وَقَالُواAnd they saidالْغُمَرَاتُ1The hardshipsثُمَّthenيَنْجَلِينَاthey will clear away
And they said: "The hardships ⟦1⟧ then they will clear away."
وَقَالَAnd saidالْخُرَيْمِيُّAl-Khuraymi
And Al-Khuraymi said:
وَدُونَAnd belowالنَّدَىgenerosityفِيinكُلِّeveryقَلْبٍheartثَنِيَّةٌa mountain pass
And below generosity in every heart is a mountain pass
لَهَاfor itمَصْعَدٌan ascentحَزْنٌdifficultوَمُنْحَدَرٌand a descentسَهْلٌeasy
with a difficult ascent and an easy descent.
وَوَدَّAnd would wishالْفَتَىthe young manفِيinكُلِّeveryنَيْلٍattainmentيَنَالُهُhe attains
And the young man would wish in every attainment he reaches
إِذَاwhenمَاwhatانْقَضَىhas passedلَوْifأَنَّthatنَائِلَهُhis giftجَزْلٌabundant
that when it comes to an end, if only his gift were abundant.
وَقَالُواAnd they saidخَيْرُthe bestالنَّاسِof peopleخَيْرُis the bestالنَّاسِof peopleلِلنَّاسِfor people
And they said: "The best of people is the one who is best for people."
وَشَرُّand the worstالنَّاسِof peopleشَرُّis the worstالنَّاسِof peopleلِلنَّاسِfor people
and the worst of people is the one who is worst for people."
وَقَالُواAnd they saidخَيْرُThe bestمَالِكَof your wealthمَاthat whichنَفَعَكَbenefits you
And they said: "The best of your wealth is that which benefits you."
وَقَالُواAnd they saidعَجَبًاAmazingلِفَرْطِfor excessالْكِبَرَةِof old ageمَعَwithشَبَابِyouthfulnessالرَّغْبَةِof desire
And they said: "Amazing for the excess of old age with the youthfulness of desire."
وَقَالَAnd saidالرَّاجِزُthe versifier
And the versifier said:
كُلِّنَاAll of usيَأْمُلُhopesمَدًّاextensionفِيinالْأَجَلِthe lifespan
All of us hope for extension in lifespan
وَالْمَنَايَاand deathsهِيَthey areآفَاتُthe afflictionsالْأَمَلِof hope
and deaths are the afflictions of hope.
وَقَالَAnd saidعُبَيْدُUbaydاللهِAllahبْنُibnعِكْرَاشٍ4Ikram
And Ubayd Allah ibn 'Ikram ⟦4⟧ said:
زَمَنٌA timeخَؤُونٌtreacherousوَوَارِثٌand an inheritorشَفُونٌhasteningوَكَاسِبٌand an earnerحَزُونٌsorrowful
A treacherous time, a hastening inheritor, and a sorrowful earner.
فَلَاSo do notتَأْمَنِtrustالْخَؤُونَthe treacherousوَكُنْand beوَارِثَthe inheritorالشَّفُونِof the hastening
So do not trust the treacherous, and be the inheritor of the hastening.
وَقَالَAnd he saidيَهْرَمُGrows oldابْنُsonآدَمَof Adamوَيَشِبٌّand stays youngمَعَهُwith himخَصْلَتَانِtwo traits
And he said: "The son of Adam grows old, but two traits stay young with him:
الْحِرْصُgreedوَالْأَمَلُand hope
greed and hope."
وَكَانُواAnd they used toيَعِيبُونَblameمَنْwhoeverيَأْكُلُeatsوَحْدَهُalone
And they used to blame whoever ate alone.
وَقَالُواAnd they saidمَاnotأَكَلَateابْنُibnعُمَرَ6Umarوَحْدَهُaloneقَطُّever
And they said: "Ibn Umar ⟦6⟧ never ate alone ever."
وَقَالُواAnd they saidمَاnotأَكَلَateالْحَسَنُAl-Hasanوَحْدَهُaloneقَطُّever
And they said: "Al-Hasan never ate alone ever."
وَسَمِعَAnd heardمُجَاشِعٌMujashi'الرَّبَعِيُّal-Ruba'iقَوْلَهُمْtheir saying
And Mujashi' al-Ruba'i heard their saying:
الشَّحِيحُThe miserأَعْذَرُmore excusableمِنَthanالظَّالِمِthe oppressor
"The miser is more excusable than the oppressor."
فَقَالَSo he said
So he said:
أَخْزَىDisgracedاللهُAllahأَمْرَيْنِtwo mattersخَيْرُهُمَاthe better of whichالشُحُmiserliness
May Allah disgrace two matters, the better of which is miserliness."
وَقَالَAnd saidبَكْرٌBakrبْنُibnعَبْدِAbdاللهِAllahالْمُزَنِيُّal-Muzani
And Bakr ibn Abd Allah al-Muzani said:
لَوْIfكَانَwasهَذَاthisالْمَسْجِدُmosqueمُفْعَمًاfilledبِالرِّجَالِwith menثُمَّthenقِيلَit was saidلِيto meمَنْwhoخَيْرُهُمْis the best of them
If this mosque were filled with men, then it were said to me: "Who is the best of them?"
لَقُلْتُI would sayخَيْرُهُمْthe best of themلَهُمْfor them
I would say: "The best of them is the one who is best for them."
وَقَالَAnd saidالنَّبِيُّthe ProphetصَلَّىblessingsاللهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peace
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
أَلَاShallأُنَبِّئُكُمْI inform youبِشِرَارِكُمْof your worst
"Shall I inform you of your worst?"
قَالُواThey saidبَلَىYesيَاOرَسُولَMessengerاللهِof Allah
They said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah."
قَالَHe saidمَنْWhoeverنَزَلَstaysوَحْدَهُaloneوَمَنَعَand withholdsرِفْدَهُhis aidوَجَلَدَand beatsعَبْدَهُhis slave
He said: "Whoever stays alone, and withholds his aid, and beats his slave."
وَقَالَتِAnd saidامْرَأَةٌa womanعِنْدَatجِنَازَةِthe funeralرَجُلٍof a man
And a woman said at the funeral of a man:
أَمَاIndeedوَاللهِby Allahمَاnotكَانَwasمَالِكَyour wealthلِبَطْنِكَfor your bellyوَلَاnorأَمْرُكَyour affairلِعَرْسِكَ7for your wife
Indeed, by Allah, your wealth was not for your belly, nor your affair for your wife ⟦7⟧."
Footnotes
- 1.الْغُمَرَاتُ: الشَّدَائِدُ
Al-ghumarat: hardships.
- 2.ثَنِيَّةٌ: عَقَبَةٌ
Thaniyya: a mountain pass.
- 3.جَزْلٌ: كَثِيرٌ
Jazl: abundant.
- 4.عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عِكْرَاشٍ: تَابِعِيٌّ
Ubayd Allah ibn 'Ikram: a Tabi'i.
- 5.حَزُونٌ: مُحْزِنٌ
Hazun: sorrowful.
- 6.ابْنُ عُمَرَ: عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْخَطَّابِ
Ibn Umar: Abdullah ibn Umar al-Khattab.
- 7.عَرْسُكَ: زَوْجَتُكَ
'Arsuka: your wife.