وَالْوَلِيمَةِand the wedding feast،,وَإِسْرَافِهِand his extravaganceفِيinالْأَعْذَارِ1the excuses
and his extravagance in excuses [1]
وَفِيand inالْعَقِيقَةِ2the 'Aqiqahوَالْوَكِيرَةِ3and the Walimah..
and in the 'Aqiqah [2] and the Walimah [3].
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsذَهَبَتْwentأَمْوَالُهُhis wealthفِيinالْوَضَائِعِ4the depositsوَالْوَدَائِعِand the trusts..
And perhaps his wealth went in deposits [4] and trusts.
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsكَانَhe wasشَدِيدَextremeالْبُخْلِmiserliness،,شَدِيدَextremeالْحُبِّloveلِلذِّكْرِfor remembrance،,
And perhaps he was extremely miserly, extremely fond of remembrance,
وَيَكُونُand beبُخْلُهُhis miserlinessأَوْسَخَfilthier،,وَلَوْمُهُand his blameأَقْبَحَuglier،,
and his miserliness is filthier, and his blame uglier,
فَيُنْفِقُso he spendsأَمْوَالَهُhis wealth،,وَيُتْلِفُand wastesخَزَائِنَهُhis treasures،,
so he spends his wealth and wastes his treasures,
وَلَمْand did notيُخْرِجْcome outكَفَافًاsufficiently،,وَلَمْand did notيَنْجُescapeسَلِيمًا5safe..
and did not come out sufficient, and did not escape safe [5].
كَأَنَّكَas if youلَمْdid notتَرَseeبَخِيلًاa miserمَخْدُوعًاdeluded،,وَبَخِيلًاand a miserمَفْتُونًاtempted،,
As if you did not see a deluded miser, and a tempted miser,
وَبَخِيلًاand a miserمُضَيِّعًاwasteful،,وَبَخِيلًاand a miserنَفَّاجًا6boastful..
and a wasteful miser, and a boastful miser [6].
أَوْorبَخِيلًاa miserذَهَبَwentمَالُهُhis wealthفِيinالْبِنَاءِconstruction،,
or a miser whose wealth went in construction,
أَوْorبَخِيلًاa miserذَهَبَwentمَالُهُhis wealthفِيinالْكِيمْيَاءِ7alchemy،,
or a miser whose wealth went in alchemy [7],
أَوْorبَخِيلًاa miserأَنْفَقَspentمَالَهُhis wealthفِيinطَمَعٍgreedكَاذِبٍfalse،,
or a miser who spent his wealth in false greed,
وَعَلَىand uponأَمَلٍhopeخَائِبٍfailing،,وَفِيand inطَلَبِseekingالْوِلَايَاتِgovernorshipsوَالدُّخُولِand enteringفِيinالْقَبَالَاتِtax farming»»
and upon failing hope, and in seeking governorships and entering into tax farming.
وَكَانَتْand wasفِتْنَتُهُhis temptationبِمَاby whatيُؤَمِّلُhe hopes forمِنَofالْإِمْرَةِleadership،,
And his temptation by what he hopes for of leadership
فَوْقَaboveفِتْنَتِهِhis temptationبِمَاby whatقَدْindeedحَوَاهُhe possessedمِنَofالذَّهَبِgoldوَالْفِضَّةِand silver..
was above his temptation by what he possessed of gold and silver.
قَدْindeedرَأَيْنَاهُ9we have seen himيُنْفِقُspendingعَلَىonمَائِدَتِهِhis tableوَفَاكِهَتِهِand his fruitأَلْفَa thousandدِرْهَمٍdirhamsفِيinكُلِّeveryيَوْمٍday
We have indeed seen him [9] spending on his table and his fruit a thousand dirhams every day
وَعِنْدَهُand at his placeفِيinكُلِّeveryيَوْمٍdayعُرْسٌ10a wedding،,
and at his place every day is a wedding [10],
وَلَأَنْand thatيُطْعَنَbe stabbedطَاعِنٌa stabberفِيinالْإِسْلَامِIslamأَهْوَنُeasierعَلَيْهِfor himمِنْthanأَنْthatيُطْعَنَbe stabbedفِيinالرَّغِيفِthe loafالثَّانِيsecond،,
and that a stabber stab Islam is easier for him than that he be stabbed in the second loaf,
وَلَاand notشَقُّsplittingعَصَاstickالدِّينِof religionأَشَدُّharderعَلَيْهِfor himمِنْthanشَقِّsplittingرَغِيفٍa loaf..
And no splitting of the stick of religion is harder for him than splitting a loaf.
لَاnotيَعُدُّhe countsالثَّلْمَةَ11the notchفِيinعِرْضِهِhis honorثَلْمَةًa notch،,
He does not count the notch [11] in his honor as a notch,
وَيَعُدُّهَاand counts itفِيinثَرِيدَتِهِhis tharidمِنْamongأَعْظَمِthe greatestالثُّلَمِnotches..
and counts it in his tharid among the greatest notches.
وَإِنَّمَاand onlyصَارَتِbecameالْآفَاتُcalamitiesإِلَىtoأَمْوَالِwealthالْبُخَلَاءِof the misersأَسْرَعَfaster،,وَالْجَوَائِحُand disastersعَلَيْهِمْupon them
And only to the wealth of misers do calamities come faster, and disasters upon them
Footnotes
- 1.يَقْصِدُ بِالْأَعْذَارِ: مَا يَعْتَذِرُ بِهِ الْبَخِيلُ مِنْ تَكَلُّفَاتٍ لِلتَّخَلُّفِ عَنِ الْوَلَائِمِ.
He means by 'excuses': the pretenses the miser makes to avoid attending feasts.
- 2.الْعَقِيقَةُ: ذَبِيحَةٌ تُذْبَحُ عَنِ الْمَوْلُودِ فِي الْيَوْمِ السَّابِعِ مِنْ وِلَادَتِهِ.
Al-'Aqiqah: an animal slaughtered for a newborn on the seventh day after birth.
- 3.الْوَكِيرَةُ: الطَّعَامُ الَّذِي يُصْنَعُ عِنْدَ الْعُرْسِ.
Al-Wakirah: the food prepared for a wedding.
- 4.الْوَضَائِعُ: صِيَغُ جَمْعٍ لِوَضِيعَةٍ، وَهِيَ مَا يُودِعُهُ الْإِنْسَانُ عِنْدَ غَيْرِهِ لِحِفْظِهِ.
Al-Wada'i: plural of wadi'ah, which is what a person deposits with another for safekeeping.
- 5.أَيْ: لَمْ يَخْرُجْ مِنْ مَالِهِ بِمَا يَكْفِيهِ، وَلَمْ يَسْلَمْ مِنَ التَّبْذِيرِ.
That is, he did not come out of his wealth with what suffices him, nor did he remain safe from extravagance.
- 6.النَّفَّاجُ: الشَّدِيدُ الْفَخْرِ وَالتَّبَجُّحِ بِمَا يَمْلِكُ.
An-Naffaj: one who is extremely proud and boastful of what he possesses.
- 7.الْكِيمْيَاءُ: عِلْمٌ قَدِيمٌ يُحَاوِلُ فِيهِ الْإِنْسَانُ تَحْوِيلَ الْمَعَادِنِ الْخَسِيسَةِ إِلَى ذَهَبٍ أَوْ فِضَّةٍ.
Al-Kimiya': an ancient science in which one attempts to transmute base metals into gold or silver.
- 9.الضَّمِيرُ فِي (رَأَيْنَاهُ) يَعُودُ عَلَى الْبَخِيلِ الَّذِي تَقَدَّمَ ذِكْرُهُ.
The pronoun in 'we have seen him' refers to the miser previously mentioned.
- 10.أَيْ: يَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلِيمَةُ عُرْسٍ، إِسْرَافًا مِنْهُ.
That is, every day he hosts a wedding feast, out of extravagance.
- 11.الثُّلْمَةُ: الْخَلَلُ أَوِ النَّقْصُ فِي الشَّيْءِ، وَالْمُرَادُ هُنَا الطَّعْنُ فِي الْعِرْضِ أَوِ النَّسَبِ.
Ath-Thulmah: a gap or deficiency in something; here it means slander against honor or lineage.