Shakespeare, 'As You Like It'
"I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables—slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war . . . our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires and movie gods and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off." --- Tyler Durden, Fight Club 1999
Translation: O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your Hand (i.e. you have control over me). Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every Name that You have named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught any one of Your creation or kept unto Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen that is with You, to make the Qur'an the spring of my heart, and the light of my chest, the departure of my sadness and the release of my anxiety. Transliteration: Allaahumma 'innee 'abduka, ibnu 'abdika, ibnu 'amatika, naasiyatee biyadika, maadhin fiyya hukmuka, 'adlun fiyya qadhaa'uka, 'as'aluka bikulli ismin huwa laka, sammayta bihi nafsaka, 'aw 'anzaltahu fee kitaabika, 'aw 'allamtahu 'ahadan min khalqika, 'awista'tharta bihi fee 'ilmil-ghaybi 'indaka, 'an taj'alal-Qur'aana rabee'a qalbee, wa noora sadree, wa jalaa'a huznee, wa thahaaba hammee.
There was a great King who gathered his wise men and advisors. He asked that they come up with something that would stabilise his inner state whether he was superbly happy or desperately depressed. When he was full of joy, it would remind him of his sadness and when he was overcome by sadness, he would be reminded of his joy. The last thing he stipulated was that it be short so he could remember it. The wise men conferred for a time and presented the king with a ring. The ring was engraved with the words "This too shall pass."
