Did I say to you that our country is destined to mourning? That will
become true when an unjust sovereign rules. Tyranny is heavier than
the horse's hoofs, more destructive than the unchained torrents, more
deadly than the poisoned winds of Yemen, more devastating than the
plague. Tyranny prevents prayers rising to heaven and prevents the
blessings of heaven from falling upon the earth. Flee far from the
abode of this menace, even if you are one of the highest nobles of the
land, the most illustrious because of your wealth and your children.
Fear lest the birds of ruin fatten on the land, and earthquakes or
lightnings destroy its inhabitants.