la huzn yadoom |
ولا حزن يدوم

la huzn yadoom is a well-known quote by imam al-shafi’i - reflecting the fatality of life and power of a content mind:

no sorrow lasts nor joy,

no misery nor prosperity stays.

if you possess a contented heart,

then you and your wealth are the same.

whoever finds death at their doorstep,

neither earth nor sky can protect them.

god’s earth is vast, yet when fate strikes,

even the heavens seem small.

let time pass as it may,

for medicine will not cure death.