يُكَمِّلُcompletesلِمَاwhatتُرِيدُهُ،you want it,
It completes what you want,
وَلَاand it is notيَجُوزُpermissibleأَنْthatيُوَفَّىbe fulfilledحَقُّهُ،its right,
and its right cannot be fulfilled,
كَمَاasيَنْبَغِيit is fittingلَهُ.for it.
as is fitting for it.
لِأَنَّBecauseهَهُنَاhereأَحَادِيثَreportsكَثِيرَةً،many,
Because there are many reports here,
مَتَىwheneverاطَّلَعْنَاwe discloseمِنْهَاfrom themحَرْفًاa letter
whenever we disclose a letter of them
عَرَفَwould knowأَصْحَابُهَا،their owners,
their owners would know,
وَإِنْeven ifلَمْnotنُسَمِّهِمْ،we name them,
even if we do not name them,
وَلَمْand we did notنُرِدْintendذَلِكَthatبِهِمْfor them
and we did not intend that for them
وَسَوَاءٌand whetherسَمَّيْنَاهُمْ،we named them,
and whether we named them,
أَوْorذَكَرْنَاwe mentionedمَاwhatيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَىtheirأَسْمَائِهِمْ،names,
or mentioned what indicates their names,
مِنْهُمُamong them areالصِّدِّيقُthe truthful oneوَالْوَلِيُّand the close friendوَالْمَسْتُورُand the concealed oneوَالْمُتَجَمِّلُ،and the one who puts on a good appearance,
among them are the truthful, the close friend, the concealed, and the one who puts on a good appearance,
وَلَيْسَand it is notيَفِيworthحُسْنُthe goodness ofالْفَائِدَةِthe benefitلَكُمْ،for you,
and the goodness of the benefit to you does not equal
بِقُبْحِthe ugliness ofالْجِنَايَةِthe offenseعَلَيْهِمْ.against them.
the ugliness of the offense against them.
فَهَذَاSo thisبَابٌis a chapterيَسْقُطُthat fallsالْبَتَّةَ،altogether,
So this is a chapter that is completely dropped,
وَيَخْتَلُّand is flawedبِهِtherebyالْكِتَابُthe bookلَاnotمَحَالَةَ،doubtlessly,
and the book is inevitably flawed by it,
وَهُوَand it isأَكْثَرُهَاthe most of itبَابًا،as a chapter,
and it is the most prolific chapter,
وَأَعْجَبُهَاand the most wondrous of themمِنْكَto youمَوْقِعًا.in position.
and the most wondrous of them in its placement to you.
وَأَحَادِيثُAnd other reportsأُخَرُotherلَيْسَdo notلَهَاhaveشُهْرَةٌ،fame,
And other reports that have no fame,
وَلَوْand even ifشُهِرَتْthey were made famousلَمَاwould notكَانَthere beفِيهَاin themدَلِيلٌa proofعَلَىconcerningأَرْبَابِهَا،their masters,
and even if they were made famous, there would be no proof in them concerning their authors,
وَلَاnorهِيَare theyمُقَيَّدَةٌrestricted toأَصْحَابُهَا،their owners,
nor are they restricted to their owners,
وَلَيْسَand does notيَتَوَفَّرُaboundأَبَدًاeverحُسْنُهَاtheir goodnessإِلَّاexceptبِأَنْbyيُعْرَفَknowingأَهْلُهَا،their people,
and their goodness never abounds except by knowing their people,
وَحَتَّىand untilتَتَصِلَthey connectبِمُسْتَحِقِّهَا،with the one deserving them,
and until they are connected to those who deserve them,
وَبِمَعَادِنِهَا،and with their sources,
and with their sources,
وَاللَّائِقِينَand those suitedبِهَا؛for them;
and those suited for them;
وَفِيand inقَطْعِseveringمَاwhat isبَيْنَهَاbetween themوَبَيْنَandعَنَاصِرِهَاtheir elementsوَمَعَانِيهَا،and their meanings,
and in severing what is between them and their elements and meanings,
سُقُوطُis the dropping ofنِصْفِhalf ofالْمُلْحَةِ1the wit،,
is the loss of half the wit ⟦1⟧,
وَذَهَابُand the departure ofشَطْرِa part ofالنَّادِرَةِ.the rare anecdote.
and the vanishing of a part of the rare anecdote.
وَلَوْAnd ifأَنَّthatرَجُلًاa manأَلْصَقَattributedنَادِرَةًa rare anecdote
And if a man attributed a rare anecdote
بِأَبِيto AbuالْحَارِثِAl-Harithجَمِّينٍ2Jamin،,
to Abu al-Harith Jamin ⟦2⟧,
وَالْهَيْثَمِand to Al-Haythamبْنِbinمُطَهَّرٍ3Mutahhar،,
and Al-Haytham bin Mutahhar ⟦3⟧,
وَبِمِزَبَّدٍ4and to Mizabbad،,
and to Mizabbad ⟦4⟧,
وَابْنِand Ibnأَحْمَرَ5Ahmar،,
and Ibn Ahmar ⟦5⟧,
ثُمَّthenكَانَتْit wasبَارِدَةً،cold,
then even if it were cold,
لَجَرَتْit would passعَلَىonأَحْسَنِthe bestمَاwhatيَكُونُ.could be.
it would pass in the best possible way.
وَلَوْAnd ifوَلَّدَone generatedنَادِرَةًa rare anecdoteحَارَّةًwittyفِيinنَفْسِهَا،itself,
And if someone generated a witty anecdote in itself,
مَلِيحَةًdelightfulفِيinمَعْنَاهَا،its meaning,
delightful in its meaning,
ثُمَّthenأَضَافَهَاattributed itإِلَىtoصَالِحِSalihبْنِbinحُنَيْنٍ6Hunayn
then attributed it to Salih bin Hunayn ⟦6⟧,
وَإِلَىand toابْنِIbnالنَّوَّاءِ7Al-Nawwa،,
and to Ibn al-Nawwa ⟦7⟧,
وَإِلَىand toبَعْضِsomeالْبُغَضَاءِ،hated people,
and to some disagreeable people,
لَعَادَتْit would returnبَارِدَةً،cold,
it would become cold,
وَلَصَارَتْand would becomeفَاتِرَةً،lukewarm,
and would become lukewarm,
فَإِنَّforالْفَاتِرَthe lukewarmشَرٌّis worseمِنَthanالْبَارِدِ.the cold.
for the lukewarm is worse than the cold.
وَكَمَاAnd just asأَنَّكَyouلَوْifوَلَّدْتَyou generatedكَلَامًاspeechفِيconcerningالزُّهْدِ،asceticism,
And just as if you generated speech concerning asceticism,
وَمَوْعِظَةِand admonition ofالنَّاسِ،people,
and the admonition of people,
ثُمَّthenقُلْتَ:you said:هَذَاthis
then said: this
Footnotes
- 1.الْمُلْحَةُ: الطَّرْفَةُ وَالْكَلَامُ الْحَسَنُ اللَّطِيفُ.
Al-Mulha: The witty remark and fine, pleasant speech.
- 2.أَبُو الْحَارِثِ جَمِّينٌ: رَجُلٌ مَعْرُوفٌ بِالنَّوَادِرِ وَالظَّرْفِ.
Abu al-Harith Jamin: A man known for rare anecdotes and wit.
- 3.الْهَيْثَمُ بْنُ مُطَهَّرٍ: مِنْ أَخْبَارِيِّي الْعَرَبِ وَرُوَاةِ أَخْبَارِهِمْ وَنَوَادِرِهِمْ.
Al-Haytham bin Mutahhar: One of the Arab historians and narrators of their reports and anecdotes.
- 4.مِزَبَّدٌ: اسْمُ شَخْصٍ اشْتَهَرَ بِالنَّوَادِرِ وَالْبَخْلِ أَوْ الطَّرَائِفِ.
Mizabbad: The name of a person famous for rare anecdotes and stinginess or comical traits.
- 5.ابْنُ أَحْمَرَ: شَخْصِيَّةٌ مَعْرُوفَةٌ فِي الْأَخْبَارِ وَالنَّوَادِرِ الطَّرِيفَةِ.
Ibn Ahmar: A well-known figure in historical accounts and witty anecdotes.
- 6.صَالِحُ بْنُ حُنَيْنٍ: شَخْصٌ مَنْسُوبٌ إِلَى الطَّرَائِفِ أَوْ الْأَخْبَارِ فِي الْمَصَادِرِ.
Salih bin Hunayn: A person associated with comical stories or reports in sources.
- 7.ابْنُ النَّوَّاءِ: مِنْ أَعْلَامِ الطَّرَائِفِ وَالْمَضَاحِكِ فِي الْأَخْبَارِ.
Ibn al-Nawwa: One of the figures known for humor and jokes in historical reports.