وَبَاعَدُونِيAnd they distanced meمِنَfromالْغِنَىwealth،,
And they distanced me from wealth,
وَكُلَّمَاand wheneverدَعَوْتُهُمْI called themأَكْثَرَmore،,كُنْتُI wasمِنَfromالْفَقْرِpovertyأَقْرَبَcloserوَمِنَand fromالْغِنَىwealthأَبْعَدُfarther؟!?!
and the more I called them, the closer I was to poverty and the farther from wealth?!
وَفِيAnd inقِيَاسِهِhis measureهَذَاthisأَنَّthatمِنْofرَأْيِهِhis opinionأَنْthatيَهْجُرَhe should abandonكُلَّeveryoneمَنِwhoاسْتَسْقَاهُasked him for a drinkشَرْبَةَa drinkمَاءٍof water،,أَوْorتَنَاوَلَtookمِنْfromحَائِطِهِhis wallتِينَةًa fig،,وَمِنْand fromخَلِيطِthe mixedدَابَّتِهِhis animalعُودًاa stick..
And in this measure of his, he held the opinion that he should abandon anyone who asked him for a drink of water, or took a fig from his wall, or a stick from the fodder of his animal.
وَمَرَّAnd he passed byبِأَصْحَابِthe owners ofالْجِدَاءِthe young goats،,وَذَلِكَand thatفِيinزَمَانِthe time ofالتَّوْلِيدِbreeding،,فَأَطْعَمَهُso he fed himالزَّمَانُthe timeفِيinالرُّخْصِthe cheapness،,وَتَحَرَّكَتْand stirredشَهْوَتُهُhis desireعَلَىaccording toقَدْرِthe extent ofإِمْكَانٍpossibilityعِنْدَهُwith him..
And he passed by the owners of young goats, and that was during the breeding season, so the time offered them cheaply, and his appetite stirred according to what he could afford.
فَبَعَثَSo he sentغُلَامًاa servantلَهُof his،,يُقَالُcalledلَهُfor him«ثُقَفُ»"Thuqaf"،,وَهُوَand he isمَعْرُوفٌwell-known،,لِيَشْتَرِيَto buyلَهُfor himجَدِيًّاa young goat،,فَوَقَفَso he stoodغَيْرَnotبَعِيدٍfar..
So he sent a servant of his, called "Thuqaf," who was well-known, to buy a young goat for him, so he stopped not far away.
فَلَمْAnd notيَلْبَثْhe delayedأَنْthatرَجَعَreturnedالْغُلَامُthe servantيُحْضِرُ1bringing،,وَهُوَwhile heيُشِيرُpointsبِيَدِهِwith his hand،,وَيُومِئُand gesturesبِرَأْسِهِwith his head،,أَنْ:that:
And it was not long before the servant returned, bringing (footnote ①), while he pointed with his hand and gestured with his head, saying:
اذْهَبْGoوَلَاand do notتَقِفْstop..
"Go and do not stop."
فَلَمْBut he did notيَبْرَحْleave..
But he did not leave.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenدَنَاhe approachedمِنْهُhimقَالَ:he said:وَيْلَكَ!Woe to you!تُهَرِّبُنِيYou make me fleeكَأَنِّيas if I amمَطْلُوبٌwanted؟?
And when he approached him, he said: "Woe to you! You make me flee as if I am wanted?"
قَالَ:He said:هَذَاThisطَرَفَةُ:a rare bargain:الْجَدْيُthe young goatبِعَشَرَةٍfor ten..
He said: "This is a rare bargain: the young goat for ten (dirhams)."
أَنْتَAre youمِنْofذِيthe oneالْبَابَةِ2of the matter؟?مُرَّPassالْآنَnow،,مُرَّpassمُرَّpass..
"Are you the one concerned (footnote ②)? Pass now, pass, pass."
فَإِذَاAnd so ifغُلَامُهُhis servantيَرَىseesأَنَّthatمِنَofالْمُنْكَرِthe objectionableأَنْthatيَشْتَرِيَhe buysجَدْيًاa young goatبِعَشَرَةِfor tenدَرَاهِمَdirhams،,وَالْجَدْيُwhile the young goatبِعَشَرَةٍfor tenإِنَّمَاonlyيُنْكَرُis objectionableعِنْدَنَاwith usبِالْبَصْرَةِin Basra،,لِكَثْرَةِbecause of the abundanceالْخَيْرِof goodsوَرُخْصِand cheapnessالسِّعْرِof price..
And so if his servant sees that it is objectionable to buy a young goat for ten dirhams, while the young goat for ten is only objectionable with us in Basra, due to the abundance of goods and cheapness of price.
فَأَمَّاBut as forفِيinالْعَسَاكِرِthe armiesفَإِنْthen ifأَنْكَرَobjectsذَلِكَthatمُنْكِرٌan objector،,فَإِنَّمَاthen onlyيُنْكِرُهُhe objects to itمِنْfromطَرِيقِthe way ofرُخْصِهِits cheapnessوَقِلَّةِand fewnessثَمَنِهِof its price،,لَاnotلِغَيْرِfor other thanذَلِكَthat..
But as for in the armies, if an objector objects to that, he only objects to it because of its cheapness and the low price, not for any other reason.
وَلَاAnd do notتَقُولُواsayالْآنَ:now:قَدْindeedوَاللَّهِby Godأَسَاءَdid wrongأَبُوAbuعُثْمَانَUthmanإِلَىtoصَدِيقِهِhis friend،,بَلْratherمَاnotتَنَاوَلَهُhe touched himبِالسُّوءِwith evilحَتَّىuntilبَدَأَhe beganبِنَفْسِهِwith himself..
And do not say now: "Indeed, by God, Abu Uthman did wrong to his friend," rather, he did not touch him with evil until he began with himself.
وَمَنْAnd whoeverكَانَتْwasهَذِهِthisصِفَتُهُhis attribute،,وَهَذَاand thisمَذْهَبُهُhis doctrine،,فَغَيْرُthen notمَأْمُونٍsafeعَلَىfromجَلِيسِهِhis companion..
And whoever had this attribute and this doctrine, then he is not safe from his companion.
وَأَيُّAnd whichالرِّجَالِof menالْمُهَذَّبِ3the refined؟?
And which of men is refined (footnote ③)?
هَذَاThisوَاللَّهِby Godالشَّنُوعُthe repulsivenessوَالتَّبُوعُand the following،,وَالْبَذَاءُand obscenityوَقِلَّةُand lackالْوَفَاءِ4of loyalty..
This, by God, is repulsiveness and following, and obscenity and lack of loyalty (footnote ④).
Footnotes
- 1.كَذَا فِي الْأَصْلِ، وَلَعَلَّهُ: يُحْضِرُ الْجَدْيَ.
Thus in the original, and perhaps it means: bringing the young goat.
- 2.أَيْ: أَنْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ؟
That is: Are you one of those concerned with this matter?
- 3.أَيْ: لَا أَحَدَ.
That is: no one.
- 4.الشَّنُوعُ: الْبُغْضُ، وَالتَّبُوعُ: اتِّبَاعُ الْهَوَى، وَالْبَذَاءُ: الْفُحْشُ.
Ash-Shanu' means hatred, at-Tabu' means following desire, and al-badha' means obscenity.