وَأَنَّهُAnd thatلَاnotيُضِيفُattributesاللَّهُGod
And that God does not attribute the ugly to Himself,
إِلَىtoنَفْسِهِHis Selfالْقَبِيحَ،the ugly,
and He does not bestow favors upon His creation with deficiency.
وَلَاand notيَمُنُّbestows favorsعَلَىuponخَلْقِهِHis creationبِالنَّقْصِ.with deficiency.
And how could its place in the delight of the soul not be great,
وَكَيْفَAnd howلَاnotيَكُونُcould beمَوْقِعُهُits placeمِنْinسُرُورِdelightالنَّفْسِof the soulعَظِيمًا،great,
and in the interest of natures great,
وَمِنْand inمَصْلَحَةِinterestالطِّبَاعِof naturesكَبِيرًا،great,
while it is something in the origin of natures and in the foundation of the constitution?
وَهُوَwhile itشَيْءٌis somethingفِيinأَصْلِthe originالطِّبَاعِof natures
Because laughter is the first good that appears from a child,
وَفِيand inأَسَاسِthe foundationالتَّرْكِيبِ؟of the constitution?
and through it his soul becomes pleasant,
لِأَنَّBecauseالضَّحِكَlaughterأَوَّلُis the firstخَيْرٍgoodيَظْهَرُthat appearsمِنَfromالصَّبِيِّ،the child,
and upon it his fat grows, and his blood increases,
وَبِهِand through itتَطِيبُbecomes pleasantنَفْسُهُ،his soul,
which is the cause of his delight and the substance of his strength.
وَعَلَيْهِand upon itيَنْبُتُgrowsشَحْمُهُ،his fat,
And due to the excellence of the qualities of laughter among the Arabs,
وَيَكْثُرُand increasesدَمُهُhis bloodالَّذِيwhichهُوَit isعِلَّةُthe causeسُرُورِهِ،of his delight,
they name their children 'Al-Dahhak', 'Bassam', 'Taliq', and 'Taliq'.
وَمَادَّةُand the substanceقُوَّتِهِ.of his strength.
And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, laughed and joked,
وَلِفَضْلِAnd for the excellenceخِصَالِof qualitiesالضَّحِكِof laughterعِنْدَamongالْعَرَبِ،the Arabs,
and the righteous laughed and joked.
تُسَمِّيthey nameأَوْلَادَهَاtheir children«بِالضَّحَّاكِ»'Al-Dahhak'وَand«بِبَسَّامٍ»'Bassam'وَand«بِطَلْقٍ»'Taliq'وَand«بِطَلِيقٍ».'Taliq'.
And if they praised someone, they said: 'He is smiling of teeth, smiling in the evenings ⟦1⟧, cheerful towards the guest, and possessing liveliness ⟦2⟧ and tremor.'
وَقَدْAnd indeedضَحِكَlaughedالنَّبِيُّ،the Prophet,صَلَّىmay peaceاللَّهُbe upon himعَلَيْهِupon him,وَسَلَّمَ،and blessings,وَمَزَحَ،and joked,
And if they blamed someone, they said: 'He is frowning, he is scowling ⟦3⟧, he is gloomy, foul-faced, perpetually gloomy, unpleasant, tight-faced, sour-faced, as if his face were cooked with shame!'.
وَضَحِكَand laughedالصَّالِحُونَthe righteousوَمَزَحُوا،and joked,
For laughter there is a place and for it an extent,
وَإِذَاand ifمَدَحُواthey praisedقَالُوا:they said:«هُوَ'He isضَحُوكُsmilingالسِّنِّ،of teeth,وَبَسَّامُand smilingالْعَشِيَّاتِin the evenings«١»،⟦1⟧,
and for joking there is a place and for it an extent.
وَهَشَّand cheerfulإِلَىtowardsالضَّيْفِ،the guest,وَذُوand possessingأَرِيحِيَّةٍliveliness«٢»⟦2⟧وَاهْتِزَازٍ،and tremor,
Whenever anyone exceeds both of them, or falls short of them, the excess becomes foolishness ⟦4⟧,
وَإِذَاand ifذُمُّواthey blamedقَالُوا:they said:«هُوَ'He isعَبُوسٌ،frowning,
and the shortcoming becomes a deficiency.
وَهُوَand he isكَالِحٌscowling«٣»،⟦3⟧,
Thus, people did not blame laughter except in due measure,
وَهُوَand he isقَطُوبٌ،gloomy,وَهْمُand foulشَتْمِfaceالْمَحْيَا،of visage,
and they did not blame joking except in due measure.
وَهُوَand he isمُكَفْهِرٌّperpetually gloomy,أَبَدًا،ever,
Whenever benefit is intended by joking, and that for which laughter was made is intended by laughter,
وَهُوَand he isكَرِيهٌ،unpleasant,وَمُقَبَّضُand tightالْوَجْهِ،of face,
joking becomes seriousness, and laughter becomes dignity.
وَحَامِضُand sourالْوَجْهِ،of face,وَكَأَنَّمَاand as ifوَجْهَهُhis faceبِالْخَجَلِwith shameمَنْضُوجٌ»!.were cooked!'.
And this is a book from which I do not deceive you,
وَلِلضَّحِكِAnd for laughterمَوْضِعٌthere is a placeوَلَهُand for itمِقْدَارٌ،an extent,
nor do I conceal its fault from you,
وَلِلْمَزْحِand for jokingمَوْضِعٌthere is a placeوَلَهُand for itمِقْدَارٌ،an extent,
because it is not permissible that
مَتَىwheneverجَازَهُمَاexceeds both of themأَحَدٌ،anyone,وَقَصَّرَand falls shortعَنْهُمَاof themأَحَدٌ،anyone,
And for laughter there is a place and for it an extent, and for joking there is a place and for it an extent...
صَارَbecomesالْفَاضِلُthe excessخَطَلًاfoolishness«٤»،⟦4⟧,
And for laughter there is a place and for it an extent...
وَالتَّقْصِيرُand the shortcomingنَقْصًا.a deficiency.
And for laughter there is a place and for it an extent...
فَالنَّاسُThus the peopleلَمْdid notيَعِيبُواblameالضَّحِكَlaughterإِلَّاexceptبِقَدَرٍ،in due measure,
Thus the people did not blame laughter except in due measure...
وَلَمْand they did notيَعِيبُواblameالْمَزْحَjokingإِلَّاexceptبِقَدَرٍ،in due measure,
And they did not blame joking except in due measure...
وَمَتَىand wheneverأُرِيدَis intendedبِالْمَزْحِby jokingالنَّفْعُ،the benefit,
Whenever benefit is intended by joking...
وَبِالضَّحِكِand by laughterالشَّيْءُthe thingالَّذِيwhichلَهُfor itجُعِلَwas madeالضَّحِكُ،laughter,
and that for which laughter was made is intended by laughter...
صَارَbecomesالْمَزْحُjokingجِدًّا،seriousness,وَالضَّحِكُand laughterوَقَارًا.dignity.
joking becomes seriousness, and laughter becomes dignity.
وَهَذَاAnd thisكِتَابٌis a bookلَاI do notأَغُرُّكَdeceive youمِنْهُ،from it,
And this is a book from which I do not deceive you,
وَلَاnor do Iأَسْتُرُconcealعَنْكَfrom youعَيْبَهُ،its fault,
nor do I conceal its fault from you,
لِأَنَّهُbecause itلَاis notيَجُوزُpermissibleأَنْthat
because it is not permissible that...
Footnotes
- 1.بَسَّامُ الْعَشِيَّاتِ: كَثِيرُ الِابْتِسَامِ فِي أَوْقَاتِ الْمَسَاءِ وَاللَّيْلِ.
Bassam Al-Ashiyyat: Smiling frequently in the times of evening and night.
- 2.الْأَرِيحِيَّةُ: خِفَّةٌ لِلْكَرَمِ أَوْ لِسُرُورٍ أَوْ حُزْنٍ.
Al-Arihiyyah: Lightness or briskness due to generosity, joy, or grief.
- 3.الْكَالِحُ: الْعَبُوسُ الَّذِي بَدَتْ أَسْنَانُهُ مِنْ بُعْدِ لَحْمِ شَفَتَيْهِ.
Al-Kalih: The frowning person whose teeth have appeared due to the receding of the flesh of his lips.
- 4.الْخَطَلُ: الْفَسَادُ وَالْخِفَّةُ وَالْكَثْرَةُ فِي الْكَلَامِ بِلَا تَدَبُّرٍ.
Al-Khatal: Corruption, lightness, and excessiveness in speech without deliberation.