العَصَبُThe nerveالَّذِيthatفِيهِin itالحِسُّthe sensation،,وَبِهِand by itقِوَامُthe supportالبَدَنِof the body؛;
The nerve that contains sensation and by which the body is maintained.
وَإِنَّمَاButالقَلْبُthe heartبَابُis the doorالعَقْلِof the mind؛;
But the heart is the door to the mind.
كَمَاJust asأَنَّthatالنَّفْسَthe soulهِيَit isالمُدْرِكَةُthe perceiver؛;
Just as the soul is the perceiver.
وَالْعَيْنُAnd the eyeهِيَisبَابُthe doorالأَلْوَانِto colors؛;
And the eye is the door to colors.
وَالنَّفْسُAnd the soulهِيَisالسَّامِعَةُthe hearingالذَّائِقَةُthe tasting؛;
And the soul is the hearing and tasting.
وَإِنَّمَاButالأَنْفُthe noseوَالأُذُنُand the earبَابَانِare two doors..
But the nose and the ear are two doors.
وَلَوْلَاIf it were notأَنَّthatالعَقْلَthe mindفِيinالرَّأْسِthe headلَمَاnotذَهَبَwould goالعَقْلُthe mindمِنْfromالضَّرْبَةِthe blowتُصِيبُهُthat hits him،,
If the mind were not in the head, it would not leave from a blow that strikes it.
وَفِيAnd inالرَّأْسِthe headالحَوَاسُّthe sensesالخَمْسُthe five»"
And in the head are the five senses.
وَكَانَAnd he used toيُنشِدُrecite..
And he used to recite.
قَوْلُThe sayingالشَّاعِرِ1of the poet
The saying of the poet (1):
إِذَاWhenضَرَبُواthey strikeرَأْسِيmy head،,وَفِيand inالرَّأْسِthe headأَكْثَرِيmost of me......
When they strike my head, and in my head is most of me...
وَغُودِرَAnd leftعِنْدَatالمُلْتَقَىthe meeting placeثُمَّthenسَائِرِيthe rest of me
And the rest of me left at the meeting place.
وَكَانَAnd he used toيَقُولُsay::
And he used to say:
«"النَّاسُThe peopleلَمْdid notيَقُولُواsay::هَذَاthisرَأْسُheadالأَمْرِof the matter،,
People did not say: This is the head of the matter.
وَفُلَانٌand so-and-soرَأْسُis the headالكَتِيبَةِof the battalion،,
and so-and-so is the head of the battalion.
وَهُوَand heرَأْسُis the headالقَوْمِof the people،,
and he is the head of the people.
وَهُمْand theyرُؤُوسُare headsالنَّاسِof the peopleوَخَرَاطِيمُهُمْand their nosesوَأَنْفُهُمْand their nose،,
and they are the heads of the people and their noses.
وَاشْتَقُّواand they derivedمِنْfromالرَّأْسِthe headالرِّيَاسَةَleadershipوَالرَّئِيسَand leader،,
and they derived from 'head' leadership and leader.
وَقَدْand indeedرَاسَhas ledالقَوْمَthe peopleفُلَانٌso-and-so،,
and indeed so-and-so has led the people.
إِلَّاexceptوَالرَّأْسُand the head isهُوَtheالمَثَلُexampleوَهُوَand it isالمُقَدَّمُthe foremost»"..
except that the head is the example and the foremost.
وَكَانَAnd he used toإِذَاwhenفَرَغَfinishedمِنْfromأَكْلِeatingالرَّأْسِthe headعَمَدَproceedإِلَىtoالقَحْفِ2the skull
And he used to, when he finished eating the head, proceed to the skull (2).
وَإِلَىand toاللَّحْيَيْنِthe two jawsفَوَضَعَهُand place itبِقُرْبِnearبُيُوتِthe housesالنَّمْلِof antsوَالذَّرِّand ants (small)،,
and to the two jaws, and place it near the houses of ants and small ants.
فَإِذَاAnd whenاجْتَمَعْنَthey gatheredفِيهِon itأَخَذَهُhe took itفَنَفَضَهُand shook itفِيinطَسْتٍa basinفِيهَاin whichمَاءٌwater،,
And when they gathered on it, he took it and shook it in a basin containing water.
فَلَاand he did notيَزَالُceaseيُعِيدُto repeatذَلِكَthatفِيinتِلْكَthoseالمَوَاضِعِplaces،,
And he did not cease repeating that in those places.
حَتَّىuntilيُقْلِعَhe uprootsأَصْلَthe originالنَّمْلِof the antsوَالدَّرِّand the small antsمِنْfromدَارِهِhis house؛;
until he uproots the origin of the ants and small ants from his house.
فَإِذَاAnd whenفَرَغَhe finishedمِنْfromذَلِكَthatأَلْقَاهُhe threw itفِيinالحَطَبِthe firewood،,
And when he finished that, he threw it in the firewood.
لِيُوقِدَto kindleبِهِwith itسَائِرَthe restالحَطَبِof the firewood..
to kindle the rest of the firewood with it.
وَكَانَAnd he used toإِذَاwhenكَانَit wasيَوْمُthe dayالرُّؤُوسِof headsأَقْعَدَseatابْنَهُhis sonمَعَهُwith himعَلَىonالخِوَانِthe table..
And he used to, when it was the day of heads, seat his son with him on the table.
إِلَّاexceptأَنَّthatذَلِكَthatبَعْدَafterتَشَرُّطٍstipulationطَوِيلٍlong،,
except that that was after a long stipulation.
وَبَعْدَand afterأَنْthatيَقِفَhe standsلَهُbefore himعَلَىonمَاwhatيُرِيدُهُhe wants..
and after he stood before him on what he wanted.
وَكَانَAnd he used toفِيمَاamong whatيَقُولُhe saysلَهُto him::
And he used to say to him, among other things:
«"إِيَّاكَBeware ofوَنَهَمَand greedالصِّبْيَانِof boys،,
Beware of the greed of boys.
وَشَرَهَand appetiteالزُّرَّاعِof farmers،,
and the appetite of farmers.
وَأَخْلَاقَand the moralsالنَّوَائِحِ3of wailing women..
and the morals of wailing women (3).
وَدَعْAnd leaveعَنْكَfrom youخَبْطَthe recklessnessالمَلَّاحِينَof sailorsوَالْفَعَلَةِ4and laborers،,
And leave the recklessness of sailors and laborers (4).
وَنَهْشَand the gnashingالأَعْرَابِof Bedouinsوَالْمُهْنَةِ5and servants..
and the gnashing of Bedouins and servants (5).
وَكُلْAnd eatمِنْfromبَيْنِbetweenيَدَيْكَyour hands،,
And eat from what is in front of you.
فَإِنَّمَاfor onlyحَظُّكَyour shareالَّذِيthatوَقَعَfellوَصَارَand becameأَقْرَبَclosestإِلَيْكَto you..
for your share is only what falls and becomes closest to you.
وَاعْلَمْAnd knowأَنَّهُthat itإِذَاwhenكَانَit isفِيin
And know that when it is in ...