Hekayat 19 from Chapter 7 of Golestan of Saadi
English Translation for Hekayat
I asked a wise man about the meaning of the hadith: “The greatest enemy of yours is your own self, which resides within you.”
He replied: “This is because any enemy you treat with kindness can turn into a friend, except for your own self. The more indulgence you show it, the more it rebels against you.”
"A person becomes angelic by eating less,
But if they eat like beasts, they fall to the level of the inanimate.
When you fulfill someone’s desires, they become obedient to you,
But the self commands you more when its desires are satisfied."
متن حکایت
بزرگی را پرسیدم در معنی این حدیث که اَعدی عدوِّک نَفسُک الَّتی بینَ جَنبَیکَ.
گفت: به حکم آن که هر آن دشمنی را که با وی احسان کنی دوست گردد مگر نفس را که چندان که مدارا بیش کنی مخالفت زیادت کند.
فرشته خوی شود آدمی به کم خوردن
وگر خورد چو بهایم بیوفتد چو جماد
مراد هر که بر آری مطیع امر تو گشت
خلاف نفس که فرمان دهد چو یافت مراد