قَالَsaidبَعْضُsomeمَنْof those whoيَذُّمُblameالْكِلَابَ:dogs:
Some of those who blame dogs said:
النَّاسُPeopleيَنَامُونَsleepبِاللَّيْلِat nightالَّذِيwhichجَعَلَهُmade itاللَّهُGodتَعَالَىExalted is Heسَكَنًاas a place of rest
People sleep at night, which God Almighty has made a place of rest,
وَيَتَصَرَّفُونَand they move aboutوَيُبْصِرُونَand seeفِيinالنَّهَارِthe dayالَّذِيwhichجَعَلَهُmade itاللَّهُGodعَزَّMightyوَجَلَّand Majesticمَسْرَحًاas a place of activity
and they move about and see in the day, which God, Mighty and Majestic, has made a place of activity,
وَهُوَwhile itعَلَىisضِدِّcontraryذَلِكَto that.
whereas it is the opposite of that.
فَحَجَّSo arguedمَنْhe whoيَرُدُّrefutedعَلَيْهِhimفَقَالَand said:
So the one who refuted him argued and said:
إِنَّIndeedسَهَرَهُمْtheir staying awakeبِاللَّيْلِat nightوَنَوْمَهُمْand their sleepingبِالنَّهَارِduring the dayخَصْلَةٌis a traitمُلُوكِيَّةٌfit for kings.
Indeed, their staying awake at night and sleeping during the day is a royal trait,
وَلَوْand hadكَانَit beenغَيْرَotherwiseذَلِكَthan that,كَانَwould beالْمُلُوكُkingsبِهِmore worthyأَوْلَىof it.
and had it been otherwise, kings would have been most deserving of it.
وَإِنَّمَاAnd verilyانْتِبَاهُهَاtheir being awakeبِاللَّيْلِat nightلِأَنَّis becauseاللَّيْلَthe nightيَنْتَشِرُspreadsفِيهِin itاللُّصُوصُthieves
Their being awake at night is because thieves roam about in it,
وَيَكْثُرُand aboundsالتَّسَلُّقُscaling of wallsوَالنُّقُوبُand digging of holesوَالسَّرِقُand stealing
and scaling of walls, digging of holes, and stealing abound,
مِمَّنْfrom those whoإِذَاwhenأَفْضَىthey reachإِلَىintoمَنْزِلِthe house ofقَوْمٍa people,لَمْthey do notيَرْضَsettleإِلَّاexceptبِالْقَتْلِfor murderوَرُكُوبِand committingالسُّوْءَةِevil deedsوَنَهْبِand lootingالْمَالِwealth.
done by those who, when they reach a people's house, are not satisfied with anything less than murder, committing evil deeds, and looting wealth.
فَهِيَSo theyتَحْرُسُguardمِنْagainstهَذِهِtheseالْأَحْوَالِcircumstancesوَتُنَبِّهُand alertعَلَيْهِto itصَاحِبَهُits master.
Thus, they guard against these circumstances and alert its master to them.
أَنْشَدَنِيRecited to meبَعْضُsomeالْأُدَبَاءِ:of the literati:
Some of the literati recited to me:
تَاهَHas wanderedقَلْبِيmy heartمِنِّيfrom meوَأَيْنَand whereمِنِّيَfrom me isقَلْبُa heart?
My heart has wandered from me, and where is a heart from me?
إِنَّIndeedرَدَّreturningالسُّرُورِjoyيَاOقَوْمُpeople,صَعْبُis difficult.
Indeed, returning joy, O people, is difficult.
شَرَّدَتْنِيDispersed meخِيَانَةٌa betrayalمِنْfromصَدِيقٍa friend;
A betrayal by a friend has dispersed me,
أَنَاI amمُسْتَسْلِمٌsurrenderedلَهُto himوَهُوَwhile heحَرْبُis at war.
I am surrendered to him while he is at war [against me].
مُضْمِرٌConcealingلِلنِّفَاقِhypocrisyوَالْقَلْبُwhile the heartفِيهِin it
Concealing hypocrisy while the heart within it
مُبْطِنٌharborsبُغْضَهُits hatredوَبَادِيهِand its outward appearanceحُبُّis love.
harbors its hatred while its outward appearance is love.
قُلْتُI saidيَوْمًاone dayلَهُto himوَإِنْeven thoughمَضَىpassedمِنْهُfrom himفِعَالٌdeedsأَتَىhe broughtبِهَاwith them:أَنْتَ"Youكَلْبُare a dog!"
I said to him one day, even though some deeds passed from him that he brought forth: "You are a dog!"
قَالَHe said:لِلْمَزْحِ"Is this as a jokeقُلْتُdid Iذَاsay thisأَمْorلِثَلْبِي؟to insult me?"
He said: "Was this as a joke or did I say this to insult me?"
قُلْتُI said:لِالثَّلْبِ"To insult."قَالَHe said:مَا"There isفِيهِin itثَلْبُno insult."
I said: "To insult." He said: "There is no insult in it."