يَحْصُلُis obtainedبِالْقَلِيلِwith the littleمِمَّاthat whichجَادَhe gave generouslyبِهِwith itأَضْعَافُmultiplesمَاwhatبَخِلَhe was stingyبِهِwith itكَانَit isذَلِكَthatعَتِيدًا1readyوَيَسِيرًاand easyمَوْجُودًاavailable
By the little that one gives generously, one obtains multiples of what one hoards; that is ready and easily available.
وَقُلْتُAnd I said
And I said:
وَلَاand notبُدَّescapeمِنْfromأَنْthatتُعَرِّفَنِيyou make known to meالْهَنَاتِ2the faultsالَّتِيwhichنَمَتْgrewعَلَىuponالْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ3the affecters
And there is no escape from your making known to me the faults that grew upon the affecters,
وَدَلَّتْand indicatedعَلَىuponحَقَائِقِthe realitiesالْمُتَمَوِّهِينَof the pretenders
and indicated the realities of the pretenders,
وَهَتَكَتْand toreعِزَّthe honorأَسْتَارِof the veilsالْأَدْعِيَاءِof the claimants
and tore the honor of the veils of the claimants,
وَفَرَّقَتْand separatedبَيْنَbetweenالْحَقِيقَةِthe truthوَالرِّيَاءِand hypocrisy
and separated between truth and hypocrisy,
وَفَصَلَتْand distinguishedبَيْنَbetweenالْمَقْهُورِthe subduedالْمُنْزَجِرِ4the deterredوَالْمَطْبُوعِand the naturally giftedالْمُبْتَهِلِ5the devoted
and distinguished between the subdued and deterred, and the naturally gifted and devoted,
لِتَقِفَso that you standكَمَاasزَعَمْتَyou claimedعِنْدَهَاat them
so that you stand, as you claimed, at them,
وَلِتَعْرِضَand to presentنَفْسَكَyourselfعَلَيْهَاupon them
and to present yourself upon them,
وَلِتَتَوَهَّمَand to imagineمَوَاقِعَهَاtheir positionsوَعَوَاقِبَهَاand their consequences
and to imagine their positions and consequences.
فَإِنْFor ifنَبَّهَكَalerts youالتَّصَفُّحُthe examinationبِهَاby themعَلَىuponعَيْبٍa faultقَدْalreadyأَغْفَلْتَهُyou neglected it
For if the examination alerts you by them to a fault that you neglected,
عَرَفْتَyou knowمَكَانَهُits placeفَاجْتَنَبْتَهُand you avoid it
you know its place and avoid it.
فَإِنْBut ifكَانَit isعَتِيدًاreadyظَاهِرًاapparentمَعْرُوفًاknownعِنْدَكَto you
But if it is ready, apparent, and known to you,
نَظَرْتَyou look
you look (into it).
فَإِنْFor ifكَانَisاحْتِمَالُكَyour toleranceفَاضِلًاsurplusعَلَىoverبُخْلِكَyour stinginess
For if your tolerance is surplus over your stinginess,
دُمْتَyou continueعَلَىonإِطْعَامِهِمْfeeding them
you continue on feeding them,
وَعَلَىand onاكْتِسَابِacquiringالْمَحَبَّةِloveبِمُؤَاكَلَتِهِمْby eating with them
and on acquiring love by eating with them;
وَإِنْand ifكَانَisاكْتِرَاثُكَyour concernغَامِرَoverwhelmingالْاِجْتِهَادِof the effort
But if your concern is overwhelming the effort,
سَتَرْتَyou coverنَفْسَكَyourself
you cover yourself
وَانْفَرَدْتَand you isolateبِطَيِّبِwith the goodزَادِكَof your provision
and isolate yourself with the good of your provision,
وَدَخَلْتَand you enterمَعَwithالْغُمَارِ6the crowd
and you enter with the crowd,
وَعِشْتَand you liveعَيْشَthe lifeالْمُسْتَوِرِينَof the concealing ones
and you live the life of those who conceal themselves.
وَإِنْAnd ifكَانَتْareالْحُرُوبُthe warsبَيْنَكَbetween youوَبَيْنَand betweenطِبَاعِكَyour naturesسِجَالًاalternating
And if the wars between you and your natures are alternating,
وَكَانَتْand areأَسْبَابُكُمَاyour causesأَمْثَالًاsimilarوَأَشْكَالًاand alike
and your causes are similar and alike,
أَجَبْتَyou answerالْحَزْمَprudenceإِلَىtoتَرْكِleavingالتَّعَرُّضِexposure
you answer prudence by leaving exposure,
وَأَجَبْتَand you answerالْاِحْتِيَاطَcautionإِلَىtoرَفْضِrejectingالتَّكَلُّفِaffectation
and you answer caution by rejecting affectation,
وَرَأَيْتَand you seeأَنَّthatمَنْwhoeverحَصَّلَobtainsالسَّلَامَةَsafetyمِنَfromالذَّمِّblameفَقَدْindeedغَنِمَhas profited
and you see that whoever obtains safety from blame has indeed profited,
وَأَنَّand thatمَنْwhoeverآثَرَ7prefersالثِّقَةَtrustعَلَىoverالتَّغْرِيرِrisking
and that whoever prefers trust over risking
فَقَدْindeedحَزَمَhas been prudent
has indeed been prudent.
وَذَكَرْتَAnd you mentionedأَنَّكَthat youإِلَىtoمَعْرِفَةِknowingهَذَاthisالْبَابِchapterأَحْوَجُmore needy
And you mentioned that you are more needy to knowing this chapter,
وَأَنَّand thatذَاthe possessorالْمُرُوءَةِof manlinessإِلَىtoهَذَاthisالْعِلْمِknowledgeأَفْقَرُmore destitute
and that the possessor of manliness is more destitute to this knowledge.
وَإِنِّيAnd indeed IإِنْifحَصَّنْتُI fortifiedمِنَfromالذَّمِّblameعِرْضَكَyour honorبَعْدَafterأَنْthatحَصَّنْتُI fortifiedمِنْfrom
And indeed I, if I fortified your honor from blame after I fortified from
Footnotes
- 1.عَتِيدًا: حَاضِرًا مَهْيَأً.
Ready: present and prepared.
- 2.الْهَنَاتُ: الْعُيُوبُ وَالْخَلَلُ.
Faults: defects and flaws.
- 3.الْمُتَكَلِّفُونَ: الَّذِينَ يَتَكَلَّفُونَ مَا لَيْسَ مِنْ طِبَاعِهِمْ.
The affecters: those who affect what is not in their natures.
- 4.الْمُنْزَجِرُ: الَّذِي يَنْزَجِرُ عَنِ الشَّيْءِ وَيَمْتَنِعُ عَنْهُ.
The deterred: one who is deterred from something and refrains from it.
- 5.الْمُبْتَهِلُ: الَّذِي يُبَالِغُ فِي الِاجْتِهَادِ وَالدُّعَاءِ.
The devoted: one who is extreme in effort and supplication.
- 6.الْغُمَارُ: جَمَاعَةُ النَّاسِ وَالْجَمْعُ الْكَثِيرُ.
The crowd: the group of people and the great multitude.
- 7.آثَرَ: فَضَّلَ وَاخْتَارَ.
Preferred: chose and selected.