Gulistan of Saadi

 The Manners of Kings

 Story 12

An unjust king asked a devotee what kind of worship is best? He replied: ‘For thee the best is to sleep
one half of the day so as not to injure the people for a while.’

I saw a tyrant sleeping half the day.
I said: ‘This confusion, if sleep removes it, so much the better;
But he whose sleep is better than his wakefulness
Is better dead than leading such a bad life.’