عَانَدُواthey stubbornly opposedالْحَقَّthe truthوَخَالَفُواand they contradictedالْأُمَمَ1the nations
They stubbornly opposed the truth and contradicted the nations?
وَمَاAnd whatهٰذَاis thisالتَّرْكِيبُcompositionالْمُتَضَادُّcontradictoryوَالْمِزَاجُand temperamentالْمُتَنَافِي؟mutually inconsistent?
And what is this contradictory composition and inconsistent temperament?
وَمَاAnd whatهٰذَاis thisالْغَبَاءُstupidityالشَّدِيدُextremeالَّذِيwhichإِلَىbesideجَنْبِهِitفِطْنَةٌastutenessعَجِيبَةٌ؟wondrous?
And what is this extreme stupidity which is accompanied by wondrous astuteness?
وَمَاAnd whatهٰذَاis thisالسَّبَبُcauseالَّذِيby whichخَفِيَwas hiddenبِهِby itالْجَلِيلُthe greatالْوَاضِحُthe clearوَأُدْرِكَand was perceivedبِهِby itالْجَلِيلُthe greatالْغَامِضُ؟!the obscure?!
And what is this cause by which the clear and great is hidden, and by which the obscure and great is perceived?!
وَقُلْتُ:And I said:
And I said:
وَلَيْسَAnd notعَجَبِيmy wonderمِمَّنْat one whoخَلَعَcast offعِذَارَهُhis restraintفِيinالْبُخْلِmiserlinessوَأَبْدَىand showedصَفْحَتَهُhis faceلِلذَّمِّto blameوَلَمْand did notيَرْضَhe be contentمِنَwithالْقَوْلِspeechإِلَّاexceptبِمُقَارَعَةِwith clashingالْخَصْمِwith the opponentوَلَاand notمِنَwithالِاحْتِجَاجِargumentإِلَّاexceptبِمَاwith whatرُسِمَwas writtenفِيinالْكُتُبِbooks
And my wonder is not at one who casts off his restraint in miserliness, and shows his face to blame, and is not content with speech except by clashing with the opponent, nor with argument except by what is recorded in books.
وَلَاAnd notعَجَبِيmy wonderمِنْatمَغْلُوبٍone overcomeعَلَىoverعَقْلِهِhis mindمُسَخَّرٍcompelledلِإِظْهَارِto showingعَيْبِهِhis faultكَعَجَبِيlike my wonderمِمَّنْat one whoقَدْindeedفَطِنَbecame awareلِبُخْلِهِof his miserlinessوَعَرَفَand knewإِفْرَاطَthe excessشُحِّهِof his stinginess
And my wonder is not at one overcome in his mind, compelled to display his fault, just as my wonder is at one who has become aware of his miserliness and knows the excess of his stinginess.
وَهُوَwhile heفِيinذٰلِكَthatيُجَاهِدُstruggles againstنَفْسَهُhimselfوَيُغَالِبُand overcomesطَبْعَهُhis nature
While in that he struggles against himself and overcomes his nature.
وَلَرُبَّمَاAnd perhaps oftenظَنَّhe thoughtأَنَّthatقَدْalreadyفَطِنَhe was awareلَهُof himوَعَرَفَand knewمَاwhatعِنْدَهُhe had
And perhaps often he thought that one was aware of him and knew what he had.
فَمَوَّهَSo he glossed overشَيْئًاsomethingلَاthat cannotيُقْبَلُacceptالتَّمْوِيهَglossingوَرَقَّعَand patchedخَرْقًاa holeلَاthat cannotيُقْبَلُacceptالرَّقْعَpatching
So he glossed over something that cannot accept glossing, and patched a hole that cannot accept patching.
فَلَوْFor ifأَنَّهُheكَمَاjust asفَطِنَhe was awareلِعَيْبِهِof his faultوَفَطِنَand was awareلِمَنْof whomفَطِنَwas awareلِعَيْبِهِof his fault
For if he, just as he was aware of his fault and aware of those who were aware of his fault,
فَطِنَwas awareلِضَعْفِهِof his weaknessعَنْinعِلَاجِtreatingنَفْسِهِhimselfوَعَنْand inتَقْوِيمِcorrectingأَخْلَاقِهِhis moralsوَعَنْand inاسْتِرْجَاعِrecoveringمَاwhatسَلَفَprecededمِنْofعَادَاتِهِhis habitsوَعَنْand inقَلْبِهِchangingأَخْلَاقَهُhis moralsالْمَدْخُولَةِ2the corrupted
he would have been aware of his weakness in treating himself, in correcting his morals, in recovering his past habits, and in changing his corrupted morals (⟦2⟧)
إِلَىuntilأَنْtheyتَعُودَreturnسَلِيمَةًsound
until they return sound.
لَتَرَكَhe would have leftتَكَلُّفَthe pretensionمَاof whatلَاhe cannotيَسْتَطِيعُهُdoوَلَرَبِحَand he would have gainedالْإِنْفَاقَthe spendingعَلَىonمَنْthose whoيَذُمُّهُblame himوَلَمَاand he would not haveوَضَعَplacedعَلَىonنَفْسِهِhimselfالرُّقَبَاءَthe spies
He would have abandoned the pretension of what he cannot do, and he would have profited from spending on those who blame him, and he would not have placed observers over himself.
وَلَاAnd notأَحْضَرَhe would have broughtمَائِدَتَهُto his tableالشُّعَرَاءَthe poetsوَلَاand notخَالَطَhe would have mingledبَرْدَthe coldالْآفَاقِ3of the horizons
And he would not have brought the poets to his table, nor would he have mingled with the cold of the horizons (⟦3⟧)
وَلَاand notلَابَسَhe would have mixedالْمُوَكَّلِينَwith those appointedبِالْأَخْبَارِto news
and he would not have mixed with those appointed to gather news.
وَلَاسْتَرَاحَAnd he would have restedمِنْfromكَدِّthe toilالْكُلْفَةِof burdenوَدَخَلَand enteredفِيintoغِمَارِthe midstالْأُمَّةِof the nation
And he would have rested from the toil of burden and entered into the midst of the nation.
وَبَعْدُAnd moreoverفَمَاwhatبَالُهُis the matter with himيَفْطُنُhe perceivesلِعُيُوبِthe faults ofالنَّاسِpeopleإِذَاwhenأَطْعَمُوهُthey fed himوَلَاand notيَفْطُنُhe perceivesلِعَيْبِthe fault ofنَفْسِهِhimselfإِذَاwhenأَطْعَمَهُمْhe fed them?
And moreover, what is the matter with him that he perceives the faults of people when they feed him, but does not perceive his own fault when he feeds them?
وَإِنْAnd ifكَانَit isعَيْبُهُhis faultمَكْشُوفًاexposedوَعَيْبُand the fault ofمَنْwhomأَطْعَمَهُhe fedمَسْتُورًا؟hidden?
And if his fault is exposed, while the fault of whom he feeds is hidden?
وَلِمَAnd whyسَخَتْwas generousنَفْسُthe soul ofأَحَدِهِمْone of themبِالْكَثِيرِwith muchمِنَofالتِّبْرِ4gold
And why is the soul of one of them generous with much gold (⟦4⟧)
وَشَحَّتْand stingyبِالْقَلِيلِwith the littleمِنَofالطُّعْمِ؟food?
and stingy with the little food?
وَقَدْAnd indeedعَلِمَhe knewأَنَّthatالَّذِيwhatمَنَعَhe withheldيَسِيرٌis littleفِيinجَنْبِcomparison toمَاwhatبَذَلَhe expended
And indeed he knows that what he withheld is little compared to what he expended.
وَأَنَّهُand that heلَوْifشَاءَhe wantedأَنَّthat
and that if he wanted to
Footnotes
- 1.يُشِيرُ إِلَى الْأُمَمِ السَّابِقَةِ الَّتِي عَانَدَتْ أَنْبِيَاءَهَا.
He refers to the previous nations that stubbornly opposed their prophets.
- 2.أَيْ: الْأَخْلَاقِ الْفَاسِدَةِ الَّتِي دَخَلَهَا الْفَسَادُ.
That is, the corrupt morals that have been infiltrated by corruption.
- 3.كِنَايَةٌ عَنِ السَّفَرِ وَالتَّنَقُّلِ فِي الْبِلَادِ.
A metaphor for traveling and moving through countries.
- 4.التِّبْرُ: الذَّهَبُ.
Tibr means gold.