Vicissitudes of Fortune

Arabian Wisdom, by John Wortabet, [1913], at sacred-texts.com

Vicissitudes of Fortune

Man is like an ear of wheat shaken by the wind—sometimes up and sometimes down.

Man is a target to the accidents of time.

One day for us, and one day against us.

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With to-day there is to-morrow.

To every Moses there is a Pharaoh.

There is no day which has not its opposite.

The changes of fortune show what a man is made of.

There is no joy which is not followed by sorrow.

When Fortune brings a great good, she follows it by a great evil.

Fortune gives lavishly, and then turns round and takes away.

When a man has attained his highest hope, let him expect that its downfall is near by.

When a thing waxes to perfection it begins rapidly to wane.

When distress reaches its utmost, relief is close at hand.

What is past is dead.

Every ascent has a descent, and every trouble has an end.

Do not worry—between one twinkle of the eye and that which follows it things may change.

I have looked far and wide, and saw nothing on the faces of men but looks of perplexity or regret.

To complain of one's grief, except to God, is an humiliation.

He who thinks that Fortune will always favour him is a fool.

Follow the tracks of the fortunate man and you will come to fortune,