قَالُواThey said«خَيْرُbestمَالِكَof your wealthمَاthatنَفَعَكَbenefited you»
They said: 'The best of your wealth is that which benefits you.'
وَلِذَلِكَand thereforeقَالُواthey said«لَمْnotيَذْهَبْgoneمِنْfromمَالِكَyour wealthمَاthatوَعَظَكَadmonished you»
And therefore they said: 'Nothing has gone from your wealth that admonished you.'
إِنَّIndeedالْمَالَwealthمَحْرُوصٌguardedعَلَيْهِupon it،
Indeed, wealth is eagerly sought after.
وَمَطْلُوبٌand soughtفِيinقَعْرِbottomالْبِحَارِthe seasوَفِيand inرُؤُوسِtopsالْجِبَالِthe mountainsوَفِيand inدَغَلِdense thicketsالْغِيَاضِ1of woods
It is sought in the depths of the seas, on mountain tops, and in dense forests.
وَمَطْلُوبٌand soughtفِيinالْوُعُورَةِrugged terrainكَمَاasيُطْلَبُit is soughtفِيinالسُّهُولَةِeasy terrain،
It is sought in rugged terrain just as it is sought in easy terrain.
وَسَوَاءٌand alikeفِيهَاin itبُطُونُbottomsالْأَوْدِيَةِof valleysوَظُهُورُand backsالطُّرُقِof roadsوَمَشَارِقُand eastsالْأَرْضِof the earthوَمَغَارِبُهَاand its wests،
In this regard, the bottoms of valleys, the backs of roads, and the east and west of the earth are all the same.
فَطُلِبَتْso it was soughtبِالْعِزِّwith honorوَطُلِبَتْand it was soughtبِالذُّلِّwith humiliation،
So it was sought with honor and with humiliation.
وَطُلِبَتْand it was soughtبِالْوَفَاءِwith loyaltyوَطُلِبَتْand it was soughtبِالْغَدْرِwith treachery،
It was sought with loyalty and with treachery.
وَطُلِبَتْand it was soughtبِالنُّسْكِwith pietyكَمَاasطُلِبَتْit was soughtبِالْفَتْكِ2with violence
It was sought with piety just as it was sought with violence.
وَطُلِبَتْand it was soughtبِالصِّدْقِwith truthfulnessوَطُلِبَتْand it was soughtبِالْكَذِبِwith lying،
It was sought with truthfulness and with lying.
وَطُلِبَتْand it was soughtبِالْبَذَاءِwith obscenityوَطُلِبَتْand it was soughtبِالْمَلَقِwith flattery،
And it was sought with obscenity and with flattery.
فَلَمْso notتَتْرُكْit leftفِيهَاin itحِيلَةًa trickوَلَاnorرُقْيَةًan incantation،
So they left no trick or incantation untried in this pursuit.
حَتَّىuntilطُلِبَتْit was soughtبِالْكُفْرِwith disbeliefبِاللَّهِin Godكَمَاasطُلِبَتْit was soughtبِالْإِيمَانِwith faith،
Until it was sought with disbelief in God just as it was sought with faith.
وَطُلِبَتْand it was soughtبِالسُّخْفِwith foolishnessكَمَاasطُلِبَتْit was soughtبِالنُّبْلِwith nobility،
And it was sought with foolishness just as it was sought with nobility.
فَقَدْindeedنَصَبُواthey set upالْفِخَاخَtrapsبِكُلِّin everyمَوْضِعٍplace،
Indeed, they have set up traps in every place.
وَنَصَبُواand they set upالشَّرَكَsnaresبِكُلِّon everyرَيْعٍ3high place
And they set up snares on every high place.
وَقَدْand indeedطَلَبَكَsought youمَنْone whoلَاdoes notيُقَصِّرُfall shortدُونَwithoutالظَّفَرِattaining victory،
And indeed, someone has sought you who will not fall short of attaining [his goal].
وَحَسَدَكَand envied youمَنْone whoلَاdoes notيَنَامُsleepدُونَwithoutالشِّفَاءِsatisfaction،
And someone envies you who will not sleep without achieving his satisfaction.
وَقَدْand indeedيَهْدَأُrestsالطَّالِبُthe seekerالطَّوائِلَ4of high things،
And indeed, the seeker of lofty goals may rest.
وَالْمَطْلُوبُand the sought oneبِذَاتِin his ownنَفْسِهِself،
But the one sought for his own sake [i.e., prey] does not rest.
وَلَاnorيَهْدَأُrestsالْحَرِيصُthe greedy one،
Nor does the greedy one rest.
يُقَالُIt is saidإِنَّهُthatلَيْسَthere is notفِيinالْأَرْضِthe earthبَلْدَةٌa townوَاسِطَةٌcentral،
It is said that there is no town on earth, whether central...
وَلَاnorنَائِيَةٍremoteشَاسِعَةٍdistant،
...nor remote and distant...
وَلَاnorطَرَفٍa regionمِنْofالْأَطْرَافِthe regions،
...nor any region of the regions...
إِلَّاexceptوَأَنْتَthat youوَاجِدٌwill findبِهَاin itالْمَدِينِيَّthe Medinanوَالْبَصْرِيَّand the Basranوَالْحَيْرِيَّ5and the Hiri،
...except that you will find there the Medinan, the Basran, and the Hiri [merchants].
وَقَدْand indeedتَرَىyou seeشَنَفَ6the aversionالْفُقَرَاءِof the poorلِلْأَغْنِيَاءِtowards the rich،
And indeed, you see the aversion of the poor towards the rich...
وَتَسَرُّعَand the hasteningالرَّغْبَةِof desireإِلَىtowardsالْمُلُوكِkings،
...and the hastening of desire towards kings...
وَبُغْضِand the hatredالْمَاشِيof the walkerلِلرَّاكِبِtowards the rider،
...and the hatred of the walker towards the rider...
وَعُمُومِand the general stateالْجَسَدِof the bodyفِيamongالْمُتَفَاوِتِينَthe unequal ones،
...and the general state of the body among people of differing [ranks].
فَإِنْSo ifلَمْnotتَسْتَعْمِلِyou useالْحَذَرَcaution،
So if you do not use caution...
وَتَأْخُذْand takeبِنَصِيبِكَyour shareمِنَofالْمُدَارَاةِdiplomacy،
...and take your share of diplomacy...
وَتَتَعَلَّمِand learnالْحَزْمَprudenceوَتُجَالِسْand sit withأَصْحَابَcompanions ofالْإِقْتِصَادِmoderation،
...and learn prudence and sit with people of moderation...
وَتُعَرِّفِand knowالدُّهُورَthe timesوَدَهْرَكَand your timeخَاصَّةًespecially،
...and know the times, especially your own time...
وَتَمَثَّلْand imagineلِنَفْسِكَfor yourselfالْغِيَرَchangesحَتَّىuntilتَتَوَهَّمَyou imagineنَفْسَكَyourselfفَقِيرًاpoorضَائِعًاlost،
...and imagine changes for yourself until you imagine yourself poor and lost...
وَحَتَّىand untilتَتَّهمَyou suspectشِمَالَكَyour left handعَلَىagainstيَمِينِكَyour right hand،
...and until you suspect your left hand against your right hand...
وَسَمْعَكَand your hearingعَلَىagainstبَصَرِكَyour sight،
...and your hearing against your sight...
وَلَاand notيَكُونُbeأَحَدٌanyoneاتَّهَمَsuspectedعِنْدَwith
...and let no one be suspected by you...
Footnotes
- 1.الْغِيَاضُ: جَمْعُ غَيْضَةٍ، وَهِيَ الْأَجَمَةُ وَمَوْضِعُ الشَّجَرِ الْمُلْتَفِّ.
Al-Ghiyad: plural of Ghaidah, meaning a thicket or a place of dense trees.
- 2.الْفَتْكُ: الْقَتْلُ عَلَى غِرَّةٍ، وَالِانْتِقَامُ مِنَ الْعَدُوِّ بِسُرْعَةٍ.
Al-Fatk: killing by surprise, and taking revenge on the enemy quickly.
- 3.الرَّيْعُ: كُلُّ مَوْضِعٍ مُرْتَفِعٍ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ، وَهُوَ الْهَضْبَةُ وَنَحْوُهَا.
Ar-Ray': every elevated place of the earth, such as a hill or similar.
- 4.الطَّوائِلُ: جَمْعُ طَوِيلَةٍ، وَالْمُرَادُ بِهَا الْأُمُورُ الْمُهِمَّةُ وَالْغَايَاتُ الْعَظِيمَةُ.
At-Tawa'il: plural of Tawilah, meaning important matters and great goals.
- 5.الْمَدِينِيُّ وَالْبَصْرِيُّ وَالْحَيْرِيُّ: نِسْبَةٌ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ وَالْبَصْرَةِ وَالْحِيرَةِ، وَالْمُرَادُ التُّجَّارُ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْبُلْدَانِ.
Al-Madani, Al-Basri, and Al-Hayri: attributions to Medina, Basra, and Hira, meaning merchants from these cities.
- 6.الشَّنَفُ: الْبُغْضُ وَالْكَرَاهِيَةُ وَالِانْتِقَاصُ.
Ash-Shanaf: hatred, aversion, and belittlement.