As-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah
Some translated excerpts from the Diwan of Imam al-Shafi’i…
§-§
يا سميع الدعاء كن عند ظني *** واكفني مَن كفيتهُ الشَّر منّي
وأعنّي على رضاك وخِرْ لي *** في أموري وعافني واعفُ عني
O Hearer of supplications, fulfil my expectations,
And protect me from the evil of he whom You have power over.
And aid me in attaining Your Pleasure, and choose for me
In all my affairs, and grant me well-being, and forgive me.
§-§
يا من تعزز بالدنيا وزينتها *** الدهر يأتي على المبني والباني
ومن يكن عزه الدنيا وزينتها *** فعزه عن قليل زائل فاني
واعلم بأن كنوز الأرض من ذهب *** فاجعل كنوزك من بر وإيمان
O you who seeks glory and strength in this world and its glitter,
Know that time comes over every building and builder.
And whoever’s glory comes from this world and its glitter,
Then soon his glory will fade and will be no longer.
Know that the treasures of the earth lie in riches and gold,
So make your treasure lie in piety and faith.
§-§
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 Islam 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).
§-§
فيا عجبي كيف يعصى الإله *** أم كيف يجحـده الجاحـد
وللـه في كــل تحريكةٍ *** وتسكــينة أبــداً شاهد
وفي كـل شيء لـه آيـة *** تـدل على أنـه واحــد
How surprising that God can be disobeyed!
Or that the unbeliever can deny Him so
When there is a witness for God in every single thing
That moves about or is rested at peace.
And in everything there is truly a Sign
That shows He is indeed One (God).
§-§
إني صحبت أناسا ما لهم عدد *** وكنت أحسب أني قد ملأت يدي
لما بلوت أخلائي وجدتهم *** كالدهر في الغدر لم يبقوا علي أحد
إن غبت عنهم فشر الناس يشتمني *** وإن مرضت فخير الناس لم يعد
وإن رأوني بخير ساءهم فرحي *** وإن رأوني بشر سرهم نكدي
I have accompanied a countless number of people,
And I thought I had more than my share (of them),
But when I tested my friends I found that,
They were treacherous like Time which spares no-one.
If I were absent from them, the worst of them would insult me,
And if I fell ill, the best of them would not visit me.
And if they saw me in a good state, my delight hurt them,
And if they saw me in a bad state, my hardship delighted them.
§-§
قالوا يزورك أحمد وتزوره *** قلت الفصائل لا تفارق منزله
إن زارني فبفضله أو زرته *** فلفضله فالفضل في الحالين له
They said, ‘Ahmad (ibn Hanbal) visits you and you visit him!’
I said, ‘Virtue cannot be separated from his home!
If he visits me, then it’s because of his virtue, and if I visit him
Then it’s due to his virtue, so in both cases virtue belongs to him.’