Then said his companion to him, Alas! my boy, only he who clings should be clung to; only he who is valuable should be prized. As for me I give only to him who will requite; I distinguish not the insolent by my regard; nor will I be of pure affection to one who refuses me fair-dealing; nor treat as a brother one who would undo my tethering-rope; nor aid one who would baulk my hopes; nor care for one who would cut my cords; nor be courteous to him who ignores my value; nor give my leading rope to one who breaks my covenant; nor be free of my love to my adversaries; nor lay aside my menace to the hostile; nor plant my benefits on the land of my enemies; nor be willing to impart to him who rejoices at my ills; nor show my regard to him who will exult at my death; nor favor with my gifts any but my friends; nor call to the curing of my sickness any but those who love me; nor confer my friendship on him who will not stop my breach; nor make my purpose sincere to him who wishes my decease; nor be earnest in prayer for him who will not fill my wallet; nor pour out my praise on him who empties my jar. For who has adjudged that I should be lavish and thou shouldest hoard, that I should be soft and thou rough, that I should melt and thou freeze, that I should blaze and thou smolder? No, by Allah, but let us balance in speech as coin, and match in deed as sandals, that each to each we may be safe from fraud and free from hatred. For else, why should I give thee full water and thou stint me? why should I hear with thee and thou contemn me? why should I gain for thee and thou wound me? why should I advance to thee and thou repel me? For how should fair-dealing be attracted by injury? how can the sun rise clear with cloud? And when did love follow docilely after wrong? and what man of honor consents to a state of abasement? For excellently said thy father: Whoso attaches his affection to me, I repay him as one who builds on his foundation: And I mete to a friend as he metes to me, according to the fulness of his meting or its defect. I make him not a loser! for the worst of men is he whose to-day falls short of his yesterday. Whoever seeks fruit of me gets only the fruit of his own planting. I seek not to defraud, but I will not come off with the bargain of one who is weak in his reason. I hold not truth binding on me toward a man who holds it not binding on himself. There may be some one insincere in love who fancies that I am true in my friendship for him, while he is false; And knows not in his ignorance that I pay my creditor his debt after its kind. Sunder, with the sundering of hate, from one who would make thee a fool, and hold him as one entombed in his grave. And toward him in whose intercourse there is aught doubtful put on the garb of one who shrinks from his intimacy. And hope not for affection from any who sees that thou art in want of his money.