Let days go forth and do as they please
And remain firm when settled is the decree

Don’t grieve over the tragedies of night
For the tragedies 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 flaws become too much in front of the people
And you wish that they were to be concealed,

Then know that kindness covers all flaws
For how many flaws are kept hidden by kindness!

And do not ever show humiliation to enemies,
For the enemies’ gloating is an adversity

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 your delay
And it cannot be increased due to your haste

No sadness lasts forever, nor any felicity
And no state of poverty remains, nor any luxury

If you possess, in your heart, contentment
Then you and those who possess the world are equivalent

And if death descends upon one’s horizon,
No earth can offer him protection, nor any sky

Indeed, the earth of God 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.

―Let Days Go Forth, by Iman al-Shafi’i

وَطِب نَفساً إِذا حَكَمَ القَضاءُ	دَعِ الأَيّامَ تَفعَلُ ما تَشاءُ
فَما لِحَوادِثِ الدُنيا بَقاءُ	وَلا تَجزَع لِحادِثَةِ اللَيالي
وَشيمَتُكَ السَماحَةُ وَالوَفاءُ	وَكُن رَجُلاً عَلى الأَهوالِ جَلداً
وَسَرَّكَ أَن يَكونَ لَها غِطاءُ	وَإِن كَثُرَت عُيوبُكَ في البَرايا
يُغَطّيهِ كَما قيلَ السَخاءُ	تَسَتَّر بِالسَخاءِ فَكُلُّ عَيبٍ
فَإِنَّ شَماتَةَ الأَعدا بَلاءُ	وَلا تُرِ لِلأَعادي قَطُّ ذُلّاً
فَما في النارِ لِلظَمآنِ ماءُ	وَلا تَرجُ السَماحَةَ مِن بَخيلٍ
وَلَيسَ يَزيدُ في الرِزقِ العَناءُ	وَرِزقُكَ لَيسَ يُنقِصُهُ التَأَنّي
وَلا بُؤسٌ عَلَيكَ وَلا رَخاءُ	وَلا حُزنٌ يَدومُ وَلا سُرورٌ
فَأَنتَ وَمالِكُ الدُنيا سَواءُ	إِذا ما كُنتَ ذا قَلبٍ قَنوعٍ
فَلا أَرضٌ تَقيهِ وَلا سَماءُ	وَمَن نَزَلَت بِساحَتِهِ المَنايا
إِذا نَزَلَ القَضا ضاقَ الفَضاءُ	وَأَرضُ اللَهِ واسِعَةٌ وَلَكِن
فَما يُغني عَنِ المَوتِ الدَواءُ	دَعِ الأَيّامَ تَغدِرُ كُلَّ حِينٍ
قصيدة دع الأيام تفعل ما تشاء، الإمام أبو عبد الله محمد بن إدريس الشافعيّ المطَّلِبيّ القرشيّ