Chapter Two: the manners of the servants of kings

wa-in inghamasa fīhi thumma yahībuhu fa-huwa khawar wa-lā yadkhulu fī amr min al-umūr illā baʻda al-taʼammul wa-al-taʼannī fa-inna fī dhālika infitāḥ al-raʼy wa-ittiḍāḥ al-ṣawāb wa-qad qīla aṣāba al-mutaʼammil aw-kāda wa-akhṭaʼa al-mustaʻjil aw-kāda wa-lā yaghurrannahu al-murtaqá al-sahl idhā kāna al-maṣdar waʻran wa-yaʻlam anna ahnaʼ al-daʻah mā kāna baʻda iḥkām al-muhimmāt wa-Allāh al-muwaffiq li-al-khayrāt

﴿ al-Faṣl al-thānī fī ādāb khadam al-mulūk ﴾

Iʻlam anna al-malik lā yaḥtamilu aḥadan ʻalá ghayr al-muwāfaqah . wa-in taʼakkadat ḥurmatuhu wa-qarubat dharīʻatuhu fa-istashʻir muwāfaqatahu wa-ittabiʻ hawāhu fī-mā aḥbabta wa-karihta wa-sallim ilayhi taslīm riḍāʼ wa-ikhtiyār lā taslīm sukhṭ wa-iḍṭirār wa-akhliṣ lahu ikhlāṣ rahbah wa-raghbah fa-inna hātayn khallatān lā takhfiyān fī ṣāḥibihimā . thumma inna al-manāzil mushtarakah ʻinda al-malik laysa aḥad awlá bi-manzilah min ghayrihi illā bi-luzūm al-ṭarīqah al-qawīmah wa-al-muthābarah ʻalá al-akhlāq al-marḍīyah fa-tafaqqad nafsaka wa-aṣliḥ mā baṭana minhā bi-istishʻār al-waqār wa-al-ṣabr wa-al-shukr wa-al-nuṣḥ wa-tajannab al-baghy wa-al-sharah wa-al-ḥiqd wa-tadarraʻ al-sakīnah wa-al-tawāḍuʻ wa-al-tawadud wa-tanẓīf al-shaʻr wa-al-basharah wa-al-tazyīn bi-ajmal mā taqdiru ʻalayhi min al-libās wa-al-taʻaṭṭur bi-aʻbaq mā yumkinuka min al-ṭīb fa-innā rubbamā raʼaynā al-ʻāmmah yakrahu baʻḍuhā min baʻḍ al-mukhālafah fī mithl hādhā al-bāb fa-kayfa bi-al-malik al-ladhī lahu al-qudrah wa-lahu an yastaʻmila amthālahā fa-idhā ḥaḍarta majlisahu fa-qif wuqūf man lā yará anna al-julūs min ḥaqqihi li-allā yataʻallaqa qalbuka bihi wa-lā tuẓhir tashawwuqaka ilayhi wa-lā tastabṭiʼanna al-malik in shughila ʻanka fīhi fa-in amaraka bi-al-julūs fa-ijlis muʻtaddan min al-malik dhālika niʻmah lam tastaḥiqqahā wa-karāmah lam tastawjibhā law lā tafaḍḍuluhu ʻalayka bihā wa-taṭāwuluhu bi-mā ṣarafa ilayka minhā wa-tuẓhiru min surūraka bi-dhālika wa-shukraka ʻalayhi mā yaʻlamu bihi al-malik anna qad ʻaqalta qadr ikrāmihi wa-shakarta mā kāna min inʻāmihi fa-innaka in faʻalta dhālika raʼāka li-al-ziyādah ahlan wa-wajada laka ʻalá ghayrika faḍlan . thumma ilzam al-ṣamt multaffan fī ridāʼihi fa-in iḍṭarraka ilá al-nuṭq amr fa-iyyāka wa-al-tashadduq fī al-kalām fa-inna dhālika laysa bi-ablagh fī al-ifhām wa-huwa dalīl ʻalá al-ʻiy fī al-lisān wa-al-quṣūr ʻan al-bayān bal sallim li-yukhbar bika wa-fawwiḍ ilá qarīḥatika fa-in tahayyaʼa laka maʻa al-huwaynā ṣawāb kāna ajall li-qadrika wa-ajmal li-fikrika . wa-iʻlam annahu laysa majlis min al-majālis yajtamiʻu fīhi min al-tashājur wa-al-taḥāsud mithla mā yajtamiʻu fī majlis al-malik wa-tanāfus al-nās ʻindahu fī al-ḥaẓwah wa-al-manzilah fa-in aʻraḍa ʻanka muʻriḍ min hādhihi al-ṭabaqah fa-iyyāka istiʻmāl al-aghlāṭ maʻahu aw taqallud al-intiṣār li-nafsika minhu bal usluk bihi sabīl al-iḥtijāj akhdhan bi-al-rifq wa-jādhibhu asbāb al-intiṣāf muʼaththiran li-al-qaṣd . fa-in tawajjahat laka ḥujjah fa-lā tashṭaṭ bihā muftakhiran wa-lā taʻjab bihā mustakbiran fa-yaḥrimuka al-baghy asbāb al-ziyādah . wa-in tawajjahat lahu ʻalayka ḥujjah fa-talaqqahā mudhʻinan wa-sallim li-ṣāḥibihā bi-al-khuḍūʻ li-allā yajtamiʻa ʻalayka aṣāḥibihā maʻa ʻadam al-iṣābah qūwah al-muʼannibīn al-mūbakhīn . wa-iʻlam annahu yaḥḍuru majlis al-malik aṣnāf min al-nās wa-maʻa kull ṣinf minhum nawʻ min anwāʻ al-adab wa-kull ḥarīṣ ʻalá an yakūna istimāʻ al-malik minhu wa-iṣghāʼuhu ilayhi wa-al-malik yajibu an yajmaʻahum bi-naẓarihi wa-yaʻummahum bi-iqbālihi fa-in jará fī al-majlis shayʼ laka fīhi ḥaẓẓ fa-ajri maʻa ahlihi fīhi ghayr muriq wa-lā mutasarriʻ wa-lā mustanshiṭ wa-in kāna dhālika mimmā lā ḥaẓẓ laka fīhi fa-lā yadʻuwannaka al-ḥasad li-ahlihi ilá al-timās ṣarf al-malik ʻanhum wa-al-takdhīb lahum fa-inna dhālika ghayr zāʼid laka ʻinda al-malik qadran bal huwa bi-ḍidd dhālika aḥaqq wa-ajdar wa-tawaqqa al-shirār bi-ḥaḍratihi . wa-iʻlam anna kull shayʼ yajrī fī majlis al-malik shayʼ yalzamu man yarāhu wa-yasmaʻuhu kitmānahu wa-satrahu khalā mā kāna min makrumah li-al-malik yushīʻuhā wa-ḥasanah yudhīʻuhā fa-inna min ḥaqq khāṣṣat al-malik al-ladhīn yaḥḍurūna majlisahu an yaṣifūhu bi-aḥsan ṣifātihi li-surūr al-awliyāʼ wa-kabt al-aʻdāʼ . thumma iḥfaẓ baṣaraka kamā taḥfaẓu lisānaka wa-lā tukthir al-talaffut yamīnan wa-shimālan wa-lā tataṣaffaḥ al-wujūh mutafarrisan mutaʼammilan wa-lā taʻriḍ mā fī al-majlis mutafakkihan mushrihan fa-inna dhālika kullahu sukhf wa-rubbamā waqafa bi-ṣāḥibihi mawqifan yazillu maʻahu qadamuhu wa-yaṭūlu ʻalayhi nadamuhu thumma iḥfaẓ samʻaka kamā taḥfaẓu baṣaraka fa-in raʼayta al-malik aw ghayrahu qad aṣghá bi-sirr ilá ghayrika fa-lā tuṣgha ilayhi bi-samʻika wa-lā taḥriṣ ʻalá istimāʻ shayʼ minhu fa-inna tilka khiyānah wa-man khāna al-malik bi-ḥaḍratihi kāna fī-mā yaghību ʻanhu akhwan . wa-li-takun dār al-malik dāraka al-latī tataṣarrafu fīhā bi-hammika wa-mulāzamatika wa-taʻmuru makānaka minhā bi-ṭāʻatika wa-munāṣaḥatika fa-in alzamta nafsaka bi-dhālika fa-qad zakhraftahā wa-aʻdadta al-malāhī fīhā wa-daʻāka dhālika ilá istithqāl makānika min dār al-malik fa-iʻlam anna makānaka fī adwan al-manāzil min dār al-malik ashraf qadran wa-ajall dhikran min makānika fī aʻlá al-manāzil min ghayrihā . wa-man ʻarafahu al-malik yuḥibbu al-buʻd minhu wa-al-tanaḥḥī ʻanhu saʼimahu wa-mallahu wa-kāna ʻalayhi ashadd ʻanāʼ . wa-li-yakun min akhlāqika al-latī yaʻrifuka al-malik bihā al-ijtihād fī al-iʻtidhār li-man ʻalimta anna al-malik yuḥibbu an yajida lahu ʻudhran mimman zalla aw hafā min khadamihi wa-in kāna min aʻdāʼika wa-tark ishhād al-furṣah ʻalayhi ʻinda taghayyur al-malik wa-al-mubālaghah fī al-iḥtijāj ʻalá man kāna bi-khilāf hādhihi al-ḥāl ʻinda al-malik wa-in kāna miftāḥ ahl al-nār wa-yaqūdu ilayhā wa-inna al-dunyā mabnīyah li-al-kharāb wa-inna ʻumraka li-al-kharāb wa-jasadaka li-al-turāb wa-mā jamaʻtahu li-al-warathah fa-al-naʻīm li-ghayrika wa-al-ḥisāb ʻalayka wa-al-ʻiqāb laka wa-al-lawm laka wa-al-ṣāḥib laka fī al-qabr al-ʻamal fa-ḥāsib nafsaka qabla an tuḥāsaba wa-ilzam ṭāʻatī wa-iḥdhar maʻṣiyatī wa-irḍa bi-mā ātaytuka wa-kun min al-shākirīn . wa-man adhnaba dhanban wa-huwa ḍāḥik adkhaltuhu al-nār wa-huwa bāk wa-man jalasa bākiyan min khashyatī adkhaltuhu al-jannah wa-huwa ḍāḥik wa-kam min ghanī yatamanná al-faqr yawm ḥisābihi wa-kam min jabbār adhallahu al-mawt wa-kam min ḥulw marrarahu al-mawt wa-kam min masrūr bi-niʻmatihi kaddarahā al-mawt ʻalayhi wa-kam min farḥah awrathat ḥuznan ṭawīlan wa-law ʻalimta mā taʻlamu al-bahāʼim min al-mawt la-imtanaʻta min al-akl wa-al-shurb ḥattá tamūta jūʻan wa-ʻaṭashan . yā ibn Ādam law lam yuqdar ʻalayka illā al-mawt wa-shiddatuhu la-kāna yajibu ʻalayka an lā tahjaʻa bi-al-layl wa-lā tastaqirra bi-al-nahār fa-kayfa mā baʻdahu mimmā huwa ashadd minhu . yā ibn Ādam ijʻal surūraka bi-mā tanāluhu min al-naʻīm fī ākhiratika wa-li-yakun asafuka ʻalá mā fātaka minhā wa-mā ātāka min dunyāka fa-lā tafraḥ bihā wa-mā fātaka minhā fa-lā taʼsa ʻalayhi wa-lā taghtarra bi-shabābika fa-kam min shābb qad sabaqaka ilá al-mawt . yā ibn Ādam min al-turāb khalaqtuka wa-ilá al-turāb uʻīduka wa-min al-turāb abʻathuka marrah ukhrá fa-wadiʻ al-dunyā wa-tahayyaʼ li-al-mawt wa-iʻlam annī idhā aḥbabtu ʻabdan zawaytu al-dunyā ʻindahu wa-istaʻmaltuhu li-al-ākhirah wa-urīhi ʻuyūb al-dunyā fa-yaḥdharuhā wa-yaʻmalu bi-ʻamal ahl al-jannah bi-raḥmatī iyyāhu wa-idhā abghaḍtu ʻabdan shaghaltuhu bi-al-dunyā wa-istaʻmaltuhu bi-ʻamalihā fa-yakūnu min ahl al-nār fa-adkhilhu al-nār bi-ghaḍabī . yā ibn Ādam kull ʻumraka fānin wa-in ṭāla wa-al-dunyā ka-fayʼ al-ẓilāl qalīlan thumma tadhhabu fa-lā taʻūdu ilayka wa-anā al-ladhī khalaqtuka wa-anā al-ladhī razaqaka wa-anā al-ladhī uḥyīka . wa-anā al-ladhī umītuka wa-anā al-ladhī abʻathuka wa-anā al-ladhī uḥāsibuka fa-in ʻamilta khayran raʼaytahu khayran wa-in ʻamilta sharran raʼaytahu sharran maʻa annaka lā tamliku li-nafsika nafʻan wa-lā ḍarran wa-lā mawtan wa-lā ḥayātan wa-lā nushūran . yā ibn Ādam aṭiʻnī wa-iḥdhar minnī wa-lā tahtamm bi-al-rizq fa-qad kafatka amrahu wa-lā taḥmil hamm shayʼ fa-qad kufita amrahu . kayfa taḥmilu hamm amr lam yuqaddar laka wa-lā tudrikuhu kamā annaka lā taʼkhudhu thawāb ʻamal lam taʻmalhu . wa-man kāna sabīluhu al-mawt fa-kayfa yafraḥu bi-al-dunyā . wa-man kāna baytuhu al-qabr fa-kayfa yusarru bi-mā yabnīhi fī dār al-dunyā . yā ibn Ādam rizq qalīl wa-anta shākir khayr min kathīr wa-anta ghayr shākir . wa-khayr mālika mā qaddamtahu wa-sharr mālika mā khallaftahu fī al-dunyā fa-qaddim li-nafsika khayran tajiduhu ʻindī qabla an yaʼkhudhaka liṣṣ al-mawt baghtah wa-man kāna mahmūman fa-anā al-ladhī farrajtu hammahu wa-man kāna mustaghfiran fa-anā al-ladhī aghfiru lahu wa-man kāna tāʼiban fa-anā al-ladhī nahaytuhu wa-man kāna ʻāriyan fa-anā al-ladhī ʻarraytuhu wa-kasawtuhu wa-man kāna khāʼifan fa-anā al-ladhī uʼamminu khawfahu . wa-man kāna jāʼiʻan fa-anā al-ladhī ushbiʻuhu wa-idhā kāna ʻabdī ʻalá ṭāʻatī wa-amḍá amrī yassartu amrahu wa-shadadtu azrahu wa-sharaḥtu ṣadrahu . yā Mūsá man istaghná bi-amwāl al-fuqarāʼ wa-al-aytām afqartuhu bi-al-dunyā wa-ʻadhdhabtuhu fī al-ākhirah . wa-man tajabbara ʻalá al-fuqarāʼ adhlaltuhu wa-man baná bi-qūwah al-fuqarāʼ wa-al-ḍuʻafāʼ bināʼ ʻaqqabat bināʼahu al-kharāb wa-askantuhu al-nār ( inna hādhā la-fī al-ṣuḥuf al-ūlá ṣuḥuf Ibrāhīm wa-Mūsá )