فَقَالَThen he saidلَهُto himأَنَسٌAnas::
Then Anas said to him:
«مَاWhatأَدْرِيI knowمِنْofأَيِّwhichأَمْرِكَyour affairأُعْجِبُI admire::
"I do not know which of your two traits I admire more:
أَمِنْwhether fromصَبْرِكَyour patienceعَلَىatالضَّحِكِthe laughter،,
whether from your patience at the laughter,
وَقَدْand indeedأَوْرَدَhe has broughtعَلَيْكَupon youمَاthat whichلَاnotيَصْبِرُhe enduresعَلَىatمِثْلِهِits like،,
and indeed he has brought upon you what no one could endure?
أَمْorمِنْfromتَرْكِكَyour leavingإِعْطَاءَهُgiving him،,
or from your refraining from giving him,
وَقَدْwhenكُنْتَyou wereعَزَمْتَyou had intendedعَلَىtoإِعْطَائِهِgive him،,
when you had intended to give him,
وَهَذَاand thisخِلَافُis contrary toمَاwhatأَعْرِفُكَI know of youبِهِby it»"؟?
and this is contrary to what I know of you."
قَالَHe said::
He said:
«وَيْلَكَWoe to you!!
"Woe to you!
مَنِWhoeverاسْتَرْعَىentrusts to herdالذِّئْبَthe wolfفَقَدْindeedظَلَمَhas wronged،,
Whoever entrusts the wolf with shepherding has wronged.
وَمَنْand whoeverزَرَعَsowsسَبِخَةً1a salt marshحَصَدَreapsالفَقْرَpoverty،,
And whoever sows a salt marsh reaps poverty.
إِنِّيIndeed Iوَاللهِby AllahلَوْifعَلِمْتُI knewأَنَّهُthat heيَكْتُمُconcealsالمَعْرُوفَthe favorبِالفِعْلِby action،,
By Allah, if I knew that he conceals favors by deed,
لَمَاI would notاحْتَفَلْتُI would not have made a fussبِنَشْرِهِabout spreading itلَهُfor himبِاللِّسَانِby tongue..
I would not have made a fuss about spreading it by tongue.
وَأَيْنَAnd whereيَقَعُdoes standمَدِيحُthe praiseاللِّسَانِof the tongueمِنْcompared toمَدِيحِthe praiseآثَارِof the effectsالغِنَىof wealthعَلَىuponالإِنْسَانِman..
And where does the praise of the tongue stand compared to the praise of the effects of wealth upon a person?
فَاللِّسَانُFor the tongueقَدْmayيَكْذِبُlie،,
The tongue may lie,
وَالْحَالُbut the stateلَاdoes notتَكْذِبُlie..
but the state does not lie.
لِلَّهِTo Allahدَرُّbelongs the excellenceنُصَيْبٍof Nusaybحَيْثُwhereيَقُولُhe says::
How excellent is Nusayb where he says:
فَعَاجُواAnd they departed andفَأَثْنَوْاthey praisedبِالَّذِيwith that whichأَنْتَyou areأَهْلُهُworthy of......
They went away and praised you as you deserve...
وَلَوْAnd ifسَكَتُواthey had stayed silentأَثْنَتْwould have praisedعَلَيْكَupon youالحَقَائِبُthe saddlebags..
And even if they had remained silent, the saddlebags would have praised you.
أَعَلِمْتَDo you knowأَنَّthatنَاوُوسَthe tombأَبْرَوَيْزَ2of Abrawizأَمْدَحُis more praiseworthyلَهُfor himمِنْthanشِعْرِthe poetryزُهَيْرٍof Zuhayrلِآلِfor the familyسِنَانِof Sinanبْنِson ofأَبِيAbuحَارِثَةَ3Haritha؛;
Do you know that the tomb of Abrawiz is more praiseworthy for him than the poetry of Zuhayr for the family of Sinan ibn Abi Haritha?
لِأَنَّBecauseالشَّاعِرَthe poetيَكْذِبُliesوَيَصْدُقُand tells the truth،,
Because the poet may lie or tell the truth,
وَبُنْيَانُbut the buildingالمَرَاتِبِof ranksلَاdoes notيَكْذِبُlieمَرَّةًonceوَيَصْدُقُand tell truthمَرَّةًanother time..
but the building of ranks does not lie at one time and tell the truth at another.
فَلَسْتُSo I will notبِعَائِدٍreturnإِلَىtoهَذَاthisبِمَعْرُوفٍwith a favorأَبَدًاever..
So I will never return to this with a favor ever again.
كَانَUsed toالأَصْمَعِيُّAl-Asma'iيَتَعَوَّذُseek refugeبِاللهِwith Allahمِنَfromالْإِسْتِقْرَاضِborrowingوَالْإِسْتِفْرَاضِ4and lending،,
Al-Asma'i used to seek refuge with Allah from borrowing and lending.
فَأَنْعَمَSo He bestowed favorاللهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon him،,
So Allah bestowed favor upon him,
حَتَّىuntilصَارَhe becameهُوَheالمُسْتَقْرَضُthe one from whom is borrowedمِنْهُfrom him،,
until he became the one from whom money is borrowed,
وَالمُسْتَفْرَضُand the one whose goods are lentمَاwhatعِنْدَهُis with him..
and the one whose possessions are lent.
فَاتَّفَقَThen it happenedأَنَّthatأَتَاهُcame to himفِيinيَوْمٍa dayوَاحِدٍoneرَجُلَانِtwo men،,
It then happened that two men came to him in a single day,
وَكَانَand wasأَحَدُهُمَاone of themيَطْلُبُseekingالفَرْضَthe loan،,
one of them was asking for a loan,
وَالْآخَرُand the otherيَطْلُبُseekingالقَرْضَthe lending،,
and the other was offering to lend,
هَجَمَاthey attackedعَلَيْهِupon himمَعًاtogether،,
they both came upon him together,
فَأَبْعَلَهُand it annoyed himذَلِكَthatوَمَلَأَand filledصَدْرَهُhis chest،,
that annoyed him and filled his chest,
ثُمَّthenأَقْبَلَhe turnedعَلَىtoصَاحِبِthe ownerالسَّلَفِof the loan،,
then he turned to the one who had lent,
فَقَالَand said::
and said:
«تَتَبَدَّلُChangeالأَفْعَالُthe actionsبِتَبَدُّلِwith the changeالحَالِof the situation..
"Actions change with the change of circumstances.
وَلِكُلِّAnd for everyزَمَانٍtimeتَدْبِيرٌa plan،,
For every time there is a plan,
وَلِكُلِّand for everyشَيْءٍthingمِقْدَارٌa measure،,
and for everything there is a measure,
وَاللهُand Allah......
and Allah ..."
Footnotes
- 1.السَّبِخَةُ: أَرْضٌ مَالِحَةٌ لَا تَنْبُتُ
The salt marsh: salty land where nothing grows.
- 2.أَبْرَوَيْزُ: كِسْرَى فَارِسَ
Abrawiz: the Persian king.
- 3.زُهَيْرٌ: شَاعِرٌ جَاهِلِيٌّ، وَآلُ سِنَانِ بْنِ أَبِي حَارِثَةَ: قَبِيلَةٌ مَدَحَهُمْ
Zuhayr: a pre-Islamic poet, and the family of Sinan ibn Abi Haritha: a tribe he praised.
- 4.الإِسْتِقْرَاضُ: طَلَبُ القَرْضِ، وَالإِسْتِفْرَاضُ: طَلَبُ الفَرْضِ
Al-istiqrad: asking for a loan, and al-istifrad: asking for a grant.