أَظْهِرْshowلِأَعْدَائِكَto your enemiesمِنْfromمُقَاتِلِهِمْtheir fighter
Show your enemies from their fighter.
وَقَالُواand they saidالْفِرَارُthe fleeingبِقِرَابٍwith a quiverأَكْيَسُmore prudent
And they said: "Fleeing with a quiver is more prudent."
وَقَالَand saidأَبُوfather ofالْأَسْوَدِthe black
And Abu al-Aswad said:
لَيْسَnotمِنَfromالْعِزِّhonorأَنْthatتَتَعَرَّضَyou expose yourselfلِلذُّلِّto humiliationوَلَاand notمِنَfromالْكَرَمِgenerosityأَنْthatتَسْتَدْعِيَyou inviteاللُّؤْمَbaseness
It is not from honor to expose yourself to humiliation, nor from generosity to invite baseness.
وَمَنْand whoeverأَخْرَجَtakes outمَالَهُhis wealthمِنْfromيَدِهِhis handافْتَقَرَbecomes poor
And whoever takes his wealth out of his hand becomes poor.
وَمَنِand whoeverافْتَقَرَbecomes poorفَلَاthen notبُدَّescapeلَهُfor himأَنْthatيَضْرَعَhe humbles himself
And whoever becomes poor must humble himself.
وَالضَّرَعُ1and humilityلُؤْمٌbaseness
And humility is baseness.
وَإِنْand ifكَانَwasالْجُودُgenerosityشَقِيقَbrotherالْكَرَمِof nobilityفَالْأَنَفَةُthen prideأَوْلَىmore deservingبِالْكَرَمِof nobility
And if generosity is the brother of nobility, then pride is more deserving of nobility.
وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidالْأَوَّلُthe first
And the first has said:
اللَّهُمَّO Godلَاnotتُثِرْstir upلِيfor meمَاءَwaterسَوْءٍof evilفَأَكُونَso I becomeامْرَأَa manسَوْءٍof evil
O God, do not stir up for me water of evil so I become a man of evil.
وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidالشَّاعِرُthe poet
And the poet has said:
وَاخْطُand stepمَعَwithالدَّهْرِtimeإِذَاwhenمَاwhatخَطَاit stepped
And step with time when it steps.
وَاجْرِand runمَعَwithالدَّهْرِtimeكَمَاasيَجْرِيit runs
And run with time as it runs.
وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidالْآخَرُthe other
And the other said:
يَاOلَيْتwould thatلِيI hadنَعْلَيْنِtwo sandalsمِنْofجِلْدِskinالضَّبُعِthe hyena
O would that I had two sandals of hyena skin.
كُلُّallالْحِذَاءِthe footwearيُحْتَذَىis wornالْحَافِيthe barefootedالْوَقِعُthe sore-footed
All footwear is worn by the barefooted who is sore-footed.
وَقَدْand indeedصَدَقَspoke truthقَوْلُsayingالْقَائِلِthe speaker
And indeed the saying of the speaker is true:
مَنِwhoeverاحْتَاجَneedsاغْتَفَرَforgives
Whoever needs forgives.
وَمَنِand whoeverاقْتَضَىdemands paymentتَجَوَّزَ3overlooks
And whoever demands payment overlooks.
وَقِيلَand it was saidلِدِيسِمُوسَ4to Disimus
And it was said to Disimus:
تَأْكُلُyou eatفِيinالسُّوقِthe market
Do you eat in the market?
قَالَhe saidإِنَّindeedجَاعَbecame hungryدِيسِمُوسُDisimusفِيinالسُّوقِthe marketأَكَلَhe ateفِيinالسُّوقِthe market
He said: If Disimus becomes hungry in the market, he eats in the market.
وَقَالَand he saidمَنْwhoeverأَجْدَبَsuffers droughtانْتَجَعَemigrates
And he said: Whoever suffers drought emigrates.
وَمَنْand whoeverجَاعَbecomes hungryخَشَعَhumbles himself
And whoever becomes hungry humbles himself.
وَقَالَand he said
And he said:
احْذَرُواbeware ofنِفَارَthe flightالنِّعْمَةِof blessingفَإِنَّهَاfor itنَوَّارٌfleeing
Beware of the flight of blessing, for it is fleeing.
وَلَيْسَand notكُلُّeveryشَارِدٍrunawayبِمَرْدُودٍreturnedوَلَاand notكُلُّeveryنَادٍّfugitiveبِمَصْرُودٍ5captured
And not every runaway is returned, nor every fugitive is captured.
وَقَالَand saidعَلِيُّAliبْنُson ofأَبِيfather ofطَالِبٍTalib
And Ali ibn Abi Talib said:
قَلَّrarelyمَاwhatأَدْبَرَ6turned awayشَيْءٌsomethingفَأَقْبَلَthen came forward
Rarely does something that turned away come forward.
وَقَالُواand they said
And they said:
Footnotes
- 1.الضَّرَعُ: الذُّلُّ وَالْخُضُوعُ
Al-Dara': humiliation and submission.
- 2.الْوَقَعُ: الْحَافِي الَّذِي أَصَابَتْهُ الْحِجَارَةُ
Al-Waqa': the barefooted whose feet are hurt by stones.
- 3.تَجَوَّزَ: سَامَحَ وَتَسَاهَلَ
Tajawaza: he forgave and was lenient.
- 4.دِيسِمُوسُ: فَيْلَسُوفٌ يُونَانِيٌّ
Disimus: a Greek philosopher.
- 5.مَصْرُودٌ: مَحْبُوسٌ وَمَمْنُوعٌ
Masrud: imprisoned and prevented.
- 6.أَدْبَرَ: وَلَّى وَذَهَبَ
Adbara: turned away and went.