Here is my translation of a very nice poem by Imam Shafi’ the respected founder of one of the four schools of Islamic Law in Sunni Islam. In it he gives some advice about how we should live. Poetry and eloquence has a high place in Arabic culture.
دَعِ الأَيّامَ تَفعَلُ ما تَشاءُ وَطِب نَفساً إِذا حَكَمَ القَضاءُ
وَلا تَجزَع لِحادِثَةِ اللَيالي فَما لِحَوادِثِ الدُنيا بَقاءُ
وَكُن رَجُلاً عَلى الأَهوالِ جَلداً وَشيمَتُكَ السَماحَةُ وَالوَفاءُ
وَإِن كَثُرَت عُيوبُكَ في البَرايا وَسَرَّكَ أَن يَكونَ لَها غِطاءُ
تَسَتَّر بِالسَخاءِ فَكُلُّ عَيبٍ يُغَطّيهِ كَما قيلَ السَخاءُ
وَلا تُرِ لِلأَعادي قَطُّ ذُلّاً فَإِنَّ شَماتَةَ الأَعدا بَلاءُ
وَلا تَرجُ السَماحَةَ مِن بَخيلٍ فَما في النارِ لِلظَمآنِ ماءُ
وَرِزقُكَ لَيسَ يُنقِصُهُ التَأَنّي وَلَيسَ يَزيدُ في الرِزقِ العَناءُ
وَلا حُزنٌ يَدومُ وَلا سُرورٌ وَلا بُؤسٌ عَلَيكَ وَلا رَخاءُ
إِذا ما كُنتَ ذا قَلبٍ قَنوعٍ فَأَنتَ وَمالِكُ الدُنيا سَواءُ
Leave the days to do as they will,
And think well of it when the decree falls
And do not despair when something happens in dark times,
Because nothing lasts for ever in this life,
And be a man, firm in the face of threats,
And make your habit tolerance and generosity,
And if your faults are many amongst people,
And you wish for them to be hidden,
Veil them with generosity, because every fault is veiled with generosity,
And do not humble yourselves before enemies,
Because the fury of enemies is a test,
And to not hope for tolerance from a miser,
Because there is no water for the thirsty within the fire,
And your wealth is not increased by haste,
And hoarding does not increase wealth, and no sadness is permanent, and no happiness,
And feel neither the extremes of desperation, nor exultation,
So that you have a heart that has equanimity,
And then you and an Emperor are equal
