houses have windows except the house of bias. A selfish person admires his own ignorance; A fanatic admires the darkness of his own heart. Birds are prisoners behind the bars of a cage; People are imprisoned by the impasse of bias. Man’s freedom has been incarcerated behind the bars of bias. Sunlight cannot pierce a closed door And the light of awareness never crosses a narrow mind. We are always afraid of a stray path, However, we do not know that bias is the most dangerous deception. If bias had been considered as the greatest sin, No useless manners would have existed. An unbiased mind is the best sign of felicity.

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Sliver 26: Bias and Hideboundness

A mirror reflects things as they are For its mind is void of spots of bias. A fanatic’s mind is like a fly; The more scent you spray over it, the further it flies. Arguments do not open the eyes of a fanatic. Man’s bias first becomes the prison of his heart And then the prison of his felicity. A fanatic’s mind is more horrible than dark caves. To prove the truth to a person who does not forsake his tent of bias Is like proving the sun to a person who never opens his eyes. Bias is worse than deception, For a fanatic considers his deception to be his felicity. A fanatic worships his own bias but not his own God. The feet of Felicity can pass through any deep valley Except through the valley of bias. A lack of bias is the most candid language in the world. Bias is more deceptive than blasphemy. An unbiased mind will never be deceived. An unbiased manner will not be imprisoned by the borders of countries, nor will an unprejudiced mind be imprisoned by the walls of rites. Freedom from prejudice Can give wings better than any other liberty. A bigot is like a nocturnal insect: The more light you cast on it, the more it distances itself. How can you lead The one who admires his own prejudice?

SLIVER 27: EFFORT AND CHANCE

Chance may never knock at our door, But the happy hands of effort knock at everybody’s door every day. A complete effort is better than a hundred incomplete efforts. Large seas are created by many small drops of rain And great people are formed by many small efforts. Efforts do not need the wealth of others. Treasure is hidden in suffering. Do your best from the beginning for what will be left at the end of your life. The statue of success is cut using two axes: The axe of accuracy and that of effort. I heard the burglars come into an ant’s nest and take everything away. The ant’s children cried for fear that they would die in winter. The ant said, “They took away all of our property but not our efforts. So we will make our future together”. He said, “To reach the top, you may face numerous problems.” I answered that I made thousands of efforts. Defeat is no less than victory When you make an effort up to the end. When a river reaches a barrier, it flows over it, For it wishes to flow and join the sea, not to stay and become a marsh. Dawn is the gleam of a friend’s smile. Therefore, waking up early can lead you to your friend’s paradise.

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Sliver 27: Effort and Chance

Activity should continue; This is the way to victory in the universe. If the ways of suffering did not exist, Everybody could be the king of treasures. The wealth of unwise men is ruckus and the wealth of wise men is their quest. The fruit of quest is paradise. The wealth of effort is more enriching than any other wealth. When activities stop, life departs. If the sun had risen just one moment later every century, It would have stopped existing. Vehement willpower can conquer the summits, but it cannot conquer great aspirations. If we were born at the top of the peaks, We could never discover the unique pleasure of rising. The coin of chance brings you fortune but not competence. I increase my wealth of competence So much so that I will not need chance. The diamond of competence glitters eternally However, the glass of chance glitters for a few days. Working is more profitable than chance. The ladder of chance raises your position But you can never reach the top of competence. The feet of chance soon begin to falter. The most available chance is opportunity.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

The power of effort always scoffs at the wealth of chance. Man soon climbs down from the golden peak of chance.

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SLIVER 28: CIVILIZATION AND SOCIETY

A country decked out with the beauty of its justice Will never lose the beauty of its civilization. A civilized nation is a community which develops a civilized society Not a community which lives in a civilized society. Each civilization depends on the beauty of its nation’s mind Not the beauty of its ancient monuments. War is the suicide of civilizations. The pen is the smallest pillar On which the largest civilization is stably built. Tactics are better than techniques, As techniques make machines but tactics modernize them. The pickaxe to create a civilization Is always in the hands of social justice. History does not make civilization; rather, civilization makes history. If the poor had nothing to eat, They would feed on the capital of their civilization. A civilized person is not the one who lives in a modern country, But the one who makes it more civilized no matter where he lives. Civilization burgeons in a society Where the arm of justice is stronger than that of its rulers. A nation equipped with golden minds makes golden laws And golden laws create golden civilizations.

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The famous founders of civilizations throughout history Thought as far as their progress, not as far as their obstacles. The pen is the pillar propping the tents of civilization. Each civilization in which its people do not become more innovative than they were yesterday is doomed to fall. Freedom creates civilization and civilization brings you felicity. If the teardrops of a pen did not drip, The paradise of man’s civilization would never grow.

SLIVER 29: LAZINESS AND INDOLENCE

A lazy person is an expert at making excuses. A pumpkin has no good shape. A lazy lion does not hear its own roar. If diligent locomotives did not exist, Lazy wagons would grow rusty over the rails. The garb of felicity is too wide for lazy people. A lazy man’s bed always reeks of weariness. A lazy river becomes a stream; Lazy grapes turn into vinegar, and lazy people ruin their lives. Laziness Is the world’s heaviest quilt, which imprisons a lazy man forever. Lazy people write some compositions as excuses every day. Never have I seen anyone sicker than a lazy person. Laziness is the most precocious old age. Lazy people always conjure up perseverance. The easiest way to deliver oneself from poverty Is to get up from the bed of laziness. The pain of laziness is harder than the pain of effort. A lazy person is a sick man

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But he does not know that if he gets up, he will succeed. Even a miracle cannot make a lazy man happy. Laziness is its owner’s heaviest hump. Laziness is an illness, which does not kill: It just steadily tortures its owner. Laziness is as heavy as old age. Laziness is the heaviest robe. A bed of laziness makes you suffer more than a bed of illness. Demons choose their own followers among the multitudes of the jobless. An idle mind becomes rusty more easily than an idle key. Lazy people are very clever in concocting excuses. Man delights in indolence for a day But the pleasure of making an effort makes him eternal. Those who run will never breathe damp air. When you get up, the whole universe gets up with you So that you may arrive sooner.

SLIVER 30: HEALTH, HYGIENE AND EXERCISE

When you think nicely, an energy emanates from you Which can always reflect your health. Overeating is the body’s illness; talkativeness is the soul’s illness. This world has two unique kinds of paradise: Health and leadership. Health is our body’s paradise while guidance is our soul’s paradise. A heart bereft of kindness is the unhealthiest thing in our world. Half of treatment is to take the pain seriously; The other half is not to take the pain seriously. A man’s healthy body is the happy palace of his soul. Looking at beauty vitiates illness. A doctor’s medical hand treats illness; his loving hand works miracles. A healthy body is a paradise of the soul and a sick body is its hell. The most logical way to dominate depression Is to make today better than yesterday. A body’s impurity reduces the glitter of health; Impurity of the soul reduces the glitter of joy. Most people commit suicide inside their abdomens. With the lighting of a cigarette, A candle of felicity dies out inside the palace of man’s soul. The stature of a cigarette is a little icon of the self, which says:

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

“The delights of the self are always smoky.” Health is the first thing to be enjoyed by those who dwell in paradise. Overeating is the most dangerous microbe in the present century. Healthy foods yield better results than medicine. A patient’s body should go to the doctor and his soul should go to love. When you diagnose the pain, treatment will be easy. When you know the way, it is easier to arrive. He asked, “Don’t you eat?” I said, “I have used dental floss. Now I do not prefer the joy of eating to the pleasure of cleanliness.” My weight has become my carrier; It is me who should be the carrier of my weight. Ill is he who cannot change small things Into the happy moments of his daily life. The power of prevention does not need medicine. Overeating causes stomachaches. Loquacity causes headaches. Healthy food is the most useful vitamin; Unhealthy food is invisible suicide. He who does not taste the sweetness of exercise Will taste the bitterness of medicine. Only one type of struggle is allowed! That is competition in sports fields. Exercise is man’s second breath.

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SLIVER 31: SOLITUDE AND LONELINESS

Solitude erodes a man Except when he takes benefits from thinking, Enjoying and being by himself. Since the day I made peace with myself, I no longer felt lonely. The pleasure of making peace with oneself is the most enviable pleasure. He who is afraid of solitude Evidently dreads his own identity, for there is nobody else in solitude. A beautiful mind does not feel the agony of solitude. I said, “Friends have become unfaithful.” You said, “I give you something sweeter than your friend’s love.” I asked, “What is it? You said, “The endless pleasure of solitude.” Solitude is the most boring prison for weak people; It is the most luxurious hotel for great men. The most solitary man is he who does not know himself. When the pleasure of making peace with oneself vanishes, No joy can make up for its absence. Each thing of beauty is a balm to man’s wounds of loneliness. How poor is he who does not enjoy making peace with himself. Solitude becomes man’s happiest companion When friends seek to benefit rather than to show the way.

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My palace of solitude is so unique That I will never break its joyful silence Except with the excoriating tears of my solitude. Friends are gone; the glory of your loneliness is your only friend. Peaks are seen to be more beautiful at the height of their loneliness. Loneliness is the largest world For there is nothing in it but the extent of a man’s soul. He who is warmed up by his own sigh Is never frozen in the endless cold of cruelty. Loneliness is the most joyful city in the world For there is no one to bother you. If I sang the song of my loneliness, No drops would remain at the bottom of the oceans unless they changed into teardrops. The endless pain of our separation has composed my song of loneliness. I was shining in my palace of loneliness I stepped out to change hatred into love But they sold me at a paltry price For they did not know that I was the eternal king of man’s despair. I wonder why no world is better than the palace of my loneliness. For it has a tableau that is more beautiful than felicity. Even if my friends leave me alone, I will forgive them. I will set fire to my loneliness so that its flames burn me alone and its light may forever pour over others. I wish I were an artist; I would paint the endless glory of my loneliness So that nobody would suffer from loneliness. I am the king of joyful loneliness, not the king of man’s loneliness.

SLIVER 32: SELF-PURIFICATION AND SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Self-purification is more powerful than a master’s authority. A rose has reached the highest level of self-purification, For it is only made of purity and beauty. Impurity is the quagmire of felicity. The scent of a flower’s purity is its best way to get rid of mosquitoes. We lose our paradise When we lose the impeccability of our souls. When paradise becomes polluted, it creates The hell of impurity in its soul And when it becomes clear, it creates its own paradise. This is how man creates hell and paradise. Impurity creates such a deep chasm between man and immortality. A pure drop reflects light and glory Better than a hundred dirty seas. Leaves fall when they turn golden; Hearts palpitate when they are filled with love. A purified heart is the school of redemption. Be void to become sublime! Whatever reaches the peak of its modesty goes back to its origins. The purity of behavior takes you to heaven As the purity of love takes you to God.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Be water to become pure! He who shines on the outside rather than on the inside will rot. A happy smile is a small spring and a pure heart is an endless spring. A man who has a heart as pure and healthy as the dawn Will always retain his honor and tranquility. A dirty bottle is not filled with a flower’s perfume, Nor is an impure heart filled with honeyed love. Love never feels the dark, For it always dwells in the light of its own sanctity. Warmth cannot be separated from a flame, nor can sanctity from love. The purity of our souls Can rediscover our lost paradise more easily than anything else. A heart which is purified by the flame of its love Will never lose its purity. A spring lasting a few months begins with the calendar year While eternal spring begins with the purification of the soul. Impurity is the scruffiest garb! If a lover put it on, he would never be seen as unique. The impeccability of our soul Prevents the meadow of our feelings from withering. We should be free from what makes us heavy if we want to fly. What matters is how we have built ourselves Not how they know us. It does not matter how we have lost in life; What matters is how long we have built ourselves today. Beware! If your soul wrinkles, you can no longer fall in love And you can never win love once your face is wrinkled.

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SLIVER 33: IMMORTALITY

I imbibe all the beauties of the universe every day In order not to lose the immortality of my life. The immortals realize their own benefits And mythmakers realize the benefits of others. The purity of felicity makes people beautiful; The purity of love grants immortality to their souls. People’s worst weakness is that they seek to reach The boundless value of immortality for the lowest price. The rose shall attain immortality more than anything else shall, For it behaves coquettishly for enjoyment rather than to show off. Speaking in a charming way is the art of speakers And retaining a beautiful silence is the art of the immortals. When there is nothing left in man’s soul but beauty, He will attain immortality. Each thing of beauty is a celebration of God’s presence on earth. Immortality begins from the moment you discover The secret of the beauty of being pure. There is no distance between absolute awareness and immortality, As there is no distance between the sea and the shore. As a line changes into circle, there is only curvature left in it And as man turns into love, there is nothing left in him but immortality. Man’s immortality depends on the beauty of his soul

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And his soul is created by the beauty of his love. Three-dimensioned love creates immortality, not one-dimensional love. The three dimensions of love are: purity, awareness and sincerity. One-dimensional souls have one-dimensional loves And some loves are void of all dimensions. A pure love is greater than a three-dimensional one, For it is absolute infinity. When you do not tolerate man’s suffering, Know that immortality has begun to shine in your soul. The palace of immortality is so unique That only those who are as pure as a diamond Are allowed in to create felicity. Mythmakers change the long way of others into their own great name; Immortals change their great name into the eternal way of others. Immortals are like rainy clouds; They fall until springs flow with more jollity. Immortals look like the breeze; they are invisible But their caressing souls are always felt in man’s life. If you put out the flame of your candle, your house becomes dark; If you put out the purity of love, all of your immortality darkens. Nothing resembles truth like a beautiful face And nothing resembles a beautiful soul like immortality. If you do not see the beauty of love more than the beauty of being loved, You will never find immortality. Tears, smiles and daisies smell of immortality For all three originate from love. You can watch the whole of paradise in a drop of dew

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Sliver 33: Immortality

And eternity in one moment, If you watch through the clarity of your awareness. The glory of your chastity today Is the glorious immortality of your tomorrow. When love weeps in your soul, Know you are close to the pleasant feeling of immortality. Immortality in the purity of love is hidden in the purity of a flower. Immortals create heroes of eternal truths And mythmakers create heroes of unstable characters. There is no distance between the beginning and eternity but a pure heart. The distance between the beginning and eternity vanishes In the transparency of the soul. Living in an earthly way but thinking in a heavenly way Is the unique advice of the immortals. A lover’s body disappears, but the glory of his soul Always shines at the peak of immortality. Man’s eternal words: Love, honesty, a smile, modesty and immortality. Infinity gives immortality to its companion; The infinity of the sea immortalizes the waves While a narrow lagoon makes the waves legendary. When purity, awareness and love mingle together, A very pleasant flame is created which we call immortality. Thirst comes from immortality and water from these two elements. That is why thirst is always more delectable than water. The nudity of your body is sheer madness And the nudity of your mind is pure immortality. To love other people immortalizes your love.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Immortality flies in the silence of my soul and sings a song. Love is a sequence that removes the distance Between man and immortality, as if man himself were immortality. Man is immortality itself If he shines his heart, so much so that the purity of love appears. When a beautiful face is juxtaposed with a beautiful nature The glory of immortality will be revealed.

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SLIVER 34: WAR AND PEACE

Beauty changes war into peace. A forest does not fight the storm; it only increases its number of trees. Truth shall prevail in the light of a wise man’s mind Not in the reflection of a pretender’s sword. Man’s way is lit by the friction of two opposite thoughts; A demon’s way is seen by the friction of two unsheathed swords. A demon is fed by the bloodshed of war and grows; History is written by the sweetness of the nectar of peace. Wars are the fruit of people’s idolatry. The demon of darkness is ruined by light and by being exposed, Not by force and violence. The power of beauty is unique For all dictators are eliminated by the power of beautiful thinking, Not by struggling. Enter into the temple of your soul’s inner aspect; It is so holy that no blood will be shed because of it. A demon is he who teaches the lesson of peace in his speech And teaches the lesson of war in his behavior. Purity can reduce the horde of flies to zero better than spraying could. War is a demon whose food is people’s felicity. A warmonger is hell flaring up its own soul And a peacemaker creates his own paradise.

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Where there is no love, there is war, and there is no war where there is love. War is the footprint of a demon on earth and peace is the footprint of God. The path of conflict is very rough; The machine of our life dissipates it. So let us compromise! The most glorious passage is the transformation of conflict into understanding. I admire goodness but I do not fight evil! When I do not follow it, it will vanish by itself. A rose does not fight a fly; it only spreads its perfume and the fly flies away. If waves break against one another They can never reach the shore. If realities rather than personalities had been propagated, No war would have broken out. The best gift to God is to change war into peace. Never has there been a war That did not claim man’s felicity as its first victim. If humanism had been propagated instead of patriotism, There would have been no furnace of war that required patriotism. Children draw their houses of bliss With the colored pencils of perception. There has been no peace in which the demon is not the first failed party. The word “peace” is the prison of the demon as its meaning is his death. We make peace in order not to be destroyed by war. Wow, what a unique statement! It is like God’s poem From which emanates life.

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Sliver 34: War and Peace

Love has created the paradise of peace; and greed has created the hell of war. Apology is the gateway to peace. Sometimes a small act of apology can change A terrible war into a great peace. An apology has the power of a miracle. When you apologize so easily, Know that there is something better than bliss in your soul. People’s apologies make a society And the ruler makes its history. He said: “Pardon me!” I said: “I apologize for you so that apology’s back may never break.”

SLIVER 35: YOUTH AND ITS UNIQUE JOY

Change the flame of youth into the flame of conscience So that you may not be frozen in the gulag of old age. The glasses of experience are obscured in youth. Youth is a prelude to the book of life; The sweetness of the book comes from its introduction. Experienced old masters are happier than inexperienced youths. Youth is sweeter than popularity. The most valuable alchemy Is to transmute the freshness of your body into the youth of your soul. Youth is the most wonderful island in a man’s life. Youth fans at the flame of life. You can begin your long life’s earliest trip in the oldest boat. Youth is the highest jet of pleasure. Old age is revealed when your feelings are wrinkly, not when your face is. As much as a happy man rots in the youth of his body, He will grow in the youth of his soul. Youth creates felicity more than wealth. The world is full of experienced but weak old men And inexperienced but strong young men. It would be a paradise were it not so.

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Sliver 35: Youth and Its Unique Joy

When I brought my youth home, my home turned into a paradise. Youth is the lost paradise in the land of our lives. A young soul is happy in an old body As a young body is happy in an old dress. Youth polishes life’s felicity and makes it glossy. Youth is a seven-star hotel in man’s world. You cannot save up the joy of your youth But you can save up the purity of your youth And its joy can be spent eternally. Hold the perfume of the flower of youth in your pure hands So that you may be eternally intoxicated by its sweetness.

SLIVER 36: FLATTERY AND COMPLIMENT

Great men act in such a way That no flatterer can approach them. .

Flattery is the lowest song of humilities. The apathetic faces of flatterers Are as disagreeable as the broken heart of a jealous person. A flattering philosopher is a tyrannical accomplice in despotism. So, the tyrant comes to power with his assistance. Silence becomes the ugliest form of flattery when it is time to tell the truth. Flattery is the most humble form of idolatry. Scientists who flatter are man’s eternal tragedy. If idiocy disappeared with higher education, No flatterer would exist among scientists. Small men believe in the power of flattery While great men believe in the power of appreciation. Flattery is like a dog; when it sees a fat morsel, it barks. A flattering sage reflects the eternal wounds of history. Do not kiss the hands of big personalities, so that the idols of their pride may break! Kiss the hands of the oppressed So that their flowers of hope may bloom. I thought he was a human being; no, he was a flatterer.

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Sliver 36: Flattery and Compliment

The most solid success is constructed upon man’s competence And the weakest success upon man’s flattery. Scientists who flatter are the owls of history; They change it into ruins. I learned from the greedy faces of flatterers: Look at those who admire you and see what they expect from you. Flattery creates idolatry and criticism provokes iconoclasm. Flattery is the dirtiest temple of all time. If I could flatter, I would then be a powerful king; However, I am so glad to be the king of my own loneliness. I shall not flatter Until unjust rulers lose power in their passion to hear flattery.

SLIVER 37: NOW, YESTERDAY AND TODAY

If you realized just how short your life is, You would find that a moment is as vast as eternity. Only the paradise of now is alive; the rest is woe and sorrow. A moment is eternity If you do not lose the infinity of your soul. A moment never grows old, but people do! I am not afraid of my old age, For I feel eternally young now. My hand will reach beyond the infinite tomorrow Because I am standing at the top of now. It is not important what tree you belong to; What matters is the sapling of your soul yields the fruits of merit. He who retains yesterday’s sorrows Cannot be the treasure of today’s felicity. You will build the palace of your future on high ground If you do not lower your mind today. I have illuminated my future forever For I never put out the flame of hope today. Those who are dwelling on yesterday are not living for today. Yesterday is already old; tomorrow has never been born; However, today is eternally young.

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Sliver 37: Now, Yesterday and Today

Those who brood over the lost benefits of yesterday Lose the very enjoyment of today. Your today is the painter of your tomorrow. Today’s purities are the endless joys of tomorrow. Those who regret the passing of yesterday Shall lose the power of flight today. If you drink one drop of honey today, It will be better than expecting a myriad of seas of honey tomorrow. If you returned to yesterday, Your paradise today would be buried in its dust. Do not ruin your present felicity Between the two rocks of the past and the future. I forsake the past so that it might vanish and rot. Those who remain in the past rot in their present. The glory of man’s past cannot cleanse today’s darkness. Yesterday was a quest, tomorrow is a wish and today is paradise. Do not put the extremely happy birds of now Into the cages of the past and the future. Yesterday is buried, tomorrow is an illusion And today is the real gold of life. A wise man never sells his life’s real gold to illusion and imagination. If you return to the past, You will lose the unique bride of the moment.

SLIVER 38: GREED AND AVARICE

The infinitely beautiful flamingos of our feelings Are always mired in the bog of greed. Man’s greed weighs as heavy as a mountain on his shoulders. Man’s greed is the whirlpool of his soul. Greed is the heaviest burden. Man does not arrive as long as he runs, For the shoes of greed are very heavy. When greed ends, life begins. The circle of man’s greed is the dark prison of his felicity. Man consumes the world and greed consumes man. At last, greed is the final winner in this arena. Greed and hell afflict man equally. Poverty empties a man’s table and greed empties his whole life. Every bag is filled except the bag of man’s greed. Man’s greed is the most troublesome fly in his peaceful home. The soul of a greedy person has a deadly amount of excess weight. The lash of greed is more painful than that of poverty. A greedy man’s heart is like a sieve; The more it is filled up, the more it pours out.

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Sliver 38: Greed and Avarice

Man’s greed is his heaviest packsack. A lack of greed creates the purest peace. I win my whole life, for I relinquish all greed. Greed imprisons the extremely sweet feeling of being alive. Greedy men are pests in the Garden of Eden. Felicity is to draw a cross over three types of humiliation: Greed, ignorance and despair. Man’s greed makes his heirs richer, not his soul. Wealth is treasure and making fortune is pain. Greed fills man’s pockets and empties his soul. A greedy person cannot laugh; a contented person cannot help but laugh. The wounds of regret are always treated by the balm of greed. There is no journey to the lost paradise With the heavy suitcase of greed. What melts man the most is too much greed, not too much pain. Greed is an endless tragedy. No porter can carry the heavy burden of greed.

SLIVER 39: MOVING AND ITS MIRACLE

Movement does not need chance. When we a take a step further, We shall discover the glory of life a hundred steps further on. When you move, the whole universe will become your carrier until you arrive. Movement is stronger than a miracle. A seed, which is not sown, starts to rot. The ladder of success is made of our defeats. Step on your defeats and go up! The marsh is the prison of flowing rivers While the ocean is the paradise of their movement. The river runs, looking for the sea; the heart beats, searching for friends. Become the sea so that you may never need to run in search of a shore. The more you step firmly, the shakier the barriers become. Anyone who does not run is safer. However, he loses the joy of running. Hope is the foot of motion. Running can send the kites of felicity up into the sky better than the wind. The marsh never becomes the sea, but the river always does, For one forgets movement and the other forgets despair.

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Sliver 39: Moving and Its Miracle

You become a marsh if you do not move. When you do not stop, problems do. If you do not move, you die. Man’s hope is like a tree; if it does not grow, it withers. You will make better progress than ever If you step on your problems and proceed. The butterfly keeps flying when it loses its wings, For it is in love with flying, not with stopping and dying. Fall and rise! This is the constant miracle of the immortals. I shall transmute the copper of desire into gold by the elixir of movement. A seed is safer in the ground; However, it loses the endless joy of becoming a forest. Man’s mind is like a sprout. If it does not go to seed, It will be buried under the ground. When you step more steadily, The walls of despair fall, one after the other. Movement is the best blessing when compared to any other blessing. I always move as I know there is no barrier higher than my will.

SLIVER 40: JEALOUSY AND BIGOTRY

Everybody’s felicity is like a pearl in the ocean of our being; The ocean is not jealous of pearls. He who cannot tolerate the progress of others Evidently cannot tolerate the humility of his soul. A jealous person does not let his flowers bloom In order to gladden others. Jealousy cannot be found in the heart of love But it is found in any other heart. A jealous person is the most pitiful soul, tortured in his own agony. The smoke of jealousy Plunges a man’s happy palace into darkness worse than fire does. Every worthy person Is a crown on our head, and nobody is jealous of his own crown. A jealous person is skillful in criticizing others; A happy man is good at criticizing himself. The heart of a jealous person is the prison of his joys. He who does not make any progress is a jealous man’s favorite person. The mind of a jealous person becomes his hell. A jealous man burns his life in order to incinerate the felicity of others. What is made of diamond is not jealous of glass.

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Sliver 40: Jealousy and Bigotry

Jealousy is a hedgehog and a jealous heart is its nest. A jealous person has a narrow field of vision; For he looks narrowly so that he may suffer less When he sees the bliss of others. If you want the smile of felicity not to crack, Do not let others’ smiles of felicity break. A jealous person is like a tree; It cuts its own branch so that others may not rest in its shadow. How poor is the one who is not happy when others are. A jealous man celebrates the mishaps of others While a loving man glorifies the felicity of others. A soul that perceives beauty is never jealous of it. A jealous person who stings others heals himself. A jealous person envies more because others eat better. A jealous person suffers because others make their fortune. A jealous man’s tongue is an asp, which has its nest in his mouth. A jealous person’s criticism does not rectify the wound in his heart. The heart of a jealous person is a thorn for others. Only those who cannot tolerate the felicity of others are unhappy. A jealous person regrets, For others consume the fruits of their own labors. A jealous man suffers from the felicity of others More than he does from his own adversity. He who has a small soul has a huge amount of jealousy.

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A jealous person worships the agony of others. Jealous people would suffer less if they knew That the felicity of others had nothing to do with the beauty of their faces. A jealous person never celebrates. If a jealous person did not look with a narrow vision, His eyes would become big and beautiful. He who pours dust over the bliss of others Cannot help being dusty. A jealous person would cry while others laugh. Only unhappy people are good people in the eyes of the jealous. If birds understood the pain of jealousy, They would never find the joy in singing. Mirrors go to paradise more often than other things do, For they never look sad when they reflect the felicity of others. He who is not happy with the felicity of others Worships the death of others. Jealousy erodes man’s felicity as poison erodes man’s health. Jealousy corrodes these three heavenly values: Felicity, lordship and man’s health. A jealous person is a sick man who has no visitors. A man becomes happy with the bliss of others When he has no thorny looks. Too much jealousy leads to numerous tears. People criticize in their humiliated jealousy And admire in their natural goodness.

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The heart of a jealous person is the smallest home And his eyes are the narrowest windows. A jealous person mourns the felicity of others, even during festivities. I have discerned in the sad face of the jealous man: A jealous face always wears a frown. When we rejoice in the bliss of others, It transpires that we are inebriated with the superiority of our souls. There is only one happy sign in a jealous man’s life: The sad faces of others. A jealous man does not put out the fire in his heart So that it might become a Gehenna for others. A jealous man is a sick person who heals the wounds of his heart By watching the adversity of others. A jealous person never falls in love. The tree of jealousy never fructifies to sweeten the palate of others. A wise person speaks with his wisdom; A lover speaks with his heart; A flower speaks with its scent; And a jealous person speaks with his sting. The smoke of a jealous sigh comes from a man’s broken heart. A jealous person finds his misery more bearable than the bliss of others. A happy soul is never jealous. Everybody’s felicity is a flower in our life’s garden; No garden is jealous of its own beautiful flowers.

SLIVER 41: LAW AND RIGHTS

In a society where there are no feelings, distances exist. If there were only a distance – the distance between ourselves And the rights of others – we would be so close to the lost paradise. When you respect your rights, You will find the happiest power in the universe. If people respected their own rights, Poverty would disappear. Know your rights if you want to claim them. Respect the rights of others So that you may easily claim your own rights. Why do we not realize felicity? Because we do not know that respecting the rights of others leads to our own felicity. When we do not know our rights, we destroy our future; When we do not do our duty, we ruin our society. Parents who let children get involved in their conflicts Are to be considered their torturers. You cannot claim your rights As long as you do not defend others. There is only one distance in this modern world: The distance between ourselves and others. Forgiveness is the most invigorating path.

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Sliver 41: Law and Rights

Unchangeable rules Change the felicity of people. The rules of wolves are always approved under their sharp teeth. Humanity is more valuable than law. Dictators grow in anarchy while civilization grows in the shadow of law. Unchangeable rules Have made human history more tragic than wars. A society whose ruler is more powerful than the law Has a morally degenerate civilization. The poverty of the poor diminishes the power of law. In a civilized society, nobody is above the law but the law itself. Law is an empty, black word if it is not respected; Love is sheer whim if it is not purified. Golden civilizations come from golden laws. Love has no rules But its best fruit is the human glory of its behaviors. Wolves break their own rules when they are hungry; And people do this when they are full. Justice is the most effective law. Beauty is the image of God’s guidance.

SLIVER 42: TRUTH AND SUPERSTITIONS

When a mirror is upside down, It does not reflect realities upside down. Beauty is the face of truth on earth and love is its meaning. If you want to discover the truth, You should first love the entire human race. Paper roses cannot bear heavy rains; Empty hearts cannot bear the rain of truth. There is the distance of a mirror between passionate demand And eternal joy; the mirror which reflects Realities better than interests. Truth’s best mission is its endless attraction. Some stones reflect the light of the sun for hours But some hearts become darker when lit. The whole universe rotates eternally in order to find three realities: The ultimate purity, the ultimate awareness and the ultimate felicity. Those who discover them shall find salvation. A diamond is a diamond even if it has not been evaluated. He who does not accept the truth of his own choice Will be destroyed by force. If I do not get intoxicated by the cup of truth, I would prefer to be eternally satisfied with the cup of exclusion. A wolf is a wolf even if it has lost its teeth.

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Sliver 42: Truth and Superstitions

People greatly like truth When it serves as a bridge for their own profits. The wind of egoism easily puts out the flame of truth As the nocturnal wind blows out the candle. The power of tastes changes into the evil of humanity, But the power of truth changes into a savior for humanity. For you to tell the truth, you should sometimes humiliate yourself. When we lose our honesty, the truth will be lost too. Truth is never lost, but the honesty of man can be. Artificial flowers have false honesty. When you follow your benefits, The truth will be manifested mechanically. A mirror always reflects the truth because it is not two-faced. Cardboard flowers fall under the onslaught of the rain, while real flowers smile. Conforming to the facts holds an eternal value, But conforming to tastes lasts only a few days. The easiest way to win the truth Is by unveiling its graceful face. A flower does not need a reason to prove its existence. Why does the truth become universal? Because it does not deceive. People are prone to deception. Truth is not what you can get; You should become the truth itself. The truth is like the sun;

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

If it sets, the moon will go on to reflect its light. I look at history: with one hand, many a people commit patricide; And with the other, they caress the orphans. Beauty is the speaker of truth on earth. He said angrily: “Why do you not admire their favorite personalities?” I answered, “Every prominent person is like a true rose; When you admire his perfume, all the roses are admired.” Idolatry provokes the hell of war But love of truth reflects the paradise of peace. If you do not criticize your opinions, they will be your enemies. When you turn your back to the sun, It is your world that darkens, not the sun. People, who do not tread on the smooth path of truth, Will forever carry the burden of the tastes of others. Honey is testable rather than provable. This is how truth is discovered. Truth is sweet; You prove it by tasting it, not by arguing about it. A myriad of ghouls of darkness cannot triumph Over the light of a little candle. Become the truth so that the truth may come to you. A wolf is a wolf even though the flag of peace is waving around it. Falsity is like a worm; if it is cut, it reproduces. Do not fall prey to it, so that it may die of hunger. Falsity will disappear in the evolution of thoughts Rather than in the shiny confrontation of swords.

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A nation involved in idolatry and oblivious to the truth Will fall captive to the nation that is a truth seeker, not an idolater. Truth is like a rose; A rose charms in order to give benefits, not to take benefits. In an eclipse of the sun, bats take flight And in an eclipse of the sun, those who look like humans take flight. If I did not look through the checkered glass of my mind, I would never see thousands of different facts. The easiest way to get rid of moths is to accompany the sun. The vastness of the ocean cannot be contained in a small cup, Nor can the vastness of the truth be contained in a small soul. Truth is so clear that you cannot see it; It is felt only when you are completely drowning in it. If man did not consider truth to be in his interests, It would be the easiest way to recognize it. The best favor that could be granted to truth is not to serve as wood in an oppressor’s oven. When people’s interests take the place of truth, Vice will also take the place of virtue. Become like truth so as to discern it in everything. When you speak truly, be a child And when you tell the truth, be wise! After the ego descends, the truth will rise forever. Salvation means to make yourself resemble the truth Not the other way around. If you are not attracted by truth and you fail to grow, You will be deceived by your personality and you will rot.

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Every color is deceitful except for colorlessness. Sunrise is the sunset of mighty moths. The best way to make a falsity vanish is not to buy it. Truth makes its adherents evolve instead of rewarding them. That is why its followers number only a few. People love being rewarded rather than being made to evolve. The best way to respect the truth is to be at one with it. Truth is like a mirror; The mirror offers all its beauty to those who look at it. I have learned to be frank; Having two heads in a body is more bearable than having two faces. A great nation celebrates the glory of its truth; A small nation celebrates the glory of its tastes. Nobody is as pure as the truth. When the truth is sanctified, its mysterious scent guides the way. When a person is worshipped, he begins to be worshipped like an idol. A spider is a spider Even if it weaves golden silk. Shadows always look like their original forms. A perverse man is a person Who hears the voice of his interests before he hears the voice of his truth. A person who leaves behind the truth and falls prey to colorful toys Is like someone attracted by colorful glass who fails to see the diamond. Snowmen spurn the sunrise as a falsehood So that they can continue their own frozen lives. They say, “Truth is bitter!”

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I say, “The truth is not bitter; It is our palate which tastes bitterness.” The weak rely on big shots; the wise rely on truth. Realities rule over deep-minded people; Tastes reign over weak-minded people. Following the truth rather than faltering will bring you salvation. Do not learn the truth, but taste it. Tasting is much deeper than learning. Be more realistic so that you can see the truth. A tyrant can rule When people benefit from the truth, not when they benefit from it. The pleasure of delectability exists in the truth of thirst Rather than in the existence of water. Praise the truth for its unique merits, not for its glorious benefits, For you will shun it if it does not avail you. Deception is deception, even if it changes its name. Were praising your behavior as easy as praising your words, Attaining salvation would be the easiest thing to do. First let people taste the sweetness of truth And then show them the way to obliterate anything misleading. Truth is like moonlight. Even darkness cannot conceal the face of the moon. Darkness overwhelms everything but the light. We shall not die when we do not breathe. We die when we no longer enjoy the glory of truth. If everyone did not camouflage their school with the diamonds of truth, It would be easier to find it out.

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The glory of a diamond manifests when it is clear. And this is how the charm of truth becomes evident too. You can turn your back to the sun But the dark shadow spread before you Is not your sin, but the sin of the sun. When truth is not the first path that is chosen, Misfortune will be chosen as the final path. When a hammer pounds at the light, it itself will be pounded, not the light. Under the feet of cruelty The rose will lose the hue of its health But it shall never lose the scent of its kindness. The closer you get to the sun of truth, The shorter your shadow of fear will become. Democracy is a great friend of truth. Democracy allows the truth To speak as much as falsehood; So the speech endowed with its own charm will prevail. Truth resembles the purest crystal; So long as you do not touch it, you will not feel its essence. A sunflower does not have eyes to see But it always looks at the sun. Now that man has a pair of eyes to see, Why does he not look back at the sun? We create reasons to corroborate anything, Except to prove the light we see with our eyes. Truth is also discovered in this way. A cracked mirror reflects reality in a hundred diverse ways. Silence does not need anything else to exist; Let us discover truth in this way.

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Sliver 42: Truth and Superstitions

He who does not flourish in the infinite brilliance of truth Shall perish in the infinite horror of superstitions. The most beautiful form of silence stems from truth, For absolute truth is indebted to an absolute lack of need. Truth resembles a red rose of very sweet fragrance; Mosquitos fly away While butterflies fly around it. Those who do not benefit from the warm hands of truth Will freeze in the cold hands of superstition. The rising of the sun marks the end of a snowman’s life.

SLIVER 43: GOD AND MAN

In the name of God, whose blithe smile is the dawn And whose breeze of a smile is the root of all being. If rites did not introduce God in the way they perceived Him, All human beings would accept His truth. My God is always like this; I imbibe all the beauty in the world, Then I observe God in my own soul. Every beauty is another footprint leading to God. Humanity is God’s most beautiful demand. The joy emanating from kindness is God’s eternal demand. You shall understand beauty When God is nearest to you. Beauty is the interpretation of God’s love for man. Every tree is a beautiful flag in the endless country of God. Let them all stay hoisted! The wing of every butterfly is God’s congratulatory card to man. Love is the flame of God’s existence in man’s life. God has one golden rule: humanity. God does not say where he is, But love feels that He is so close That He can hear our murmurings.

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Sliver 43: God and Man

It was the hand of God that infused the heat of hope into your hands. Beauty is God’s most obvious eternal speaker. Every beauty is another statue of God’s smile. Every beauty on earth is God’s invitation leading to peace. The beauty of a flower says, “Be a flower in order to reach God!” “I love you” is God’s first congratulations to man. Intellect proves God and love feels Him. God paints his paintings in man’s frame of a smile. Pure joy is God’s eternal demand. Perfume is the breeze of God’s smile. Man is God’s great book, and self-discovery is its interpreter. God’s voice can be heard in a serene heart. Goodness is the best way to seek help from God. The world is God’s book that can never be distorted. Beauty is the messenger of God; hearken to His words! Every tree with its green silence expresses God’s love to man. Pain takes our hand and carries us to God. Beauty is the song of God’s home. Beauty is the only unrivaled truth, For it displays God without reasoning. The purity of man’s soul is God’s purest temple.

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A man’s face is God’s pretty paradise; do not make it ugly with your frown. God is so close that He cannot understood, not that He is far. O God! The gentle feeling of Your fingers in my life is my eternal supplication. I believe in God, the One, not a monopolized God. The God of rites is a monopolized deity And the God of the Cosmos is the Absolute One. Summer is the heat of God’s smile for man. Beauty is God’s eternal law and kindness is His eternal center. When you reach God, you become yourself.

SLIVER 44: STINGINESS

A stingy person lives poorly but his pockets live luxuriously. Having but not consuming is more torturous Than not having and not consuming. Money becomes a burden in life when it is not spent in life. A stingy person devours his life, for he spends his money. When you contemplate the shortness of your life, stinginess vanishes. Man’s joys are always imprisoned in the wallet of his stinginess. We would never be stingy if we realized That our wealth is as large as what we give Rather than as large as what we amass. A stingy man does not expend what is given away; And a mean man does not expend what does not reduce his donation. Tasting one sip of one’s honey Is better than having a hundred seas of honey. Were the cosmos stingy, No single creature would ever be part of its boundless body. Were clouds stingy, there would be no seas. If the silkworm knew that the house it was weaving for its tomorrow Would be a garment for the self-important, it would never toil so much. A stingy person can feel the heaviness of wealth, Not the sweetness of it.

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A stingy person can never be happy, For he grieves for his wealth rather than partaking of its fruit. Stinginess is deeper than poverty. Living stingily is more tortuous than living in poverty. Life does not laugh When we spend our bag of stinginess, but it goes straight into our bag of bounty. A stingy person is the unpaid porter of his own wealth. Money is the miracle of our modern age, When it is spent, not when it is hoarded. A stingy person does not decrease the opulence of his property In order to add to the sweetness of his tastes. When you mull over the beauty of your donation Stinginess loses its power. A stingy person is he who does not know That spiritual poverty is more painful than financial poverty.

SLIVER 45: FURY AND LOGIC

He who does not harness his anger Will capitulate to his fury. A smile becomes victorious sooner than fury does. The most powerful person in the world Is he who is the weakest during times of fury. The limitlessness of the sea will overcome the fury of the storm. In infinitude, fury is not produced; nor is peace in times of siege. Let the panther of your fury always have sharp, sharp teeth. Fury initially sharpens its voice, and then it eases. Greed augments the flame of fury. An empty body is always furious and an empty heart is always sad. Fury takes revenge on itself. Beauty tires out fury. Refraining from anger is the easiest way to overcome one’s adversary. When a storm drinks up its fury, It turns into a breeze. Man will create his masterpiece When he starts to think during a time of anger. The effect of anger upon our bodies

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Is like the impact of acid on metal. Anger is very mighty But only destroys its owner and others. Fury is a rock and destiny is a crystal. When a man becomes angry, His face becomes ugly, and the face of his destiny even uglier. In times of anger, we do not take our own picture. So how can we be content that the universe takes our picture When we are angry? Anger is the most tortuous type of gradual suicide. Man’s forbearance Extinguishes his anger, so that his garden of bliss will not be burned. Fury exacts revenge upon itself and gives credits to its opponents. The wind of anger kills the flame of health. The roar of anger awakens the demons of misery. When clouds roar, the rain of being starts to pour, And when anger roars, the hail of non-being begins to fall. Humility Always prevents the dynamite of fury from exploding in a man’s life. Refraining from anger is the most logical way of being kind to oneself. Fury is a man’s struggle with himself. In the endless extent of creation, The fury of nature is smaller than a needle’s sting on the body. Only those who show the roar of their fury lack the charm of logic. A snake’s sting is its logic.

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Logic is stronger than anger. Logic will never quarrel. The loudness of a voice does not indicate the loudness of logic.

SLIVER 46: CONCEIT, SELFISHNESS, VANITY

A mirror always sees the right thing because it does not see itself. Moths dwell in their dark caves, And conceit dwells in its dark heart. I heard a vulture saying to its babies: “Always eat clean food, just as I do!” Those who consider their vice as a virtue shall always be deficient. If an oppressor knew that he was an oppressor, he would become fair. When our unreal ego dies, our real ego is born again. A stupid person celebrates his wisdom a thousand times every day. Those who refuse to analyze other’s thoughts Are like those who do not test other’s bridges before they use them for passage. “I” is the great idol and “you” is the great path. If we did not consider ourselves to be the absolute truth, Achieving truth would be easy! A dangerous person is he who does not accept his errors. I am not so stupid that I consider myself wiser than others. When we explore our own ignorance, we gain insight And when we explore the ignorance of others, we go blind. Many a man may prove himself in disputes, not in truth;

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Sliver 46: Conceit, Selfishness, Vanity

How can you prove your truth But fail to prove yourself? A wolf tells another wolf: “Learn justice from me!” The worst fall is experienced by the one who thinks he is climbing While he is actually falling down. If the sun did not show up, Glow-worms would consider themselves the kings of the light forever. Arrogance is more deviant than a demon. From legendary temptation to the eternal delight, There exists only one mirror of egoism. When we shun the mirror of egoism, Truth shall be instantly reflected in the mirror of our lives. He who sees himself shall never see the truth. No present is magnificent When we give it away with a hand that seeks something in return. Man hears when he does not hear his own voice. If we did not tolerate the errors of others like we did ours, Life would be more tolerable! A great person searches himself and a petty person searches others. I asked the bubble: “When did you become the sea?” It replied: “When I was relieved of my conceit.” Be great, but do not act greatly! When time wants to destroy dictators, It adds to their vanity. He who walks with the feet of arrogance will fall into a pit.

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The smaller a man’s soul is, the bigger his claims are. The most modest person Is he who loves another man’s felicity without laying any claims on it. The virus of egoism is the most dangerous virus of all time. A conceited person shall be blown like a bubble. The powerful lose to their own conceit, not to their enemies. The most dangerous moment for a man Is when he thinks he is the absolute truth. The happiest criticism is the criticism of one’s interests. Everybody visits the temple of their own shrine Except for those enchanted by truth. Unless you break the glass of your conceit, Your real ego will never be free. The ovals of selfishness always regard themselves As more circular than circles. Selfishness is when we think more about being loved, rather than loving. The impurities of selfishness will never be cleaned away Except by the tears of human love. A selfish man thinks of people into two parts: The part from which he benefits, and the part that does not benefit him. It loves the former and sees the latter as a foe. Selfishness is the thick fog covering the city of truth. The wind of selfishness kills the flame of love with the least amount of effort. Love shows its power in the absence of selfishness.

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Sliver 46: Conceit, Selfishness, Vanity

A man has a limitless capacity for love If he does not fill himself with the inflated air of selfishness. A man’s grandeur is as large as his selfishness is small; And the smallness of a man is as large as his selfishness. The best present for oneself is the purity of awareness And the best gift for the world is a lack of selfishness. The cruelest hearts always beat in the chests of selfishness. He who likes himself will never like the truth. The heart of a selfish person will become narrower than his eyes, For there is no place in it for anything else.

SLIVER 47: SELF-KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-IGNORANCE

I always visit myself in order not to be sad. Our perception of ourselves is like someone sitting above the clouds And seeing the earth as a little spectacle. Man’s felicity is just a word and its meaning is man himself. He who succeeds in finding himself Has the whole universe as the source of his joy. A king suffering from Alzheimer’s Does not enjoy being a king; And so it is, when are we kings afflicted with the Alzheimer’s of love. I looked in the mirror and asked: “Who are you?” The mirror replied, “Now I am you.” He who finds the way to his soul will never be lost. No discovery is as glorious as finding oneself. The closer we are to the glory of our souls, The more invisible the demon is. “Who am I”? No question can give you rebirth like this question. When you remove the scent box lid, The very beautiful spirit of perfume will take wing. A silkworm flies when it becomes a butterfly; Man flies when he becomes a legend.

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Sliver 47: Self-Knowledge and Self-Ignorance

Be a legend so that nothing may be left of you But a sign to lead others to salvation. As long as icebergs do not float, They cannot join the sea. When icebergs melt, the seas find numerous coasts; When icy hearts melt, the seas lose their coasts. The wonderful lushness of the mountaintops Appears in the bottom of their valleys. You are the one who loves rather than the one who seeks. You will change into what you become busy with. Do not underestimate yourself so much So that you fall in love with paradise. Let paradise fall in love with you. When you know yourself, the truth will be recognized by itself. Nowadays people know all prices Except the price of their true self! So, they lose the whole price. When you know yourself, you will be in paradise wherever you go. I wonder why people neglect the diamond of their own lives But envy the colorful glass of others. An iceberg is in the sea but it is not the sea. The iceberg of our life is in God but it is not God. You should sacrifice yourself to feel pure for God. The bubble is in the sea but it is not the sea; The bubble is the sea when it is drowned. What more unforgivable sin is there when we do not enjoy being with ourselves? As long as you have no sympathy for yourself,

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There is no use showing sympathy for others. Self-knowledge is an open window Which is always opened toward absolute beauty. He who does not know his own value Cannot evaluate the gratitude of others. He who looks for felicity everywhere but inside himself Is like a diamond looking for transparency everywhere but inside itself. The paradise of our soul flounders when we do not clean it, Not when we do not water it. Time will frighten you as long as you do not know yourself. A diamond is prized for its clarity, not for how much others admire it. If you know yourself You will love yourself in order not to lose the infinite glory of love’s purity. There is no pleasure eternally equal To the pleasure of knowing yourself. When glaciers melt and join the sea, They will know the endless glory of their existence. Self-knowledge is the best way to take us to the lost paradise. Paradise gives the smallest view of our souls; Look what the biggest view of our souls could be. He who does not know himself is like someone Who carries a heavy treasure on his back, Thinking that it is an irritating lump. He who does not know himself looks like a charming person Who does not see the mirror so that he can look in it and be happy. The strangest man is he who does not know himself.

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Sliver 47: Self-Knowledge and Self-Ignorance

We have looked at the mirror with such an air of wonder That we do not know that the face we see is the mirror is ours! A sweltering oven is the doctrine of gold’s self-knowledge. The feeling that “I am” is not my joy, But my most exceptional paradise. “Who am I?” is the most uplifting question. The carriage of man’s felicity is tied to three horses: The horse of man’s being, the horse of man’s what-ness And the horse of man’s who-ness, which is the whitest one Standing behind the carriage horses; And it will not rest until it reaches the paradise of apples and stars. Self-knowledge is the only explorer in the land of felicity. Man’s felicity is as vast as his heart And his heart is as vast as his self-knowledge. When you understand who you are, The world will immediately explain what it is. If you are a butterfly, discover your candle. If you are a sea, discover your coast. If you are a man, Discover yourself so that joy may emanate from your soul. Man is a treasure and paradise is one of its jewels. A treasure will never sell itself to its jewels. He whose every part of his soul is a different paradise Will not weary of looking for a lost paradise. He who loves himself is not willing to taste cruelty. I asked the rose, “Why have I never seen you yearn for paradise?” It replied, “There is no reason to look for paradise while I myself am it.” As I looked carefully, I realized that it was paradise itself. The sun will enjoy being the sun

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When it knows that it is the sun; this is how man gains the peak of pleasure. You are more beautiful than paradise; This very blissful feeling will come to you When you believe the truth. Self-knowledge is like a bottle filled with perfume And self-ignorance is like an empty bottle. Flowers enjoy being flowers, Not being known as flowers. The world’s most pleasurable moment Is the moment when man finds his true self. In rebirth, Man’s glory will be the reason why he has known himself.

SLIVER 48: PRETENSION AND DUPLICITY

People are so interested in the pleasure of pretension That they have lost the beauty of their minds. We pick the flowers, which display the infinite beauty of our souls. We make a garland of them In order to show the emptiness of our pretension. To be a diamond, but to pretend to be glass, Is more valuable than being glass but pretending to be a diamond. Love is an elixir the color of copper, so that nobody may know That it was the gold of love That transmuted the copper of others’ lives into the gold of life. Pretension is a beautiful mask: Only those who are not sure about their beauty wear it. We are popular in the world of coquetry; We are not accepted in the world of pretension. A wolf is a wolf even if it is white. A man without physical balance walks with the wooden stick of old age; A man without mental balance walks with the golden stick of pretension. The gold of charm does not change color, For it is not as impure as the gold of pretension. If you took everyone’s masks off, People would not dare to take the place of super men. To humiliate yourself is the most humble duplicity.

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Excel next to others, but never display your superiority. An honest foe is more tolerable than a two-faced enemy. A devil was cursing another devil in an effort to say that he was not a devil. Certain things are not fouled by hypocrisy: A lover’s tears, a mother’s love, a child’s smile, etc. Self-display is the grace of enchanted souls While the adornment of the heart is the task of the immortals. No squirrel has ever achieved felicity because of its precious skin. If peacocks knew that their precious feathers would give No delight for flying, they would never wallow in so much vanity. A not-too-pretty feather of an eagle Is more heavenly than the extremely pretty feathers of a peacock. O my charming peacock! The peak of flight hinges on the power of our wings, Not the beauty of our wings. A flower is God’s most beloved companion, For it enjoys the ornament of the heart rather than vanity. Should you discover the eternal peace of being yourself You shall never suffer in the eternal erosion of not being yourself. Those who covet the world blame the world more than others. Not being oneself is a perpetual sin, which turns into an undying agony. If everyone were allowed to display themselves in proportion to their merits, everyone would leave their homes wearing burqas. That you fail to hear a wail will give me no good reason To tolerate the flourishing market of the Pietists.

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Sliver 48: Pretension and Duplicity

Behold! Scarecrows always wear coats of deceit rather than those of authority. Remove the cap of the scarecrow and you will see That he was a scarecrow of flesh and bone Rather than a real human being. Scarecrows are never ashamed of their deceits, For they have no hearts in their breasts. I opened the window; there was paradise from here to eternity; In the eternal whiteness of snow, all the colors of deceit had gone.

SLIVER 49: FELICITY AND ITS NATURE

There is no adversity; if there were, Why would there be an infinity of taste and beauty in this universe? A poor man who understands love Is far happier than a rich man who fails to understand love. Felicity emanates from love as perfume wafts from a flower. Felicity is like a canary; If you hold it in your hand, it will not sing for you again. Man’s paradises Are as numerous as the happy people in this world. If you fail to be happy with the minimum, You will not be satisfied with the maximum. You will discover your felicity When you fall in love with the felicity of others. Felicity Is gained in the world of improving, not in the world of taking first place. He who is deceived will lose a part of his felicity And he who deceives will lose all of his felicity. Felicity resembles a butterfly; if you do not hold it in your hand, Its flight will take you up into the skies. Joy resembles a kite; even when there is no wind, It shall rise to heaven if you are running. Happy is he who consults his own reason, not his own eyes.

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He who does not delight in the felicity of others Will have no path to felicity. The quickest path to felicity is to delight in the felicity of others. Love all creatures, For they are parts of your felicity. Happy is he who has feelings as delicate as those of children And who possesses a power of perception as delicate as that of wise people. Felicity is like a scent: you smell perfume to feel fresher; You do not smell perfume to burn more passionately. Adversity resembles an electric current; As long as you do not touch it, you will not turn to ash. Adversity is the darkness of ugly thoughts. As far as the infinity of felicity is concerned, there is only one little ‘i’. Felicity means to avoid marring the felicity of others. In this universe, Every creature is the dazzling image of another in our tablet of felicity. Those who rejoice in the joy of others Will undoubtedly be happier than they are. These delusional felicities of ours Antagonize those real felicities of ours. Felicity in man is like water in the sea: The sea will rejoice in its beatitude when it is clear. The felicity of a nightingale is as beautiful as the joy of a flower And the felicity of a man is as beautiful as the purity of his heart. Man is a sea and felicity is his wave; But the waves in the sea are as high as the glory of its profundity.

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The felicity of every butterfly is like the fate of the candle it circles; So, become the butterfly, which purifies, not the candle, which melts. Happy is he who responds to his spiritual needs Sooner than he does to his material needs. Man’s felicity is as large as the felicity of his friend. The felicity of every particle is as big as all of felicity. We are parts of the universe; The universe is an infinity of bliss; so, we are infinitely happy. Felicity is the freshness of a beautiful spirit. He who does not learn to change Will never learn how to change his adversity into felicity. Felicity is nothing but a continual change in the direction of one’s values. Every blissful creature is another’s burning candle In the big castle of our felicity. Sometimes, the diamond of our felicity Is placed in the box of deprivation So that the hands of our generosity may be extended. There are two types of unhappy people: He who never learns how to become purified in watching the adversity of others; and he who never learns how to rejoice in the bliss of others. If the darkness of the night did not exist, the stars in the sky would not have been discovered, and if the darkness of pain did not exist, the stars of felicity would not exist. People are members of a universal family; Every family will feel happy when other members are not in agony. The red, red smile of the daisy brings news of infinite beatitudes in life. A happy person is he who contemplates all manners of behavior; Then he singles out the best.

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Sliver 49: Felicity and Its Nature

The easiest path to felicity is to facilitate the path to felicity for others. Felicity in a man is like transparency in a diamond; Only we should take care not to stain it in our souls. Man has a deposit of felicity as large as the particles in the cosmos. The felicity of others is the lost half of our own felicity.

SLIVER 50: WISDOM AND IGNORANCE

Our wisdom is as profound as our not being deceived, But not as profound as our level of higher education. If wise people were given equal freedom to talk, as ignorant ones do, The pages of history would be gilded, not stained all over with blood. A wise person learns from an ignoramus But an ignoramus learns nothing from a wise person. An old ignoramus resembles an ignorant child And a wise child resembles an old wise man. The universe serves wise people and an ignoramus serves the world. The low mound of wisdom Elevates more than the high peak of an ignoramus. A wise man does not beat something twice with one whip. The desert of a wise man turns into paradise And the paradise of an ignoramus turns into a desert. Paradise does not make an ignoramus happy. An ignoramus is a friend to his own enemy. Only a demon benefits from the virtue of an ignoramus. Ignoramuses ask scholars the most difficult questions. Ill-educated people ask difficult questions In order to show that they are the wisest of all.

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Sliver 50: Wisdom and Ignorance

Ignorance has killed more people than dictators. If an ignoramus knew that he was ignorant, he would become wise! An ignoramus worships his own Gehenna, For he takes it for paradise. No bird becomes so ignorant That it sleeps on thorns, but a fakir sleeps on thorns! Hunters capture birds in iron cages And oppressors capture people in cages of ignorance. Hell is a puddle of man’s ignorance And paradise is a meadow of man’s wisdom. There is only one monster: the shadow of man’s ignorance, Which moves behind him gradually and terrifies others. An ignoramus will remain ignorant forever And will not learn that he seems ignorant. An idiot votes for a bigger idiot and a wise man votes for a wiser person. Nothing threatens man except his own ignorance. Dictators always endure in the ignorance of their nation, Not in the exercising of their power. A short lapse of reason is more precarious than a hundred precipices. An ignoramus is in love with his own killer, For he takes him for his savior. An ignorant friend inflicts the most exorbitant costs upon our felicity. If an ignoramus knew that he was ignorant, He would never break his silence. The ignorance of nations is more dangerous than the weapons In the hands of dictators.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Adversity is the shadow of man’s ignorance. Dread those friends who defend you ignorantly More than the enemies who confront you bravely. Ignorance is such a deep chasm between man and his felicity. Man’s disregard is the infinite night of his ignorance. Negligence is a lock; it locks away the paradise of man’s heart. Ignorance is the hell in the cosmos. Man’s ignorance is his prison tomorrow. Together, ignorance and adversity Have sworn that they are never to be separated. The coldness of ignorance Freezes man’s felicity. Dictators propel people with the stick of ignorance So that they may hold them in their sway forever. The whip of punishment pains the body And the whip of ignorance pains the entire universe. The whip of ignorance is the most humiliating whip of punishment. A man immersed in ignorance is like a mirror in the dark.

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SLIVER 51: PAIN, AGONY AND SPIRITUAL SIMILARITY

God, the All-Just, has a medicine for every disease except the pain of painlessness, as He said: “There is a remedy for every pain except the pain of painlessness, for which there is no cure. Man has never experienced a pain more severe than the pain of painlessness.” Paradise gives the delight of nectar and love gives the pleasure of pain; The latter is a hundred times better than the former. When the wound of love starts to hurt, No other pleasure will equal it in glory. A man without pain resembles a marionette And a man in agony is like a world. Pain is a grand master. Pain elevates the spirit of a wise person And ruins the spirit of an ignoramus. Every pain will be healed except the pain of painlessness. The pain that elevates us Is better than the pleasure which is only for sport. The pain of a wise man is more valuable than the joy of an ignoramus. He who is healed with the pain of love Will never fall sick. The pain of a beloved’s separation heals every pain Except the pain of painlessness. The agony of pain is better than the treasure of painlessness.

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The agony of pain is an eternal treasure And the treasure of painlessness is an eternal pain. In the ruckus of the crickets, in every part of the cucumber patch, This interesting quotation will reverberate forever: Rice is a treasure in the universe and is gained by the labor of laborers. The pain of coming to oneself vanishes And the pleasure of coming to oneself endures forever. He who dreads the agony of healing Will fail to find the treasure of the treatment. The pain we endure consciously Becomes the eternal magnum opus of creation. Hope is the shortest path from pain to gain. He who fears the agony of treatment Will eventually worship his own pain. More difficult than pain is the failure to find someone sympathetic. Those who suffer from a common pain Are better than those who gain from a common generation. Fraternity lies in sharing the pain of others, not in their bloodline. A real orphan is he who does not have someone with whom to share his woes. Kinship is gained through an affinity of hearts, Not through the connection of generations.

SLIVER 52: PRAYER AND ITS ESSENCE

Initially, prayer begins with contemplating oneself And the prayer ends with shining in oneself. Prayer is made of hope, not of supplication. Hope is man’s most answered prayer. Prayer is the exercise of the glory of humanity. Prayer is man’s voice of hope, not the voice of man’s desire. Prayer causes man’s soul to flow. Prayer is the highway of hope; hope is an antidote; And sometimes, a prayer is answered in this way. The silence of loving Is sometimes more helpful than every answered prayer. If the curses of the glowworm were answered, The sun would have died millions of years ago. Delighting in watching the felicity of others Reflects the eternal, beautiful picture of an answered prayer. A rainbow is the uplifting tablet of an answered prayer. A lover’s prayer is always answered. Prayer should reflect the voice of what we have, not what we lack. When a man murmurs what he has, An antidote flows into his soul,

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Which heals his disease, And this is another way in which prayer is answered. It is only God who approves all answered prayers. When we dwell upon what we have in our prayers, We have lost ourselves at the beginning and the end of our prayers. The sweetness of an answered prayer Cannot compensate for the bitterness of contemplating the universe. To pray is to go through a very sweet harmony in the universe. When you rest along with the harmony of the universe, You feel a kind of felicity More enjoyable than any other answered prayer. A flower is the answered prayer of rain on the earth. The glory of a lover’s soul is as glorious as his deep sigh. When the soil is cracked with thirst, First, it waits, and then its hope increases, For afterwards, it always rains. Rain is the answered prayer of thirsty soil. Prayer is always answered in a holy soul, not in a holy place. A man’s virtuous deed is his eternally answered prayer. A prayer begins with making a wish and it ends with loving. Loving makes you so busy with a lovable pleasure That you will forget the small joy of making a wish. Prayer is treatment. A man’s world is as warm as his sigh of relief, not as hot as the sun in his sky. When your sigh of relief is sweeter than a king’s laughter,

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Sliver 52: Prayer and Its Essence

Guess how sweet your laughter can be. Praise is higher than prayer, As the joy of loving is better than making a wish. Praise is the quality of love; prayer is the quantity of wishes. The glory of quality, not quantity, shows the unique charisma of truth. Prayer is as heavy as man’s desires; Praise is as modest as man’s lack of claims. When prayer turns into praise, man’s soul takes flight. The most real form of praise Exudes from a man’s soul when he is feeling the deepest peace. Praise is the exuding of the purity of feeling in a man’s soul. O Infinite Beauty! Everybody asks: “Where is beauty?” We reply: “There is nothing but beauty.” O Absolute Beloved! I wish for the paradise of certainty, not for the paradise on earth; In the latter, man tastes of pure honey and in the former, Man feels the glory of the Lord. O Infinite Beauty! I will let out a deep sigh if you do not answer me. If I do not sigh, I will not melt and without melting, I will not be pure. O Absolute Darling! Show me paradise as a sign of my soul’s light, Not as a fruit of my endeavors along the way. O Eternal Beauty! Those who dwell in paradise drown in the joy of my laughter When your vision shines in my heart. As I was granted an audience, God asked me: “Do you wish for water or thirst?”

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“Thirst,” I answered. “Why,” God said. “Because it’s as tasteful as seeing You,” I said. O Infinite Beloved! Help me not to forget how to rise when I fall. O God! Grant me a beautiful face to be a paradise for those who look at me. Grant me a serene soul, which is my own lost paradise. O Beloved! Show me the path so that I may not choose any other way. O Beloved! Yearning to meet You is sweeter than living in another paradise. O Absolute Beauty! Let me partake of what I have earned; not of what I have lost. O Infinite Beauty! Make me so unrestful that I may gain peace nowhere but near You. O Primordial Beloved! Do not caress me but melt me so I may become molten and self-made. Make felicity the wave of my quenchable sea, Not the wave of my endless wishes. O Lord! Make me so lonely that I may seek refuge in none but You. My Lord! Grant me a great soul and a little-known name, Not a great name and a small soul. O Infinite Darling! Grant me praise to harmonize my thoughts, not to increase my rewards. As I was granted an audience, I asked: “How much do You love me?”

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He replied: “As much as the beauty I have created in the cosmos.” O Absolute Beauty! When I am at peace, I feel you more. Help me, God, to feel peaceful and to feel You constantly. When I feel You, I become unique. Pray make me unique! My Lord! Deliver me from these three maladies: Passivity, sloth and the pleasure of guilt. Everybody asks: “What should we do to endure?” We say: “What should we do in order not to stay?” O Absolute Love! You are so magnificent That I can offer you even my empty hands. My Lord! Give me peace so that I can find it nowhere else. People ask: “Where is sweetness in this world? We reply: “There is nothing but sweetness in this world.” O Infinity of Kindness! If you call me “O my suffering creature” only once, My rosy smile shall bloom eternally. As I was granted an audience, God asked me: “How could you find Me?” I said: “Through the hearts of others.” As I was granted an audience, God asked me: “What would you do if I granted you the sun?” “I would write ‘I love You’ And end the sentence with a period made of the sun,” I answered. In the presence of God, the Almighty asked me: “What have you brought me?” I said: “Nothing but my ignominy.” He said: “I shall buy it, too.”

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Make me so unique That I may not be watered, but may learn the thirst of my own soul. O Pure Beauty! If my lily stems grow up alongside the portal of Your friendship, Its branches will reach up into infinity. O Absolute Beauty! I will tread on your eternal path with my beating heart; You cannot win a friend’s infinite love but with your beating heart. My Beloved! Give me so much power That I will not despair of finding my faults; I was arrogant on account of knowing my merits. O Absolute Beloved! During the day, I am wise for You; during the night I am mad about you. O the Being of my Being! Who am I, if I am not? Who am I?! I exist. My Primordial Beauty! Others are afraid of hell And we fear making paradise, Our reward instead of making You our sole solace. O Eternal Beauty! Who is more attractive than I am? No one else can make me up but You. My Lord! The joy of suffering is better than a lack of pain. One grants immortality and the other grants legend. O Absolute Almighty One! Make me like a roaring sea So that I may not be saddened by a few thorns in life. O Infinite Love! No doctor is able to cure disease with suffering. O Absolute Beloved! If You burn me in my pain,

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I will pray to You to be burned in the fire of the Beloved Not in the fire of the unfaithful. Everyone says: “Who is there in the world to save me?” We say: “Who is there in the world but He to save us?” O Absolute Beloved! Erase my name and fame, but let me gain additional insight. As I was granted an audience, I asked God: “How can I make my heart his paradise?” He replied: “Broaden your heart so that everybody can find room in it.” O Absolute Beauty! I am so excited from thinking about you That paradise became a bud in my life’s garden, Not a reward for my labors. O Absolute Being! Let me taste the flair of living and find out What is sweeter than paradise, which now exudes from my soul. O infinity of life! Turn my sig into the endless story of separation; Turn my soul into the unique story of my face, And my way into your infinite manifestations. O Absolute Infinity! If You are my beginning, I shall never have an end. O Infinite Beloved! The joy of pain is so great that I demand nothing else. O Infinite Love! Give me so much power that power may become my slave, So that I am not the slave of power. O Absolute Life! Make my sighs so warm That I may not need the warmth of a stranger’s love.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

My Infinite Life! Help me feel You, not just praise You verbally.

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SLIVER 53: HEART, LIFE AND ITS INFINITE GLORY

Watching beauty polishes the heart So much that the lost paradise appears. After the weeping of the clouds, our city becomes more pleasant And after the weeping of love, our hearts are more purified. Man’s heart diffracts a spectrum that is more attractive than the universe If he chooses love as his charter and purity as his light. To win a heart is sweeter than conquering hundreds of cities. With a smile, you can win hearts; And with wisdom, you can cross borders. When our feet falter, our life loses its balance. When we falter, we forget how to live. If you do not want your heart to be surrounded by barriers, Do not put a fence between yourself and others. The world’s most precise compass is a pure heart. The season of spring begins with flourishing; Eternal spring begins when you open your heart. A pure heart is the sea; felicity and eternity are its waves. A heart filed with love is the world’s kindest thing; An empty heart is the world’s toughest thing. Ships sink in the depths of the sea; The seas sink in the depths of men’s hearts.

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A heart’s purity recognizes the truth better than when it is shown any other proof. This is the music of a lover’s heart, which makes the whole universe dance. My heart is the world’s most glorious gallery Where I have hung the picture of the friendship of all humankind. You may imprison a canary’s body in a cage, but not its joyful heart. Capture no living creatures; the cages of others make our eternal cage. A heart rejuvenated by the power of love never gets old. If lightening did not strike so powerfully in our hearts, Tears would never roll down our faces so nicely. When a rock turns into a diamond, there is nothing left But its fine spectacle; when a heart beats for love, Nothing is left but felicity. For the first time, he who became the king of men Was the winner of hearts, not the conqueror of lands. When you suffer for people’s agonies, Know that God scintillates in your heart. When you buy, consider the power of your money And when you give, consider the grandeur of your heart. Dawn is the gleam of the sunrise; love is the gleam of a pure heart. O man! You cannot tolerate your empty table; How can you tolerate being cold-hearted? The realm of man’s kingdom Is as wide as his heart, not as wide as his borders. A pure heart is the only compass, Which always points in one direction: towards the truth.

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Sliver 53: Heart, Life and Its Infinite Glory

Man’s heart is his closest paradise. The heart is more powerful than proof. He whose spring is in his heart, not in the seasons, Is never defeated by winter. A season which perceives spring becomes the garden of flowers, And he who perceives love becomes the heart of others. An empty heart is more painful than empty pockets. Learn love though your heart; it beats to give confidence, not to inflict costs. Most people are happy but they have no heart to feel it. To win hearts is more difficult than conquering borders. A heart is an uncut diamond; it is cut by the blade of love. As long as a stream of water does not touch a stone, no song is heard. As long as a heart does not feel the fire of love, No friendships will be explored. A man’s heart is as great as his love; And a man’s love is as great as his purity. Our face is our heart’s mirror; it reflects what is in it. A ‘glance’ is our small paradise; our heart is the great one. A philosopher’s temple is in his mind; A pious man’s temple is in his city, and a lover’s temple in his heart. Every temple is eventually destroyed Except for the temple of the heart, which lasts forever. Every day is an eve If we look with our pure hearts, not with impure hearts.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

The smallest houses are built around the hearts In which nobody is allowed to enter. Hearts are like the sea’s waves; When they are not highly excited, they die. A compass draws the circle of the world as wide as its diameter And so does man. No matter what we obtain, It is mortal, except when we show sympathy. A heart is like a stream; when it is dirty, It loses its freshness. The sweetness of life vanishes in an impure heart As the sweetness of honey dissolves in an unclean bowl. The extent of God’s mercy is as large as the capacity of our hearts. The light of the heart is more delighted than the influence of proof. A heart is a scent box and love is its perfume. Little joys grow in great hearts; Great joys become smaller in small hearts. When a jug is in the sea, it is filled with water; But if a drop falls in the sea, it becomes as large as the whole sea. So make your heart the drop in love’s sea, not the jug. A pure heart is the safest place in the world. A pure heart feels better than all philosophers do. A dirty dish makes food loathsome And an impure mind makes life odious. Each person enjoys what looks like his soul. Fall is a unique artist

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Who paints his beautiful soul among the autumn leaves. The purity of a man’s soul leads to the discovery of his lost paradise. When we are born of the purity of our mother’s heart, We come to the paradise of our world; But the purity of love’s pain takes us to the paradise of our soul. The absence of a soul rots the body; a heart without love corrupts life. When, in the glory of your soul, you become liberated From the glory of power, Know that the lost paradise has begun to shine in your soul. A soul that is warmed by the fire of its own glory Shall never freeze in the coldness of cruelty. Felicity is a statue; everyone carves it in the shape of their own soul. A great soul renders pain delightful Whereas a small soul makes the joy fade away. A small soul does not grow in its large world And a great soul does not grow in its small world. A great soul has huge needs, while a small soul has small needs. Beauty is the food of love and love is the food of the soul. The purity of a man’s face reflects the purity of his soul. Despair is the freezing of a man’s soul. The beautiful wing of a butterfly Is the reward for its beautiful soul. A full cup saturates one person While a full soul nourishes all of history.

SLIVER 54: LOVING AND ITS ENDLESS JOYS

A beautiful soul turns benefitting into loving And an ugly soul turns loving into benefitting. Loving is as light as the wings of a butterfly And seeking benefit is as heavy as the world. When you learn how to love, The whole universe will become an instant source of joy. The entire universe shall become an endless comedy If we polish the purities in our lives. Our lives will always be miracles If we contemplate being loving more than being loved. The guiltiest person Is he whose coin of love is a counterfeit. The most precious elixir is the one Which turns “I” into “you”. If love was man’s only miracle, We would not need any other miracles. He whose hands, today, are the warmest shelter for others, His chest of the future will be the most beautiful paradise for the world. Love is busy with loving So much so that it forgets to ask. We always rush to seek paradise, but we do not know That loving others is the most uplifting paradise.

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Sliver 54: Loving and Its Endless Joys

Love so beautifully that all the ugliness of your behavior may vanish. Whatever turns infinitely sweet Is bound to turn bitter, except the sweetness of loving. Love turns a stranger into a friend. Contemplate what it does with a friend! Man’s power is as vast as the power of his love, Not his strength. He who becomes the wealthiest person for the first time Will gain the treasure of loving, not that of having money. A heavenly rainbow reflects the beauty of the soul of rain And a rainbow of kindness reflects the beauty of man’s soul. He who does not enjoy watching the felicity of others Will never reach the paradise of loving. A smile is the best teacher of felicity, For it always gives lessons in loving. Life would be so beautiful if man smiled to dispel sorrows, Possessed in order to give away, and sang to say “I love you!” He who becomes strong through the power of loving Will never become weak because of other things. All cakes, when sliced, will become smaller and smaller, Except the cake of loving. Those who fail to love others Will dry all the drops Through which they could become the sea. Love your enemy So much so that he might find no other way except being loving. There is no prison in the city of love.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Nothing is as holy as the footprint of love. Anything can become our source of joy When we like it. Everything becomes peaceful because of something: The sea because of the beach and heart because of love. The world is man’s prison and love is its escape door. The sense of loving says: “You are not only a body; You have an extremely wonderful truth Called the body, called the soul.” The joy of loving is man’s readiest reward. He who does not understand love Will never understand felicity. We pay to obtain joy, Except for the joy of loving. We eventually take the shape of what we love. Love is the kind of loving That does not need to seek any interests. Loving is the elixir of health. Paradise is a place lit by the light of its people’s love, Not by the light of its people’s castle. As hand washes hand, loving washes the heart. Life without love is like a beehive without honey. Loving is stimulating, not educational; Igniting the heart with the electricity of purity. They do not teach a nightingale how to love its flower.

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Moths do not gain the joy of loving the sun, Even if a crown of light is placed on their heads. Felicity is nothing, Except knowing how to detect and love well. We cannot make our houses so big That everyone can enter, but we can do this with our hearts. For those who only breathe in the air of love, Everywhere in the world will be an upside-down paradise. Kindness and modesty Are paths that lead to paradise more swiftly. He who does not pay the price of loving Will never reach the paradise of loving. Love cries When we want it for our own joys, not for the joys of others. Your exquisite presents Will not compensate for your amorous words. It is impossible to reach the truth of loving And the paradise of loving. Obtaining joy by making others happy Is the unique masterpiece of life. Love becomes so replete with loving That it will never think of being loved. The extremely sweet joy of burning Is the reward for this extremely sweet truth of loving. Someday, all locks will be opened without the miracle of keys, When people do not have to pay anything for love. Of the hand that presses our hands affectionately, The warmth of its hope will go to the bottom of our life.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Let us not deceive ourselves, If we do not have money to help the poor. We have warm smiles to give warmth to their huts. When your hand of kindness touches the hands of others, The hand of felicity shall instantly hold your hand. Kindness Is the window of our soul; if it is closed, we shall be left in the dark.

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SLIVER 55: FRIENDS AND WAYS TO FIND THEM

One good friend is better than one hundred big chances. Man’s mirth is the beauty of his laughter. A real friend teaches you how to discover your inner glory. If you do not love your honesty, You cannot be a real friend to others. The world of man’s felicity is as vast as his friend’s wisdom. Man’s friend is the architect of his future. The best friend is he who makes you out of you, not out of himself. I stood so long and listened to the woes of my friend That my feet developed blisters. It would not be too unfaithful to answer their cruelty, Not with the suffering of my feet, but with the treasure of my smiles. A companion is he who grants a new way of looking, not just the joy of looking. Your friend carves out the statue of your fate While your faith carves out the statue of your eternal tomorrow. There comes a day when friends become unkind But the awareness of your life will never be unkind. A true friend is like a parachute: It opens instantly when you fall, While a false friend opens when you fall apart.

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He gave his whole existence. Now he has nothing but his disloyal friends and it is no small matter. Man’s hope is his truest friend. Be like a mirror! Reflect the beauty of others before displaying your own. The only way to climb to the top of your beloved’s mountain Is to ascend to the top of her thoughts. A man’s house is his most uplifting friend. Do not make friends with those Who contemplate their interests more than they do yours. A real friend is he who holds your hand so tightly That in its warmth, the ice of your despair starts to melt. My real friend Presses your hand so tightly that you feel the glory of your soul In your whole body, not the glory of the pain in your fingers. The easiest way to avoid insects is to be companions with purity. A real friend is like a star in a moonless night; He starts to blaze and on a night where there are no paths, he finds a path for us. Discovering a friend among people is as hard as discovering One sliver of diamond among numerous slivers of glass. A friend is like a mirror; he laughs when we laugh And cries when we cry. Retain friendships with those people As long as they understand the truth. If you make friends with someone who does not enjoy thinking, You should tolerate his loquacity for a lifetime. A real friend’s brilliant smile will light up your path today

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And the brilliance of his guidance will illuminate the path of your future. A real friend Is he who does not like us less than he likes our interests. Man’s felicity is as large as his friend’s felicity. Discovering a friend Is more valuable than discovering a hundred worlds. A human life is as pretty as the mind of his friend. A bad friend plunders his future treasure.

SLIVER 56: TASTE AND ITS INFINITE GLORY

Water is defined in the mouth of thirst, Not in a dictionary. Thirst is more salubrious than water. Perfume is the heaven of the sense of smell. Smelling perfume adds to the beauty of a face. One taste becomes as huge as all the joys of heaven, If you do not lose the infinity of your life. Taste turns relish into the resurrection of joy. Taste is more pleasant than felicity. Now that there are many tastes in the world, Why are you not extremely happy? Silence stimulates the sense of relish, so that taste can be understood better. After you delve into the deepest part of your soul, You may discover that there is one extremely wonderful taste to it. A real taste cannot be forgotten And real love will never be blown away by the wind. Were there no love, the sweetness of life’s taste would be experienced But the glory of life’s taste would never be felt. Perfume is legitimate magic. Perfume is the fragrant word of flowers.

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Sliver 56: Taste and Its Infinite Glory

Relish is sweeter than honey. When I understand love, I become heaven itself. Thirst is the paradise of water. A palate is sweetened by nectar, and nectar is sweetened by love. The most wonderful relish is that of love, For it turns one drop into one hundred seas of glory. He who is saturated by his thirst does not need a pitcher of water. When there is no love, even honey is not sweet. The superior relish says: “One taste of me has the same taste as the sea.” Water turns into gold in the mouths of thirsty people. He who does not have any sense of relish denies sweetness And he who does not have hope denies the future. A new sense of relish is a thousand times better than a new taste. When two tastes are mixed, Then there will no longer be two tastes, But ten new tastes will be created. Love means the purity of awareness and the clarity of relish So that you can taste the extremely clear sweetness of your life. The fruit, which gives its taste to others, Will become eternal in the paradise of their relish. Taste is the resurrection of relish And love is the resurrection of emotions. Honey gives sweetness, but relish does not. The purer love becomes, the more pleasant the sense of relish is.

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Real sweetness is in our sense of relish, not in the honey of our beehive, And so is life; we should drink it rather than wear it. Thirst gives life to the water on man’s palate. The bitterness of departure is better than the sweetness of reconnecting. The bitterness of departure is like the mysterious bitterness of Nescafé and the sweetness of reuniting is like the constant sweetness of honey. New and novel bitterness Is more pleasant than the sweetness of every moment.

SLIVER 57: TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD

Truth is the path to paradise, for those who want to dwell there. He who rides the steed of truth and friendship is faster Than he who rides the steed of swiftness. A house decorated with truth and a smile is as delectable As a tray filled with red apples in the hands of a white-gowned bride. Truth and salvation are two sincere companions Who shall never be separated. He who has gained the treasure of truth Will not stand in need of the coin of falsity. Truth is the safest bank in which to reserve your future assets. The feet of truth are slow but sure in reaching their destination. Beauty is the most ethical and real truth in the world. The mirror is the grandmaster of salvation, For it constantly stands straight and tells the truth. If the bride of truth did not stand straight and tell the truth, She could never win so many hearts. Everything has its own deficiency but truth. Truthfulness is alchemy; it turns everything into gold. The noble steed of truth will not make man’s stagecoach of truth swerve.

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With our lies, we are enriched for a day, but with our truth, we are enriched for a lifetime. Small people fabricate big lies! The rope of lies takes you up quickly, but drags you down faster. A lie hides itself in its own hole, but leaves behind its footprints. The coin of lying soon loses its color. A lie will not smell good, though you preserve it In rosewater for a hundred years. Lying is more treacherous than the devil, and justifying is worse than lying. Justifying one’s mistakes is a thousand times Worse than simply making mistakes. The steed of lying runs very well, but falls very badly. A great man explains his mistakes But small people justify their mistakes. Any school of thought which is not criticized shall turn into the devil of lies. Lying resembles a snowman that melts Under the sun of truth and turns into the ugly flower of disgrace. A tongue, a crane some grams in weight, lifts lies which weigh tons. When untruth takes the place of truth Frustration will take the place of prosperity. A bent leg strays from its destination; a crooked mind perverts life. Beauty never lies. The most perilous lie is bigotry.

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Sliver 57: Truth and Falsehood

If the mirror lied, It would never become the viewer of the world. The gold of lies fades after a moment, As it carries no weight; so, it never glitters eternally like pure gold. There are three sides to the triangle of adversity: Insincerity, imprudence, and impiousness. The world swarms with blabbermouth crows; However, we do not need to listen to them. The tragedy is not that a liar always lies; The terrible tragedy is that the lie may tell the truth For a moment!

SLIVER 58: SALVATION AND ADMITTING ONE’S MISTAKES

Whatever virtue exists in the world is man’s path towards salvation. The moment you ask: How can I think better? Then, you are free from a hell of your own and you can step into a heaven within. The straight path towards salvation is to criticize yourself before others find fault with you. The path will never be lost in lucid clarity And the path will not appear in the dusty path of vanity. Salvation lies in this: Who leads, and who leads on? Salvation would be so easy if we could perceive deceit. Salvation is so difficult When you think that no one has a more beautiful mind than you. He who thinks differently to you excels over the one who thinks the same as you; he shall differentiate between salvation and depravity. Water’s footfall sounds like salvation. When all paths end in a summit, There remains only one: the path to heaven. A small soul makes a short trip; a big one makes a great journey. If a man polished his love as brightly as he does his soul, Then salvation would be an easy achievement.

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Sliver 58: Salvation and Admitting One’s Mistakes

Brevity of life kills the flame of youth; Shortsightedness kills the flame of salvation. A wise man shall never fall twice for one ideology. The most magnificent path to salvation Is to cleanse oneself of vice and to delight in the path of virtue. If the silkworm knew that the palace he was weaving would turn into his prison, he would fly rather than weave. Then the bride of joy arrived, and chanted a cheery chant: man’s fair virtues show the path leading to God’s heaven. Existence is all in black and white; thus, it has changed from black to white. Arriving directly rather than quickly is the path to salvation. Everything but darkness demands light to be seen. Only darkness and light need nothing to be seen; thus salvation or depravity are the most visible paths, unless we seal our eyes shut. Your most reliable mentor Is the sage who never claims to be the absolute truth. Salvation belongs to those who turn their lives into knowledge and change their ways into people’s paths to felicity. Fortunate people emanate an invisible energy Enriching the joy of others. By believing in this, people fall in love; salvation is nothing but this. A nation which denies its adversary’s accomplishments Will never be able to found a civilization. Not admitting one’s mistakes is worse than making them. Our opportunities number those mistakes of ours, The ones admitted rather than concealed.

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Obnoxious people defend their mistakes More often than great people stand up for their privileges! If you do not repeat a mistake, The devil will idle and die of grief. The most sensible way to mentor others is to understand them rather than to advise them. How hard it is to admit the truth When we do not know how glorious it is to admit one’s mistakes. What mistake could be worse than not accepting your mistakes? “What is the most precious alchemy?” he asked. “First, admit your mistakes, then turn them into experiences”, I answered.

SLIVER 59: SALVATION AND CHANGE

Do not be so naïve that everyone can carve their ideas into you. The seed that regards change as sin Will never turn into a jungle. The most blessed man is he Who has learned the language of the cosmos when it is delivering new messages. When the purity of the soul is ignited, Salvation will be learned unconsciously. Whatever makes me thirsty will lead me As it directs me towards the stream. Never denigrate the hill, which has led you onto its peak. Beauty leads you to God. Accompany it; you shall reach Heaven. For any ship equipped with a sail, any wind is a tailwind. He who does not study opposing thoughts Hallows his own depravity. If Satan did not adopt a consecrated appearance, He would never be able to tempt others. Those with potent venom creep like snakes; Those with heavenly messages take flight like nightingales. He who does not think like you will show you the well from the way. Heaven is a place where, every day, a man keeps asking

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How he can think better than the previous day. Hell is a place where man is always suffering, But he never perceives why he is in anguish. What a sound lesson the depravity of others is in helping you not to fall. It matters little if our brook flows in a path of gold or mud; What matters is that it runs towards the sea, not towards the swamp. Blessed is he who has turned the joy of possessing Into the delight of love for all creations. A red rose precedes everyone in reaching heaven, For there remains nothing in it but the wish to bring joy to others. He who fails to create beauty will never reach heaven. Beauty without trying to tempt or terrify Teaches man how to find salvation. He who does not criticize his own interests Will never find salvation. Those who inherit the paths of others rather than exploring their own Will forever bear the burden of others’ tastes. He who walks towards the sun shall never ask others for a sign. He who criticizes his own beliefs Will lead you to salvation better than any other guide. He who does not discern why he is falling shall fall forever. In order to know salvation, you should know depravity first. Do not be so preoccupied with the dark night That you may fail to see the ever-shining stars. Do not put out anyone’s candle before you get them to the sun.

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Sliver 59: Salvation and Change

Your Satan is the mentor Who never allows himself to be criticized for his mistakes. When truth – not taste – is our guide, there remains no path for evil. Once man sees the sea, he will not be deceived by a mirage. Deceived people worship their own folly And the deceivers venerate their own depravity. Walk vertically rather than horizontally So that you may never return to square one. Duplicity is deceit; it has just assumed a different hue. How can he who worships his wounds be healed? Blessed is he whose thoughts are molded by his ideas, rather than he whose values are shaped by his ideas. To reach the summit, you should pass the abyss of the valleys. We are deceived as much as our capacity to be deceived, Rather than as much as someone’s capacity to deceive. Whatever alleviates your needs can be the path you take. “How shall I get to You?” the rose asked God. “Be a flower forever!” God responded. He whose profound mind is his precise path Will have the path of success as his comrade. A precise person owns a precise clock; a precise clock marks time for a precise morrow. A nightingale seeks a sign of a bud in the growth of his own heart; And a lover seeks a beloved’s sign in the agony of his heart. Become a sea so that you shall never lose your shore.

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To be blamed for a moment is better than being depraved forever. A cardboard nightingale never finds the way to his garden, Nor does a cardboard man find the way to his soul. He who is misled twice on a single path worships his own folly. Ask a nightingale the address of buds And ask an eagle the address of the summit. When we realize the nature of deceit, The highway of bliss will become manifest to us. As long as beauty serves as our guide, we shall never deviate. Beauty is a god-sent guide; a god-sent guide shall never be deceitful. Satan can only deceive Those who are never exhilarated at the sight of beauty. Bringing felicity to others Is the only path that leads to man’s own bliss. How easy it would be to guide a man, If only we replaced our flair for criticism with a passion for sympathy! He who discovers the path of his mind shall never get lost in others. What guidance can highlight the fact that I do not trick you? Change so that there remains nothing of you But a path to felicity for others. The seed, which seeks to turn into a jungle, Should first choose to be celestial rather than terrestrial. Beauty without a lecture teaches man how to avoid inelegance. If snowmen did not change, they would never turn into the brooks beneath their feet.

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Sliver 59: Salvation and Change

A beautiful soul moves towards beauty, As does a clumsy soul towards awkwardness. Do not change the mirror, but change yourself So that the mirror may be adjusted accordingly. If the buds did not change, they would never blossom into flowers.

SLIVER 60: LEADERSHIP AND POWER

If power turned into joy, No king would be found unhappy. It does not matter how much value Time gives to you; What matters is how much value it takes from you. Those who have potential for a kingdom Would not take a kingdom for anything. A diamond is priceless, though it gets buried, And clay is worthless, though it reaches the top. Those who find humility in themselves Would yearn for leadership in their world. Having kingdom over one’s self Is sweeter than having kingdom over heavenly creatures. He who rises to glory on the strength of the power of the wind Will go down with the same power. The dangers posed to leaders exceed those posed to miners. A useful person always lives With more popularity than an important person. Many a pious person is satisfied with their clay home; However, they are not happy with their golden appellations. Elevated souls enjoy being loved, while fallen souls enjoy being the boss. A wise person makes the world obedient to him And the world makes an ignoramus obedient to it.

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Sliver 60: Leadership and Power

We burned so much in the agony of being on top That we forgot that the joy of excelling is far sweeter than being on top. Man is as thirsty for power as he suffers from the smallness of his soul. Dust sits above, and victory down below, But the eyes of the world are aglow with victory rather than with dust. When the sea defeats a storm, it subsides and does not feel ambitious. We will attain our importance once we begin to ignore being important. I heightened the joy of my abilities So much so that I no longer need the joy of power. Many a man has a name as big as a mountain and a soul as short as straw. You will attain greatness When you enjoy giving others superiority, not being superior. A high position and being important go hand in hand But the position of being useful will remain with you forever. The most powerful glue is the glue of presidency; When they are stuck to the seat of presidency, They can never let go of it. If the jet of water knew that gravity would overcome it, It would never bother itself so much with being ambitious. Those who do not follow a long path ask for great names. Do not kiss the hands of rulers so that they may not become idols; Kiss the hands of your wives so they can win your hearts even more. Moderation is stronger than power. Many a man may break all idols In order to be the world’s most unique idol. Being pleasant rather than being on top engenders exhilaration.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

What honor is better than the fact That you do not burn in the passion of any honor?! Do not feel great! Let greatness be the glory of your behavior. Scarecrows have gained dignity: They wave their hands at their fans with the power of Time’s wind. The power of the sea is measured in terms of the height of its waves And man’s power is measured in terms of the scope of his mind. Ride high waves In order to find a better view rather than a higher position. Waves turn into seas when they stop being ambitious. Carrying a big name Is harder than carrying a heavy load. Many an infinitely small soul Hides behind extremely large names! I, king of who I am, am; I am my own king, Not the monarch of others’ benefits. A human is as tall as the obstacles he faces Rather than the seat he takes. He who seeks mastery over others Has manifestly lost mastery over his own soul. Those who do not find glory in their lives and souls Will seek glory in their names and reputations.

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SLIVER 61: MATHEMATICS AND ITS ENDLESS SUBTLETY

A man’s beautiful castle is the beautiful form of his mathematics And his beautiful heart is the beautiful form of his love. He asked, “What amazes you most?” I replied, “These three facts: The endless subtlety of man’s brain, the endless subtlety of kindness And the infinite subtlety of mathematics.” He asked, “When does the subtlety of a diamond reach its utmost?” I replied, “When its cut surface Becomes the crystallization of its mathematical beauty.” Each beautiful tower is another statue of mathematical glory. Mathematics always enacts justice Because mathematics never does excess and waste. He who never goes to extremes will reach the heights of justice. He asked, “Which pretty picture is the most harmonious form of mathematics?” I replied, “A smile, for all harmonious beauties are manifested in one pleasing smile.” He asked, “Which creature knows mathematics Without going to school?” I replied, “The bumble bee, spider, and termite, etc.” Mathematics is the enormous wealth of the cosmos, For mathematics creates moderation and moderation creates wealth. Mathematics is the balancing power of the universe And the power of balance prevents the cosmos from falling apart; Thus, mathematics is the foundation of the cosmos.

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Architecture is the frozen music of mathematics. Management is like mathematics, For it lays all responsibilities in their right places. Mathematics is the most positive form of wealth, for positive capacity equals wealth. Mathematics knows this and lays it in its right place. Mathematics is the most principled fact in the world. So, it never loses its essentiality, from primordiality to eternity. He who achieves his most principled thoughts, like mathematics, His truth will become everlasting. The hands of mathematics carve out the statue of progress. He asked, “What is the soul of mathematics?” I replied, “Balance.” He said, “How sweet! Explain more about this beautiful fact.” I said, “Mathematics is balance; balance is life; life is success.” Mathematics is the balance of the cosmos. Were it not for the miraculous hand of mathematics, Man would never stand on other planets. He said, “How come the universe is not shattered?” I replied, “The cosmos is the crystallization of absolute mathematics.” Absolute mathematics is absolute balance. So, the cosmos does not fall apart. Everything is a picture of mathematics; In other words, a picture of balance that will never fall apart. He asked, “What does mathematics look like?” I replied, “It looks like justice.” He was amazed and asked: “But in what way?!” I said, “As justice puts every capacity in its place, Mathematics puts any capacity in its place.”

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Sliver 61: Mathematics and Its Endless Subtlety

Mathematics is the paradise of architecture. Mathematics teaches lessons to physics. Mathematics holds the entire weight of the universe, For it is absolute balance, and absolute balance Holds the whole weight of the cosmos in its hands. He asked: “What is the crystallized beauty of mathematical balance in the world?” I said: “The tremendously hearty soul of my sweetheart.” Man’s beautiful organs are the crystallized beauty of mathematics And man’s unique thoughts are the crystallized power of his brain.

SLIVER 62: WOMAN

Woman Is God’s most blessed guest in a man’s house of loneliness. Woman Is the most beautiful island in the restless ocean of man’s heart. Woman Is the resurrection of the glory of all creation. Woman Is the most rhythmic poem by God. Woman Is the most pathetic ember of love in the heart of a human. Woman Is perfume and chastity is her container. Every perfume that cannot be held in its container will disappear. Woman Is the most pleasant perfume of creation. Perfume takes the shape of any crystal-like container it is poured in. Woman Is the greatest miracle, For she turns man’s imagination into the most secretive paradise. Woman Is like a warm and bright light: if her husband plays with its flame, It will burn him, and if he sits around her, she will shine.

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Sliver 62: Woman

Woman Is the most exquisite tableau of creation, But the beauty of her frame should not forget its inner value. Woman Is the interpretation of all of life’s attractions. Woman Is the most beautiful painting by God in a picture frame’s view of life. Woman Is God’s kind salutation to humans. Woman Is the fieriest poem by God. Woman Is the sweetest book of felicity; However, more attention should be accorded to the contents of the book than to the beauty of its cover. Woman Is a red flower; when her spouse looks at her thorns, she becomes angry, And when he looks at her fruit and aroma, she shows love. Woman Is God’s moonlight in the lonely night of man. Woman Is God’s most tranquilizing panacea over the wound of man’s separation. Man is the strongest companion in the house of woman’s loneliness. There is no supportive umbrella more peaceful than man for woman. Woman is the unique garden of grace And chastity is her true gardener. The nectar of woman’s kindness Is visibly passionate in the crystal container of chastity.

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A wife whose beauty exceeds her kindness Is like a paper flower, for it is pretty like a bud, And cold like a piece of paper. A man who is not kind to his wife Is like a cloud, which roars, but never rains. A woman who is not kind to his husband Is like an artificial flower, which lacks the joy of freshness and cannot bring bliss. Man and woman are the two wings of the bird of felicity, If they fly in harmony. A wife who is an expert cook makes her family prosper better than one who is an expert tailor. A woman’s great cuisine reduces divorce noticeably. Women who are professional cooks Usually have good-tempered husbands. Ideal cooking unties the angry ties of husbands. If a woman cries to deceive, her tears will become life’s poison And if a woman cries to give hope, her tears will be life’s nectar. A beautiful woman who is void of human values Is like a luxurious car whose brakes are broken. A woman who only thinks of her appearance Is like a fair-skinned squirrel hunted by hunters For its skin’s beauty rather than for its soul’s beauty. A woman’s chastity is her shield. A woman bereft of chastity is like a garden without protection. A woman’s mourning for his husband Is the most luxurious hotel for her loneliness. A woman’s coquetry with her husband Is the most pleasant villa in the city of her loneliness.

SLIVER 63: LIFE AND ITS ENDLESS JOYS

When you give beauty as a gift to the souls of others, Life will also give felicity to your soul. He asked, “Are you happy?” I said, “I’m so filled with the glory of living That I know nothing about felicity.” The red flower of life is far more beautiful than the red flower of felicity. Life is our mirror; if we smile, it smiles, And if we frown, it will frown too. Life has become hard because we consider important things unimportant and regard unimportant things as important. To live in love in the desert Is more agreeable than to live in paradise without love. Our life is as glorious as our minds, not as magnificent as our wealth. Time is a wild steed; He who enjoys going riding can tame it. Life is as glorious as its depth, not its length. Literacy in reading is as enjoyable as a love of living. Love always lives more happily than the mind. Love is happier than the mind, But without it, you will never find an ideal life. We can create the youngest feeling of life

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In the oldest form of our bodies. Life is your statue; You systematically carve it in the form of your soul. Life is like your child when it does not obey you: Look how you educated it! Life says: “The more you know me, the kinder I will be to you.” Need is the nightmare of life; make it lighter! Unnecessary need is the shackle of life. Life is honey and honey is sweeter Than adding sweetness to it. Life is like a pineapple that does not fill you with its juice and taste Until you peel off its skin. Life is very beautiful, like a snow-covered meadow; But we should not walk over it with our lustful, muddy shoes. Those who do not find life sweeter than felicity Shall never find their felicity. Life is our mirror; We will find the mirror beautiful when we first see ourselves as beautiful. Be calm! It is our behavior that is so cruel, not our time. Life is like a football match: Were the results known, it would not be fun to watch. Life is the way you think of it rather than the way you see it. I asked the daisy: “How do you not turn yellow in the utmost separation?”

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Sliver 63: Life and Its Endless Joys

It replied, “Dying in the redness of red is better than living in the yellowness of yellow.” Life is an extremely luxurious and golden train going to heaven, If you travel in its cabin of love. Live in a way that when you see a red flower, It may recall you. He who is afraid of life is afraid of his behavior, For real life does not have anything except a human’s life. Life is a container and love is its perfume. Perfume gives an extremely pleasant scent when it is refined. Life is your car; It drives you to where you drive it. Life reflects whatever you are. A mountain reflects the sound of your laughter, And love reflects the purity of your heart. Life is honey If a human makes his chest its hive rather than a hole. Living in the desert of the wise is sweeter than living in the paradise of the ignorant. He lives harmlessly like nightingales in the kindness of grass. In addition, he lives harmfully like flies in the plight of mud. Love life because it will allow you to enjoy The soulful smile of the buds. Life is crystal; it becomes whatever you fill it with. Live in such a way that if they enter the recess of your feelings, They will not find any sense of shame. The length of a life can be measured only in terms of the length of one’s soul rather than in terms of the length of your foot’s position.

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Life is more beautiful than felicity, Since felicity is a manifestation of life, And not because life is a manifestation of felicity. The beauty of our lives is as pretty as our minds And the beauty of our minds is as beautiful as our beliefs. How exhilarated I am to have gained the best discovery of my life; The fire of others’ felicity warms and lights me up more than the sun. Live in such a way That you enjoy others’ laughter rather than their sympathy. Life is seeing and being amazed rather than eating and being jailed. Your biological mother is your first mother and life is your second mother. From one, your body is born and from the other, your future. Home is where you are taught to live beautifully rather than to flee. Life is like your mother: if you spoil it, you will drink its spoiled milk And if you clean it, you will drink its clean milk. Life is an ocean and a human is a stream, and each stream that does not know its ocean will reach the desert and turn into a quagmire. Life is a lemon; If you extract its juice with your clean hands, You will forever smell of lemon. Turn the purity of your smile into the most beautiful postcard So that each page of your life may become unique, just like postcards. Life is not hard if we do not take it hard. Life gushes from growth, and growth gushes from moderation. The sweetness of our lives is seen in our deeds Rather than our desires. Life is extremely kind to you If you learn how to treat it.

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Sliver 63: Life and Its Endless Joys

Life is more amazing than heaven, For it is an ocean and paradise is one of its islands. Life is like a river; The more you drown in it, the sooner it reaches the sea of your life. Slaying people’s talents is like killing the flame of life.

SLIVER 64: BEAUTY AND ITS MAGICAL POWER

Beauty is the most complete dialogue between man and the cosmos. When ugliness turns into beauty, life celebrates And when grace turns into disgrace, demons celebrate. Perfume is the translation of beauty. The beauty of a human’s face turns a mirror into paradise. Consider what the beauty of his soul does with his life! The more we find out about beauty, the holier we become, Instead of the amount which we take on the color of traditions. Beauty is the Sun of our souls; If it goes down, we shall turn into an unending night. Beauty is the universe’s answer to man’s wishes. If a flower sold its beauty, it would not be a flower now. A beautiful name is the wealth of our world, And a good name is an eternal possession. When beauty reaches its utmost form of attraction, Ordinary men will be unable to recognize it. Every beauty kisses man’s soul. Beauty is God’s ambassador on earth. Discovering beauty is more pleasurable than any other thing. He who is as beautiful as the purity of his love

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Sliver 64: Beauty and Its Magical Power

Will never lose his beauty. Delighting in watching the felicity of others Will enhance the beauty of one’s face more than any cosmetics. Beauty does not need any translator. Our souls will suffer as long as we do not discover the glory of beauty. Beauty is my most jovial eternal master. Beauty polishes our souls Until the light of love’s purity emanates from them eternally. Every mirror is as lovely as the image it reflects. The heart, which perceives beauty, will never be a demon’s dwelling place. Every beauty is the face of truth, and every beloved is the meaning of truth. I create beauty and beauty creates my felicity. Man’s soul is as beautiful as the things it sees. Beauty is the most majestic food for love. All those who dwell in hell have one thing in common: they do not realize the beauty of love. Beauty is the most realistic image of God’s kindness on earth. Beautiful people Always utter their sweetest words in front of a mirror. Beauty is a soul-inspiring curtain in the room of love; it never withdraws it. A man who has a beautiful soul will never perpetrate disgraceful deeds.

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Those who discover the glory of beauty Are happier than those who discover mines of gold. Molding works miracles. When one metal assumes an extremely ideal form, It becomes more valuable than gold. Graphics form some lines And increase their value more than gold. Graphics is the paradise of lines. Graphics gives soul to lines. Graphics Converts some lines into the soul-inspiring bride of beauty. Graphics is more valuable than alchemy. The most fascinating flower is a rose, though it has thorns. And the most cheery tree is a cedar, though it is fruitless. Everything is beautiful except an ugly mind. Beauty is the most complete source of peace for all creatures. A beautiful question ends in a beautiful conclusion. All makeup comes off, except for neatness accompanied by cleanliness. Beauty is the most real miracle in the world. Beauty Is a faith, which does not find followers by creating fear. Beauty is a teacher of kindness. Beauty is man’s most passionate companion in his world of loneliness. Beauty does not need a reason for its veracity, but everything else does.

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Sliver 64: Beauty and Its Magical Power

Every beauty is one small paradise And every life that sees beauty is a great paradise. Beauty is frozen music. Beauty falls silent like the truth But it carries humans with its passion for attraction. Beautiful people will never weary of polishing their own mirrors. I can be immortal, for I perceive beauty. A mirror is as lovely as its viewer, not as beautiful as its frame. Beauty polishes man’s feelings So that the image of a primordial sweetheart may be reflected in it. The surest way to combat grief is to contemplate beauty. The effort of each nightingale is as beautiful as a flower. Beauty is the University of Redemption. That is why demons call it sin! Man’s beauty is defined by his good manners, not by the mole on his face. Beauty is the window of human life; If it gets closed, it will cease to reflect the light of life. Beauty is the resurrection of the joy in our eyes And kindness is the resurrection of the joy in our souls. Beauty is the class of humanity. Beauty is the most ecstatic drink in heaven, Which intoxicates man’s ever-thirsty soul.

SLIVER 65: SIMPLICITY AND COMPOSURE

A red rose is the most decorated smile of simplicity. Simplicity is the depiction of human goodness. The simplicity of a human smile is the statue of heavenly grace If we praise neatness with a smile, not with decoration. Silence is the first and last word of heaven And simplicity is man’s most uplifting favor. A man reaches a friend via the simplest path Not by the easiest one. A lily and a narcissus reach exceptional niceness through the simplest of ways Rather than through the easiest ones. Being able to reach the easiest smile with the simplest assets Is our exceptional path to bliss. He who has quietness and simplicity in his countenance Has hands which can reach beyond the shimmering light of dawn. The basis of joy and comfort is silence and simplicity. He who attains simplicity is not simple, he is elevated; And he who does not attain simplicity is simple rather than elevated. Simplicity is magnificence and simplicity in sagacity is an even higher glory. A human heart is like the sky: the simpler and cleaner it is, The more beautiful its stars will look.

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Sliver 65: Simplicity and Composure

Travelling light is the most uplifting companion. Travelling light is the easiest way to reach somewhere. The lightest traveler will reach the rooftops of heaven And the most composed love will reach the Ultimate Eternity. The silence of every man is as light as his soul. A single taste can contain all the glory of eternity, Provided that it becomes as light as your smile, not as heavy as your needs. A man’s soul has as much extra weight as his claims. Gluttony encumbers feelings, and excessive claims encumber passions. Every bird becomes happy with its lightest flight And every human becomes elated with his lightest demand. When you realize the truth of flight, you even leave behind your wings, For your wings also feel heavy. Small things in your life become great celebrations If there is infinity in your heart, not in the extent of your demands. Were the mind of a mirror not empty, It would fail to see the truth. A completely empty container will reflect its truth Better than a half-full container. The power of our wings takes our bodies up into the skies While the power of our composure takes up our souls. Composure is power, though it lacks weight. The end of need is the beginning of secrets. Life’s burdens encumber our bodies And greed burdens our joys. Everything except the feather of love is an extra burden in our flight.

SLIVER 66: GRATITUDE, BLESSINGS AND NEGLIGENCE

The best appreciation for joy is to gladden others. The best gratitude to God is becoming a flower on others’ paths. Falling in love with the felicity of others Is the most jubilant expression of gratitude to God. Harmlessness is the most real gratitude to God. A serene soul is without any claims and an uneasy mind is full of claims. Having hubris is the most undecorated form of appreciation. Appreciation shows that you know your own value. A rose is a gift that the earth offers to the sky for the raindrops that it has lavished on her. When you reach the top, Do not forget the small peaks which helped you to reach the top. The smaller a man’s soul is, The more unappreciative it will become. Many a people have grateful brows and ungrateful souls. Rather than the voices of others, The glittering of a diamond lauds it eternally. If we gave thanks once for every one hundred blessings, There would be no ingratitude on any occasion. Inner satisfaction is the utmost form of appreciation.

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Sliver 66: Gratitude, Blessings and Negligence

Dead souls praise the dead And living souls praise the living. Respecting the powers-that-be disrespects oneself. Always apologize to those Who know the never-ending value of an apology. Saying ‘thank you’ is the way we respect ourselves rather than others. Apologizing does not require much energy But it lends a unique energy to our lives. The taste of food becomes a hundred times better When we thank the hands that made it. Purifying one’s soul is the appreciation of the jubilant power of purity. Remembering one’s belongings is the most joyful form of appreciation. Quietly appreciating what you have Is more joyful than any other answered prayer. Great people Turn their small possessions into great joys And small people turn their large belongings into small joys. If you count your life’s possessions, The things that you lack will vanish. Experiencing felicity with someone’s blessing is more important than partaking in it. No blessing would be big if we had small souls. Every pain which leads us to perfection is more than a blessing. God created blessings and humans created ingratitude. A paucity of love is more excruciating than the lack of any other blessings.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

One beauty-seeking glance Is more uplifting than any other blessing in the world. Realizing one’s blessings – not treasures of gold – makes life unique. When a thorn cuts us, we bleed, and when it cuts love, we wake up. A gardener does not forget his garden and neither does a father his son. The agony, which brings awareness Is better than the joy which brings oblivion. We burn so much in our remotest passions That we almost forget our nearest joys. For a sleeping man, a small jolt Is better than a hundred years of admonition. Beautiful people will never forget mirrors. A river which forgets the sea will become a quagmire. Do not forget the sun when it is shining; Otherwise, what benefit would you have in its setting?! We sometimes become so preoccupied with gilding our boats of life That we almost forget our golden destinations.

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SLIVER 67: DESTINY AND ITS BEAUTIFICATION

A wise man forms his destiny and destiny forms an ignoramus. The fate of a river is as beautiful as the sea’s shores. A man’s destiny is as beautiful as his mind. He who does not laugh at his problems today Will weep at his destiny tomorrow. A wolf’s destiny is always gory. If you do not write your destiny right, others will write it wrong. The destiny of a jealous person Is always filled with the thorns of jealousy. A man’s destiny is in the shape of his behavior. The hand that writes the destiny of others wrongly will be wrong, because every hand takes the shape of what it does. A man’s destiny is always written as beautifully as his target. Watching beauty makes destiny more beautiful. Do not fear your own destiny because you are its writer. The destiny of a red flower is always fragrant. On your exam paper, never write ‘cruelty’ So that all the grades of your destiny may be great. The destiny of moths will never have the sun.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

The hand of honesty will never crookedly write the book of destiny. The destiny of our future depends on the beauty we observe today. The result of a man’s destiny ends with his beliefs. Those who do not discover their paths Will tie their destinies to others’ tastes. The destiny of tastes leads to the precipice of ignorance And the destiny of truths leads to a heavenly place. The destiny of our future is the shape Of the words we hear and say. Greed writes man’s destiny with a higher degree of torture. A ruler’s destiny is more painful than that of his servants.

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SLIVER 68: JOURNEY, GOING, AND CAUTION

Those who are not affected by the dust of love’s journey Will always be affected by dust. A journey is a great guide for man’s morrow. The grandeur of a man’s trip is as great as his soul. If hope is your companion, the idea of not reaching your destination will be impossible. A journey is the white horse which reaches a destination, and stagnancy is the cold bed of nonexistence. Therefore, those who find solace in the paradise of reaching a destination keep company with the bride of a journey, as opposed to those who keep company with the doll of stagnancy. The most apt tool for a traveler is his gradual and constant traveling. To stagnate is nonexistence and to reach a destination is existence. A journey takes stagnancy to a destination; so a journey is existence. Existence is a joyful journey; so a journey is a joyful existence. I am a joyful traveler; so I am a joyful existence. A real journey enhances the glory of our lives Rather than the movements of our feet. The more brilliant the glory of our life is, The more glorious our journey will be. A traveler should not tolerate stagnancy So that stagnancy may turn into reaching. Awareness turns the longest path of a journey into the shortest way possible.

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Man’s hope is his richest companion. A journey is the most sublime form of learning. No joy is more brilliant than the joy of journeying. The journey is sweeter than the destination. I became so busy gilding my way That I almost forgot my golden destination. If going and falling are dangerous, Then staying and rotting are precarious lands. He was going and I knew he would reach eternity, Because hope had taken his hand, leading him. A ship is safer at a port, But it loses the endless joy of the sea’s restlessness. Climbing lowers summits. When a lover takes a step, Every step that he takes becomes a sign of felicity for others. Life always reaches its destination because it walks with the shoes of hope. The speedy feet of jealousy Finally stop because of the heaviness of their sin. Speed gives such a cryptic joy when we drive on the path of metaphor. The sea is the continuation of the river. Let greatness be the glory of your path rather than the glory of your name. Sometimes one complete stop Is more restful than one consistent speed. If you do not stop when you need to stop, you will reach the eternal stop.

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Sliver 68: Journey, Going, and Caution

The sound of the river’s footfall is the sound of reaching. Be the river! If no one gets in your way, neither his way nor yours will reach the sea. The most ancient bridge can get us to the youngest lands. We reach with every step when we walk hand in hand with hope. He who believes in reaching does not dread having blisters on his feet. Be the river so that, in facing the biggest obstacles, You will become a glorious waterfall and a tempestuous sea at the bottom of a fence. The faster the speed, The more likely that the smallest amount of carelessness Will bring about the heaviest damage. Carelessness is man’s most brutal enemy. The feet of caution will never falter; However, the feet of speed will stagger soon. On the path of caution, there is no danger. The feet of caution will never be fined. The safest way is caution. The feet of caution will reach a destination sooner than the feet of speed. Carefulness will never lose and carelessness will never win. Man’s caution is his kindest protector.

SLIVER 69: SILENCE AND ITS ENDLESS PEACE

I keep silent to hear the sound of silence. Silence is the song of summits. When beauty speaks, philosophers will be all ears. A philosopher is he who finds words in silence Rather than he who finds silence in speech. The more silent you are, The deeper you taste the endless flavor of your life. Enjoy peaceful silence, like traffic signs And rejuvenating messages! Silence is like paradise, and sound is like the world. An eagle will not break its silence Unless it reaches its utmost point of flight. Silence does not need an interpreter. Silence is the most innocent voice of truth And love is the most innocent taste of truth. Love stays silent but its endlessly eternal caresses speak to us. Those who think in a sublime way speak little. Night is more immaculate than day, because it speaks with its silence. Being voiceless is an echo of a lack of need.

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Sliver 69: Silence and Its Endless Peace

Night breaks its silence only with the brilliance of the stars. Beauty reflects a peaceful image of silence. The silence of an ignoramus is the reason for his defeat And the silence of a wise man is the reason for his wisdom. Man will go to paradise Through listening rather than through talking. No sound is more beautiful than silence, except for silent tears. Silent tears are the silent songs of love. Life is hard for those who do not enjoy silence. If they had to pay money for loquacity, They would not speak a word. Gluttony burdens our bodies And loquacity burdens our souls. Were our words not more precious than gold, We would sell the gold of our time at a low price! The tongue Is the only thing that receives presents for working very little. He who is not an expert in the art of listening Will never be an expert in the art of speaking. Silence is the paradise of peace. A busy tongue is the reason for a lazy brain. The long silence of the summits will never break with shaky steps. Silence is the most eloquent word of great men. The footfall of truth is heard in complete silence.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Silence is like a peak that always speaks its impressive height. The most philosophical quotation: it shall pass. “It shall pass” is the passage of time And “it shall not pass” is the soul of the universe He who loses time Will have already lost felicity. “It shall pass” is the most precise clock in the universe. “It shall pass” is the only clock that never stops. He who uses ‘yes’ or ‘no’ In their right place is an utter philosopher. Man’s loquacity is the heaviest vice in his life. When advice is repeated twice, it turns into an insult. Speaking beautifully is the art of speakers And keeping a beautiful silence is the art of immortals. Silence means: comfort in the best qualities of our lives. Man’s silence is his freest joy. The tongue is our soul’s ambassador. Look how it represents us! Silence is my great immortal master. He who is not silent will surely fall. Silence is the resurrection of man’s feelings. Silence is an uproarious and sweet saying. Silence is the most appropriate intimacy with heaven and existence. Silence is the song of sagacious philosophers.

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Sliver 69: Silence and Its Endless Peace

He whose honorable silence is his word Is a master over those who dwell in heaven. There is no word better than silence. Silence is the most used word of a happy man. The grace of man’s silence is in his inner life. Raw and ineloquent silence is as useless as the cold silence of water. A cedar is the statue of silence. Man’s silence is his poultice. Silence is man’s heavenly master Which takes him easily to the home of being and felicity. A deep thought has deep silence. A smile speaks with its silence. The roaring of the sea is a voice from within the glory of its depths And a man’s silence is a voice from within the glory of his life’s depths. Whatever creates silence is extremely uplifting, such as a starry night, faultless giving, the house of the wise, a pure smile, etc. I stay silent to feel the infinite joy of being alive. Drums cannot stay silent, For they cannot tolerate their emptiness. Man’s silence is the expanse of his serene sky. Great men remain silent so that their behavior may speak. Evaluate your power in proportion to the power of your silence! Silence is the voice of complete modesty.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Silence is my paradise, and uproar is my hell. In uproar, the voice of redemption can never be heard. Uproar is the loudest voice of vanity. The taller the mountain is, the more complete its silence is. The smaller it is, the louder its uproar is. Our ignorance is to blame for all this ado about nothing. Uproar is the sound of shortsighted thoughts. Silence is one of the most peaceful temples. He who imbibes the purity of his silence Will not rot in the uproar of the world. When silence speaks, all philosophers remain silent. Silence is a sea without a shore and its words are the waves. Silence is more eloquent than meaning. I break whatever breaks the silence! Silence should be broken with one single thing: Something pithier than silence. Perfume remains silent, But its sincerity sings the endlessly fragrant story of flowers. If an ignoramus learned silence, He would be wise. Silence is the voice of eternity. Silence is the voice of the spirit of the cosmos. What cannot be said in speech in one century Will be declared in one moment of silence.

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Sliver 69: Silence and Its Endless Peace

What I dare say is silence! He who gets tired of listening will never be wise. A diamond speaks with its manifestations; Honey speaks with its sweetness; and jealousy speaks with faultfinding. When the flood reaches the sea, It will keep silent. No act of breaking something is more joyful than the breaking of silence for wisdom. He who feels ashamed of saying ‘no’ Will suffer misery for saying ‘yes’. God created man, and man created silence, And silence created salvation. Silence is the interpretation of the voice of immortality. The most silent consolation springs from human love And the most eloquent form of hurt stems from selfishness. All human beings are lovable; But some are when they speak and others are when they do not. Do not speak so loudly that you may not hear the sound of salvation. The quieter you are, The more realistically you can hear the sound of your soul’s glory. Speech is like a naughty child And silence looks like a prominent thinker. With a real philosopher, the glory of his silence speaks. Beauty creates silence and silence creates observation. If an ignoramus could learn silence, He would never teach great men any lessons!

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Purity means: to carry man’s suffering in the most silent manner. An ignoramus in times of silence is like a wise man And a wise man is like an ignoramus in times of conceit. Summits never weary of silence, For they never weary of seeing the glory of their heights.

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SLIVER 70: POLITICS

Seriousness is stronger than power. Seriousness reflects popularity And power is the heavy burden of a bayonet. For he who stands on his own merit, The stance of his solemnity will never grow weak. Dictators always love fools. My airplane of politics flies silently, But it never drops bombs. My airplane of politics moves silently So that its load – man’s salvation – may arrive safely at its destination. Bridle your power so as you may not be bridled by it. The power of love tames humans better than the power of the law. Falsity can be destroyed when we think properly Rather than when we draw swords. Despotism is fed and fattened by man’s ignorance. Management is the mind of politics and makes it efficient; Democracy is its heart and makes it kind. Sovereignty over beautiful words Is much sweeter than sovereignty over the men of the world. There is no prison in a land whose king is love.

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Be great to learn greatness, not to sell greatness. The best way to fight despotism Is to reduce the number of ignorant people. A nation that is law-abiding but not strict Will be superior to a nation that is strict but not law-abiding. If emperors knew that sovereignty over sheep is sweeter than sovereignty over the ignorant, they would not suffer so much.

SLIVER 71: DELIGHT

All hail to the drunk and the intoxicated Who are drunk with the esse of existence. Beauty is an elixir, for when we watch it, The copper of our delight turns into the gold of our delight. Beauty creates delight. There is endless beauty in the world; therefore, I have endless delight. I found an ID card on my trip, and read its first page: Name: Flower; Family name: Rapturous. He who makes his heart a paradise for others Will be more joyful in it than in others. When we understand love, we will enjoy everything Even our own grey hair and our dark night of sorrow. Every joy becomes dull except the purity of love. Those who do not ignore the thorns of a red rose Will never be happy with the unique passion of its aroma. A bottle full of perfume is always beautiful and exciting And a bottle without perfume is always sad and ugly And a human with the scent of self-discovery is thus exhilarated. Man antagonizes over whatever he cannot enjoy. Recalling a blessing is more joyful than the blessing itself. He who finds joy in the joy of others Will never lose his own joy.

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A pain that warns is much better than a joy that generates negligence. Those who enslave joy will become slaves to joy. The glory of joyfulness is as big as the entire world And the glory of gladdening others is as big as the universe. Felicity is extremely sweet; However, it is not as sweet as creating a shining smile on the lips of others. Man will never forget what he enjoys. Welfare makes an ignoramus more ignorant and a wise man wiser. Do not go to celebrations often, but be the celebration itself. The beginning of necessity is the end of peace. The most improved joy is the joy of astonishment. Beauty pours the freest joys into man’s thirsty life. Man’s joys reflect his soul’s purity. Joy enhances the brilliance of a man’s prayers Until they are no longer impure. Joy is like a scent which is not emitted until you become a flower. Those who enjoy being themselves Will never have trouble being themselves. Nothing is as ever-joyous a source of love as the purity of love. He who takes his joy from the purity of love will never lose his joy. One day in a wise man’s life Is more enjoyable than the whole life of an ignoramus.

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Sliver 71: Delight

Making others glad during times of hardship, not during times of welfare, is an art. Impure joys are nothing, really, but they plunder everything that we possess. When joy and purity are mixed, they turn into an elixir And gild man’s tomorrow. The first paradise Where man felt extreme joy was in his mother’s embrace. A clean city is joyous and a pure heart is even more joyous. Making others glad is like the deepest ocean And joy is the shining of a bubble which is instantly blown away. A flower never seeks joy and charm, But it cares all about being a flower; Therefore, all charms and beauty enter it. Those who do not praise the pleasure of immortality Will pay heavy fines for their transitory joys. When the furnace of love is not burning, The bread of felicity will never be baked. As the sunlight shines less on narrow valleys, The light of joy shines less on tight hearts. He who gives up on small joys Will run after great joys, and lose all of his small joys too. It is written in the aromatic smile of every flower That I bloomed to make you glad and this is how I live. Now, oh man! How do you live?! The joy emanating from the elevation of man’s soul Smells of God.

SLIVER 72: MERIT AND POPULARITY

A flower is not boastful of itself, but its fragrance boasts of its eternal nature. A diamond does not take delight in being praised by glass. Being great, but pretending to be small Is better than being small, but pretending to be great. He whose merit is the source of how he creates joy Will never lose his joy. Be the sun! When someone looks away from you, Their world – not yours – will turn into darkness. A seed seeking to be a big jungle First needs to broaden its small heart. The joy of your merits Will easily deflect the jeers of malicious people. Posterity will laud man’s station, But not his degree. It does not matter if you mirror existence with a golden or wooden frame; What matters is that you feature heavenly values, not mundane ones. What a wonder that man makes so many mistakes But he makes a computer that never errs! A wise man makes the world his steed And the world makes the ignorant its steed. He who leans against the palace of his own merit will never fall.

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Sliver 72: Merit and Popularity

The higher the peaks become, The fewer the climbers, but they will have higher ambitions. Knowing one language is an everlasting merit; Speaking another language is like having another huge elevating source. When you do not reduce the quality of your goods, You will dethrone your rivals from their seat of rivalry. Many a great soul hides behind a very small name. The truth about paving the path for man to reach paradise Does not create any sense of awe; it only displays the glory of its merit. Acknowledging others does not add to my merit. Therefore, I rely on others’ acknowledgment. Were it easy to tolerate pain, Little men would also shine in the heights of honor. If being taunted did not require mountains of resistance, Little people, too, would shine in the heights of glory. A lack of merit does not entail a fine, But in the absence of merit, life would be bitterer than a fine. Flowers do not get hurt because of their own thorns, Nor do snakes because of their own poisons. Be the peak so that only those who climb as high as you Can realize the glory of your height. Be the river in order to become awesome roaring waves in the valleys of the lands and the powerful breaking sea beyond the fence. He who wants to be an important person Will never be a useful person. Many are born a genius but do not die a genius. Those who lose their inner credit

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Seek to collect the credit of others. If you want to be a limitless sea, You should not belittle the small drops of what you have. He who quenches his own thirst will not dry up like a mirage. Waves drown those who do not ride them. Practice works miracles, because practice is the resurrection of man’s merit. Little men never have great enemies. Many centuries pass before the material that rocks are made from becomes clear. The peaks let go of people with weak intentions that are as tall as their height. Be the sea so that your world may cause turbulence in the waves of time, Not so that the waves of time may trouble your world. Greatness is to hold power in the peak of modesty. A nice name Is a heavenly position that is not inherited like that of a king. Life does not give anything less Unless you merit anything less. When man’s victory is result of his merit, His failure will lose its meaning forever. Love does not punish; it enriches everyone to the best of their abilities. A human’s merit is the only position that cannot be passed from hand to hand. The curse of moths does not decrease the domain of the sun.

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Sliver 72: Merit and Popularity

Every container is as important as its contents, not its quality. Love takes such delight in its own merit That it does not understand rewards at all. Coal is coal, even if you keep it in a golden fireplace. In the pit of cruelty, a diamond loses its value And clay does not find power on a roof of gold. Instead of seeking your paradise, create your own paradise. The most heavenly way to find merit is to make others meritorious. The endless value of a diamond Is the best way to release it from being a child’s toy. Were climbing possible through sloth, Weak people would shine on the mountaintops. A lump of coal will not shine after it is polished And a diamond will not rust with time. Great people can tolerate the mistakes of small men, But small men cannot tolerate the strong merits of great men. Those who do not accept the mistakes in their lives Will never gain credit in their lives. The more you enhance your merits, The more you reduce your enemy’s power. A ship with a sail will turn an unfavorable wind into its helper. One day of being an ocean is better than a hundred years of being a pond. The glory of summits will be revealed in their heights, not at their feet. In the garden of lethargy, the seeds of merit will never sprout. It does not matter if you are the offspring of kings or beggars;

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What matters is that today, your merit comes from your generation. A stone is a stone, even if it assumes the color of gold. The heart of the sun will never be a nest for moths. Chance brings felicity for a few days And merit brings bliss for a whole lifetime. In the wind, a lion made of cloth can move, but it will not be able to roar. The pond decorates itself and the sea decorates its depths; So the pond dies and the sea seethes eternally. An ignoramus delights in the imaginary favor of his own And a wise man delights in the favor of his elevation. Man’s life becomes so useless, If you cannot write a sweet and impressive novel out of it. A diamond is a diamond and it does not turn into glass Through the cruelty of others; Glass is glass, and it does not turn into a diamond Through the love of others. The glorious pleasure of climbing is sweeter than its reward. Popularity is like a fragrance: it is not emitted until you have it. He who throws a stone at the sea reveals the circle of his glory. The sky does not deceive the stars; it hunts them. The eternal infinity of its soul will hunt the brilliant stars. How easily we reach the mountaintop If we ponder the treasures of our climbing rather than the suffering. The joy of climbing easily lets us forget the painful blisters on our feet. The perfume of a flower is its proof.

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Sliver 72: Merit and Popularity

The thorn of a flower is forgiven for its beauty. If you are not red roses, live like red roses So that the fluttering butterflies become a halo for you!

SLIVER 73: DIGNITY AND ITS ENDLESS VALUE

It does not matter where time takes us; what matters is that We do not lose the glory of our dignity under any circumstance. The blister on a father’s hand is a lesson in dignity for his son. It is better to descend a hundred stairs than to ascend them, When we climb up with our unfaithful feet, not with those of our dignity. The hearkening ears of the cosmos hear that The dumbest man is he who does not hear with the ear of his dignity. Time will dispassionately take the glory of life From he who insouciantly accepts the glory of his dignity. Heavenly creatures estimate a man’s stance According to his dignity, not according to his principles. Life is your child; Always narrate to him the beautiful story of your dignity So that he may not be troubled by uneasy dreams. For those who trample on their own dignity in order to climb up, It will not take them long to stop ignoring their pangs of conscience And climb back down. He who sells his dignity at a paltry price Will buy his pangs of conscience at a high price. Posterity will estimate the value of everything against your value, If you do not sell the value of your dignity for any price. I will buy failure at the highest price When I have not paid anything of my dignity for victory.

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Sliver 73: Dignity and Its Endless Value

He who has carved out his fate with the fingertips of dignity Will have his glorious fate used as a paragon of humanity. The blisters on a father’s hands do not have any voice; Otherwise, the son would kowtow before all that glory. He who reaches his greatness through dignity Will never lose his prominence. He who belittles the value of his dignity Will finally sell his destiny for a paltry price. Failure is no less valuable than victory When we lose to our dignity rather than to our infidelity.

SLIVER 74: PATIENCE AND TOLERANCE

Impatience is more harmful than misery itself. A man’s power relies on his patience Rather than on the power of his aggressive behavior. He who does not cure himself with patience Will never be cured with any treatment. What problem can be greater than impatience in the face of problems Rather than patience? Tolerance is stronger than impatience. The heaviness of problems is never tolerable, If the shoulders of our patience are not strong enough. Love is one unbearable pain, but it makes every other pain tolerable. If we trust the ascension of our patience, descending will be meaningless. Life is made charming with these realities: A mind to find our goal, A heart to find our sweetheart, And patience to find our pleasant tastes. The most undefeatable power in all of history is patience. Indiscreet patience is like a head without a brain. A tree is a shelter for birds and patience is a shelter for humans. The trouble with patience passes swiftly And its wealth endures eternally.

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Sliver 74: Patience and Tolerance

When you suffer, look at the extent of your patience And when you forgive, look at the extent of your love. Man’s patience is his kindest helper. A diamond is formed at the bottom of its mountain And a human is made at the bottom of his patience. When our dam is broken, the assets of our city go bust And when our patience is broken, the assets of our lives are lost. Patience is a castle that no harm can penetrate. Patience is power. Every pain is tolerable except impatience. During a storm, a rootless tree can be singled out among rooted trees. A human’s patience protects his soul’s glory. Patience turns pain into an asset And a dam turns the flood into an asset. Sometimes patience becomes our only cure; He who fails to perceive this critical moment, his whole life will be in vain. One patient person is not just one individual; Rather, he is a whole nation. The deepest wells are impatience! Take care that you do not fall in them! A human’s patience is more efficient than the power of his arms. The knot of impatience can never be untangled. Patience makes the passage of time easier And the passage of time makes our lives easier. The passage of time has been a miracle since the beginning of time.

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Sometimes the passage of time works better miracles than a panacea. Time chisels a statue of immortality, Of someone who is cognizant of life. Patience is the cocoon of our life In which the wings of felicity grow. Do not throw the crystal container of our patience away With the rock of impatience, lest its nectar of felicity should also be thrown away. A great mind is destroyed by a lack of patience But a small mind will not be destroyed by lots of patience. Sometimes patience saves a human better than the mind does. The glory of the sea can be seen at its height when it is restless! The restlessness of the sea is extremely beautiful, For it displays the glory of restlessness, not the power of impatience. The joy of restlessness is something else If we exhibit the passion of love, but not the passion of wrath. I achieved stability through restlessness. When the sea is restless, it becomes still.

SLIVER 75: FAME AND ITS LIMITLESS TROUBLES

Sweeter than fame Is being liberated from the glory of fame. The joy of fame is soon doomed to rot. The joy of being with oneself is so glorious And always mocks the joy of fame. Fame is a golden dress Of whose beauty we are proud But we always complain about its laborious burden. Fame does not have the palate to taste its glory. Having a great soul and a small name Is better than having a great name and a small life. Fame is the smallest prison; However, it is always built of golden bricks. He who seeks a big name will lose his way in the long term. It does not matter who you are; What matters is what you want to be. The balloon of fame always shines when it is at the top But it can be popped by a small needle. Letting go of one’s life is so sweet And relinquishing a golden name is so hard. Stars never make a display of themselves But everybody will burn themselves eternally in order to reach them.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

For felicity, there is no need for fame, For peace is sweeter than fame. Fame is a golden cape, But it covers man’s golden peace. He said, “Why do you evade fame and are seen less?!” I replied, “Always, spots of crystal are seen And the clarity of crystal is barely visible.” Be the flower so that even your thorns may be seen as strong points. Fame is a golden stick; he who leans on it has no spiritual balance. A flower does not do anything for its popularity, But it is always a flower in the eye of others; no less than that. Popularity is another name for a breeze, For it gives off joy rather than its roar. Fame is like a snowman wearing a royal garment Standing under the sun. The most logical way to escape fame Is to find out the humility of its joy. Be a star only! Then popularity will shine Round your head like a halo. Were popularity accidental, Every thorn bush could be a garland for a king. Climb the mountains In order to broaden your horizons, not to be seen climbing higher. Man realizes his importance When he prefers usefulness to importance. Felicity is when you feel that you have a long life, not a big name. He who is filled with the joy of amazement

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Sliver 75: Fame and Its Limitless Troubles

Will detest the joy of fame. If you want to be like endless laughter and not like limitless infelicity, You should be burned and self-built, not discovered and self-defeated. Obtaining a position Only makes a human’s social level higher, not his abilities. He who does not believe that humanity is the ultimate level Will never reach the grand level of humanity. Those who become void of the beauty in their souls Will fill themselves up with the callous joys of fame. Before becoming famous, man tastes the sweetness of fame And after fame, he tastes the heaviness of fame. Fame is a golden cage for the bird of comfort. When the joy of being with oneself reaches its height, The ignobility of the joy of fame becomes more vivid. What elevates man is the monument of his long life Not the position of his great name.

SLIVER 76: HONESTY AND UNITY

Artificial flowers have artificial excitement And artificial hearts have artificial honesty. A real flower can be distinguished from a cardboard flower when it rains. The beauty of a face is exciting during youth And the beauty of honesty endures for all eternity. These are the three great miracles of us humans: The bliss of our smile when we forgive; The brilliance of our kindness when we shine; And the dew of our honesty when we advance. The ashes of a butterfly’s wings testify to its honesty. In the coldest hell of superstitions, I created the warmest scream of truth Because I did not consider anything greater than honesty. There is no demon except for the lack of honesty. Truth is sacred and honesty is even more sacred. There will be no distance between man and the truth If distances are made of geography rather than of honesty. All misery grows in the absence of honesty Just as all diseases break out in the absence of hygiene. Prejudice makes honesty hollow. Honesty brings humans to salvation Much better than science does.

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False rites teach a lack of honesty to their cohorts, For they sanctify the prejudice of their followers. Were the lack of honesty considered the biggest lie, There would be no opportunity for a false creed to grow. Lack of honesty is another name for prejudice. If I make a mistake, I will stray from the path once, But if I lose my honesty, I will lose all of my life. Life means to smile rather than simply to breathe; smiling at the honesty of mirrors. The book of our life would be a pretty novel for posterity If we wrote every word of it in the ink of honesty. The sea would never drown its own shore As a person would never drown in honesty. Butterflies fall down on the ashes of candles And candles fall on the ashes of butterflies. There remains nothing but an endlessly beautiful picture Of the glorious honesty of the candle and the butterfly. I asked the diamond, “What is honesty?” It replied, “Do not hide anything like a diamond in your heart in order to deceive.” If my honesty caused me to drink From the cup of loss forever, I would prefer to quench my thirst with the cup of loss forever. These are strange times. No one is as true as a mirage, For a mirage does not hide its deceit when we reach it; However, these people do. If you do not fear revealing your inner self, You are not a small person.

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The holiness of a creed is as beautiful as its knowledge Not as beautiful as its temples. Be like mirrors! They show a friend before they show themselves. Deception is when you speak without acting And honesty is when you do not speak, but act. Everything will rust in the passage of time, except for the jewel of honesty. For the man who considers honesty to be great, Greatness in the world will become his footprint. It is not possible for us to be glass and pretend to be diamond. A mirror teaches the lesson of honesty to human beings. Honesty is the concordance of our inner and outer worlds. The glory of our face is the joy of our youth And the glory of our honesty is the joy of our old age. Honesty is a paradise for man. Man’s peaceful conscience results from a lifetime of honesty. The best way to cause a change in others Is to shed the light of honesty on them. Everything less than honesty does not deserve love. Not being oneself is an undying pain and being oneself is a perpetual joy. He who deceives others is eternally imprisoning his gem of felicity. I asked the clock, which works but whose ticking could not be heard, “What are love and honesty?” It replied, “When you make an effort for others, The sound of your attempts may not be heard.” The most elevated purity belongs to the owner who is not aware of it.

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Be great enough so that nothing can be great for you like honesty. The melting of a candle’s life is a play of its honesty. A lack of honesty is the most dangerous lie in the world. When man lies, he perceives it, but when he is not honest, he will not understand; so, the lack of honesty is more dangerous than telling lies. Honesty will never go astray, For it does not gain the hue of hypocrisy; it only gains the color of unity. In unity, salvation will not be lost. What does not gain any hues will never make falsity believable. The unities that smell of honesty Will guarantee man’s felicity better than any other ideology. The smoothest way to salvation is the path with no colors. Humanity’s lost paradise is vivid in the purity of its colorless path, Not in the creed of its colors. People know sacredness through the color of their creed, But they do not know that colorlessness is the only sign of sacredness. He who copies the colorful tastes of others Will never enter the paradise of unity. Why do human beings not find reality? Because they know it only by its own color. The decoration of the sky with stars is the reward for its unity.

SLIVER 77: JUSTICE AND ITS LIMITLESS MAGNIFICENCE

The creators of history were praised by justice, Not by the admirers of justice. Beauty is the fairest truth in the world, For it saturates every living creature to its capacity. Justice is the footprint of humanity’s glory on earth. Justice is the first law of a developed world. Were it easier to implement justice than to praise it, Human beings would be the champions of justice. The justice of he whose hands do not smell of love Will not have the power to create life. I have seen so many in history Whose eyes shed tears of justice And whose hands smell of the blood of justice. Love is the fairest king in the world. Love has a power higher than justice. The justice of love is the power of the lack of need And the justice of law is the power of its behaviors. Real justice is the behavior of the soul of a man who lacks need. A man’s tyranny is the power of his spiritual poverty. A kingdom does not bring a lack of need, but a lack of need brings power. So, justice is begotten by spiritual power

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Sliver 77: Justice and Its Limitless Magnificence

And injustice by spiritual poverty. Death is the fairest ruler, for it takes the poor as well as the rich. When the wolves lose their teeth, they will not become just. The most unbearable pain in history Is that the executioners cried for justice more than anyone else did. The footprints that you leave behind on earth Are more valuable than the glory Of all the galaxies you see above your head. Injustice is institutionalized in a society Where people give more credit to celebrities than to truth. Selfishness will never be fair. In the absence of the morning fog, the sunshine becomes more obvious And in the absence of the fog of selfishness, The brilliance of justice becomes more manifest. Poverty is wild, and social justice tames it. The most auspicious unity is the unity of justice and power. The sea pampers its famous fish as much it caresses its unknown fish. The first justice is the glory of love’s behavior on earth. The jackal said to the reindeer, “The wolf has repented!” I said, “Be careful! If he has repented, He will first rectify the sharpness of his teeth.” Justice Fertilizes man’s land better than rain. Man’s justice bespeaks his independent soul. “Why are you hiding your teeth?!” The wolf said, “They are harmless.”

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I said, “It is vivid in the kindness of your eyes!” The three angles of a triangle are: Knowledge, affection, and justice. The best service to the oppressed is to keep oneself aloof from the oppressors. The immortals behaved in the spirit of justice, not by displaying justice. Those who act according to justice less Are those who speak of it more. I learned from the tears of the oppressed Not to help the oppressors. There are so many who weary of oppression; However, they continue to serve their cruel lords. The justice that is created in the light of love is everlasting justice. Justice destroys differences, except the difference that a person deserves. Instead of crying for the reindeers, do not help the wolves! Justice is like the sun; It sheds light on all creatures equally. Love is the only king that does not speak of justice, But it bears its sufferings. Earth is an extremely uplifting celebration in the cosmos And human justice is the only sound of gratitude. In history, I saw people utter their words with tears in their eyes, And I said that the manifestation of justice is imprisoned in the term ‘justice’. A man with a beautiful mind is the hand of God’s justice on earth. When the majority of a society becomes reformed,

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Sliver 77: Justice and Its Limitless Magnificence

There will be no opportunity for the oppressor’s horse to stamp. Wherever everything is not in its right place, Oppression will sneak in. The kindness which becomes superfluous Turns into oppression, just like everything else. Altruism is another type of justice And selfishness is another type of oppression. Justice is institutionalized in a society Where everything is defined and stabilized. The most logical way to serve people is by accepting the rights of others. The most sublime form of justice is the manifestation of man’s love. Justice in the chains of power is more powerful than a king in a castle; And finally, what shall remain Are the thirsty lovers of light, not the kings of power. The best gift to oneself is prudence, and the best gift to others is justice. The wolf’s justice is always in the shape of its teeth. A wolf said to another wolf: “How dangerous your teeth are!” For those who do not speak as gloriously as their justice, The sound of their mottos will never be heard. The best service to the oppressed Is to impart this awareness: that they should not consider oppression As justice and they should replace it. The power of justice is the power of the arms of advancement. The hands of love slice the cake of felicity so justly That no human being would be without any benefit. Love stays silent, but justice speaks its behavior eternally.

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Love teaches kindness to justice. When you reach love, justice becomes your permanent behavior.

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SLIVER 78: LOVE AND ITS ETERNAL LIGHT

Love after self-purgation Reveals its matchless power; Otherwise, it would be like a red drop of blood That stains the surrounding world. Love fills the distance between human beings As the atmosphere fills the distance between stars. Love is like the sun; It even warms someone whose back is turned towards it. An amorous piece of cloud fertilizes the earth And the life of a lover fertilizes history. Human paradise sprouts under the rain-like tears of love. Love enlightens the world with the radiating felicity of others. When medicine cannot heal disease, The miracle of love begins. Love is the extremely incredible warmth of awareness in a human life. A smile created by the power of love can win all other hearts. The bloody pages of history are only washed away By the rain of love’s tears. Love reaches God sooner than the mind. The apple fell and gravity was discovered; The heart was elevated, and so was the limitless gravity of love. All of the cosmos is love’s realm,

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But I do not know why it always resides in closed hearts. Eyes wet with their own tears Will never lose the beauty of their sanctity. The power of a lover’s sigh is as strong as his beloved’s beauty. Love adds weight when it takes, not when it gives. Children play with dust to find excitement And adults make sacrifices to find another life. Dishonesty in children decreases their joy in playing with dust And impurity in adults decreases the power of purity. The world of love is an eternal feast That will never let the dirty feet of ego enter. Beauty is the footprint of love on earth. Love shortens the distance between man and immortality So much so that human hands gain the flame of immortality. The cloud of a lover does not roar until it holds its maximum amount of rainfall. In order to realize the glory of love, You first should observe all the beauty in the world. Love so much that all the curves of your life disappear. The cloud of a lover becomes so obsessed With saturating the earth that it almost forgets its emptiness. Those who gain fame as lovers in history Were not in love with one single person For love cannot be imprisoned between two people; In love, we become fascinated by the cosmos, not just by one person. He who becomes human due to the power of love Is far better than he who is tamed by advice.

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Sliver 78: Love and Its Eternal Light

Human beings are purified by the emotions in laughter, And tamed by the blows of advice. Seek the elixir of love, not the elixir of gold! One turns the copper of your soul into gold And the other turns the copper of your wealth into gold. When there are clouds, cardboard flowers open their umbrellas And when love starts, cardboard people open their umbrellas. All the moments of our lives are reduced to limitless zeroes When the tall height of the number ‘one,’ love, does not come first. When it does not rain for a year, our earth becomes a desert. If the rain of love does not fall on us in a lifetime, what do we become?! Love is a remedy the color of copper, so that no one may know that it was the gold of love’s medicine that helped to cure humanity. Like children, love laughs when it falls down So that it may rise again. Love in the universe is like meaning in a word. The cloud of a lover becomes rain, the rain of love, a river, And the river of a lover becomes a sea. Neither buy nor sell love; Become the only merit of love, only for love. Criticism gains the hue of vengeance When it does not gain the color of love. Love is an endless thirst And no thirst can be quenched without it. Love is an everlasting holiday. Every tree is a flag of God’s love on earth and every blossom is its arm. The grandeur of the sea is as great as its shore

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And the grandeur of a man is as great as his love. Love compromises quickly and is slow to sulk. Not every human can have the most beautiful face, But every human can feel the most beautiful love. A baby is born of a mother when its body is complete, and a human is born in love when his mind has become totally empty. When a mind is free of superstitions, It reflects the truth, like a mirror when it is free of any spots. My cherry tree always burns, but no one hears the voice of its suffering Because it is always the sound of joy which is heard, Not the sound of its agony. When we realize the secret of love, we see that the cosmos Is making attempts to ensure our felicity for our everlasting future. Tears wiped away by the hands of love are the most fragrant tears. When there is no light, a diamond gains the same value as a mountain’s stone And when there is no love, a heart gains the value of an empty urn. One who has a childish soul and a love of the intellectual Reaches the apex of felicity. Love Is a reflection of prioritizing the felicity of others over our own. Become purified by love, not its merchant! High mountains have roots in the depths of the earth And great souls have roots in the depths of love. In the world of love, there exists only one country: A country for everyone. A ship reaches the shore through the purity of the sea’s waves

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Sliver 78: Love and Its Eternal Light

And a man reaches the shore through the purity of love’s waves. When you were born, God granted you only one consolation, called love, But man forgot the joy of its name And the purity of its way; Then no other consolation could mollify him. The mind shows you a way to discover your heaven. But love opens a path so that you may reach the infinity of your soul. Love means liking your enemy So that he may become so elevated as to prefer friendship to enmity. Love is like a root; It suffers being under the soil so that others can partake of its fruits. Eyes washed by the tears of love Will never lose their beauty. When you believe that your success is worth as much as the success you have given to others, you will love the success of others. When there is no light, our diamonds do not display themselves And when there is no love, our souls cannot display themselves. Were it not for the sake of love’s flame, The furnace of life would never be warm. If the cautery of love did not exist, The sign of love would never have been inscribed in the hearts of man. The most silent cry is for love. Better than eyes, love can see beauty and discover it. Love is the most vivid perception between two humans. The hands of love that wipe away tears will always smell of heaven. Love is like the flame of a candle: one can light many candles with it

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Without the risk of reducing its flame. There is a heat in love that cannot grow cold with the sunset. Love is like a child; However it runs after its dream, it will not get tired. Love barely becomes angry and soon it begins to laugh. Love does not want any reward, For it is more than a reward. Love is a city in which there is no wall To separate humans from one another. Love turns the extremely small world of selfishness Into the extremely large world of loving. A lover would shine in his beloved like the flame of a candle. Love turns two extremely small hearts into an extremely big one. A butterfly proves the value of its endless love for a candle With its unmarked ashes. Man’s parched lips will never forget the coldness of the river And his burned love will never forget the coolness of his beloved’s love. In the heart of the sun, There is no night, and in the heart of a lover, there is no death. Those who create friendship Are more heavenly than those who reside in heaven. The righteous reach paradise And those who create friendship reach God. When you pour your joy into another soul, Something is created in your life That is even sweeter than paradise. Love does not seek paradise.

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Sliver 78: Love and Its Eternal Light

Love creates its eternal paradise through the beauty of its brilliance. Tears make life bearable, laughter sweetens life and love eternalizes it. Writing, which is not written by the fingers of love, Shall not become a masterpiece of humanity. No gift is meagre when we give it with the hands of our love. Love is to give when you have less, not when you have more. Felicity goes where love is and where there is no love, hell fills it. The cosmos shall celebrate When man turns his agony into the joy of others. Love bears its own pain but it does not bear the pain of others. The colorful spectrum of a prism is from one single light; The colorful spectrum of our race is from one single light of love. Love gives so much that nothing remains of it except its own way. The warm embrace of love always turns into joy for others. What are the most glorious words in the cosmos? My joy is your joy. A great man becomes so preoccupied with the joy of loving others That he completely forgets that there is something called felicity. Only the rays of love Can destroy the huge idol of love. A man who melts his body like a candle In order to gladden others Shall become the burning candle of the universe. Heaven was created from the purity of the heart And the purity of the heart originates from the purity of love.

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If you love someone, you are as great as that person. If you love all humankind, you are as great as all humankind And if you love the cosmos, you will be like the whole universe. The world of kings is as big as their borders And the world of love is as big as the understanding between people. The redness of the face says, “Our body is alive.” And the redness of love says, “Our soul is alive.” Misery is that black desert That appears when kindness does not fall from man’s eyes. Felicity in love is like heat in the sun. He who understands love does not need paradise And paradise will not make he who does not apprehend love happy. In the universe, only those who are picked by the hands of love are fruitful. The heat of man’s felicity is as warm as his love. Make love your wings and reach the high peaks Instead of drowning in the quagmire of your desires. A human is as deep as his love and love is as deep as his purity. In the tears of a cloud, Our earth will not crack; nor will our hearts in tears of love. If the music of a lover’s heart did not exist, the sky would never dance. Love is like a pomegranate: It gives its heart’s blood so that others can drink of its sweet and sour nectar. Mindless love strays and a loveless mind is never happy. Love turns the winter of a man’s life Into summer with just a little warmth.

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Sliver 78: Love and Its Eternal Light

A human smile is the painting of his love in the frame of his face. A flower does not sell its fragrance, nor does love sell its taste, For their wealth is in their souls, not in their gardens. The treasure of a human’s house shows itself after it is ruined And the treasure of a human’s heart shows itself after it becomes a legend. Love makes humans so legendary that nothing remains of it Except one trace of the endless glory of human beings. Love is never enough, but without it, nothing is complete. The scent of a flower is the scent of its love for others. Love enjoys alleviating the woes of others So that it no longer feels their pain. When the joy of power is sacrificed for the purity of love, The world will be turned upside down. In the palace of love, there is a room which – if you enter it clean – You might feel as if you were drinking All of beauty, from the beginning until eternity. When the complaints of love lessen, then no song will be nice to hear. When the wound of love is healed, The treatment of any other wound will be impossible. Love cannot bear the agony of others; Therefore, its behavior will always make a miracle. The sky starts to rain when it is full of clouds; And man rains when he deserves love. Leaves become soil and they grow again to let us know: Leaves become soil, but love will never become soil again. The hand the wipes away the tears of the heartbroken Will smell of eternity.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Do not cut the roots of love, though they are thin, Because large fruits also become green on a thin stem. If the flames of a lover’s sighs did not exist Man’s candle would never be lit. Love does not calculate how much it has sold; Love only likes forgiving. Love and a stream are like each other, For when they become sullied, they will never shine again.

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SLIVER 79: SORROW AND DEPRESSION

O man! Do not be so upset, for the frostbite of cruelty will never end. If I could, I would even burn the branches of the tree of my feelings So that you would never freeze, thanks to the warmth of its flames. Watching beauty washes away the sorrows. Man’s defiled joys Always turn into his tragic scripts. Every beauty says: “Do not be upset because I was created to bring you joy.” When you do not find your mirror delightful, Seek out the reason in your sad face. Sorrow is the coldness of the soul. Do not be sorrowful because then locks cannot be opened, For the hands of hope open every lock. The injustice of moths does not make the sun upset. Peaks never feel lost in their endless loneliness, For they will keep eternal company with their endless mercy. Blessed is he who does not postpone his work today until tomorrow, And he who is not saddened by tomorrow’s sorrows. Not grieving is the most delicious food. The sun shortens the alleyways of darkness And hope shortens the smallest alleyway of nostalgia.

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Do not ruin your extremely long future With the sorrow of your extremely short past. The brilliance of awareness scatters two deep, dark things: The darkness of sorrow and darkness of death. Sorrows stay alone forever, If you refuse to stay alone with your life’s glory. Many are upset that the blue sky has black clouds And many are happy that the black clouds have pure rain. A human is as happy as his hope And he is as sorrowful as his despair. The closer we approach the glory of our lives, The farther we become detached from mundane sorrows. Life without hope is like the sky without stars; It neither shows the way nor dispels sorrows. Sorrow is a pit; The deeper you go into it, the deeper it becomes. Everything that is not like beauty creates sorrow. Love the world So much so that you do not grieve about it or commit a sin in it. Do not become so inured to the sorrow in your soul That you fail to see The extremely joyful shining of the stars above your head. The sun of your sky would never be sad. Only strange clouds get upset. Yet, they are also bound to vanish soon. If he thinks about it, a man’s sorrow Is as heavy as what he does not possess. Beauty has never been seen as sorrowful.

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Sliver 79: Sorrow and Depression

No sorrow can pierce the unbrokenly pleasing hall of self-discovery. Sorrow is the mirror in which we look at what we do not have And laughter is the mirror in which we look at what we have. Were the face of a beloved so unique, Man would not grieve and would think that the glory of life will never end. The shining of hope dispels the spots of nostalgia As sunshine dispels the spots of darkness. Sorrow is a well which is dug by the hands of despair. He asked, “How can we avoid sadness?” I said, “What you have, partake of its fruit And do not feel sorrow over what you do not have.” Sorrow is the temple of demons; it was made So that people may never realize The endlessly beautiful truth about their lives. A fountain will never be upset, For it gains its felicity from the purity of its passion. With every human sin, A star will explode in the galaxy of its joy. Instead of grieving, Look at what has occasioned your sadness. Not grieving is one half of youth. Sorrow is the entrance to old age. Only in the expanse of great hearts can sorrows vanish. The most joyless sin is sorrow. When we do not mull over what we have today, we become disconsolate And when we do not contemplate the hope of our future,

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We become ash. Self-ignorance turns the paradise of joy into a desert And self-discovery turns the desert of sorrow into a paradise. Joy increases man’s eloquence and sorrow decreases his eloquence. Daisies never don the robe of grief, for they understand life. When you love someone, do not be money or a coin to them; Be their laughter, so that they forget their sorrows with you. Impurities are always seen as sad. Greed creates more sorrow than poverty does. The heart’s unclean stains turn into sorrow And the pure features of a heart turn into laughter. A soul that lacks need creates laughter and a needy soul creates sorrow. The sea of depression takes shape with the drops of sorrow And drops of sorrow take shape when one mulls over what one lacks. Many become avaricious to be happier But they do not know that avarice is the quagmire of depression. In the world of being, Everything becomes a bore but a lover’s eternal sigh. Life is the sweetest comedy of creation But man’s greed changes it into the bitterest tragedy. The dust of weariness settles on every place But on the palace of mutual understanding. A moment of repetition blackens everything But the ideas of a modern thinker. Depression is the mold of the heart’s pollution.

SLIVER 80: SEPARATION AND ITS MYSTERIOUS WORLD

Separation is the resurrection of love. The path of love begins with the flame of separation. Were there no separation, love would never be poetic. Do not burn so much in your parting that my tears may turn into ash. Then, I shall no longer see you through the pure veil of my eternal tears. Sometimes we are so absorbed in the joy of reaching our beloved That we do not try not to turn into ash in our eternal separation. Uniting and parting are like inhaling and exhaling; Like the breaths of the living, our souls will soon die without one or the other. The power of uniting is stronger than that of parting, for the power of uniting can move mountains and the power of parting can move an entire life. When love cries at the parting of a beloved, Let it weep as much as it can, For the endlessly thirsty lips of parting are only quenched With the tears of love. The righteous are rewarded with the nectar of paradise And a lover is rewarded with the pain of parting. The latter is a hundred times sweeter than the former. Parting burns the tears of love So that the world shines by its light forever. Uniting is a companion for one night

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And parting is our companion for all eternity. The power of love’s scream is the power of the pain of parting. A butterfly reaches the glory of its wings in its cocoon And man reaches the glory of his sighs in his beloved’s parting. Were it not for the fire of parting, Man’s soul would be frozen eternally. Separation is the immortal novel of love. Separation is the beginning of love’s self-discovery. Were the fire of parting not drenched with the tears of love, The whole world would burn. Parting stands next to Reaching, and Reaching stands near Separation. If they all return and know each other, life will become infinitely lovely. He who is saturated with the fire of his own thirst Will never need the coldness of the fountains in paradise. Parting is the beginning of the endless journey of love. The tears of love never grow cold, For, moment by moment, they become flammable with the fire of parting. Separation is not the end of you and me. Separation is the endless poem of you and me until the end. Separation burns the tears of love So that man’s lonely nights may always flicker. When the songs of canaries are wounded, I perceive, for I know what the wings of love feel When they are wounded by the blade of parting. Parting burns the moans of love So that the sound of love’s moans May become the most inspiring music in the cosmos.

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Sliver 80: Separation and Its Mysterious World

Love never dies, For the scar of its parting becomes livelier, moment by moment. The excoriatingly hot tears of my eyes say: “Be calm, for no hellfire can be hotter than the agony of parting.” Parting teaches union how to take delight in something. Those who become heroes take on the golden color of their medals And those who fall in love assume the golden pain of parting. The golden color of a medal is sweet for only one day, But the golden pain of parting endures for eternity. Parting is the flame of love’s fire. Separation turns into eternal bewilderment When we do not recognize the glory of our sweetheart approaching. I would never reach the dawn If the stars of your memories did not shine in my lonely nights. I do not find any taste more glorious than the bitter taste of Nescafé, For it always has the unique taste of the night when we parted. The bitterness of the night of our parting Is sweeter than the morning of others uniting. The unique bitterness of Nescafé Is better than the constant sweetness of honey.

SLIVER 81: OPPORTUNITY AND ITS ENDLESS TREASURES

The moment of opportunity is the wealthiest moment. If time waited a minute for man, The value of opportunity would not be so infinite. The legendary treasure of which they speak is opportunity. The legendary treasure of opportunity will be laid in the old chest of time; So, the shortsighted will not be able to discover it. Time is the quintessence of life; And opportunity is the quintessence of time. We can lose a chance in a moment And we will be deprived of its treasure forever. Opportunity is the ripe fruit of felicity; if you do not pluck it It shall instantly descend onto the dust of death. Only one hunter is fortunate: the hunter of opportunities. Act soon before it becomes too late. Have you not made up your mind yet? So, wait until the golden train of chance Vanishes from your sight forever. Those who do not hunt the best will get hunted by the worst. Opportunities are like waves; You will not proceed unless you ride them. The most fortunate conquerors conquer big opportunities,

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Sliver 81: Opportunity and its Endless Treasures

Not high peaks. Like food, chances are spoiled when they go stale. Opportunity is the most genuine chance for human beings. Opportunity never knocks at a door with empty hands. A lazy person Never grasps the treasure of chance. The most precious moments for man are his opportunities. Opportunity is like a flight; If you arrive one moment too late, all the doors will be closed. Time is the richest wealth in creation And opportunity is its sweetest fruit. Hesitation is the quagmire of opportunities. Doubt steals the infinite wealth of opportunity in a moment. The golden train of opportunity Sometimes stops in your life But only for a few moments. Opportunity is like a khaki colored bus that moves towards a golden destination. So, no one shall get on it. He who does not hunt an opportunity will be hunted by remorse. Time is more valuable than gold, And opportunity is more valuable than time. The wealthiest hunters are hunters of opportunity. Life is similar to a clock’s pendulum; We become so distracted by its beautiful dance That we forget entirely that the chance to love passes so quickly.

SLIVER 82: HUMILITY AND MODESTY

When the storm reaches the forest It yields its power to the forest too. Some flowers can be bent So much so that they may kiss Mother Earth. A drop that seeks to join the sea should first learn to fall. Man in his modesty has no need for any arrogance or pretention. To be natural is more pleasurable than being modest. Many people have humble bodies and very arrogant spirits. A mother gives love to her child, but does not lower her pride; Hence, passionate behaviors are endlessly sweeter than humble ones. When a jet ascends into the sky, It descends, so as not to diminish its glorious stature. When the flood reaches the sea, it becomes modest. Humility is such a beautiful feature. Alas, the arrogant also become unselfish! A great man is like a fruitful tree: He goes to pick blossoms gently, And is not a boss who is hard to find, even at his own doorstep. The culmination of intellect reduces the weight of arrogance. The most hypocritical person Is he who conceals his arrogant nature behind a mask of modesty. A wave becomes the sea when it prefers submission to ambition.

SLIVER 83: POVERTY AND ITS CAUSES

Poverty is the world’s distressed child. Never adopt such a child! The best way to help the poor is not to sanctify poverty. At universities, they offer many courses in economy But there is not even a single-credit course to alleviate poverty. Alleviating poverty enriches the community And impoverishment incapacitates it. Tyranny always cherishes its nation’s impoverishment. Financial poverty is painful; cultural poverty is more painful, though. To live in misery is difficult, but to live scantily is even more difficult. Poverty sickens life. As for an avaricious person, his soul is poor And as for a poor soul, his pockets are poor. The ability to economize reduces poverty. The best service to the poor is to diagnose the causes of destitution. A great many people live in poverty, but die in affluence! An empty heart is the most ill-tempered thing While an empty stomach is the most irritable one. The magnificence of our smile heals the wounds of other souls And the display of our wealth eases the wounds of other’s poverty.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

A poor man who asks “What’s the cause of my poverty?” will be rich. The most agonizing sin is poverty! Impoverishment is a disease; if left untreated It shall spoil all of man’s joys. The best service to the poor is to identify the concept of exploitation. Nothing is more impoverishing than a poor mind. The deceiver suffers from spiritual poverty And the deceived suffers from intellectual poverty. Desiccating the roots of poverty Is a hundred times more effective than any charitable deed. It amazes me why some institutions consecrate poverty, While they see their followers commit The most profane deeds on account of poverty. No poverty is more desolate than being deceived. Goodness is a wealth, which will never turn into poverty. The voice of anger can always be heard from a hungry belly. Destitution is the eternal dress of sloth. A man’s poverty is like the empty bag of his ignorance.

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SLIVER 84: BOOKS AND READING

The cover of a book shows the statue of a civilization, And the meaning of the blurb is the life of a civilization. The sound of the pages of a book opening Is sweeter than an angel spreading its wings. The dots in books are far more precious than a diamond. One small book Is more useful than one hundred large mines in a country. A nation in which a book is a form of wealth, Shall never wear the garb of poverty. People of little taste do crosswords, People of taste read books, and people of no taste read nothing. Every book is an album of its author’s soul. Civilization manifests itself in a society Which has great books and an abundance of readers. A great book is the only paradise whose pleasant atmosphere We can enter at a very low price. Every book emits love to humanity; a sheet of paper and the color of letters. Every page is another feather for man’s wings of liberty and redemption. Each book is as deep as the soul of its writer And the soul of every author is as deep as his love for humanity.

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For man to achieve bliss, he must be the author of his book of felicity. A human is the book of felicity. Now, the cover of this book is so beautiful; hence, the grandeur of its contents is unsurpassable. A book is silent, because its insides are brimming with meaning. A book is a treasure trove of human felicity. A mother’s pure heart is a heaven for our bodies And a book’s pure heart is a heaven for our souls. The sound of the pages of a book turning Is the most pleasing sound of man’s redemption. A human’s smile is on the front cover of their book of felicity. Books are the lifetime savings of all intellectuals Who make their own ample wealth with such a scanty sum. The world is an infinite library; the one who ponders over it Is a unique philosopher of human history. Fortunate people have obtained these three pure joys: The joy of courtesy, the joy of observation, and the joy of studying. Reading a good book Is more gratifying than seeing a hundred beautiful worlds. A great book is a book That makes us more cordial after we finish reading it. When we do not work, we become poor, And we become vacant when we do not read books.

SLIVER 85: DEEDS

Every bad deed has a bad smell and every good deed has a good smell; Our heaven and hell are created in this way. There is no vice in the universe unless you create it. The most rational show of defiance against the disagreeable behavior of others Is to act agreeably. Each man’s behavior displays his soul. A lack of appreciation does not undervalue one’s actions. The perfume of one’s behavior is a man’s health. One moment of action is far better than one hundred years of assertion. Instead of insulting the demons, try not to be like them. A man whose feet of action are lame leans on his sloganeering staff. Attractive behavior is far more exuberant than an attractive face. The price of each mirror is what it shows And the price of each key is the treasure it unfolds. I asked my pen, “What is the most difficult ascent?” It replied, “Climbing the stairways of speech up to the stairways of behavior, and from the stairways of behavior to the stairways of sacrifice.” He who acts is the real master, Not the one who teaches.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

The glory of a great man’s behavior today Reveals the future of posterity. The beauty of our faces lingers during youth And the beauty of our deeds lasts forever. Everything goes with the wind except for the burden of our deeds. A flower teaches goodness to the perfume of its deeds, But not to its admonition. The most silent form of sincerity is aromatic behavior. The flower has become immortal, For it demonstrates the most reticent and perfumed behavior. The verbosity of slogans indicates the insignificance of claims. Man’s merit eulogizes his immortality. Speak only when you carry a bag of great deeds from your whole life.

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SLIVER 86: SIN AND INNOCENCE

What sin is greater than not thinking more delightfully than yesterday?! He who loves himself will not commit a sin, For he knows that sin abates the glory of his life. With every sin, man darkens a part of his soul. Were cruelty the prime suspect, No man would ever be the prime suspect. Do not banish the offenders from your society; Eradicate felony-oriented factors until no more crime emerges. Sin is the thief of man’s soul. A petty man backbites and a great man wonders. Whatever makes me lose my composure is my sin, And whatever develops my composure is my prayer. What a tormenting sin it is Not to delight in the felicity of others! Not enjoying being oneself is a punishment for one’s impure soul. He who possesses a pure heart Feels mortified even when he sees the word ‘sin’. Gossiping is the rumination of abominable souls. Sin is a quagmire of emotions. The wound of sin is more traumatic in soul than in body.

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One sin is one small hell, And one good act is like a great heaven. When you commit a sin, you are banished from the Eden of your beliefs And when you do not love, you are driven out of your body’s heaven. He who underrates sin will always be small. What sin can be greater than your feet today Which will not take steps longer than your feet did yesterday? The most dangerous human sin is man’s ugly mind. Sin enters any temple but the temple of love. Not being oneself is a never-ending sin. What a dreary sin the lack of advancement is! A human’s sin is his soul’s filth. Addiction is hell’s spider; it hunts man’s soul. This addictive substance Is a quagmire for the infinite, invigorating substances in our lives. Not being oneself created sin, and sin created adversity. The smallest punishment for a sin is that After it is committed, we lose the ease of our conscience. The shadows before you are your penalty for turning away from the sun, and the spectacles before you are your rewards for embracing the sun. Sin never accosts our world, If the joys of thinking and reasoning are incomparable with any other joy. Benightedness is the most unpardonable human wrongdoing. Benightedness is the fruit of bias And modesty is the fruit of contemplation.

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Sliver 86: Sin and Innocence

Sin is vile for one day and persistence in it lasts forever. If you do not repeat your mistakes, You will never pay heavy fines. Submerging in a swamp is easier than coming out of it. Contrition means perceiving the humility of the pleasure of sin. Only the most innocent thoughts can discover infallible laws. The innocence, which emerges due to the purity of love Will never die away. Purity tempers love. Purified love shall never brook unmanliness. The innocence of love protects our soul’s clarity So that we may not be defiled. The spirit which apprehends beauty Will never lose its innocence. The most immaculate tongue is the tongue of silence. Had you shielded your soul’s innocence, You would not have lost the infinite joy of being yourself at this time. Beauty is the most immaculate truth of the universe, For it will never become ugly so that it loses its endless bliss. When our mind reaches the apex of its beauty, Innocence glimmers in our soul.

SLIVER 87: A SMILE AND THE SECRET OF ITS BEAUTY

The beauty of a smile heals those wounds, Which no treatment can heal. We live as easily as we smile. In every smile, the glory of one renewed love shines, And so does the glory of one renewed world in every renewed love. Each smile is my shrine, For a smile is God’s painting, shown in the frame of man’s face. I translated “I love you” into all languages, And its translation turned out to be: a smile. A smile is a greeting card of humanity’s love for each other. The most divine radiance is the radiance of the love Which takes shape after beholding the bliss of others. The most heavenly smile Is the one which blooms to decorate our hearts Not the one that is grandiosely flaunted. We will be two beautiful lips of one happy smile If we keep the two beautiful letters, “we,” together. A man’s smile Is the photo frame of his kindness. When you try to create felicity and do not weary of it, Remember that love will smile in your life eternally. I did not laugh aloud, but when I saw that the rivers

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Sliver 87: A Smile and the Secret of Its Beauty

Would not reach the sea unless they laughed audibly, I began to laugh aloud. Laughter which does not echo the song of hope for the future Is far more embittered than tears. I always smile since I understand life’s infinite generosity. A smile is the most unadorned window through which Two human beings can see each other’s heavenly lives. The palace of a man’s felicity Is always lit by the brilliance of his smile of agreement. It was God’s hand which painted smiles on the faces of miserable people. A man’s smiling face is a picture of God’s house; So, decorate it more and more. The breeze of God’s smile is an elixir; So in the breeze of God’s smile, Nonentity becomes entity and entity becomes inebriety. A man’s smile is as beautiful as his nature, not his appearance. A smile is the most pleasant consolation. A man’s smile is a way of thanking his soul for life’s endless kindnesses. He said: “Take it.” I replied, “I delight in smiling rather than in possessing it.” A man never loses the beauty of his face, Unless the smile of satisfaction fades away from his face. A genius paints his painting in a golden frame And love does in the frame of a man’s smile. A man’s smile Is a gift of his beautiful soul, to be appreciated by the kindness of others.

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A smile is more beautiful than laughter as silence is more than mere sound. I always smile and I sometimes laugh For silence is more gratifying than sound. When we smile, A miracle will doubtlessly occur in our lives. When a bud smiles, it will become a flower And when a man smiles, it cheers up our hearts. In order to put my mirror out of its melancholy, I always smile in front of it! A man’s smile shows that his soul is blooming. A smile is a sign of humanity. If the buds were not in the shape of a man’s smile, They would not look so beautiful. A smile is a modern form of graphic art. A man’s smile is like a beautiful poem of his soul That is written on the face of his soul. A man’s smile displays the beauty of his soul’s immortality. Love smiles When we think about another’s joy rather than our own. A smile is the statue of understanding. A smiling face is like heaven, And a frowning face is like hell. A smile is the most joyful bud that blooms in the whole universe. I took my smile to my home; my home became paradise.

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Sliver 87: A Smile and the Secret of Its Beauty

A smiling face decorates life far better than a luxurious house. The scent of buds soon goes with the wind, But the scent of our smile lasts forever. The purest joy Is the joy that two men see while smiling at each other. The value of all of the paintings by great artists Is not worth a humble smile. Smiling at what we own frees us from the suffering of what we do not. A man’s modest smile is the sign of his serene spirit. The power of a smile has more power than emperors, For emperors conquer borders, and a smile conquers hearts. When I hear the smile of another’s felicity, I immediately turn to it, for it reflects the endless glory of life. If you want to hear the song of paradise to see how enchanting it is, Listen to the children’s smile. The sound of a human’s smile of felicity is the most serene, eternal music. The sound of a man’s smile is as glorious as his soul’s beauty. The sound of the smile of another’s felicity Makes my joy dance better than any pleasing music.

SLIVER 88: MOTHER AND HER HEAVENLY DIVINITY

Being a mother is beautiful; acting like a mother is even more beautiful. The unadorned heart of a mother is the most modern university. A mother is God’s love letter to earthly creatures. A mother is the grand interpreter of tenderness. A mother’s kiss teaches plainness. The cosmos is our infinitely kind mother Through whose endlessly sweet, caressing fingers we enter heaven. Life is our mother; have you ever seen an unkind mother?! The song of hope is immensely elevating, like a mother’s lullaby; The former takes us to a golden path, the latter to a sweet dream. A mother’s innocent expression is the most exact compass for her children; For it always looks to the horizon of salvation. Life is your mother; never get disowned by it. In a university, a scientist is trained, And a human being is raised in a mother’s arms. A mother’s kiss on her child’s cheek is the cleanest lesson That has ever been given in the whole universe. Always be kind and humble, like a mother’s kiss. A mother is the king of love, for she gives love

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Sliver 88: Mother and Her Heavenly Divinity

In order to give value to our lives, not to devalue it. Were it not for the warmth of a mother’s kiss, A man’s hopes for the future would be frozen. In a mother’s womb, the miracle of the creation of a child occurs, And in a mother’s heart, the miracle of the creation of love occurs. Without the glow of the sun’s smile, Man’s days would always be murky, And without the glow of a mother’s smile, man’s spirit would be dark. A mother looks so beautiful beside her son; and more beautiful Beside her daughter, and even more winsome beside her husband. Honey is made in hives, and civilization is made in mothers’ arms. A mother is the loudest expression of love. If mothers did not exist, No one could interpret tenderness. A mother is the most beautiful poem by God, For she is composed of these five beautiful words: Love, sincerity, hope, forgiveness, and modesty. With one hand, a mother creates her children’s paradise and with the other hand, she creates her husband’s paradise. Nature is our mother: Do not distress it, so that we never have a frail or feeble mother. Do not wound nature! A wound to nature is a wound to our felicity. ‘Mother’ is the finest line of all the love poems in the universe. The warmth of a mother’s kiss is the warmth of our future’s felicity. A mother is God’s caressing hand on earth.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

The most inspiring music always echoes in a mother’s arms, For the music of a child’s smile is the molten glory of eternity. The arms of a kind mother are man’s first paradise. The most delightful activity of children Is seeing their parents smiling. The first whisper that made the world dance Was a mother’s lullaby, And the first image that astonished heaven Was the blister on a father’s hand. The most silent form of sincerity is the blister on a father’s hand.

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SLIVER 89: MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING

Management is the brain’s bank of power. Management is not utilized so that we accomplish great deeds, It is so that we complete small feats punctually. Management prevents jobs from being tied together And the truth prevents paths from being tied together. Management is the architect of the heaven of ease. A managed endeavor has two great benefits: Early success and easy living. The most precise clock in the world is management. The most profitable property in the whole world is management. Management is like a civilized country, For advancement is its inevitable product. Management is a mastermind. Management means: A huge mind that carries the power of another’s mind towards its goal. Management is the treasure of our future world. Management saves time and the loss of management kills time. If man had two brains, he would fall apart. The day when I postpone my deeds until tomorrow Is a day when I will celebrate.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Planning is the most efficient aide for human beings. No wealth can buy time save for planning. Planning is a fund to store time. If you adjust yourself, the universe shall adjust itself with you.

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SLIVER 90: DEATH AND ITS ENDLESSLY BEAUTIFUL TRUTH

Death will be your most beautiful beginning If you have the most beautiful ending. Death heals man in such a way That no pain is felt. Death Means replacing one’s utterly old tastes purely with new ones. Sunshine does the same thing with the darkness of the night That the blaze of knowledge does with the darkness of the night. Again, morning emanates from the darkness of the night And again, birth forms the darkness of the death. If the hereafter did not exist, Man would strive to discover it. A pure heart will never die, when everyone dies. When a bud dies, it shall see itself as a flower. Our elevated aims today Will turn into long wings for us in another world. Death finds the highest value, When living with repulsive people becomes inevitable. Death is man’s small birth, and love is his great birth. He whose past deeds glow Will not be afraid of his night of death.

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Death is your shadow; shine so that you may never see it. If the world after birth did not exist, There would not be life, And if the world after death did not exist, Man’s felicity would not be complete. The most fragrant flowers are cut early. I smiled so much at the beauty of love That death finally left my body. Again, we come back and replay the endlessly inspiring game of life. Death is your mirror; you see yourself anyway you are. Death is a clock that ticks exactly as is intended. I do not dread it if I hear the endlessly pleasing sound of the cosmos Saying: “Life lasts until eternity.” If death did not exist, raggedness would never end. Man’s death will become as beautiful as his guiding mind. If you sink into the purity of consciousness, You will find it sweeter than the birth of your first child. Man’s death is the dawn of his soul. Death is the blooming of our soul so that the bud of life May transform into a flower, and any bud would bloom without sorrow. The death of lovers is sweeter than the kingdom of kings, And so the life of lovers is so unique. The world after a human’s death Is as beautiful as the world of his mind today. One day we shall celebrate life and death Because there will be no false rites To captivate people through a fear of death.

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Sliver 90: Death and Its Endlessly Beautiful Truth

My most glorious smile will be when I die, For I understand the glory of the hereafter. If death did not exist, man would buy it with all his wealth. I broke apart the seed of ‘death’ And the essence of eternity fell out of it. I exhibited the glory of death, And my words danced forever. Man’s death is his deepest silence; Thus, it retells his deepest words. From some dead trees We can build a new wooden house for ourselves. Those who die shall find death more inspiring than the world. Daisies die at the apex of their beauty. The death of a wise man is sweeter than that of an ignoramus. Death is your body’s shadow, and living is your life’s halo. Only he who is not granted a rebirth dies. If you discern death, you will not experience another death. A human’s birth is as beautiful as his body And his death is as beautiful as his soul. If men did not know their shadows, They would be afraid of them. They are afraid of their deaths in the same manner. Daisies die, but their crimson smiles endure. If death did not exist, The prison of the world would not have an exit door.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Everyone feels death Apart from love. Do not fear the evening of your old age; In every sunset, the shining of a thousand stars belongs to you. The death of a man tomorrow is prettier than his thoughts today. Death is the great iconoclast of history When it breaks inside the hearts of dictators. Death is the beautiful wing of butterflies. Death is glory in motion. The more beauty you add to your life, The prettier your nightfall of life will be. Every sunset is as beautiful as a man’s glowing life. The sky never dies, because its vast expanse never ends. Darkness for those without light is nonexistence And it is life for those who have light. Light is not destroyed with darkness, nor is love with death. After his death, Every man is reborn as beautiful as his love’s radiance. I lit my life’s darkness with the fire of my life, And have never found it. Were existence not stronger than death, Nothing would exist now but nothingness. Love is never afraid of death, which is like a flame of darkness. The only way to defeat death is to know it. If death did not exist, dull days would never end And if love did not exist, days full of arrogance would never end.

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Sliver 90: Death and Its Endlessly Beautiful Truth

Death ruins everything except two things: The splendid purity and knowledge of a human being. Love does not have a hell, But it takes its endless joys from the hearts of the unfaithful. The body of every animal is in the form of its soul And the soul of every man is in the form of his love. Animals possess very weak souls; Therefore, they have a very weak love. Knowledge renews our souls, and death renews our bodies. The heart of the sun will never know the sunset And the heart of a lover will never know death. If you never want to feel the coldness of death, You should always feel the warmth of love. A real leader inspires us to think about our life’s treasures, Not about the agony of our death. The tightness of the womb of death will not hurt If we know that we will be born again.

SLIVER 91: PROBLEMS

Do not fear the darkness of your problems, Because if the darkness of the night did not exist, The radiance of the stars would never emerge. The brilliance of the diamond of the sun emerges after clouds darken the sky And the diamond of felicity emerges after troubles darken a life. The flowers in our garden are seen as more beautiful When they have their sharp thorns And the flowers of life are seen as more beautiful by us When they have their thorns of trouble. I take my hope’s warm sunshine over the icy mountains of my problems; Then they become my life’s endlessly vivacious rivers. Life has its vicissitudes, but downs are ups if we go up the road. Problems melt away so easily when you erode them Between the two rocks of willpower and knowledge. If problems did not exist, human felicity would fall sick. The bitterness of pepper enhances the pleasure of foods And the bitterness of problems adds to the pleasure of life. Smelling perfume incapacitates problems. The wearisome problems of the world incessantly bid us to say: “Life is not pretty,” but I say, “Life is eternally beautiful.” The particles of a problem crumble under my fingers of willpower And I say to myself, “All problems yield to man’s willpower.”

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Sliver 91: Problems

The problems in life can only manifest themselves When we underestimate ourselves when we are facing them. When you put up with problems in life, The agonies in life will put up with you, too, So that you can easily discover solutions. If you do not take the small problems of life seriously, They will never become the big problems in life. Rough waves rising from sandy beaches create unique sights, And the rough waves of problems are created from the shores of a man’s life. The backs of problems will break When we do not break the back of our willpower. A lowlife looks like a gilded coin; When it is scratched by the sharp nails of a problem, Its true worth shall transpire. Problems are my launch pad. Moment by moment, our mountain of problems becomes smaller, When, moment by moment, we sing our ascension into song. Life overflows with miracles, when we do not buckle under problems. He who towers over his problems becomes the biggest legend in history. Laughter is mortifying for problems. From the day I learned that loss, failure and problems Were inseparable parts of life, I have lived far more comfortably. I smile in the face of problems in order to stand above them. When it snows, sparrows sing, But how do you freeze in the winter of despair? Is your heart smaller than that of a sparrow, so that you cannot walk Over your snowy problems and reach your spring of tomorrow?

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Willpower is stronger than problems. The small lever of willpower Can easily move a huge mountain of problems. Walk over your problems and pass by; Otherwise, problems will walk over you and pass by. What problem can be graver than revealing madness Rather than wisdom in the face of problems? A great man is not afraid of problems, nor is a big jungle of a storm. When we do not kneel before problems, they will kneel before us. Success emanates from the darkness of problems, And tenderness from the blackness of our pupils. When you cannot score a goal in the game of problems, Do not think that you cannot! Think about how you can.

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SLIVER 92: REVELATION AND TRANSCENDENCE

Human felicity is as great as a man’s discovery of beauty. Every day is another eve If your eve is a new gaze, not a new year. For the first time, he who shed light on the lives of humans Discovered love, not fire. If we do not discover our path, we will be slaves in the paths of others. You will be a sea when the entire world perceives you; Then you will not be your own person, but the whole world. When you discover yourself, Suddenly you realize that you were always in heaven and you did not know it. More delightful than any discovery is self-discovery. The discovery of our ignorance is the most worthwhile discovery. We shall grow wiser after we discover our ignorance Rather than after we receive lessons. Do not fear your sunset! Fear that you may not have discovered the glory of your spirit before your sunset. Unless the sun sets on the earth, It will not discover the paradise of the galaxies. The unique clarity of water is discovered in the flame of thirst.

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Thirst is the resurrection of water’s clarity. Our immortality will become manifest At the moment we discover ourselves. Become intelligent in order to become the witness and the glory. He who becomes the witness becomes the sign of a paradise of daisies On the highway of man’s felicity. Finding our own faults is more enlightening than finding a gap in a dam. As for this feeling that I am what exists And that I am not what does not exist, There is a feeling far more exhilarating than that of heavenly creatures. I am, as long as there is intoxication; I am, as long as there is existence. I repose in these three exceptional heavens: The paradise of who I am, the paradise of I am, And the paradise of I am a friend. This feeling that I am and the feeling of who I am Are respectively the most heavenly feeling and the most philosophical question. Love means that you become fascinated With the things that may not elevate your soul. If our souls become exalted, we will find the whole universe As our eternal cradle in which we will swing forever, And circulate in an endlessly divine manner. Love means falling in love through your enemy’s guidance. He becomes so elevated that he chooses friendship over enmity. If you move horizontally, you will be earthly And if you move vertically, you will be heavenly. Climbing one step vertically Is far better than proceeding one thousand leagues horizontally. A human life is as deep as the profundity of his soul

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Sliver 92: Revelation and Transcendence

Not as long as his lifetime. Flying means growing, not being educated: It means growing a pair of light wings on both sides of one’s body. O Darling of infinity! If I am not enthralled by revelations, I will be enthralled by their manifestations. O Eternal Needless One! Everyone says, “What’s the meaning of this world?” We reply, “Is there anything but meaning in this world?!” O Immortal Beloved! Astonishment is the only land Permeating my being from primordiality to eternity And making me infinite, for I perceive love. Bewilderment is the only land Stretching through my soul from primordiality to eternity And immortalizing me, for I perceive love. When I went before God, He said: “If I give you paradise, what will you do?” I replied, “I will lay it under my feet So as to see your beauty from a higher position.” When I went before God, He said: “If I give you all the stars, what will you do?” I replied, “I will set them side by side And write Your beautiful name.”

SLIVER 93: HATRED, SPITE, AND MALICE

A heart filled with hatred is tighter than a bird’s cage. We always fear distance, But we do not know that hated is the most horrifying distance. If tenderness preceded resentment, Misfortune would never precede anything else. Those who dwell in Gehenna have one thing in common: They worship their hatred. Love makes paradise out of ashes, while hatred makes ashes out of heaven. Hatred in a man’s heart Inflicts the same wound as a worm inflicts on an apple. Hatred is a dark hole Which some people dig in their own hearts. All walls have doors except for the wall of hatred. There is no distance between hatred and hell. The thin mouth of hatred will always be closed If, in the face of it, we display the glory of our perception. A demon does not allow the hateful wounds of its adherents to heal, For it can only rule over the wounded. False creeds always show the hell of hatred in the form of heaven. The gloom of sunset darkens the sky of our city

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Sliver 93: Hatred, Spite, and Malice

And the gloom of hatred darkens the sky of our hearts. The hell of hatred will disappear Only when we turn the creed of worshipping celebrities into the faith of loving the truth. An empty stomach complains of its agony and an empty heart complains of its hatred. The richest word is love and the most worthless word is hatred. Were I a window, I would not even shut myself against my enemy, For open windows turn darkness into light And an open heart turns hatred into tenderness. The seeds of hatred grow in the land of prejudice. In the world of hatred, there exists no heaven. Distance does not bring about separation When the distance is not in our hearts. Man is like a book written by the pen of love But it is read in the eye of hatred. A demon is he who does not know That the joy of loving is more pleasing than spiting others. The eye of love can tolerate a thorn But the eye of hatred cannot tolerate a flower. If you knew how sweet it was to love, You would never find time for spite. The wound of spite in a soul is stings more than a knife’s wound. If you treat cruelty in kind, You will have created two types of cruelty. A demon is he who relishes asceticism more than kindness, For a demon exercises asceticism rather than love.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

I will set fire to the cruelty of others in my soul Until its flames may burn only me But its light will eternally illuminate the paths of others. Instead of cursing darkness, Do not set moths in place of the sun! In the hell of others’ cruelty, I will create a paradise of kindness, For the buds of bliss turn green in the paradise of kindness, Not in the desert of cruelty. It does not matter how much time thaws our souls; What matters is that the glory of our tolerance May give lessons of kindness to others. Why do you want to have your own candles Burning in your mansion of bliss? Hundreds of candles burning together Always make a prettier sight than a solitary candle. If we cannot love others, We turn off the lights which can give us light. Time will brush your tresses with the combs of felicity, If you brush another person’s hair with the combs of felicity. Behave in such a way That the kindness of our hearts may conquer the cruelty of time. In an atmosphere void of love, hell grows And in an elated air of love, heaven grows. The most elevated way to defeat an enemy is to love his salvation. Instead of cursing the flood, Construct a dam against it. A demon dies when it is not followed, Not when it is cursed. An insult is the stain of an abusive soul,

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Sliver 93: Hatred, Spite, and Malice

Which flows from the tip of a man’s tongue and sullies none but its owner. Light does not become darkness because of the curses of others. Moths celebrate the sunset! Hell is where people do not understand the glory of loving. I forgave them In order not to burn eternally in the endless torment of blame. A tight fist cannot have anything within it. Were the gazelles narrow-minded, Their eyes would never be so beautiful and big. The hand which plants thorns in the paths of others is always wounded.

SLIVER 94: THE SOUL AND ITS ESSENCE

For he who sees beauty and does not feel astonished, His feelings will be doubtlessly drowned in the quagmire of his soul. A soul is like a child Who gives away his mother’s jewelry box and receives a box of chocolates. Lust is impure air for the soul. The land of love issues visas for everyone but the soul. Arrogance is the eldest son of the soul. Dictators are the sons of their souls, not their fathers. The beginning of the empire of the soul Is an end to the Empire of Joy. Sometimes the influence of a goalkeeper Is tantamount to that of ten teammates; And this is like the goalkeeper of a man’s life, For he will gain no negative scores from the team of his soul. A soul destroys all of a human’s joys And leaves only one joy, the meagre joy of arrogance. If you are saved from the abode of your soul, You will be laughing forever in your heart’s atmosphere. Usefulness is the first aim of love, and being important is the first aim of the soul. If we do not purify ourselves in the atmosphere of intellectual joys,

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Sliver 94: The Soul and Its Essence

We may rot in the air of our soul’s joys. Hollow balloons are inflated with the wind of breath And vacant men are inflated with the wind of craving. The soul says, “Budge, lest life end soon!” Love says, “Be clam, for life is everlasting.” A friend’s necessities are a path toward the paradise of health And the soul’s necessities are a path toward the cellar of regrets. Scandal is the shadow of a human’s soul in his being. The soul is the origin of man’s regrets. We are immersed in the surges of our soul and we shine in the flow of love, For nothing will shine unless it gains the utmost purity. A human’s soul is the bandit of his eternal felicity. The purity of love’s joy renders you without need for the impurity of a soul’s joy. The balance of our lives is disturbed When it is subsumed by lust. Love cannot fly when it is overcome by lust. Between man and infinity, there is no distance but the soul’s desire. Anything that causes perdition – not elation – is the soul’s handiwork. The soul causes sin and sin darkens man. Boredom is the damp air of the house of the soul. When love gives its joy, it becomes inebriated And when the soul snatches another’s felicity, it becomes intoxicated. The soul has neither a brain nor a heart;

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It is only an inner part filled with the stains of arrogance. The thing that encumbers feelings is the soul. The soul does not have a healthy taste So it cannot feel the unique joy of living purely. When the flood is tamed, it turns into lightness And when the soul is tamed, it turns into salvation. A cigarette blackens a human’s soul, and the soul blackens a human’s infiniteness. The inhaled joy of a cigarette reflects the eternal humility of a soul’s joy. Man’s bliss Turns to ashes more than a cigarette turns to ashes. The soul says, “I love you, for you give me joy.” Love says, “I’m blissful, because you are blissful.” The soul is the coldest cellar of feelings. A man’s sorrow is the burden of his soul’s desire. He who does not measure his soul every day Will finally be defeated in measuring the sorrow engendered by his deeds. Sloth is the soul’s heavy burden, carried on a man’s back. Those who do not disparage lustful joys Will be disparaged by it. The soul’s powerful hand is exhausted by the power of discretion. The purgation of man’s soul Is his university of salvation.

SLIVER 95: SIGHT AND ITS INFINITE JOYS

When you watch, watch so sweetly That one moment of your sight may be as long as your lifetime, Not that your lifetime’s sight may be reduced to one moment. The spirit that understands beauty never gets old And the sight, which understands beauty never becomes unkind. A diamond blazes in the sunshine, The eye blazes in beauty’s glory, and heart blazes in love’s purification. Due to its repetition, a life becomes dark, If our dawn grows anew but our sight does not. When the eye becomes meaningful, everything becomes meaningful. When the day’s eyelids shut, we have darkness for a few hours And when love’s eyelids shut, we have eternal darkness. A needle hole grows as wide as all the skies, If you look from the purity of its heart. The only thing that is worth seeing is something which, after observing it, Affects us to start thinking in a heavenly way rather than in a mundane one. Each tree is a jungle, every drop a sea And each peal of laughter a paradise, if we watch through the purity of our hearts. Passion is the eternal thirst of love’s sight. If love’s fire does not shine, nothing becomes warm and spectacular.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Light does to the eye what love does to the heart. The most insatiable sight belongs to love. Dew becomes the sun, When it watches it through life’s purity. Everything needs light in order to be seen, except light itself. The sun can lighten our world; However, it cannot open eyes which are shut. Beauty is the Creator’s gift to the compassion of man’s eyes. The most tormenting moment for children Is when they see their parents swap frowning looks. Looking well leads to goodness and goodness leads to living well. The eye beholds beauty and love imbibes it. Drinking beauty is more pleasant than seeing it. A new world makes one day in life new, And new sight turns one day in life into eternity. No sight is more veracious than a glance, which is void of prejudice. We can see very new views behind immensely old windows. Water sees its soul’s beauty in the mirror of thirst. The sun’s eye is eternally ablaze, For it is never satiated seeing the jollity of others. Human felicity reflects the sublimity of a man’s glance And a man’s misery reflects the abruptness of his glance. Great people bring fear under their feet In order to look taller.

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Sliver 95: Sight and its Infinite Joys

Love shows its infinite look to one Who does not defile the innocence of his look. Like children, love is amused to behold butterflies Which do not understand the emptiness of the children’s pockets. A moth said: “I would go where there is sun!” I replied: “You’d better change your perspective once Rather than changing your position every day.” Obstacles exist so that one can climb atop them And look from a higher vantage point. He who does not feel exhilarated about another’s felicity Will not be happy. How miserable is he who writhes in the pain of darkness, But does not open his eyes to see the sun. Look so high that the smallness of your world may vanish. We see when we open our hearts, not when we open our eyes. A moth tells the Sun: “Were you dimmer, you would be more tolerable!” When you look and see nothing except miracles, Know that you have entered the realm of love. Love becomes richer by seeing human felicity And a human becomes richer by seeing another’s felicity. Those who take no notice of the not-so-beautiful bottom of the ocean Will not be able to see its infinitely dreamlike beaches. When you enjoy seeing another’s felicity, God shall reach His utmost wish. The eyes see the glory of beauty and love understands it.

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Beauty is the heaven of our eyes and kindness is the heaven of our world. In the eyes of a butterfly, the flame of a candle is a paradise of manifestations And in the eyes of a spider, it is a hell of flames. Seeing differently once is better than seeing indifferently for a lifetime. Man’s unclean appearance is the bandit on his path. We do not see the virtues of those who do not benefit us And in those who benefit us, we discern no faults. In the aura of light, the eye sees, and in the purity of love, the heart sees. Those who stand upside down shall see the facts reversed. The eye, which understands beauty, is a small paradise And the heart, which perceives love, is an infinitely enormous paradise. The eye sees deeply from the peaks of mountains And it sees more accurately from the heights of sincerity. For those who cannot find a new attitude Life will not grant them important things. A sunset is a brand new sunrise, if one sees From the zenith of its knowledge, not from the valley of its ignorance. The most sacred joy Is the joy we find in seeing another’s joy. The eye which does not see kindness is a hole in the wall. He who does not see the glory of things with his eyes closed Will not be able to see it with his eyes open. One glance is an infinity If we have not lost the infinity of our souls. If there’s no light, the mirror finds a vision

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Sliver 95: Sight and its Infinite Joys

And when there’s no love, there’s no heart. A glance is a paradise for the heart and the heart is the paradise of God. A glance is the soul’s gate. Now look who is entering the realm of your soul. A man gains sight when he sees his own faults, Not when he opens his eyes. Prosperous is he who sees the world from beyond the bounds of his own life, and not merely from his rooftop. The mind’s eye sees more lucidly than the physical eye And love’s eyes see more keenly than the mind’s eye. A meaningful look translates the book of creation. A mirror says: “What more felicity is there than seeing another’s felicity?” And in this way, a mirror-like heart is filled with infinite delight. A mirror Becomes extremely attractive in watching the felicity of others. Do mirrors look more beautiful after seeing another’s felicity? Or after seeing another’s misery? Whatever gives us the purity of joy when we see it Will guide our salvation. As for those who do not take pleasure in another’s felicity, There will be no path to their own felicity. We can see very young sights with our very old eyes. Man’s glance of joy is as majestic as the beauty of his sweetheart. One beauty is beautiful in one hundred ways When we look at it from one hundred angles.

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When you enjoy your blessings, you are lucky And when you delight in another’s felicity, you are a lover. A new look transforms life much better than a new world does. Every joy becomes stale but the joy of renewing one’s eyesight. Watching a starry night enhances physical beauty. Sometimes, one fresh look grants a new birth. Each ending is another beginning, if we see from our own infinity. Sometimes, with only a few degrees of rotation, Our lost paradise emerges before us. I shall build a paradise of kindness in the hell of others’ cruelties For I know the rosebuds of felicity never grow in the black soil of hatred. Whatever human beings look at, Their souls become like that. When two beauties are juxtaposed, then there are not only two beauties; a hundred beauties are created. Seeing beauty is far better than seeing lightness.

SLIVER 96: PRAYER

Saying one’s prayers is a practice so that we can remain human, And remaining human is a practice so that we can become happy. O God! Be my only sweetheart, For a man’s prayers are as beautiful as the face of his sweetheart. O my God! Seeing Your boundless beauty is the eternal prayer of my eyes And loving You is the eternal prayer of my life. If seeing beauty built an eternity of my soul, Then seeing Your boundless beauty is my only eternal prayer. A smile becomes the image of prayer when we paint it in our faces So that others may regard it with more kindness. If prayer does not create purgation, it is erosion rather than prayer. Beauty Is the sweetest prayer to God. The fragrant arms of flowers are eternal temples for butterflies. Prayers with our smiles Are far deeper than prayers with our tongues. What a glorious prayer it is to smile at God’s endless majesty. Prayer should sanctify man’s inner world more than his outer world; Otherwise, they would be aligned with hypocrites. Prayer is that infinitely deep joy

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

That man attains after feeling the endless glory of the universe. Prayer Is the soul breathing in God’s air. Leave me alone! When there is no sympathy, The glory of loneliness is my eternal prayer. Anything that reflects the glory of my soul is my prayer. I do not know prayer; I drink it, for it is sweeter than all of the nectars in paradise. For God, the most beautiful moment of prayer for fire Is when it warms up a frozen body and gives him a sense of joy. The joy of being with oneself is the ultimate form of prayer. The joy engendered by seeing God’s endless beauty Is such a magnificent prayer. Prayers are created after feeling the deepest peace And peace is generated after feeling the deepest beauty. Silence is the most innocent prayer.

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SLIVER 97: CONSCIENCE AND NATURE

He who finds the glory of his conscience Shall never lose himself before a judge. What reward is sweeter than a clear conscience for men of justice!? With an uneasy conscience, the joys of life are worn away. Some sell their conscience for money; But then, with all their wealth, they cannot buy One moment of an easy conscience. The heart does not weary of loving, nor does a conscience weary of being good. The conscience’s cry Is the brake on man’s wheel of life. An easy conscience does not feel the weakness of old age. In order not to feel conscience-stricken, Every day, the wicked gather those who flatter them. A conscience that is awake takes its demon of ignorance into a deep sleep. In a clear conscience, The unique taste of prayer is felt deeper. Conscience is the only reality Which fulfills its duty without any need for law enforcement. Conscience is a refined judge That does not take bribery as a gift or justice as proxy.

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He who finds his peace due to his clear conscience Will never lose his peace. Conscience never sells its pure joys for impure ones. Old age cannot torture a man of easy conscience. Nature is God’s balance; it understands every tilt. In the absence of sun, our city becomes dark And our nature becomes dark in the absence of honesty. Nature is the most reliable guide for man. He whose sun of nature is ablaze Shall not need the candle of advice from others. Prejudice is man’s natural prison. If the purity of man’s nature were not stronger than any demon’s, Demons would now be ruling the world. The song of nature reflects our way to redemption, And the song of hope reflects the path to tomorrow. When you turn on your light, only the room is lit And when you turn on your nature, your whole life will be bright. Sincerity is the resurrection of human nature. Moonlight is man’s lamp at night and nature is his lamp of wakefulness. Nature is the voice of God’s law.

SLIVER 98: DUTY AND ATTEMPT

Man’s most joyful duty is discovering the endless majesty of purity. Man’s most important duty is to change all ugliness into beauty. Doing one’s duties is the best service one can render to one’s society. The only danger which threatens us Is the failure to perform one’s duties. If man considered his duties as jokes, Time would take his destruction seriously. Our felicity Is a manifestation of our duties, which we perform knowingly. Our duties are not heavy; It is we who have become heavy. Man’s duties are like his body’s organs; thus, every duty we fail to do, We will lose one of our organs. Man’s most joyful task Is to increase the factors which contribute to his peace. Man will always have one big task: Completing everything so that it reaches its utmost beauty, Either in his surroundings or in his behavior. The endless expanse of the sky Reflects the towering efforts of the immortals. The height of a man’s future palace is as high as his attempts today.

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The sea does not hugely benefit Those who bring small containers. One large step is far better than a myriad of small steps. Measure your range tomorrow against your attempts today. From the mountaintops, no sound can be heard Apart from the footfall of those who make a great effort. Were ascension not arduous, The peaks would be the stomping grounds of feeble people. The attempts of every butterfly are as big as the stature of the candle that it circles. Broaden your wings rather than your sky, For the sky grants flight to the extent of our wings. The bigger the peaks become, The more people there are, but the less arduous they become.

SLIVER 99: TIME AND ITS BOUNDLESS VALUE

Time is alchemy, not gold, for it turns every asset into gold. Wasting time is more of a torment than wasting any other asset. Sometimes we are only a moment late, But it is as if we are a lifetime too late When we see that our beloved has departed on the train of eternity Just because we are a minute late. Time is like a state treasury building and chance is like its entrance. Grab time in your fists; Otherwise, time will grab you. ‘This will pass’ is the most pleasant song of the oppressed And the most agonizing concern of the oppressors. Time is alchemy: if the cooks do not spend enough time cooking, the copper taste of their food will not become golden. If we could buy time with gold, Not even one gram of gold would be found in the world. Every human’s time is as valuable as his mind. He who does not value his time more than gold Will never gain his gold of felicity. Time is the wealthiest friend of humans. He who does not have plans kills his time And he who does not have hope kills his future.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

People with a deficiency in willpower Always complain about the lack of time. Those who do not find a chance to love Will never have a chance to find felicity. He who loses time Will be lost by time. Wasting property brings impoverishment And wasting time is even worse. Time is a goldsmith’s store and opportunity is the key to its safebox. A nation that knows the value of time Will be master over a nation that does not know its value. To those who do not know the value of their time, Heaven will grant but little glory. In one moment, one can gain one ton of gold; However, with a hundred kilos of gold, one cannot buy a moment. The poorest man is he who does not know That time is the richest international bank. A friend who does not know the gold of his time Will sell the gold of your time for a paltry price. The power of time is invalidated by a lack of planning. Happy is he who is the most generous in spending money And the most frugal in spending his time. Time is alchemy; So, it must be spent on what is more valuable than gold. Consider unique Those who know the value of their time. Killing time is as deadly a sin as killing another man;

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Sliver 99: Time and Its Boundless Value

The former is killing oneself and the latter is killing others. Love is never pinched for time when it is granting its joys. With no legendary wealth, time can only be multiplied By the wealth that comes from adjusting. Organizing one’s time is to expand time.

SLIVER 100: GOALS

The circumference of a compass is as large as its size And the circumference of a man’s target is as large as his mind. The beauty of the goal is sweeter than reaching it. The beauty of a man’s future palace Is as charming as his goals today. Two people with one goal perceive each other Better than two brothers do. Our price is determined by what we seek. I knew that I could not gain the brilliance of the sun; So I made the diamond of my goal blaze so beautifully That I no longer needed the sun’s brilliance. A man who has two paths will go astray. An aimless person becomes a swamp sooner than an aimless river does. One elevated goal Is more valuable than every answered prayer. He who lacks a sweet goal has deep sorrow. A man’s world is as sweet as his goal. Share your goals with those whose minds work better than their muscles do. Only he who discerns the glory of his goal from moment to moment Can enter the alley of rebuke.

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Sliver 100: Goals

A man is as strong as his goal, not as strong as his arms. Big hearts are nests for big goals and small hearts are nests for small goals. All stars are beautiful, but if you follow two stars, Your path will be lost. A goal is the sail of your life’s ship; Adjust it in such a way that you will reach the shore of redemption. The first thing a man will meet in the hereafter Is the continuation of his goal. The thread of one sublime goal takes you to the top And stretches as far as eternity. For a ship without a sail, no wind is favorable. The sail causes the wind to assist the ship, And man’s goal turns the wind of time into man’s aide. Water becomes an asset when you assign it direction. He who does not forget the direction of his goal today Will reach his goal tomorrow. A circle with two centers will be crumpled And food with two cooks will be garbage.

SLIVER 101: ART AND ITS MYSTERIOUS BEAUTY

The beauty of our spirit is not visible; art makes it visible. In the world of artists, there exists no hell. An artist is he who can paint Both a lemon’s skin and its smell onto a canvass. An artist is he who paints beauty in such a way It is as if you were drinking its grandeur. The first masterpiece that was created was the footprint of love. The unique beauty of love’s footprint Demonstrates that it will proceed to deliver humankind from all agony. The statue of reality is carved by the hand of love And the portrait of truth will be unveiled by the hand of art. An artist’s work Is an image of his soul’s supplication to the spirit of the cosmos. He who invests in the power of his art Will never be able to create a masterpiece. The more the number of artists increases, the more the power of dictators declines. A man’s art is the translation of his soul’s glory. Art is not gold, but it is alchemy, For it makes the color of lines more expensive than gold. Art gives shape to beauty,

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Sliver 101: Art and Its Mysterious Beauty

So that the infinite glory of reality may be reflected. Molding something is the alchemy of the modern century. The act of molding one small thing supersedes one hundred coins When it achieves its most attractive form. Imagination is the paradise of art. Imagination is God’s tool in the hands of man. The feet of an intellect ascend to the heights of heaven And the path of imagination ascends to the eternity of art. Brainpower carries man to the far-reaching stars And the power of imagination carries man to the apex of the unknown. Every artist chisels the statue of his own soul. Cooking is the most joyful art of our modern century. Cooking is an elixir, for amateurish cooking Turns the gold of food into copper And professional cooking turns its copper into gold. Professional cooking is like alchemy, For it turns man’s copper of boredom into the gold of freshness. A wife’s excellent cooking makes the behavior of her family excellent. Wives who do not learn the art of cooking Ruin some parts of their family’s bliss. Art is the fingerprint of man’s soul; If man’s fingerprint is so beautiful, Behold how great the glory of man’s soul is. Each position shifts from hand to hand Except the position of an artist. Art is the beautiful footprint of reality on earth.

Slivers of Life: Musings on Human Values

Seeing art diminishes the power of sorrow. Sterile is he who does not create art. The glory of art sweetens life Better than the glory of wealth. Man is the most exquisite panel of creation, But the worth of every exquisite panel is measured by its inner art, Not by the beauty of its outer frame. It does not matter if your art is not rewarded today; What matters is that posterity will measure international awards Against the value of your art. An artist does not need paradise, For his mind is a paradise today. Art is more attractive than paradise. Art is more beautiful than nature, For the power of art always enhances the beauty of nature. Nothing is more beautiful than nature Except for man’s soul. An artist’s life is God’s eternal festival.

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SLIVER 102: FLAMING RUBIES AND THE ASH OF MY POEMS

Let me stretch my hand towards the flame of beauty in your eyes So that I may turn to ash and that all of my poems may turn to ash. No poem is as beautiful as a lover’s sigh. When the sigh of a beloved is the most beautiful ghazal on earth, why should I not sigh and compose poetry? I do not need wine; it is the wine which is eternally intoxicated By the infinite ecstasy of my passion. Reveal your beauty as softly and slowly as you can, lest the delicate palace of my feelings collapse. I do not know why I’m so filled with sorrow at sunset; Methinks the sun sings the song of our separation with every ruddy twilight. We are like daisies: we have the rosiness of love in our faces, the redness of pain in our hearts and the infinite redness of yearning. They opened heaven’s gate and said, “Why do you not enter?” I said, “Because my mind is more beautiful than paradise.” He says, “How pleasant a friend’s smile is!” I say, “Look how fiery my sigh of yearning is!” I was staring at an orchid. They said, “How blissful it is!” I said, “I do not know; I am just immersed in the mystery of its eternal beauty, which reaches as far as my infinite dreams.” Those who dwell in paradise become eternally intoxicated by my wine

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And those who dwell on earth become intoxicated by the grape, only until tomorrow, For I have picked my grapes from your eyes, and they from their grapevines. I do not know what is in your gaze that makes me so impatient, But I know well that if I meander in the forest of your gaze until eternity, Neither the glory of the forest of your look, nor my eyes’ thirst for watching you will end. When we passed each other in freshness, I told myself: “Our exhilarating freshness will never end.” The day when I got lost in your infinite beauty, I told myself: “I will never find myself again.” A flower makes a spring if that flower is a beloved’s smile. Only one thief will go to heaven: he who steals the heart of his mate. All of the world’s poems are composed by Love. The stars in the sky of your glance were so winsome that I told myself: “I wish my night would never turn into dawn!” I will love you so beautifully That no ugliness will remain in my behavior. I do not know what is in your smile That carries me to the infinity of sensation, But I know well that it is the music of your smile, Which makes heaven and earth dance from primordiality to eternity. I felt all the pleasure of infinity When you came and stepped over my ailing heart and walked away. Until you return, I will not shut my eyelids of desire. Do not drown me in the sea of the passion of your face, For the flamingoes of my feelings cannot swim in it.

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Sliver 102: Flaming Rubies and the Ash of My Poems

From the extremely pleasurable pain in my heart, I realize that One day, the charm of your love’s fingertips touched my heart. Let me put my face on the silk of your smile So that I may make an eternity of myself, like the unique secret of your smile. To the end, every red rose recounts the beauty of the secret of your charm. The moonlight was raining down; then I looked: The heavens and the earth were bedazzled in the glory of its beauty. The moonlight of your face was raining on all and sundry And I became the poem of your moonlit face until dawn. Beauty is the poetry book of love. Let me lay my hands on the joy of your smile And become a timeless dance. I became the paradise of your eyes’ desire On the night when I tasted the wine of your eyes’ fire, burning and shining. Pining for you, I set fire to my the teardrops of my love And scattered them, drop by drop, in the extent of sky So that no creature would be left without stars. Had love not drunk from the purity of the wine of your beauty, It would have forever turned to ash in its unquenchable thirst. Every night I gaze at the starry sky and think to myself: “Stars are the ardent eyes of the sky, looking at your infinite charm!” No one’s love is as red as mine, For my love drinks from the ruby of your smile And it blazes eternally in the infinite redness of restlessness. I did not know where the stars came from Until I saw my beloved twitch her eyelids, and the glory of her glance Spread coyness and stars over the stretch of sky overhead.

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In the infinity of all times, my poetry will remain the most pleasing, For the only poetry I composed was the anemone That I picked from the flaming field of your eyes. How easily the winter of my heart turned into the summer of your beauty as you passed through my alley; And in your beauty’s ceaseless summer, I became the watchful eyes of your gaze, which regarded the infinity of desire. O my most beautiful eternal anxiety! Without the column of your memory, I could never stand. When I am pining for your eyes, my sigh is sweeter than the laughter of the people of paradise. Why should I not sigh forever and crave paradise?! For as long as the most drunken infinity of my moments I will smell the moonlight to recall the most intoxicating scent of your gaze. Every beauty I behold, I become enchanted by But when I encounter yours, I vanish. The world of love never gets dark, For it is always made warm and bright By the fire in a beloved’s eyes. Let me take my hand to the fiery wine of your eyes So that I may burn And so shall whatever sets us apart. I am so restless in the palpitating fever of the night That I seem to be without body and soul; I am only the reddest restless dance Which reaches as far as the eternal joy of tomorrows. My soul was the dark and the night, from primordiality to eternity. I shouted: “Is there any flame to burn me?” Suddenly, a fire glinted from the burning wine of your eyes on my soul And I became the eternal morning, an eternal smile. I rub my hand over your beauty

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Sliver 102: Flaming Rubies and the Ash of My Poems

And I forget all sorrows but your sweet sorrow. The buds of stars will never wither As they bloom eternally in the tree-filled sky of your eyes. A tree finds meaning when it flowers and so does man when he loves. Suddenly, the windows opened their eyelids And all of beauty transpired before me, from primordiality to eternity. I ran after you and shouted: “The winter of my soul never ends!” You returned and I stretched my hand To the burning wine of your eyes and said: “I’m burning. I’m burning.” You said: “Burn and behold how your soul’s eternal winter ends!” Then I shouted: “I’ve become the sweltering summer heat of your beauty, until eternity.” The hall of my dream has turned into the most incredible gallery in the cosmos For I have drawn the image of your smile’s secret in it. I held the dancing sparkle of love in my hand, And then, through my fingers, sparks and stars fell. I make my eyes imbibe beauty; my heart, love; my soul, purity; And then I take flight in your infinity. Love is a human’s infinite, cheering wound; If it does not heal, no pain shall be tolerable. The teardrops of our separation taste like endless life, For the agony of our separation in my heart is sweeter than honey In the mouths of those who dwell in paradise. Only from behind your pure tears, Can you watch the infinitely beautiful face of a beloved. I touch the redness of your smile; Then I feel all the glory of infinity in the flaming tremor of my hands.

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I do not know why, when I stare at the starry night, I recall my burning teardrops As if the stars were manifestations of my ever-burning teardrops That have crumbled in the infinity of our night of separation. The soul of a lover is a collection of the beauties from the paradise of loneliness. My lonely heaven is more imaginative than the Garden of Felicity, For there is nothing in my lonely heaven But the infinite twilight of my beloved’s solitude. I shouted and I did not calm down. Suddenly you turned up and I vanished in the burning wine of your eyes. You said: “Who are you?” I said: “I don’t know. I’m only the burning wine of your eyes For as long as the infinite seconds.” At sunset, the infinite redness of twilight’s beauty Begins to caress the lonely land. In each harvest of the sunset The sun reveals the lonely heaven of my soul. Were the azure sky of your eyes not so pure, The sun of my life would never seem so fanciful in their air. The darkness of night is the daylight of a poet’s mind. Night is my eternal poem; It’s an infinitely winsome image of the shining stars of your eyes. Night is a paradise for day. I hear the music of your laughter And I become the most impatient cry which reverberates as far as the boundless galaxies. It is the redness of your smile that paints anemones forever With the red, red color of love.

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Sliver 102: Flaming Rubies and the Ash of My Poems

If the stars in the sky of your eyes did not blink in such a fanciful way, No beautiful, cheerful poem would ever be composed. I understand when you love me, For your face becomes more affable than ever. I shed the most passionate tears eternally because of our separation; My tears become more passionate moment by moment And roll down my lonely cheeks. The paradise of my soul is more exhilarating than the paradise of piousness, For my soul overflows with the burning wine of your eyes And the worshippers’ cups are filled with the wine of those who dwell in paradise. Every dawn, the sun rises And amorously kisses the rose on the lips. When my soul is wrapped in the silk of your dreams, I tell myself: “I will turn into the shiniest diamond In the infinity of all of time.” I shall imbibe the entire beauty of the universe So that I may not lose you in my heart. I defeated all my sorrows; when it came to my beloved’s sorrows, I told myself: “How easy it is to let go of your own sweet life And how hard it is to let go of the sweet sorrow of a lover.” A towering mountain has emerged in the path of my sweetheart But it crumbled gradually through my fingertips; Then I stood and said: “The mountain crumbled between my fingers Because of the power of my love, not the power of my hands.” Suddenly you smiled and an eternal dance started. Do two parallel lines reach the end of the sky While the two infinite, parallel lines of our kindness Reach the infinity of my pleasurable pain?!

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Love makes anything likeable Even a beloved’s complaints. Looking at your infinite beauty, I found out That I have already seen you. Since I have drunk once from your drunk eyes, My most intoxicating poems always issue from my heart. Why is your beloved’s face so charming If life is not infinitely kind? At the base of each rose is a place for my excruciating tears, for whenever I see a rose, I perceive our never-ending separation in my soul. The first day I saw your unique face, I told myself: “I will sigh forever!” Scent is the endless, charming freshness of love’s body. It seems as if the burning teardrops of sunset Were the teardrops of the sky in the agony of a beloved’s separation That drips every sunset on the summits of my loneliness. A man only dies when he dies of your love. You cannot sew the lips of love shut, so that it does not shout eternally: “You’re the most beautiful person in the infinity of all times.” I saw you and my eyes became a watchful paradise, And my heart became the paradise of the heaven I desired Reaching as far as the eternal glow of the seconds. I will love you forever, even if I may forget myself forever. The starry night paints the sky of your eyes eternally. I never compose poetry, For the butterfly wings of my feelings are singed In the burning wine of your eyes.

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As long as you are not drunk in the name of a lover, how can you Become the being of beings in the sweet memory of God? I imbibe your endless charm And forever become the most fiery, delightful exclamation. In the arms of a rose, when stigmas tremble because of enthusiasm, Recall that the fibers of our hearts tremble more impatiently than any restless stigma in the infinite fever of your enthusiasm. When I was taken away by your beauty, I told myself: “Life is infinitely exhilarating, like the sense of an explosion of feeling.” I planted the seed of your love and a lost paradise grew in my soul. If the seed of your love is so unique, How great will the smile of your love be? Love me a little But love me as much as the infinity of my tomorrows. How far can I take flight in the infinite glory of your beauty? Mirrors have no feelings, but watching the dignity of your beauty makes them feel as if they do not live. Imagine me, the one with feelings. How can I deal with the endless dignity of your beauty?! O my partner of sorrow! Cry as quietly as you can Lest those bereft of pain might wake up And deny us the little freedom we have in this world. I do not know what is in the infinite purity of your beauty That no matter how much I imbibe it, neither the dignity of your beauty nor my ardent passion will end, like the endless tomorrows. When you are away, crying is the sweetest thing to do And when you are here, smiling is the best. Night is the resurrection of day. The touch of your fingers caresses my soul so sweetly That I keep murmuring to myself: “I wish my wound would never heal.”

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A bud does not turn into a flower unless it smiles And a flower does not charm unless it smiles. The sea and I share the same agony and we always roar in impatience, for both of us are cut off from our homelands and the depths of our souls overflow with our endless waves of passion for you. This is our destiny, that you will remain the most beautiful forever And I the most impatient. If the burning wine of your eyes did not exist, The frosty feelings of humans would never melt. You are so beautiful that I cannot help shouting quietly. I will shed the most beautiful tears For every man’s tears are as beautiful as the face of his love. I will burn eternally, since I cannot tell you how much I love you. The acuteness of my joy was shown for all of time to come, When my love opened her beautiful eyes. The creation of my extremely beautiful heaven Took place within a matter of a few seconds. I love you. Hardly had I drunk the burning wine of your eyes Than a myriad stars and beauties fell from each pure drop of my words. If I drown in the burning wine of your eyes, How will my burning emotions dance For as long as the infinite pain of restless time? The flower that drinks water from its own purity will never wither; It is like the smiling flower of my sweetheart that never fades, For it always drinks from its own pure love. On the night when they flutter All rose gardens will be a page from the novel of our endless separation. If a drop of the burning wine of your eyes fell

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Into my ever-thirsty soul, I would need nothing else for the rest of eternity. Whether you burn me in our separation or excite me in our union, I will be more cheerful than all the kings, for it is your dream That makes me unique insofar as the infinite passion of desiring you. So jovial are a breeze at dawn, the dawn in silence, silence in a cypress grove, and a man’s feelings in the fineness of these three cosmic dawns! I stand on the shore of your drunken smile, Riding the breeze of my feelings, And I reach beyond the stars of the sky of your face. How blithely I sing the most emotional song of union And how greenly I shall rest in your reddest smile. I make the reddest joy out of the redness of your smile; So, I am the reddest joy of the cosmos, the reddest intoxication of human beings. I will write that I’m the reddest song in being So that the drunkest of the drunk may gain the reddest song of my inebriation. My beloved’s ever-drunk eyes are my ever-sweet angst. In my burning desire, I always drink the flame of her intoxicating eyes. Do not get excited! Love’s burning desire Is only mollified by the flame of a beloved’s eyes. I was immersed in the gallery of creation; I found myself when I saw the tableau of your face. Every bit of my soul begged you not to leave For fear that my soul would depart; However, you chose separation. Now I do not dread your going away For I know I will die with your departure. You removed your mask from your face suddenly; I jumped to my feet frantically And left everything behind, even myself. How enchanting the glory of your voice is! I tell myself:

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“The stars in the sky forever seem to be embroidered On the silk of your voice.” If your sweltering summer of desire did not exist, The winter of man’s loneliness would never end. The treasure of your beauty shines so charmingly in the ruins of my soul That I tell myself: “I wish that my ruined soul will never recover.” I wish that I could present My amorous glance to you for a moment And that you could offer your infinite beauty to me So you that you would realize how a lover suffers when his Extremely impatient glance does not fall on his beloved’s infinite beauty. When the wine from the flame of your eyes dropped onto my thirsty lips I burned in an infinite desire; then I thought the cosmos Would burn and glow in the fiery wine of your eyes From primordiality to eternity. I turn the album of my heart And I faint when I behold the image of your face. I lost patience and turned frantic, then I planted the black dot of your name in my heart. When I woke up at dawn, I found that my soul was an eternal heaven. Now that the pretty dot of your name has turned into a unique miracle, What could the passion of your love do to me? When someone tells you “I love you”, The glorious beauty of the cosmos will be reflected in your soul. Because I picked my rose from the heaven of your smile, It will never wither. Every day, I celebrate the eternity of my bliss Because man’s prosperity is indebted to the beauty of his beloved’s face. The sun would not be able to illuminate our lives, If the charming flame of your eyes did not shine.

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My hands tremble so passionately That I feel they have felt your infinitely fresh beauty. Would that you and I could melt, thaw, mingle together, and flow In the stream of life, with this purity, this kindness, in the unquenchable thirst of my soul. I said: “Be my night so that my stars may appear.” She said: “Be my morning so that my night may fall away.” If you become my night and I your morning forever, our eternally fresh paradise would be created. You are so beautiful that I shall never be able to stand before the grandeur of your beauty. Do not fret, for the sky of your imagination is always rainy; Lo, these are my eyes, which rain forever in the sky of your imagination. The rain in your sky made me so tree-like and unique That I shall become needles in the Garden of Eden. Ever since I sighted your beauty, the unending winter of my soul has become the eternal summer of my soul. O love! Shout so loudly that, from you, Others may receive a cry as hot as the fires of a beloved’s passion And which is as loud as the infinity of painful cries. A blank space separates words and the blank space of the heart separates people; So I have become the personification of humanity’s glory For I have deleted my heart’s blank space forever. I have no notion of how beautiful a rose is; All I know is that my soul, which has beheld it, will roam forever in the infinity of the secret of its beauty. I saw a train carrying all of my soul. From behind the window, You waved your hand and departed; I was absorbed In my tears and my soul travelled to the infinite morrows.

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I lift my hands and touch the flame of your winsome eyes; I burn and whatever exists burns too. Finally, nothing remains but the ever-glowing field of your eyes. In the ecstasy of your hair dancing in the wind, I become so carried away that the quill of my poetry Turns into an eternal dance which stretches in the atmosphere of your dancing hair, as far as the infinity of your passions. If your charming face did not exist to give life to others, We would never know how much we could pine for this apex of beauty. When I contemplate your beauty, even death becomes the easiest task for me. So let me die in your charming arms, so that I may not fathom death. The sigh of a lover is the most beautiful poetry for all beings; So I will compose it eternally. The forest of a beloved’s glance is the eternal nest of the beloved’s soul. The beauty of the depth of my pleasure has reached the infinite expanse of the sky, for a man’s joy is as beautiful as his beloved’s face. My eyes are thirsty because of the tears caused by our separation, and my heart is thirsty for the honey that comes from uniting with you. Now, amidst these two infinitely strange states, how can I help but roam until the end of time? For me to be pure, what reason can I have that is more eloquent than loving you? Because loving you will take anything to the peak of loving you. A lover has no shore but that of his beloved’s eyes, so that he may be delivered from drowning. You refused to reveal you face, so much so that Love went mad. There is no fear in the sweetness of these frantic murmurs of love and all beings become manifestations of the eternal dance. The glory of your eyes filled my heart in such a way That I completely forgot I was running after the lost paradise.

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The endless cautery of our separation has forever turned the cold winter of my soul into the swelteringly hot summer of my tears. No passionate dance Is as sweet as your hair dancing in the wind. Enter the reddest hall of my soul, so you may see that there is nothing there But the red dance of your imagination, which reaches as far as a jet of restlessness. My happy stars will never wane, for I have plucked the stars of my felicity from the sky of your eyes. From the infinitely fresh vibrations of my hands, I realized that At some point, my hands touched your infinitely fresh beauty. I imbibe the light of your beauty And the joy of all beings consumes my heart In the infinite redness of your passion. I shut my eyes so that I may see you only. The sky over our city is illuminated by the rays of the sun’s eyes And the sky of our hearts is illuminated by the rays of a beloved’s yes. Let me caress the joy of your smile So that I may consign all my woes to oblivion. When I see my reflection in the mirror of your eyes, I think I am watching my eternally restless face in your eyes. With only one drop of wine from your eyes, I will make a sea of intoxicating sherbet. Now, what should I do in a sea of wine from your eyes? Whatever is stolen from my existence does not belong to me, except for me: I have been stolen from God. I cannot describe you; I just feel you and I become eternity.

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I imbibe your infinitely beautiful dew and become the clearest ocean of joy that your eyes will see in the unending tumult of my soul’s passion. She looked at me so beautifully that I thought to myself, “Would that I could turn into the reddest daisy in the green, green forest of my glance.” I draw aside the flower in order to see you. With the tip of your love’s flame, I shall write: “I will love you forever.” In the blue sea of your eyes, I shall drown in such a way that nothing may be left of me except for the blueness of my feelings, which extend as far as the infinitely blue moments of silence and bliss. I fade in a single drop of your beauty. How shall I handle an ocean of your beauty? Suddenly, your pretty eyes opened and the heaven and the skies danced ecstatically. I was ruined and I discovered the treasure of your beauty In the ruins of my soul. No world is there vaster than my heart when I miss you. All of the beauties of earth and time will be painted on my soul when I open the window and vanish in the glory of beholding you. When you pass by, whatever has existed, from primordiality to eternity, will become windows to watch you and people will wave their feverish hands in the infinite passion of looking at you. Let me put my hand over your smile and catch fire. I do not know what kind of wound my heart has sustained, that the impatient fire of our separation should pour over my wounds to make me feel better. Let me recline on the silk of your fancy And become the clearest repose, as far as the delights of rest are concerned.

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The night is overflowing with you, for through the stars, it reveals the manifestation of the sky of your eyes. I open the window and become absorbed in the simmering heat of your beauty. Then I say, “I shall never see another winter.”

Let me meander on the fanciful island of your smile, so that I may forever forget my lost paradise. When the delight of separation seems sweeter than the pleasures of those who dwell in paradise, I shall be unfaithful if I pine even for a minute for the joy of those who dwell in paradise. Suddenly, I hear the music of your laughter. It seems as if, in their infinite delight, all the well-cut diamonds are falling down from the sky of my imagination to quench the passion of my thirsty soul. When moths burn in the flame of a candle, my heart catches fire, for I understand the agony of a lover when he burns in the flame of his beloved’s beauty. She asked, “When did you turn into the reddest rose in the world?” I answered, “When I reposed and grew in the reddest silk of your smile.” I scratched my hand over the beauty of my beloved and suddenly the coolest dew of passion fell from my fingertips over the deepest, most passionate point of my soul. I poured the clarity of all of the delights in the world over my soul, which grew and became a paradise; but I was not gratified. However, how easily I came to perceive the secret of satisfaction when I poured the wine of the flame of your eyes over my thirsty soul. I miss you so much that my heart can manage nothing except the desire to see you. I imbibed a drop of your beauty; then I forgot forever that I had been running after my desires and dying away.

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I crossed over roofs of every height and when I came to the ceiling of your eyebrows, I fell. I was so intoxicated that I did not know if eternity would imbibe me drop by drop, or I it. Eventually we finished and only one thing remained: the flame of my cry of passion, which resounded as far as the infinity of your beauty.

My starry night is a pregnant night. Every star indicates that on earth, there is a heart as ruddy as my passions, beating more impatiently than your eternal starry night. I shall love you so passionately that I will never again freeze in the cruelty of the cold. All mirrors become the Garden of Eden when they stand in rank before the glory of your beauty, so that you may pass and they may be fascinated by you. In watching your intoxicated eyes, I became so impatient that it seemed as if I were left with no patience except for the repose of your eyes. Sometimes I lay down, head on the sun, so that I may know how far the fever of your love can consume my soul. Whenever I touch every beauty, I become rejuvenated And when I touch your beauty, I create life. Excited by your beauty, I left behind everything, even my panting breaths. She revealed her unique face and said: “Speak!” I said: “Now that the sense of watching you, moment by moment, burns my soul until the infinity of rebirth, every word I speak encumbers my feelings. When I first beheld you, I was annihilated. How can I take flight in the atmosphere of your infinite beauty? She looked at me so drunkenly that I thought to myself: “Would that I could forever become a lost dandelion in the blue sky of your eyes!”

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Washing your hands of what you cherish is harder than washing your hands of life, when your beloved (or your soul) walks by. I do not know what lies in the glory of your eyes, but I know very well that when I am fascinated and watching them, they carry me as far as the infinity of purity. I was on this side of the road and you walked by. Had I known that I would never set eyes on you again, I would have spread my soul underneath your feet so that we could walk together forever. I will not yell; I will approach you, so that you may see how the infinite passion of my eyes yells for you eternally. When I discovered the treasure of your beauty in the ruins of my heart, I thought to myself: “I shall never sell the ruins of my heart to the evergreen fields of paradise.” Tonight, I shall shed the most beautiful tears in the entire universe, because the beauty of my beloved’s crying is as beautiful as my beloved’s face. In the direness of the furnace, in the fire of separation, gold attains selfdiscovery and a lover attains self-knowledge. In every beauty that I encounter, I find my own paradise, and as I encounter your beauty, I shall be annihilated forever. How cold and silent is the autumn of my alley. It seems as if your leaving has been painted into the alley. All my life, it has rained, but I did not sprout until we walked past each other, wet. I grew and I became taller than all eternity. I reach the deepest part of my soul and touch it; suddenly, I see that stars begin to merge at my fingertips, because this is where the eternal paradise of loving you lies. I recited the names of a thousand flowers and when I came to your name, I suddenly collapsed, and for all eternity, nothing remained of me except for the ashes of my poems.

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The night is a poet, For until dawn, it always sings the stars of the sky of your eyes. Never have I seen rain as clear and beautiful as this. It seems as if a broken-hearted lover were sitting in the sky and shedding his tears. She asked: “Why do you never find yourself?” I replied: “Because my beloved has lost me forever in the forest of her eyes.” They asked: “Why do you never yearn for paradise?” I replied: “Because I repose calmly in the shadows of my beloved’s eyes.” When you smile, I think that I am painted forever in the infinitely fresh frame of your smile. After watching the velvet of your eyes, who can my joy not turn into velvet, when I know that the stars are the velvety manifestations of your eyes, embroidered forever on the screen of the sky? Never shall I have another dream but the dream of you, because the languor of your eyes takes me to a never-ending sleep. My beloved talked to me until dawn. Others asked: “What did she say?” I answered: “I heard nothing; I only beheld the endless beauty of her eyes.” When I saw you, I lost everything, even myself. When I dwell upon your beauty, the spirit of my passion simmers so intensely in my soul that it seems as if the ocean and all of its tumultuous waves are imprisoned within a vase. I became an eternal paradise when a dewdrop fell from the clarity of your beauty over the arid desert of my soul. I touch the fever of your love And the ice of all my lonely nights melts and thaws forever. Even in paradise, I feel forlorn, but in my palace of solitude, never; Because your infinitely charming face is painted on its endlessly velvety curtains.

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I left the rain of my tears; therefore, nothing has been left of me but the last cremated drop of my tears in the alley of our separation. Wine engenders a finite intoxication in you, While the unique passion of my soul creates an eternal intoxication Because I have imbibed the languor of your eyes. In your winsome eyes, I feel so calm that I feel I have become the calm sea of your eyes forever. When I saw you, I thought to myself: “Now the world has entrusted all its beauty to my watchful eyes.” There are times when my tears flow. I feel that one of my poetry books has been left in another galaxy. I don’t know why I miss that book of poems so tremendously when I see your eyes; I seems as if it had held an image of your intoxicated, drunken glance. How easily waiting would exhaust my patience if the lantern of my tears did not glitter forever in the endless alley where I wait for you. The dancing flames in the fireplace say: “Her soul is permeated with the infinitely impatient warmth of fire.” And the scorching dance of the words in my book of poetry says: “My soul burns eternally in the endlessly fresh warmth of your glance.” The place for love is infinitely narrow; it seems as if no one gives a man enough room to be an eternal companion for his tears. How passionately the sun misses the sunset! How much the heart of the Sun is filled with sorrow at sunset. It seems as if it has exhibited to you my sad heart at sunset. The starry sky is the window of your beauty: if it is closed, none of my nights can be filled with dreams. I was afraid of the sea; but when you arrived from across the sea, I entrusted my heart to it, and forever became the blue sea of your eyes. How beautiful the dance of a butterfly over the flames seems, and how beautiful the dance of a lunatic over the flames of his beloved’s eyes!

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In the forest of your eyes, I am so lost that I will never find myself again; only the green meadow of your glance will remain, and me impatiently watching forever. I pull the silk of your memories over my body. Every wound that I have is healed but the endless wound of our separation. The sweetness of sorrow is sweeter that the sweetness of paradise when we pine for a beloved rather than for our ego. The sky of my heart will never be bereft of stars because I have painted the stars of your glance over its expanse. No heart is as forlorn as my heart, because the heart of every lover is as forlorn as the beauty of his beloved. In order to create a charming smile, your lips and mine are required, and in order to create an infinite flight, your wings and mine are needed. The taste of water burns the palate of man and the taste of love burns in the passion of a beloved’s eyes. I touch your impatient glance; I grow and grow as far as the infinite secrets of the red rose. A beloved in the heart is like meaning embodied within a word; therefore, I always murmur: “When I do not find you, I do not find my meaning.” In my lonely nights, I light a lamp to watch every beauty, except to watch the moonlit beauty of your face. A teardrop fell from my eyes at my lover’s feet. Then I said, “O love! You are so beautiful! Would that my entire being could become a teardrop and fall at your feet! I do not need paradise because I have never lost you in my soul. From the infinitely fresh tremors of my body, I discover that you have revealed your face and taken my heart to the nonchalant infinity of your eyes.

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I marvel at those who run after the truth, because they do not know that no truth is as beautiful as the redness of your smile. In the endless alleys of our separation, I went on and on and stopped. Then, nothing remained of me except the footprints of my solitude which stretched as far as the infinity of the nostalgia of the seconds. Give paradise to those who have not seen the face of my beloved! I fell because my beloved opened her pretty eyes and it was more than I could take. I touch the red silk of your lips and turn into an eternal smile. I saw the excitement in your dancing tresses and I flew with the wind until the infinity of tomorrow. Draw the curtain to one side because the beauty of my beloved is rising so that it may change our watchful eyes into the dawn of eternity. They say: “Why do you keep dancing and twirling forever round the palace of your beloved’s imagination?” I reply: “If the sky and the heavens did not spin round the palace of my beloved’s imagination, they would fall down and so would I.” When I saw you I thought to myself: “Would that time could stop forever And that you would be left here for as long as the infinity of tomorrow.” Wow, how beautiful the moon is! However, it must be more beautiful: I rose up and painted your picture on it; now my moon is far more charming. I watched the tablets in my soul’s hall. When I came to view the tablet of my beloved, All my infinite dreams came true. I have become the eternal festival of daisies because the music of your laughter has made the ruddy, red daisies of my imagination dance as far as the infinity of the secret of beauty. How beautiful coyness is, if it benefits a beloved and not oneself.

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I will never wipe away my tears Because they taste like the passion of your love. The little boat of my life Sinks the secret of my beloved’s eyes in every sea. In the impatience of my love lies a tumultuousness that causes the tumult of all the oceans. Now, recall its tumult so that you may forever watch the dancing eternity of my soul. The red rose of your smile made my feelings blush so much that, from primordiality to eternity, there seems to be nothing except the redness of the rose of your smile. There is no need to shout when in the endless longing of my eyes, you see the burning of the endless passion of your eyes. I will forever pay homage to the shrine of my heart because the infinite statue of your imagination shines in it, moment by moment. I caress your beauty and every wound, which is mine and not yours, is healed. I was seeking a fire to melt me eternally, so that I would never be frozen again. The heat of the sun did not melt me, but when I came to the fire of your eyes, I melted forever. All my life, rain fell and I never grew. For a moment, I looked at your wet affirmation and I grew forever. I do not trade my tears for comfort because in the clarity of my tears, I can watch the endless comfort of your face forever. No night will be as dreamy as the sky of my night Because I take the manifestations of the flames of your eyes and sew them into the sky of my night as stars. Your beauty is the school of salvation: he who studies there will rid themselves of all evil.

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She looked at me so beautifully that I thought to myself: “I will catch fire in the flames of your eyes.” I caught fire and now, nothing will ever remain of me except the ashes of my shout. The wind will never blow away the nest of my soul because I have built it within the forest of your glance. I imbibe the stars from the sky of your glance, then the freshness of my poem emanates more freshly than the ambrosial nectar which is made from the passion of tastes. Love sees the reflection of a beloved’s face In the mirror of his tears. She looked so beautiful that I thought to myself: “Would that I could become forever lost in the infinite forest of her eyes.” I did not know that rain falls from the clouds when my heart becomes tearful. I feel that they are painting my tearful heart into your atmosphere. On the wet shore of your eyes, I become so fresh with moisture that I keep thinking to myself: “A thousand forests of poetry and daisies will grow in the moisture of my feeling of infinite freshness. The impatience of the sea of your eyes gave new life to my soul. After all, when the sea becomes impatient, its soul is given new life. I opened the window; there was nothing from primordiality to eternity except for the dance of your beauty. The dance of your beauty travelled to the furthest reaches and my heart was accompanied by it, beyond eternity. The freshness of my soul fertilizes the earth and time in such a way that it seems as if I have passed through the dewy forest of your eyes. I miss my absolute solitude so much, Because there is nothing in it except the redness of the hall of my soul And the impatient dance of your imagination Which reaches as far as the infinity of bewilderment and passion. There are times when a beloved breaks our hearts so that we know it is infinitely sweet for one’s heart to be broken at the hands of our beloved.

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My orchid of felicity never withers because, moment by moment, it grows and grows in the dewy meadow of your eyes. Only one kind of sorcery is allowed: the sorcery of a beloved’s eyes. Whenever I start watching it, I never become weary of it. Look how easily I no longer need tomorrow’s paradise, when I paint my paradise today with the colors and curves of your eyes. I got lost in the forest of your eyes and I found my own way. The road to paradise is open as far as infinity, Because the light of my beloved’s eyes is forever green. Watch the stars every night Because they are apertures to my burning solitude. I do not perceive time, for moment by moment, The glory of your charming eyes recreates an eternity in my life. I do not wonder why the moonlight of the night is infinitely beautiful, because a draught made of the moonlight of your beauty has been imbued with your countenance. A stone also has a heart. If it does not have a heart, why does it break in impatience when I weep because of our separation? He who is not intoxicated by a cup of his beloved’s glance will be intoxicated by a few cups of wine, but he will not be brought into being. Sometimes I think to myself: “It seems as if the sun is my burning heart which was set alight in the infinity of your fire so that it might turn into your eternally burning glance at the summit of the heaven’s infinity.” I climb up my dreams and reach the stars, then I show them the image of your face. Suddenly, they start twinkling due to your infinite glory, which reaches as far as infinity. I almost departed, when what I believed happened. Owing to the infinite beauty of the footprint on my heart,

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I could perceive that, one day, you stepped on my heart and walked away. All of the beauty in the world is manifested In my soul when the forest of your glance emerges. O love! Now that infinity is also small before you, how can I describe you? So, let me feel you and we will become the dance of eternity. When I paint your imagination, my pen becomes the eternal dance. Then, due to my passion for watching you, Neither the trace of my pen nor of my book will remain, Except for the beautiful dance of your imagination Which extends as far as the infinity of your flaming desires. I imbibe infinite joy because I understand you. I was walking on the path of night when I reached the dawn. When I saw you, I returned Because I reached the eternal dawn of your eyes.