Maktaba as Salafiya: Poem by Imaam ash-Shafi'i: "Let days go forth.."

Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Poem by Imaam ash-Shafi'i: "Let days go forth.."

A beautiful poem by Imaam ash-Shafi'i (rahimahullah)

دع الأيام تفعل ما تشاء *** وطب نفسا إذا حكم القضاء

ولا تجزع لحادثة الليالي *** فما لحوادث الدنيا بقاء

وكن رجلا على الأهوال جلدا *** وشيمتك السماحة والوفاء

وإن كثرت عيوبك في البرايا *** وسرك أن يكون لها غطاء

يغطى بالسماحة كل عيب *** وكم عيب يغطيه السخاء

ولا حزن يدوم ولا سرور *** ولا بؤس عليك ولا رخاء

ولا ترج السماحة من بخيل *** فما في النار للظمآن ماء

ورزقك ليس ينقصه التأني *** وليس يزيد في الرزق العناء

إذا ما كنت ذا قلب قنوع *** فأنت ومالك الدنيا سواء

ومن نزلت بساحته المنايا *** فلا أرض تقيه ولا سماء

وأرض الله واسعة ولكن *** إذا نزل القضا ضاق الفضاء

دع الأيام تغدر كل حين *** ولا يغني عن الموت الدواء

Let days go forth and do as they please

And remain firm when settled is the Decree

Don't be afraid of what happens by night

For the affairs of this world are not to last

And be a man, strong in the face of calamities

And let your nature be that of kindness and honesty

If your faults become too much in front of the people

And you wish that they were to be concealed,

Then know that kindness covers all faults

And how many faults are kept hidden by kindness!

No sadness lasts forever, nor any happiness

And you shall not remain in poverty, or any luxury

Generosity cannot be hoped from the miserly

For no water exists in the Fire for the thirsty

Your provision will not be decreased due to life's delays

And it cannot be increased due to your haste

If, in your heart, you possess contentment

Then you and those who possess the world are equal

And for him upon whose horizon death descends,

No earth can offer him protection, nor any sky

Indeed, the earth of Allah is certainly vast

But if decree descends, then the world constricts

Let days be the ones that betray you at all times

For no cure can avail a person of death