وَرَقٌPaperتَضَمَّنَthat containsمِنْfromخُطُوطِthe lines ofأَنَامِلٍfingertips
Paper containing lines of fingertips...
مَرْعًىa pastureمِنَofالْأَخْبَارِnewsوَالْآدَابِand literature
a pasture of news and literature.
يَخْلُوHe is aloneبِهِwith itمَنْwhoeverمَلَّgrows tiredمِنْofأَصْحَابِهِhis companions
He who grows tired of his companions is alone with it,
فَيُقَالُso it is saidخَلُوٌّhe is solitaryوَهُوَwhile he isفِيamongالْأَصْحَابِthe companions.
so it is said he is solitary while he is among companions.
قَالَHe said:وَأَنْشَدَنَاAnd Abu Al-Hasan Ali bin Harun bin Yahya An-Nadim recited to usأَبُوAbuالْحَسَنِAl-HasanعَلِيُّAliبْنُson ofهَارُونَHarunبْنِson ofيَحْيَىYahyaالنَّدِيمُAn-Nadimرَحِمَهُmay Allah have mercy onاللَّهُhim
He said: Abu Al-Hasan Ali bin Harun bin Yahya An-Nadim recited to us, may Allah have mercy on him:
إِذَاWhenمَاeverخَلَوْتَyou are aloneمِنَfromالْمُؤْنِسِينَthe companions
When you are alone away from companions,
جَعَلْتُI madeالْمُحَدِّثَthe speakerلِيfor meدَفْتَرِيmy notebook.
I made my notebook the speaker for me.
فَلَمْSo I did notأَخْلُlackمِنْfromشَاعِرٍa poetمُحْسِنٍskilled
So I did not lack a skilled poet,
وَمِنْAnd fromمُضْحِكٍa humoristطَيِّبٍpleasantمَنْدَرِwitty
Nor a pleasant and witty humorist,
وَمِنْAnd fromحِكَمٍwisdomsبَيْنَamongأَثْنَائِهَاits folds
And wisdoms among whose folds
فَوَائِدُare benefitsلِلنَّاظِرِfor the observerالْمُفَكِّرِthe thinker.
are benefits for the observant thinker.
وَإِنْAnd ifضَاقَgrew tightصَدْرِيmy chestبِأَسْرَارِهِwith its secrets
And if my chest grew tight with secrets,
وَأَوْدَعْتُهُand I entrusted it withالسِّرَّthe secretلَمْit did notيَظْهَرْappear.
and I entrusted the secret to it, it did not reveal it.
وَإِنْAnd ifصَرَّحَdeclaredالشِّعْرُthe poetryبِاسْمِwith the name ofالْحَبِيبِthe beloved
And if poetry declared the name of the beloved,
لَمَاI did notاخْتَشَيْتُfearوَلَمْand did notأُحْصَرِbe constrained.
I did not fear nor was I constrained.
وَإِنْAnd ifعُذْتُI sought refugeمِنْfromضَجَرٍboredomبِالْهِجَاءِin satire
And if I sought refuge from boredom in satire,
وَلَوْevenفِيagainstالْخَلِيفَةِthe CaliphلَمْI did notأَحْذَرْfear.
Even against the Caliph, I did not fear.
فَنَادَيْتُSo I calledمِنْهُfrom itكَرِيمَa nobleالْمَغِيبِabsentee
So I called upon a noble absentee from it,
لِنُدْمَانِهِfor its drinking companionsطَيِّبَpleasantالْمَحْضَرِin presence.
pleasant in presence for its companions.
فَلَسْتُSo I am notأَرَىseeingمُؤْثِراًpreferringمَاas long asحَيِيتُI live
So as long as I live, I do not see myself preferring
عَلَيْهِover itنَدِيماًa companionإِلَىuntilالْحَشْرِthe Resurrection.
a companion over it until the Day of Resurrection.
وَقَالَAnd he saidفِيregardingالذِّهْنِthe intellect:
And he said regarding the intellect:
إِذَاWhenمَاeverغَدَتْset outطُلَّابُseekers ofالْعِلْمِknowledgeمَاhavingلَهُمْfor them
Whenever seekers of knowledge set out, having
مِنَofالْعِلْمِknowledgeإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatيُخَلَّدُis immortalizedفِيinالْكُتُبِbooks
no knowledge except what is immortalized in books,
غَدَوْتُI set outبِتَشْمِيرٍwith diligenceوَجِدٍّand earnestnessعَلَيْهِمُsurpassing them
I set out with diligence and earnestness surpassing them,
وَمِحْبَرَتِيand my inkwell wasسَمْعِيmy hearingوَدَفْتَرُهَاand its notebook wasقَلْبِيmy heart.
and my inkwell was my hearing, and its notebook was my heart.
وَقَالَAnd another said:آخَرُAnother
And another said:
يَاOأَيُّهَاyouالطَّالِبُseeker ofالْآدَابِliteratureمُبْتَدِراًhastening
O seeker of literature, hastening,
لَاdo notتَسْهُneglectعَنْcarryingحَمْلِكَyour carryingالْأَلْوَاحَthe tabletsلِلْأَدَبِfor literature.
do not neglect carrying tablets for the sake of literature.
فَحَمْلُهَاFor carrying themأَدَبٌis literatureتَحْوِيyou acquireبِهِthrough itأَدَباًliterature
For carrying them is literature through which you acquire literature,
وَسَوْفَand you will soonتَنْقُلُtransferمَاwhatفِيهَاis in themإِلَىtoالْكُتُبِbooks.
and you will soon transfer what is in them into books.
وَلَيْسَAnd is notفِيinكُلِّeveryوَقْتٍtimeمُمْكِناًpossibleقَلَمٌa pen
And a pen is not possible at all times,
وَدَفْتَرٌnor a notebookيَاOعَدِيمَpeerless oneالْمِثْلِin exampleفِيinالْحَسَبِlineage.
nor a notebook, O peerless one in lineage.
وَكُلُّAnd allمَاthatتَقَدَّمَhas precededذِكْرُهُits mentionمِنْofمَنَاقِبِvirtues ofالْكُتُبِbooks
And all that has preceded in mention regarding the virtues of books
وَوَصْفِand description ofمَحَاسِنِهَاtheir beautiesفَهُوَisدُونَbelowمَاwhatيَسْتَحِقُّهُdeservesكِتَابُنَاour bookهَذَاthis.
and the description of their beauties is below what this book of ours deserves.
فَقَدِFor it hasاشْتَمَلَembracedعَلَىuponمَحَاسِنِbeauties ofالْأَخْبَارِnewsوَظَرَائِفِand subtleties ofالْآثَارِtraditions.
For it has embraced the beauties of reports and the subtleties of traditions,
وَتَرْجَمْنَاهُand we titled itبِكِتَابِwith the book ofالْمَحَاسِنِAl-Mahasinوَالْمَسَاوِئِand Al-Masawi.
and we titled it 'The Book of Beauties and Vices',
لِأَنَّbecauseالْمَصْلَحَةَthe benefitفِيinابْتِدَاءِthe beginning ofأَمْرِthe matter ofالدُّنْيَاthe world
because the wisdom in the beginning of the world's affair
إِلَىuntilانْقِضَاءِthe end ofمُدَّتِهَاits termامْتِزَاجُis the mingling ofالْخَيْرِgoodبِالشَّرِّwith evil
until the end of its term is the mingling of good with evil,
وَالضَّارِّthe harmfulبِالنَّافِعِwith the beneficialوَالْمَكْرُوهِand the dislikedبِالْمَحْبُوبِwith the beloved.
the harmful with the beneficial, and the disliked with the beloved.
وَلَوْAnd ifكَانَwereالشَّرُّevilصِرْفاًpureمَحْضاًand sheerلَهَلَكَwould have perishedالْخَلْقُcreation.
And if evil were pure and sheer, creation would have perished,
وَلَوْand ifكَانَwereالْخَيْرُgoodمَحْضاًsheerلَسَقَطَتِwould have lapsedالْمِحْنَةُthe test
and if good were sheer, the test would have lapsed
وَتَقَطَّعَتْand severedأَسْبَابُthe causes ofالْفِكْرَةِreflection.
and the causes of reflection would have been severed.
وَمَتَىAnd wheneverبَطَلَis nullifiedالتَّخْيِيرُthe optionوَذَهَبَand departsالتَّمْيِيزُdistinction
And whenever the option is nullified and distinction departs,
لَمْthere is notيَكُنْto beصَبْرٌpatienceعَلَىoverمَكْرُوهٍa disliked thing
there is no patience over a disliked thing,
وَلَاnorشُكْرٌgratitudeعَلَىforمَحْبُوبٍa beloved thing
nor gratitude for a beloved thing,
وَلَاnorتَعَامُلٌdealingوَلَاnorتَنَافُسٌcompetitionفِيinدَرَجَةٍstatus.
nor commercial dealings, nor competition in status.
وَمَاAnd notتَوْفِيقُنَاour successإِلَّاexceptبِاللَّهِthrough Allah
And our success is only through Allah,
وَهُوَand Heحَسْبُنَاis sufficient for usوَنِعْمَand excellentالْوَكِيلُis the Trustee.
and He is sufficient for us, and excellent is the Trustee.
[مَحَاسِنِBeauties ofرَسُولِMessenger ofاللَّهِ]Allah
[Beauties of the Messenger of Allah]
صَلَّىMay Allah send blessingsاللَّهُand peaceعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant him peace
May Allah bless him and grant him peace.