al bukhala al jahiz

Page 78

وَلَقَدْAnd indeedرَأَيْتُI sawرَجُلًاa manضَخْمًاlarge

And indeed I saw a large man.

فَخْمَmagnificentاللَّفْظِin speechفَخْمَmagnificentالْمَعَانِيin meanings

Magnificent in speech, magnificent in meanings.

تَرِبَةًnurturedفِيinظِلِّthe shadeمَلِكٍof a king

Nurtured in the shade of a king.

مَعَwithعِلْمٍknowledgeجَمٍّabundantوَلِسَانٍand a tongueعَضْبٍsharp

With abundant knowledge and a sharp tongue.

وَمَعْرِفَةٍand knowledgeبِالْغَامِضِof the obscureمِنَofالْعُيُوبِthe faults

And knowledge of obscure faults.

وَالدَّقِيقِand the subtleمِنَofالْمَحَاسِنِthe virtues

And the subtle of virtues.

مَعَwithشِدَّةِseverityتَسَرُّعٍrushingإِلَىtoأَعْرَاضِthe reputationsالنَّاسِof people

With severe rushing to people's reputations.

وَضِيقِand narrownessصَدْرٍof chestبِمَاat whatيَعْرِفُhe knowsمِنْofعُيُوبِهِمْtheir faults

And narrowness of chest at what he knows of their faults.

وَأَنَّand thatثَرِيدَتَهُhis tharidahلَبَلْقَاءُis piebald

And that his tharidah is piebald.

إِلَّاexceptأَنَّthatبَيَاضَهَاits whitenessنَاصِعٌpure

Except that its whiteness is pure.

وَلَوْنُهَاand its colorالْآخَرُthe otherأَصْهَبُreddish

And its other color is reddish.

فَرَأَيْتُand I sawذَلِكَthatمَرَّةًonceأَوْorمَرَّتَيْنِtwice

And I saw that once or twice.

وَكُنْتُand I wasقَدْindeedهَمَمْتُI intendedقَبْلَbeforeذَلِكَthat

And I had intended before that.

أَنْtoعَاتِبَهُblame himعَلَىforالشَّيْءِthe thingيَسْتَأْثِرُhe appropriatesبِهِfor himself

To blame him for the thing he appropriates for himself.

وَيَخُصُّand he singles outبِهِwith it

And he singles out with it.

وَإِنْalthoughاحْتَمَلَit bearsثِقَلَthe weightتِلْكَthatالنَّصِيحَةِadvice

Although it bears the weight of that advice.

وَبَشَاعَتَهَاand its uglinessفِيinحَظِّهِhis shareوَفِيand inالنَّظَرِthe considerationلَهُfor him

And its ugliness in his share and in the consideration for him.

وَرَأَيْتُand I sawأَنَّthatذَلِكَthatلَاnotيَكُونُisإِلَّاexceptمِنْfromحَاقِّtrueالْإِخْلَاصِsincerity

And I saw that that would not be except from true sincerity.

وَمِنْand fromفَرْطِexcessالْإِخَاءِof brotherhoodبَيْنَbetweenالْأُخْوَانِbrothers

And from excess of brotherhood between brothers.

فَلَمَّاand whenرَأَيْتُI sawالْبَلْقَةَthe piebaldness

And when I saw the piebaldness.

هَانَbecame easyعَلَيَّfor meالتَّحْجِيلُthe white on legsوَالْغُرَّةُand the white blaze

The white on legs and the white blaze became easy for me.

وَرَأَيْتُand I sawأَنَّthatتَرْكَleavingالْكَلَامِspeechأَفْضَلُbetter

And I saw that leaving speech is better.

وَأَنَّand thatالْمَوْعِظَةَthe admonitionلَغْوٌvain

And that the admonition is vain.

وَقَدْand indeedزَعَمَclaimedأَبُوAbuالْحَسَنِal-Hasanالْمَدَائِنِيُّal-Mada'ini

And indeed Abu al-Hasan al-Mada'ini claimed.

أَنَّthatثَرِيدَةَthe tharidahمَالِكِof Malikبْنِibnالْمُنْذِرِal-Mundhirكَانَتْwasبَلْقَاءَpiebald

That the tharidah of Malik ibn al-Mundhir was piebald.

وَلَعَلَّand perhapsذَلِكَthatأَنْthatيَكُونَbeبَاطِلًاfalse

And perhaps that is false.

وَأَمَّاbut as forأَنَاIفَقَدْindeedرَأَيْتُI have seenبِعَيْنِيwith my eyeمِنْofهَذَاthisالرَّجُلِmanمَاwhatأُخْبِرُكَI inform youبِهِof it

But as for me, indeed I have seen with my eye of this man what I inform you of.

وَهُوَand it isشَيْءٌa thingلَمْnotأَرَهُI saw itإِلَّاexceptفِيهِin him

And it is a thing I have not seen except in him.

وَلَاand notسَمِعْتُI heardبِهِof itفِيinغَيْرِهِother than him

And I have not heard of it in other than him.

وَلَسْنَاand we are notمِنْofتَسْمِيَةِthe namingالْأَصْحَابِcompanionsالْمُتَهَتِّكِينَthe shamelessفِيinشَيْءٍanything

And we are not in anything regarding the naming of shameless companions.

وَلَاand notفِيinغَيْرِهِمْother than themمِنَofالْمُسْتَوْرِينَthe modestفِيinشَيْءٍanything

And not in anything regarding other than them from the modest.

أَمَّاas forالصَّاحِبُthe companionفَإِنَّاthen weلَاnotنُسَمِّيهِwe name himلِحُرْمَتِهِdue to his sanctityوَوَاجِبِand obligatoryحَقِّهِhis right

As for the companion, then we do not name him due to his sanctity and obligatory right.

وَالْآخَرُand the otherلَاnotنُسَمِّيهِwe name himلِسَتْرِdue to the coveringاللَّهِof Allahعَلَيْهِover him

And the other, we do not name him due to Allah's covering over him.

وَلِمَاand for whatيَجِبُis necessaryلِمَنْfor one whoكَانَisفِيinمِثْلِlikeحَالِهِhis situation

And for what is necessary for one who is in like his situation.

وَإِنَّمَاbut onlyنُسَمِّيwe nameمَنْone whoخَرَجَdepartedمِنْfromهَاتَيْنِthese twoالْحَالَيْنِsituations

But only we name one who departed from these two situations.

وَلَرُبَّمَاand perhapsسَمَّيْنَاwe namedالصَّاحِبَthe companionإِذَاwhenكَانَhe was

And perhaps we named the companion when he was...

Footnotes

  1. 1.عَضْبٌ

    Sharp

  2. 2.الْبَلْقَاءُ: الَّتِي فِيهَا لَوْنَانِ بَيَاضٌ وَسَوَادٌ

    Piebald: that which has two colors, white and black.

  3. 3.أَصْهَبُ: أَحْمَرُ يَضْرِبُ إِلَى الصُّفْرَةِ

    Reddish: red tending to yellow.

  4. 4.يَسْتَأْثِرُ بِهِ: يَنْفَرِدُ بِهِ

    He appropriates it: he is unique with it.

  5. 5.حَاقُّ الْإِخْلَاصِ: خَالِصُهُ وَيَقِينُهُ

    True sincerity: its purest and most certain part.

  6. 6.الْبَلْقَةُ: اسْمُ الْهَيْئَةِ مِنَ الْبَلَقِ

    Piebaldness: the noun of state from being piebald.

  7. 7.التَّحْجِيلُ: بَيَاضٌ فِي قَوَائِمِ الدَّابَّةِ، وَالْغُرَّةُ: بَيَاضٌ فِي وَجْهِهَا

    White on legs: whiteness in the legs of an animal; white blaze: whiteness on its face.

  8. 8.لَغْوٌ: بَاطِلٌ

    Vain: worthless.