Beautiful Poem

[This article is written by Emad Mohamed Abd El-Hamid Fadel]

The following is one of the poems of Imam Ash-Shafi`I, the famous Imam of Fiqh. It was reported that he was talented in saying good poems. I translated the following poem for the English readers. I did my best to convey the meaning of the Arabic poem.

 

Imam Ash-Shafi`i said:

Let the days run the way they want,

Happily accept the destiny of God, no matter what was it.

 

Show no panic toward the hardships of night,

For such worldly hardships shall not last.

 

Be a tough one in facing your fears,

 

Be patient, forgiving, and loyal;

If you have many shortcomings evident to humanity

And you would like to hide them

 

Wrap yourself with generosity—

It is said to be a cover for every defect.

Do not beg generosity from someone stingy,

For one does not seek water from fire.

Your daily provisions will not decrease if you are slow in seeking them,

Nor do they increase if you are anxious about them.

Sadness does not remain indefinitely, but neither does happiness;

Hard times do not last, nor do the good ones.

 

When death comes to anyone

No one on earth or in the heavens can stop it.

The earth—Allah’s creation—is indeed spacious and wide,

But when death comes, its breadth becomes narrow and tight.

 

The following is the Arabic poem for those who know Arabic:

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






تستر بالسخاء فكل عيب ... يغطيه - كما قيل- السخاء






ولا تر للأعداء قط ذلا ... فإن شماتة الأعداء بلاء






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






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






ولا حزن يدوم ولا سرور ... ولا بؤس عليك ولا رخاء






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