وَالرِّمَالُand the sands
and the sands.
وَلَوِand ifاسْتَطَعْتُI couldأَنْthatأَجْعَلَI makeدُونَهُbefore itرَدْمًاa barrier
And if I could make before it a barrier
كَرَدْمِlike the barrier ofيَأْجُوجَYajujوَمَأْجُوجَand Majuj
like the barrier of Yajuj and Majuj,
لَفَعَلْتُI would have done
I would have done it.
إِنَّIndeedالنَّاسَthe peopleفَاغِرَةٌopenأَفْوَاهُهُمْtheir mouthsنَحْوَtowardsمَنْwhoeverعِنْدَهُhasدَرَاهِمُdirhams
People open their mouths towards whoever has dirhams,
فَلَيْسَand notيَمْنَعُهُمْprevents themمِنَfromالنَّهْسِbiting
and nothing prevents them from biting
إِلَّاexceptالْيَأْسُdespair
except despair.
وَإِنْand ifطَمِعُواthey covet
And if they covet,
لَمْnotتَبْقَremainرَاغِيَةٌa bleating (ewe)وَلَاnorثَاغِيَةٌa crying (goat)
no bleating or crying remains,
وَلَاnorسَبَدٌhairوَلَاnorلَبَدٌfur
nor hair nor fur,
وَلَاnorصَامِتٌsilentوَلَاnorنَاطِقٌspeaking
nor silent nor speaking,
إِلَّاexceptابْتَلَعُوهُthey swallow itوَالتَهَمُوهُand devour it
except they swallow and devour it.
أَتَدْرِيDo you knowمَاwhatتُرِيدُyou wantبِشَيْخِكَ؟with your elder?
Do you know what you want with your elder?
إِنَّمَاonlyتُرِيدُyou wantأَنْtoتُفْقِرَهُmake him poor
You only want to make him poor.
فَإِذَاand whenأَفْقَرْتَهُyou make him poor
And when you make him poor,
فَقَدْindeedقَتَلْتَهُyou have killed him
you have killed him.
وَقَدْand indeedتَعَلَّمُyou knowمَاwhatجَاءَcameفِيregardingقَتْلِkillingالنَّفْسِthe soulالْمُؤْمِنَةِthe believing
And you know what has come regarding killing a believing soul.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenشَبَّهْتُI likenedقَوْلَthe saying ofالْأَصْمَعِيِّal-Asma'iلِهَذَاto thisالرَّجُلِman
And when I likened the saying of al-Asma'i to this man
حِينَwhenقَالَhe said
when he said:
أَضَنُّI am miserlyبِكَwith youوَأَشُحُّand I am stingyعَلَىaboutنَصِيبِيmy shareمِنْكَof you
I am miserly with you and stingy about my share of you,
مِنْfromأَنْthatأُعَرِّضَهُI expose itلِلْفَسَادِto corruption
from exposing it to corruption,
إِلَّاexceptبِقَوْلِwith the saying ofثُمَامَةَThumama
except with the saying of Thumama
حِينَwhenقَالَhe saidلِابْنِto the son ofسَافِرِيSafari
when he said to Ibn Safari:
يَاOعَاضَّbiter ofبَظْرِthe clitoris ofأُمِّهِhis mother
O biter of his mother's clitoris,
بِالنَّظَرِby the regardمِنِّيfrom meأَقُولُI sayلَكَto you
by the regard from me I say to you,
وَبِالشَّفَقَةِand by the compassionمِنِّيfrom meأَسُبُّكَI insult you
and by the compassion from me I insult you.
وَذَلِكَAnd thatأَنَّهُbecause heنَدِمَregrettedحِينَwhenأَعَضَّهُhe bit him
And that is because he regretted when he bit him,
فَرَأَىand he sawأَنَّthatهَذَاthisالْقَوْلَsayingيَجْعَلُmakesذَلِكَthatمِنْهُfrom himيَدًاa favorوَنِعْمَةًand a grace
and he saw that this saying made that from him a favor and a grace.
وَشَهِدْتُAnd I witnessedثُمَامَةَThumama
And I witnessed Thumama,
وَأَتَاهُand came to himرَجُلَانِtwo men
and two men came to him.
قَالَsaidأَحَدُهُمَاone of them
One of them said:
لِيto youإِلَيْكَto youحَاجَةٌa need
I have a need of you.
فَقَالَand he saidثُمَامَةُThumama
Thumama said:
وَلِيand I haveإِلَيْكَto youأَيْضًاalsoحَاجَةٌa need
And I also have a need of you.
قَالَhe saidوَمَاand whatحَاجَتُكَ؟is your need?
He said: And what is your need?
قَالَhe saidلَسْتُI am notأَذْكُرُهَاI mention itلَكَto you
He said: I will not mention it to you
حَتَّىuntilتَضْمَنَyou guaranteeلِيto meقَضَاءَهَاits fulfillment
until you guarantee to me its fulfillment.
قَالَhe saidقَدْalreadyفَعَلْتُI have done
He said: I have done it.
قَالَhe saidفَحَاجَتِيso my need is
He said: So my need is
أَلَّاthat notتَسْأَلَنِيyou ask meهَذِهِthisالْحَاجَةَneed
that you not ask me this need.
قَالَhe saidإِنَّكَindeed youلَاnotتَدْرِيknowمَاwhatهِيَit is
He said: Indeed you do not know what it is.
قَالَhe saidبَلَىyesقَدْindeedدَرَيْتُI have known
He said: Yes, I have known.
قَالَhe said
He said:
فَمَاthen whatهِيَ؟is it?
Then what is it?
قَالَhe saidهِيَit isحَاجَةٌa need
He said: It is a need.
لَيْسَnotيَكُونُisالشَّيْءُthe thingحَاجَةًa need
A thing is not a need
إِلَّاexceptوَهِيَand itتُحْوِجُmakes needإِلَىtoشَيْءٍsomethingمِنَofالْكُلْفَةِtrouble
except it necessitates something of trouble.
قَالَhe saidفَقَدْso indeedرَجَعْتُI have returnedعَمَّاfrom whatأَعْطَيْتُكَI gave you
He said: So indeed I have returned from what I gave you.
قَالَhe saidلَكِنِّيbut IلَاnotأَرُدُّI returnمَاwhatأَخَذْتُI took
He said: But I will not return what I took.
فَأَقْبَلَThen came forwardعَلَيْهِto himالْآخَرُthe other
Then the other came forward to him,
فَقَالَand he said
and he said:
لِيI haveحَاجَةٌa needإِلَىtoمَنْصُورِMansurبْنِibnالنُّعْمَانِal-Nu'man
I have a need to Mansur ibn al-Nu'man.
قَالَhe said
He said:
قُلْSayلِيI haveحَاجَةٌa needإِلَىtoثُمَامَةَThumamaبْنِibnأَشْرَسَAshras
Say: I have a need to Thumama ibn Ashras.
لِأَنِّيbecause IأَنَاIالَّذِيwhoأَقْضِيfulfillلَكَfor youالْحَاجَةَthe need
because I am the one who fulfills the need for you,
وَمَنْصُورٌand Mansurيَقْضِيهَاfulfills itلِيfor me
and Mansur fulfills it for me.
فَالْحَاجَةُSo the needأَنَاIأَقْضِيهَاfulfill itلَكَfor you
So the need I fulfill for you,
وَغَيْرِيand other than meيَقْضِيهَاfulfills itلِيfor me
and other than me fulfills it for me.
ثُمَّThenقَالَhe said
Then he said:
فَأَنَاSo IلَاnotأَتَكَلَّمُI speakفِيaboutالْوِلَايَاتِthe provinces
So I do not speak about the provinces
وَلَاnorأَتَكَلَّمُI speakفِيaboutالدَّرَاهِمِthe dirhamsمِنْfromقُلُوبِhearts ofالنَّاسِpeople
nor do I speak about dirhams from people's hearts,
وَلَأَنَّand because
and because
Footnotes
- 1.رَدْمًا: سَدًّا
A barrier: a dam.
- 2.يَأْجُوجُ وَمَأْجُوجُ: قَوْمَانِ مَذْكُورَانِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ
Yajuj and Majuj: two peoples mentioned in the Quran.
- 3.النَّهْسُ: الْعَضُّ بِمُقَدَّمِ الْأَسْنَانِ
Al-nahs: biting with the front teeth.
- 4.السَّبَدُ وَاللَّبَدُ: كِنَايَةٌ عَنِ الْمَالِ وَالْمَتَاعِ
Al-sabad and al-labad: a metaphor for wealth and possessions.
- 5.الصَّامِتُ وَالنَّاطِقُ: الْجَامِدُ وَالْحَيَوَانُ
Al-samit and al-natiq: the inanimate and the living.