مِنْfromكَلَامِthe speech of«بَكْرِBakrبْنِibn (son of)عَبْدِAbdاللهِAllahالْمُزَنِيِّ»al-Muzaniوَand«عَامِرِAmirبْنِibn (son of)عَبْدِAbdقَيْسٍQaysالْعَنْبَرِيِّ»al-Anbari،,وَand«مُوَرِّقِMuwarriqالْعِجْلِيِّ»al-Ijliوَand«يَزِيدَYazidالرِّقَاشِيِّ»1al-Riqashi،,لِتُضَاعَفَso that it may be doubledحُسْنُهُits beauty،,وَandلَاnotحَدَثَwould happenلَهُto itذَلِكَthatالنَّسَبُattributionنَضَارَةً2splendorوَandرِفْعَةًelevationلَمْnotتَكُنْwasلَهُfor it..
From the speech of Bakr ibn Abd Allah al-Muzani, Amir ibn Abd Qays al-Anbari, Muwarriq al-Ijli, and Yazid al-Riqashi, so that its beauty might be doubled, and that attribution would not give it a splendor and elevation it did not have.
وَandلَوْifقُلْتَyou saidقَالَهَاhe said it«أَبُوAbuكَعْبٍKa'bالصُّوفِيُّ»3al-Sufi،,أَوْor«عَبْدُAbdالْمُؤْمِنِ»4al-Mu'minأَوْor«أَبُوAbuنُوَاسٍ»5Nuwasالشَّاعِرُthe poetأَوْor«حُسَيْنُHusaynالْخَلِيعُ»6al-Khali'،,لَمَاwould notكَانَbeلَهَاfor itإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatلَهَاit hasفِيinنَفْسِهَاitself،,وَandبِالْحَرِيِّmore likelyأَنْthatتَغْلِطَyou errفِيinمِقْدَارِهَاits measure،,فَتَبْخَسَ7and thus depriveمِنْfromحَقِّهَاits right..
And if you said that Abu Ka'b al-Sufi, or Abd al-Mu'min, or Abu Nuwas the poet, or Husayn al-Khali' said it, it would have only what it has in itself, and more likely you would err in its measure and deprive it of its right.
وَandقَدْindeedكَتَبْنَاwe have writtenلَكَfor youأَحَادِيثَsayingsكَثِيرَةًmanyمُضَافَةًattributedإِلَىtoأَرْبَابِهَاtheir owners،,وَandأَحَادِيثَsayingsكَثِيرَةًmanyغَيْرَnotمُضَافَةًattributedإِلَىtoأَرْبَابِهَاtheir owners،,أَمَّاas forبِالْخَوْفِout of fearمِنْهُمْof them،,وَandأَمَّاas forبِالْإِكْرَامِout of honorلَهُمْfor them..
And we have written for you many sayings attributed to their owners, and many sayings not attributed to their owners, either out of fear of them or out of honor for them.
وَandلَوْلَاif notأَنَّكَthat youسَأَلْتَنِيasked meهَذَاthisالْكِتَابَbookلَمَاwould notتَكَلَّفْتُهُI have undertaken it،,وَandلَمَاwould notوَضَعْتُI would have placedكَلَامِيmy speechمَوْضِعَin the positionالضَّيْمِof humiliationوَandالنِّقْمَةِof vengeance،,فَإِنْfor ifكَانَتْit wasلَائِمَةًblameworthyأَوْorعَجْزٌincapacity،,فَعَلَيْكَthen upon you،,وَandإِنْifكَانَit wasعُذْرٌexcuse،,فَلِيthen for meدُونَكَbesides you..
And had you not asked me for this book, I would not have undertaken it, and I would not have placed my speech in a position of humiliation and vengeance. For if there is blame or incapacity, it is upon you; and if there is an excuse, it is mine apart from you.
Footnotes
- 1.هُمْ مِنَ التَّابِعِينَ وَالزُّهَّادِ، وَكَانُوا يُحْسِنُونَ الْقَوْلَ وَيُبَالِغُونَ فِي الْقَصْدِ.
They were among the Followers and ascetics, and they used to speak well and be moderate in their intent.
- 2.النَّضَارَةُ: الْحُسْنُ وَالْبَهْجَةُ، وَالْمَعْنَى أَنَّ النِّسْبَةَ إِلَى هَؤُلَاءِ لَا تَزِيدُ الْكَلَامَ حُسْنًا بَلْ قَدْ تَضُرُّ بِهِ.
Al-Nadara means beauty and brightness, and the meaning is that attributing the speech to these people does not add beauty to it, but may harm it.
- 3.أَبُو كَعْبٍ الصُّوفِيُّ: مِنْ عُبَّادِ الْبَصْرَةِ وَزُهَّادِهَا، وَكَانَ لَهُ كَلَامٌ فِي الْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ.
Abu Ka'b al-Sufi: one of the worshippers and ascetics of Basra, and he had sayings on wisdom and preaching.
- 4.عَبْدُ الْمُؤْمِنِ: هُوَ عَبْدُ الْمُؤْمِنِ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، مِنَ الْعُبَّادِ وَالزُّهَّادِ.
Abd al-Mu'min: he is Abd al-Mu'min ibn Khalid, one of the worshippers and ascetics.
- 5.أَبُو نُوَاسٍ: هُوَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ هَانِئٍ الْحَكَمِيُّ، شَاعِرٌ مَعْرُوفٌ بِالْمُجُونِ وَالْخَمْرِيَّاتِ، وَكَانَ يُتَّهَمُ بِالزَّنْدَقَةِ.
Abu Nuwas: he is al-Hasan ibn Hani' al-Hakami, a poet known for licentiousness and wine poetry, and he was accused of heresy.
- 6.حُسَيْنُ الْخَلِيعُ: هُوَ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ الضَّحَّاكِ، شَاعِرٌ مَاجِنٌ مِنْ شُعَرَاءِ الْعَصْرِ الْعَبَّاسِيِّ، لُقِّبَ بِالْخَلِيعِ لِانْهِمَاكِهِ فِي اللَّهْوِ وَالْمُجُونِ.
Husayn al-Khali': he is al-Husayn ibn al-Dahhak, a dissolute poet from the Abbasid era, nicknamed al-Khali' (the dissolute) for his indulgence in frivolity and licentiousness.
- 7.تَبْخَسَ: تَنْقُصَ وَتَظْلِمَ، أَيْ تُنْقِصَ الْكَلَامَ حَقَّهُ مِنَ التَّقْدِيرِ وَالْإِعْجَابِ.
Tabkhasa: to diminish or wrong, i.e., to reduce the speech's due of appreciation and admiration.