إبن أدم ف التفكير و الرب ف التدبير
Ibn Adam fil tafkir wel rab fil tadbir
Translation: The son of Adam is lost in thought and God is doing all
Meaning: Life happens while you're making plans. People are always busy thinking about how best to handle situations, but the end result may not tally with what they have in mind. It is one of a group of sayings that favour destiny over free will. Here, one is not advised to stop planning, but just to chill out a little, for the future doesn't strictly depend on one's own deeds.
Source: ُEgyptian proverbs, (Al-Ahram Center For Translation and Publishing, 1986) by Ahmed Taymour Pasha,
Translated by: Nabil Shawkat
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