وَقَالَ (عليه السلام):
Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said:
الْأَقَاوِيلُ مَحْفُوظَةٌ
Utterances are preserved
وَ السَّرَائِرُ مَبْلُوَّةٌ
and actions are to be tried.
وَ (كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِما كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ)
Every soul, for what it earned, is held in pledge! (Qur'an, 74:38).
وَ النَّاسُ مَنْقُوصُونَ مَدْخُولُونَ
People are to be made deficient (as regards their bodies) and meddled with (as regards their minds)
إِلَّا مَنْ عَصَمَ اللَّهُ:
except those whom Allah protects.
سَائِلُهُمْ مُتَعَنِّتٌ
The questioner among them aims at confusing
وَ مُجِيبُهُمْ مُتَكَلِّفٌ
and the answerer creates hardship.
يَكَادُ أَفْضَلُهُمْ رَأْياً يَرُدُّهُ
It is possible that the man who has the best views among them will be deviated
عَنْ فَضْلِ رَأْيِهِ
from the soundness of his thinking
الرِّضَى وَ السُّخْطُ ،
by pleasure or displeasure,
وَ يَكَادُ أَصْلَبُهُمْ عُوداً تَنْكَؤُهُ اللَّحْظَةُ
and it is possible that a single glance may affect even the man with the 'best wisdom among them
وَ تَسْتَحِيلُهُ الْكَلِمَةُ الْوَاحِدَةُ .
or a single expression may transform him.
