تَتْرُكُهُleaves himيَلْهَثُpanting»
Leaves him panting.
وَكَانَAnd it wasيَنْبَغِيproperفِيinهَذَاthisالْقِيَاسِanalogyأَنْthatيَكُونَbeالْمَرَاوَزَةُ1the Marawizah،أَعْقَلَthe most intelligentالْبَرِيَّةِof creationوَأَهْلُand peopleخُرَاسَانَof Khurasanأَدْرَىmost knowledgeableالْبَرِيَّةِof creation
And in this analogy, it should be that the Marawizah (1) are the most intelligent of creation, and the people of Khurasan are the most knowledgeable of creation.
وَنَحْنُAnd weلَاnotنَجِدُfindالْجَوَادَthe generousيَفِرُّfleeingمِنْfromاسْمِthe nameالسَّرَفِof extravaganceإِلَىtoالْجُودِgenerosity
And we do not find the generous person fleeing from the name of extravagance to generosity.
كَمَاjust asنَجِدُwe findالْبَخِيلَthe miserيَفِرُّfleeingمِنْfromاسْمِthe nameالْمُتَهَوِّرِof recklessness
Just as we find the miser fleeing from the name of recklessness.
وَالْمُسْتَحِيAnd the shyيَفِرُّfleesمِنْfromاسْمِthe nameالْخَجَلِof embarrassment
And the shy person flees from the name of embarrassment.
وَلَوْAnd ifقِيلَit were saidلِخَطِيبٍto an oratorثَابِتِfirmالْجَنَانِof heart«وَقَاحٌ»2"impudent"لَجَزِعَhe would be distressed
And if it were said to an orator with a firm heart, "impudent" (2), he would be distressed.
فَلَوْFor ifلَمْnotيَكُنْthere beمِنْofفَضِيلَةِthe virtueالْجُودِof generosityإِلَّاexceptأَنَّthatجَمِيعَallالْمُتَجَاوِزِينَthose who exceedلِحُدُودِthe limitsأَصْنَافِof kindsالْخَيْرِof good
For if there were not, from the virtue of generosity, except that all those who exceed the limits of the kinds of good
يَكْرَهُونَthey dislikeاسْمَthe nameتِلْكَof thatالْفَضْلَةِvirtueإِلَّاexceptالْجَوَادَthe generous
They dislike the name of that virtue, except the generous.
لَقَدْindeedكَانَthere would beفِيinذَلِكَthatمَاthat whichيُبَيِّنُclarifiesقَدْرَهُits worthوَيُظْهِرُand showsفَضْلَهُits superiority
Indeed, in that there would be something that clarifies its worth and shows its superiority.
الْمَالُWealthفَاتِنٌis alluringوَالنَّفْسُand the selfرَاغِبَةٌis desiring
Wealth is alluring, and the self is desiring.
وَالْأَمْوَالُAnd wealthمَمْنُوعَةٌis withheldوَهِيَand itعَلَىforمَاthat whichمُنِعَتْit is withheld fromحَرِيصَةٌis eager
And wealth is withheld, and for what it is withheld from, it is eager.
وَلِلنُّفُوسِAnd for the soulsفِيinالْمُكَاثَرَةِ3seeking abundanceعِلَّةٌa causeمَعْرُوفَةٌwell-known
And for souls, in seeking abundance (3), there is a well-known cause.
وَلِأَنَّAnd becauseمَنْwhoeverلَاhas noفِكْرَةَthoughtلَهُfor himselfوَلَاand noرَوِيَّةَreflection
And because whoever has no thought for himself and no reflection
مُوَكَّلٌis entrustedبِتَعْظِيمِwith magnifyingذِيthe possessor ofالثَّرْوَةِwealthوَإِنْeven ifلَمْnotيَكُنْthere beمِنْهُfrom himمَنَالُهُ4his attainment
Is entrusted with magnifying the wealthy, even if there is no attainment from him (4).
وَقَدْAnd indeedقَالَsaidالْأَوَّلُthe predecessor
And indeed the predecessor said:
وَزَادَهَاAnd increased herكَلَفًاinfatuationبِالْحُبِّwith loveأَنْthatمُنِعَتْit was denied
And her infatuation with love was increased by the fact that it was denied.
أَحَبُّmost belovedشَيْءٍthingإِلَىtoالْإِنْسَانِmanمَاis whatمُنِعَا5is denied
The most beloved thing to man is what is denied (5).
وَفِيAnd inبَعْضِsomeكُتُبِbooksالْفُرْسِof the Persians
And in some books of the Persians:
«كُلُّ"Everyعَزِيزٍdear oneتَحْتَunderالْقُدْرَةِpowerفَهُوَthen he isذَلِيلٌ»humiliated"
"Every dear one under power is humiliated."
وَقَالَتْAnd saidمُعَاذَةُMu'adhaالْعَدَوِيَّةُ6al-Adawiyya::«كُلُّ"Whoeverمَقْدُورٍis overpoweredعَلَيْهِupon himفَمُقَلُّ7then is littleأَوْorمَحْقُورٌ»despised"
And Mu'adha al-Adawiyya (6) said: "Whoever is overpowered, then he is insignificant (7) or despised."
وَلَوْAnd ifكَانُواthey wereلِأَوْلَادِهِمْfor their childrenيَجْمَعُونَthey collected
And if they were collecting for their children
وَلَهُمْand for themيَكُدُّونَthey toil
And toil for them
وَمِنْand forأَجْلِهِمْtheir sakeيَحْرِصُونَthey are eager
And are eager for their sake
لَجَعَلُواthey would have madeلَهُمْfor themكَثِيرًاmuchمِمَّاof whatيَطْلُبُونَthey seek
They would have made for them much of what they seek
وَلَتَرَكُواand they would have leftمُحَاسَبَتَهُمْtheir accountabilityفِيinكَثِيرٍmuchمِمَّاof whatيَشْتَهُونَthey desire
And they would have left their accountability in much of what they desire.
وَهَذَاAnd thisبَعْضُis someمَاof whatبَغَّضَmade hatefulبَعْضَsomeالْمُوَرِّثِينَbequeathersإِلَىtoالْوَارِثِينَthe heirs
And this is some of what made some bequeathers hateful to the heirs
وَزَهَّدَand made disinclinedالْأَخْلَافَthe successorsفِيinطُولِthe lengthعُمْرِof the lifeالْأَسْلَافِof the predecessors
And made the successors disinclined to the long life of the predecessors.
Footnotes
- 1.المَرَاوِزَةُ: جَمْعُ مَرْوَزِيّ، نِسْبَةً إِلَى مَرْوَ، وَهِيَ مَدِينَةٌ بِخُرَاسَانَ.
Al-Marawizah: plural of Marwazi, an attribution to Marw, which is a city in Khurasan.
- 2.الوَقَاحَةُ: قِلَّةُ الْحَيَاءِ وَجُرْأَةٌ عَلَى الْقَبِيحِ.
Al-Waqaha: lack of shame and audacity in doing ugly things.
- 3.المُكَاثَرَةُ: الْمُبَالَغَةُ فِي كَثْرَةِ الْمَالِ.
Al-Mukathara: exaggeration in the abundance of wealth.
- 4.المَنَالُ: مَصْدَرٌ مِيمِيٌّ، بِمَعْنَى النَّيْلِ وَالْعَطَاءِ.
Al-Manalu: a verbal noun meaning attainment and giving.
- 5.هَذَا بَيْتٌ مِنَ الْبَحْرِ الْكَامِلِ، وَهُوَ مَشْهُورٌ.
This is a verse in the complete meter (al-kamil), and it is well-known.
- 6.مُعَاذَةُ الْعَدَوِيَّةُ: امْرَأَةٌ عَابِدَةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ، كَانَتْ فِي طَبَقَةِ الْحَسَنِ الْبَصْرِيِّ.
Mu'adha al-Adawiyya: a devout woman from Basra, of the same generation as al-Hasan al-Basri.
- 7.المُقَلُّ: قَلِيلُ الْمَالِ.
Al-Muqill: one who has little wealth.