Poems by Imam ash-Shaf'i

Poem #11

أتهزأ بالدعاء وتزدريه *** وما تدري بما صنع الدعاء

سهام الليل لا تخطئ ولكن *** لها أمد وللأمد انقضاء

فيمسكها إذا ما شاء ربي *** ويرسلها إذا ما نفذ القضاء

Do you mock the supplication and belittle it?

While you do not know what it has the power to do!

The arrows of the night (du'ā) do not miss target,

But they have a set limit, which shall come to end.

So if my Lord wishes, He holds it back,

And if the decree is to be fulfilled, He sets it forth.

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قالوا : سكت و قد خوصمت، قلت لهم: *** ان الجواب لباب الشر مفتاح

الصمت عن جاهل أو أحمق شرف *** و فيه أيضا لصون العرض إصلاح

أما ترى الاسد تُخشى و هي صامتة ؟! *** والكلب يخسى لعمري و هو نباح

They said, "You’ve been disputed but yet you keep silent?"

I said, "Indeed a response will only be a key to the doors of evil."

Remaining silent from an ignorant one is indeed a virtue,

And in it is also reform and protection of honour.

Do you not see how the lion is feared, although he is silent?

And yet dogs are disgraced, but by God do they bark.

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حد من ألسن الناس سالماً *** ولو أنه ذاك النبي المطهرُ

وإن كان سكيتاً يقولون أبكم *** وإن كان منطيقاً يقولون أهدرُ

وإن كان صواماً وبالليل قائماً *** يقولون زرَاقٌ يرائي و يمكر

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Nobody is safe from the tongues of people,

Even if he were to be the Prophet so pure.

If one is silent, they say he is voiceless,

And if he speaks, they say he talks much.

Were he to fast and stand to pray at night,

They say he’s blind, he shows off, he deceives.

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و من الشقاوة أن تحب و من تحب يحب غيرك

أو أن تريد الخير للأن سان و هو يريد ضيرك

And from misery is that you love, and (the one) who you love, loves other than you,

Or that you want good for a person, and he wants to hurt you.

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A friend who does not benefit during the time of hardships, is close to an enemy on the scales,

The friend does not remain, during all times,

Nor does the brother, except for consolation.

I searched the days, with all my strengths

for a brother to trust, but my search was fruitless,

The lands and those who live them were barren,

As though its people were not people.

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لا تأس في الدنيا على فائت *** وعندك الإسلام والعافية

إن فات أمر كنت تسعى له *** ففيهما من فائت كافيه

Never be saddened by what you lose in this world,

When you have Islām and good health with you.

If you lose something that you were rushing towards,

Then the fact that you lost it is sufficient (as a lesson).