Arabian Wisdom, by John Wortabet, [1913]
Opportunities move like clouds, or pass rapidly like meteors.
Seize a thief before he seizes you.
Take advantage of the light of day before the night sets in.
Seize on opportunities, for they are either a spoil if improved, or a grief if neglected.
Good judgment means a seizure of opportunities.
Keep quiet until the occasion presents itself.
An action may be good if done at a fitting season, or evil if done at an improper time.
Procrastination means evil.
Put your bread into the oven while it is hot.
If you undertake a work do it speedily.
Profit by occasions when they turn up, and do not worry about an evil which has not yet come.
Time is a sharp sword—strike with it before you are struck by it.
If you have not sown, and see a reaper in the field, you will regret a lost opportunity.