Wisdom, Number 1

Iraqi style
English

Wisdom, Number 1

Wealth exists to ease your life, not your life to pile up wealth. A wise man was asked, 'Who is fortunate, and what is misfortune?' He said, 'The fortunate one enjoyed what he had and planted for others; the wretched one died and left it all behind.' Say no funeral prayer for the man who did nothing but spend his whole life chasing money and never enjoyed it.
Explanation: The phrase 'ate and planted' means he both enjoyed his wealth and did lasting good with it. Refusing to pray at a funeral marks the strongest condemnation of a wasted, hoarding life.

Original · Persian

حکمت شمارهٔ ۱

مال از بهر آسایش عمر است نه عمر از بهر گرد کردن مال. عاقلی را پرسیدند: «نیک‌بخت کیست و بدبختی چیست؟» گفت: «نیک‌بخت آن که خورد و کشت و بدبخت آن که مُرد و هِشت.»
مکن نماز بر آن هیچ کس که هیچ نکرد که عمر در سرِ تحصیلِ مال کرد و نخورد