وَقَالَAndالْجَاحِظُ:Al-Jahiz said:
And Al-Jahiz said:
الْكِتَابُThe bookنِعْمَis the bestالذُّخْرُtreasureوَالْعُقْدَةُand wealth,
The book is the best treasure and wealth,
وَنِعْمَand the bestالْجَلِيسُcompanionوَالْقَعْدَةُ،and sitter,
and the best companion and sitter,
وَنِعْمَand the bestالنَّشْرَةُdiversionوَالنُّزْهَةُ،and excursion,
and the best diversion and excursion,
وَنِعْمَand the bestالْمُشْتَغَلُoccupationوَالْحِرْفَةُ،and craft,
and the best occupation and craft,
وَنِعْمَand the bestالْأَنِيسُfriendسَاعَةَat the hour ofالْوَحْدَةِ،solitude,
and the best friend at the hour of solitude,
وَنِعْمَand the bestالْمَعْرِفَةُacquaintanceبِبِلَادِin lands ofالْغُرْبَةِ،exile,
and the best acquaintance in lands of exile,
وَنِعْمَand the bestالْقَرِينُcompanionوَالدَّخِيلُ،and intimate,
and the best companion and intimate,
وَنِعْمَand the bestالْوَزِيرُministerوَالنَّزِيلُ،and guest,
and the best minister and guest,
الْكِتَابُthe book isوِعَاءٌa vesselمَلِيءٌfull ofعِلْماًknowledge
the book is a vessel full of knowledge
وَظَرْفٌand a containerحُشِيَstuffedظَرْفاً،with wit,
and a container stuffed with wit,
إِنْifشِئْتَyou willكَانَit isأَعْيَاmore inarticulateمِنْthanبَاقِلٍBaqil
if you will it is more inarticulate than Baqil
وَإِنْand ifشِئْتَyou willكَانَit isأَبْلَغَmore eloquentمِنْthanسَحْبَانِSahbanوَائِلٍWail
and if you will it is more eloquent than Sahban Wail
وَإِنْand ifشِئْتَyou willضَحِكْتَyou laughمِنْatنَوَادِرِهِits rare anecdotes
and if you will you laugh at its rare anecdotes
وَإِنْand ifشِئْتَyou willبَكَيْتَyou weepمِنْatمَوَاعِظِهِ،its admonitions,
and if you will you weep at its admonitions,
وَمَنْand whoلَكَhave youبِوَاعِظٍfor a preacherمُلْهٍwho is diverting
and who have you for a preacher who is diverting
وَبِنَاسِكٍand a devoteeفَاتِكٍwho is daring
and a devotee who is daring
وَنَاطِقٍand a speakerأَخْرَسَ،who is mute,
and a speaker who is mute,
وَمَنْand whoلَكَhave youبِطَبِيبٍfor a physicianأَعْرَابِيٍّArabianوَرُومِيٍّand Romanوَهِنْدِيٍّand Indianوَفَارِسِيٍّand Persianوَيُونَانِيٍّand Greek
and who have you for a physician Arabian and Roman and Indian and Persian and Greek
وَنَدِيمٍand a boon-companionمُوَلَّدٍof mixed originوَوَصِيفٍand a page-boyمُمْتِّعٍ،entertaining,
and a boon-companion of mixed origin and a page-boy entertaining,
وَمَنْand whoلَكَhave youبِشَيْءٍfor somethingيَجْمَعُthat gathersالْأَوَّلَthe firstوَالْآخِرَand the last
and who have you for something that gathers the first and the last
وَالنَّاقِصَand the deficientوَالْوَافِيَand the complete
and the deficient and the complete
وَالشَّاهِدَand the presentوَالْغَائِبَand the absent
and the present and the absent
وَالرَّفِيعَand the highوَالْوَضِيعَand the low
and the high and the low
وَالْغَثَّand the leanوَالسَّمِينَand the fat
and the lean and the fat
وَالشَّكْلَand the analogueوَخِلَافَهُand its opposite
and the analogue and its opposite
وَالْجِنْسَand the kindوَضِدَّهُ،and its contrary,
and the kind and its contrary,
وَبَعْدُand furthermoreفَمَاI have not seenرَأَيْتُseenبُسْتَاناًan orchard
and furthermore I have not seen an orchard
يُحْمَلُthat is carriedفِيinرَدْنٍa sleeve
that is carried in a sleeve
وَرَوْضَةًand a meadowتُنْقَلُthat is transportedفِيinحِجْرٍa lap
and a meadow that is transported in a lap
يَنْطِقُspeakingعَنِon behalf ofالْمَوْتَىthe dead
speaking on behalf of the dead
وَيُتَرْجِمُand interpretingعَنِforالْأَحْيَاءِthe livingغَيْرَهُ،other than it,
and interpreting for the living other than it,
وَمَنْand whoلَكَhave youبِمُؤْنِسٍfor an intimate
and who have you for an intimate
لَاwho does notيَنَامُsleepإِلَّاexceptبِنَوْمِكَwith your sleep
who does not sleep except with your sleep
وَلَاand does notيَنْطِقُspeakإِلَّاexceptبِمَاwith whatتَهْوَى،you desire,
and does not speak except with what you desire,
آمَنَsaferمِمَّنْthan he who isفِيonالْأَرْضِearth
safer than he who is on earth
وَأَكْتَمَand more concealingلِلسِّرِّof a secretمِنْthanصَاحِبِthe holderالسِّرِّof the secret
and more concealing of a secret than the holder of the secret
وَأَحْفَظَand more protectiveلِلْوَدِيعَةِof a depositمِنْthanأَرْبَابِthe ownersالْوَدِيعَةِ،of the deposit,
and more protective of a deposit than the owners of the deposit,
وَلَاand I know notأَعْلَمُanyجَاراًneighborأَبَرَّmore dutiful
and I know not any neighbor more dutiful
وَلَاnorخَلِيطاًassociateأَنْصَفَmore just
nor associate more just
وَلَاnorرَفِيقاًcompanionأَطْوَعَmore obedient
nor companion more obedient
وَلَاnorمُعَلِّماًteacherأَخْضَعَmore submissive
nor teacher more submissive
وَلَاnorصَاحِباًfriendأَظْهَرَmore manifestكِفَايَةًin competence
nor friend more manifest in competence
وَلَاnorعِنَايَةًand care
nor care
وَلَاnorأَقَلَّlessإِمْلَالاًboringnessوَإِبْرَاماًand wearisomeness
nor less boringness and wearisomeness
وَلَاnorأَبْعَدَmore distantعَنْfromمِرَاءٍwrangling
nor more distant from wrangling
وَلَاnorأَتْرَكَmore prone to leaveلِشَغَبٍdisorder
nor more prone to leave disorder
وَلَاnorأَزَهْدَmore asceticفِيregardingجِدَالٍdisputation
nor more ascetic regarding disputation
وَلَاnorأَكَفَّmore desistingعَنْfromقِتَالٍstrife
nor more desisting from strife
مِنْthanكِتَابٍ،a book,
than a book,
وَلَاand neitherأَعَمَّmore generalبَياناًin clarity
and neither more general in clarity
وَلَاnorأَحْسَنَbetterمُؤَاتَاةًin conformity
nor better in conformity
وَلَاnorأَعْجَلَquickerمُكَافَأَةًin reward
nor quicker in reward
وَلَاnorشَجَرَةًa treeأَطْوَلَlongerعُمْراًin life
nor a tree longer in life
وَلَاnorأَطْيَبَsweeterثَمَراًin fruit
nor sweeter in fruit
وَلَاnorأَقْرَبَcloserمُجْتَنًىto harvest
nor closer to harvest
وَلَاnorأَسْرَعَquickerإِدْرَاكاًto attain
nor quicker to attain
وَلَاnorأَوْجَدَmore presentفِيatكُلِّeveryإِبَّانٍtimeمِنْthanكِتَابٍ،a book,
nor more present at every time than a book,
وَلَاand norأَعْلَمُdo I knowنِتَاجاًa productفِيinحَدَاثَةِthe newnessسِنِّهِof its age
and nor do I know a product in the newness of its age
وَقُرْبِand the nearnessمِيلَادِهِof its birth
and the nearness of its birth
وَرُخْصِand the cheapnessثَمَنِهِof its price
and the cheapness of its price
وَإِمْكَانِand the possibilityوُجُودِهِof its existence
and the possibility of its existence
يَجْمَعُthat gathersمِنَfromالتَّدَابِيرِthe wondrous measuresالْعَجِيبَةِand strangeوَالْعُلُومِsciencesالْغَرِيبَةِand wonderful
that gathers from the wondrous measures and strange sciences and wonderful
وَمِنْand fromآثَارِthe tracesالْعُقُولِof sound mindsالصَّحِيحَةِand praisedوَمَحْمُودِgentleالأَذْهَانِintellectsاللَّطِيفَةِand subtle
and from the traces of sound minds and praised gentle intellects and subtle
وَمِنَand fromالْحِكَمِthe exalted wisdomsالرَّفِيعَةِand ancientوَالْمَذَاهِبِdoctrinesالْقَدِيمَةِand wiseوَالتَّجَارِبِexperiencesالْحَكِيمَةِand reports
and from the exalted wisdoms and ancient doctrines and wise experiences and reports
وَالأَخْبَارِabout the bygoneعَنِcenturiesالْقُرُونِand distantالْمَاضِيَةِlandsوَالْبِلَادِand travelingالْمُتَرَاخِيَةِnationsوَالسَّائِرَةِand perishedوَالأُمَمِpeoplesالْبَائِدَةِwhat
about the bygone centuries and distant lands and traveling nations and perished peoples what
مَاa bookيَجْمَعُgathersمِنْofكِتَابٍ،it,
a book gathers of it,
وَلَوْلَاand had it not been forالْحِكَمُthe writtenالْمَخْطُوطَةُwisdomsوَالْكُتُبُand recordedالْمُدَوَّنَةُbooks
and had it not been for the written wisdoms and recorded books
لَبَطَلَwould have perishedأَكْثَرُmostالْعِلْمِof knowledge
would have perished most of knowledge
وَلَغَلَبَand would have overcomeسُلْطَانُthe swayالنِّسْيَانِof forgetfulnessسُلْطَانَthe swayالذِّكْرِof memory
and would have overcome the sway of forgetfulness the sway of memory
وَلَمَاand there would not have beenكَانَfor peopleلِلنَّاسِany refugeمَفْزَعٌto a placeإِلَىofمَوْضِعِremembrance,اسْتِذْكَارٍ،remembrance,
and there would not have been for people any refuge to a place of remembrance,
وَلَوْand hadلَمْnotيَتِمَّthat been accomplishedذَلِكَwe would have been deprivedلَحُرِمْنَاofأَكْثَرَmostالنَّفْعِ،of the benefit,
and had that not been accomplished we would have been deprived of most of the benefit,
وَمَنْand whoلَكَhave youبِمَنْwho does notلَاinitiateيَبْتَدِئُكَyouفِيinحَالِthe state ofشُغْلِكَyour being busy
and who have you who does not initiate you in the state of your being busy
وَلَاnorفِيinأَوْقَاتِthe times ofعَدَمِlack ofنَشَاطِكَyour energy
nor in the times of lack of your energy
وَلَاand does notيُحْوِجُكَmake you needإِلَىtoالتَّجَمُّلِadornmentوَالتَّذَمُّمِ،and seeking favor,
and does not make you need to adornment and seeking favor,
وَمَنْand whoلَكَhave youبِزَائِرٍfor a visitorإِنْifشِئْتَyou willجَعَلْتَyou makeزِيَارَتَهُhis visitغِبّاًevery other day
and who have you for a visitor if you will you make his visit every other day
وَوِرْدَهُand his comingخِمْساًevery fifth day
and his coming every fifth day
وَإِنْand ifشِئْتَyou willلَزِمَكَhe clings to youلُزُومَwith the clinging ofظِلِّكَyour shadow..
and if you will he clings to you with the clinging of your shadow.