وَنَقَشْتُand I engravedالرُّشُومِ1the marksوَالْخَوَاتِيمِ2and the sealsوَتَعَلَّمْتُand I learnedالْحِسَابَarithmeticوَالْكِتَابَand writing
I engraved the marks and seals, and learned arithmetic and writing.
فَلِمَSo whyتَتَّخِذُونَdo you takeهَذِهِtheseالْوِقَايَاتِprotectionsدُونَinstead ofالْمَالِthe wealth؟?
So why do you take these protections instead of the wealth?
وَأَنْتُمْwhile youآفَتُهُ3are its blightوَأَنْتُمْand youسُوسُهُare its weevilوَقَادِحُهُ4and its borer؟?
While you are its blight, and you are its weevil and its borer?
وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidالْأَوَّلُthe first::احْرُسْguardأَخَاكَyour brotherإِلَّاexceptمِنْfromنَفْسِهِhimself
And indeed the first said: 'Guard your brother except from himself.'
وَلَكِنْbutأَحْسَبُI thinkأَنَّكَthat youقَدْindeedأَخَذْتَهُtook itفِيinالْجَوَاسِقِ5the fortresses،,
But I think that you took it into the fortresses,
وَأَوْدَعْتَهُand entrusted itالصُّخُورَto the rocks،,وَلَمْand notيَشْعُرْfeelبِهِof itصَدِيقٌa friendوَلَاnorرَسُولٌa messengerوَلَاnorمُعِينٌa helper..
and entrusted it to the rocks, and no friend, messenger, or helper knew of it.
مَنْwhoلَكَis for youبِأَلَّاthat notتَكُونَyou beأَشَدَّmore severeعَلَيْهِagainst itمِنَthanالسَّارِقِthe thiefوَأَعْدَىand more hostileعَلَيْهِagainst itمِنَthanالْغَاصِبِ6the usurper؟?
Who guarantees that you will not be more severe against it than the thief and more hostile than the usurper?
وَأَجْعَلُكَand I make youقَدْindeedحَصَّنْتَهُfortified itمِنْfromكُلِّeveryيَدٍhandلَاthat does notتَمْلِكُهُpossess it،,
And I put you as if you have fortified it from every hand that does not possess it,
كَيْفَhowلَكَfor youمِنْtoأَنْthatتُحَصِّنَهُfortify itمِنَfromالْيَدِthe handالَّتِيthatتَمْلِكُهُpossesses it،,وَهِيَand itعَلَيْهِagainst itأَقْدَرُmore powerfulوَدَوَاعِيهَاand its motivesأَكْثَرُmore numerous؟?
How can you fortify it from the hand that possesses it, while it is more powerful against it and its motives are more numerous?
وَقَدْand indeedعَلِمْنَاwe knowأَنَّthatحِفْظَthe preservationالْمَالِof wealthأَشَدُّmore difficultمِنْthanجَمْعِهِits collection؟?
And indeed we know that preserving wealth is more difficult than collecting it?
وَهَلْand didأُتِيَcomeالنَّاسُpeopleإِلَّاexceptمِنْfromأَنْفُسِهِمْthemselves،,ثُمَّthenثِقَاتِهِمْ7their trusted ones؟?
And did people come to harm except from themselves, then from their trusted ones?
فَالْمَالُso wealthلِمَنْis for whoeverحَفِظَهُpreserves it،,وَالْحَسْرَةُand regretلِمَنْis for whoeverأَتْلَفَهُ8destroys it..
So wealth is for whoever preserves it, and regret is for whoever destroys it.
وَإِنْفَاقُهُand spending itهُوَisإِتْلَافُهُdestroying it،,وَأَنْand ifحَسَّنْتُمُوهُyou beautify itبِهَذَاwith thisالِاسْمِnameوَزَيَّنْتُمُوهُand adorn itبِهَذَاwith thisاللَّقَبِtitle..
And spending it is destroying it, even if you beautify it with this name and adorn it with this title.
وَزَعَمْتُمْand you claimedإِنَّمَاthat onlyسَمَّيْنَاwe namedالْبُخْلَmiserlinessإِصْلَاحًاreformوَالشُّحَّand stinginessاقْتِصَادًاeconomy،,
And you claimed that we named miserliness 'reform' and stinginess 'economy',
كَمَاasسَمَّىnamedقَوْمٌa peopleالْهَزِيمَةَdefeatانْحِيَازًاwithdrawalوَالْبَذَاءَ9and obscenityعَارِضَةًa passing thing،,وَالْعَزْلَand dismissalعَنِfromالْوِلَايَةِgovernorshipصَرْفًاa turning away،,وَالْجَائِرَ10and the unjustعَلَىuponأَهْلِthe peopleالْخَرَاجِof the land taxمُسْتَقْصِيًا11thorough..
as a people named defeat 'withdrawal', obscenity 'a passing thing', dismissal from governorship 'a turning away', and the unjust on the people of the land tax 'thorough'.
بَلْratherأَنْتُمُyouالَّذِينَwhoسَمَّيْتُمُnamedالسَّرَفَextravaganceجُودًاgenerosity،,
Rather, you are the ones who named extravagance 'generosity',
Footnotes
- 1.الرُّشُوم: جَمْعُ رَشْمٍ، وَهِيَ الْعَلَامَاتُ الَّتِي تُنْقَشُ عَلَى الْأَشْيَاءِ الثَّمِينَةِ لِتَمْيِيزِهَا.
Al-rushum: plural of rashm, which are marks engraved on valuable items to distinguish them.
- 2.الْخَوَاتِيم: جَمْعُ خَاتَمٍ، وَهِيَ مَا يُخْتَمُ بِهِ عَلَى الْأَمْتِعَةِ وَالْأَبْوَابِ لِلْحِفَاظِ عَلَيْهَا.
Al-khawatim: plural of khatam, which is what is used to seal goods and doors for their protection.
- 3.الْآفَةُ: الْعَاهَةُ وَالْفَسَادُ، وَالْمُرَادُ بِهَا هُنَا مَا يُفْسِدُ الْمَالَ.
Al-afah: the blight and corruption, and here it means what corrupts wealth.
- 4.السُّوسُ وَالْقَادِحُ: دُودٌ يَقَعُ فِي الْحَبِّ وَالْخَشَبِ فَيُفْسِدُهُ، وَيُضْرَبُ بِهِ الْمَثَلُ لِمَنْ يُفْسِدُ الشَّيْءَ مِنْ دَاخِلِهِ.
Al-sus and al-qadih: worms that fall into grain and wood and corrupt it, and they are used as a metaphor for one who corrupts something from within.
- 5.الْجَوَاسِق: جَمْعُ جَوْسَقٍ، وَهِيَ الْقُصُورُ وَالْحُصُونُ الْمَنِيعَةُ.
Al-jawasiq: plural of jawsaq, which are fortresses and strong fortifications.
- 6.الْغَاصِبُ: الَّذِي يَأْخُذُ الْمَالَ قَهْرًا وَظُلْمًا.
Al-ghasib: the one who takes wealth by force and injustice.
- 7.الثِّقَات: جَمْعُ ثِقَةٍ، وَهُمُ الْوُزَرَاءُ وَالْأَعْوَانُ الَّذِينَ يُؤْتَمَنُونَ عَلَى الْمَالِ.
Al-thiqat: plural of thiqa, and they are the viziers and helpers who are entrusted with wealth.
- 8.أَتْلَفَهُ: أَهْلَكَهُ وَأَفْسَدَهُ.
Atlafahu: destroyed it and corrupted it.
- 9.الْبَذَاءُ: الْفُحْشُ فِي الْقَوْلِ وَمَا يُسْتَقْبَحُ مِنَ الْكَلَامِ.
Al-badha': obscenity in speech and what is considered ugly from words.
- 10.الْجَائِرُ: الظَّالِمُ فِي الْحُكْمِ وَالْجِبَايَةِ.
Al-ja'ir: the unjust in judgment and collection.
- 11.مُسْتَقْصِيًا: مُبَالِغًا فِي الْجِبَايَةِ وَالتَّشْدِيدِ عَلَى الْمُكَلَّفِينَ.
Mustaqsiyan: exaggerating in collection and severity upon the taxpayers.