we also say lovers despite their obedience to their desires their preference for pleasure and their worship of it are sad when they think they are happy and they are pained when they think they are enjoying themselves. this is because they do not attain anything of their pleasures and do not reach them except after worry and effort touch them take from them and reach them. and perhaps they do not cease from that in agonizing distress and continuous sorrows without ever attaining what they seek. and many of them due to constant wakefulness worry and loss of food become mad and obsessive and become weak and withered. so they fall from the ropes and nets of pleasure into the bad and the unpleasant and its consequences lead them to the ultimate misery and destruction. as for those who thought that they would attain the pleasure of love in its entirety and obtain it from those who possess it and are able to do so they have made a clear mistake and erred. this is because pleasure is only attained when it is proportionate to the extent of the pain of the harmful thing that causes it and calls for it. and whoever owns something and is able to do it this inciting motive weakens in him and he quickly calms down and settles down. it has been said with truth and sincerity that everything that exists is owned and everything that is forbidden is sought. we also say that separation from the beloved is inevitable by force of death even if it is free from all the accidents of this world and its accidents that scatter the union and separate the lovers. and if it is necessary to swallow this sigh and swallow this bitterness then bringing it forward and relieving it is better than delaying it and waiting for it because what is inevitable will happen when it is brought forward the burden of fearing it for the period of its delay is removed. also preventing the soul from its beloved before his love becomes firm and established in it and takes control of it is easier and simpler. also when passion
ونقول أيضا إن العشاق مع طاعتهم للهوى وإيثارهم اللذة وتعبدهم لها يحزنون من حيث يظنون أنهم يفرحون، ويألمون من حيث يظنون أنهم يلذون. وذلك أنهم لا ينالون من ملاذهم شيئا ولا يصلون إليه إلا بعد أن يمسهم الهم والجهد ويأخذ منهم ويبلغ إليهم. وربما لم يزالوا من ذلك في كرب منصبة وغصص متصلة من غير نيل مطلوب بتة. والكثير منهم يصير لدوام السهر والهم وفقد الغذاء إلى الجنون والوسواس وإلى الدق والذبول. فإذا هم وقعوا من حبال اللذة وشباكها في الرديء والمكروه، وأدتهم عواقبها إلى غاية الشقاء والتهلكة. وأما الذين ظنوا أنهم ينالون لذة العشق كملا ويصيبونه ممن ملكوه وقدروا عليه فقد غلطوا وأخطئوا خطا بينا. وذلك أن اللذة إنما تكون إذا نيلة بمقدار بلاغ ألم المؤذي الباعث عليها الداعي إليها، ومن ملك شيئا وقدر عليه ضعف فيه هذا الباعث الداعي وهدأ وسكن سريعا. وقد قيل قولا حقا صدقا إن كل موجود مملوك وكل ممنوع مطلوب ونقول أيضا إن مفارقة المحبوب أمر لا بد منه اضطرارا بالموت، وإن سلم من سائر حوادث الدنيا وعوارضها المبددة للشمل المفرقة بين الأحبة. وإذا كان لا بد من إساغة هذه الغصة وتجرع هذه المرارة فإن تقديمها والراحة منها أصلح من تأخيرها والانتظار لها، لأن ما لا بد من وقوعه متى قدم أزيح مؤونة الخوف منه مدة تأخيره. وأيضا فإن منع النفس من محبوبها قبل أن يستحكم حبه ويرسخ فيها ويستولي عليها أيسر وأسهل. وأيضا فإن العشق متى