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O partridge, bird of graceful gait, say whether wouldst thou shape thy way?
Be not so bold, for well we know how the religious cat can pray.

— Hafez A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)

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More quotes by Hafez

Wash from the dross of life thy hands as the Path’s men of old
And, winning love’s alchemic power, transmute thyself to gold.

A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)

The dimple that thy chin contains has beauty in its round,
That never has been fathomed yet by myriad thoughts profound.

What necessity for a sword to slay the lover, when a glance can deprive him of half his life!

Thy curl is ever drawing the heart silently
Who hath power to speak (quarrel) with Thy heart-vanishing curl.

A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)

What holds in peace this two-fold world, let this two-fold sentence show
Amity to every friend, courtesy to every foe.

A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)

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Histories are more full of Examples of the Fidelity of dogs than of Friends.

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True human goodness, in all its purity and freedom, can come to the fore only when its recipient has no power.

Milan Kundera The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1984)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Hafez (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.