shortcomings and the sacrifice of the soul is easy. while every hero has failed every leader has deviated every leader has exposed himself every insightful person has added every boaster has fallen and every hypocrite has hidden. and until they became the ones who advise him to be gentle and they improve his approach and they frighten him with the consequences and they claim that every time has a plan and an interest and that distancing them is more appropriate for their natures and that letting them go is more effective in what is wanted from them. and until they called flattery conciliation and giving satisfaction is caution and severity at the opportunity is a breach and taking sides with the correctness of the advance is gentleness and befriending the opponent is opposition and friendship is companionship and humiliation is patience and weakness in religion is tolerance. just as a people called fleeing aversion and miserliness is economy and the unjust is thorough and the calamity is an accident and error is eloquence. so they were and are. and this is how their affair differed and this is wellknown about them.
تقصيرا، وبذل النفس يسيرا. على حين خار كل بطل، وحاد كل مقدم، وعرد كل رئيس، وأضاف كل مستبصر، وطاح كل نفاج، واستخفى كل مراء. وحتى صاروا هم الذين يشيرون عليه بالملاينة، ويحسنون عنده المقاربة، ويخوفونه العاقبة، ويزعمون أن لكل زمان تدبيرا ومصلحة، وأن إبعادهم أتقر لطبائعهم، وإن إطلاقها أنجع فيما يراد منهم. وحتى سموا المداهنة مداراة، وإعطاء الرضا تقية، والشدة عند الفرصة خرقا، والانحياز مع صواب الإقدام رفقا، وموالاة المخالف مخالفة، والمصافاة معاشرة، والمهانة حلما، والضعف في الدين احتمالا. كما سمى قوم الفرار انحيازا، والبخل اقتصادا، والجائر مستقصيا، والبلاء عارضا، والخطل بلاغة. فكذلك كانوا وكان. وعلى هذا افترق أمرهم؛ وذلك مشهور عنهم.