تَنْقَضِيpassأَيَّامُdaysالْفَاكِهَةِof fruitوَأَنْتَwhile youعَلَىonمِثْلِlikeٱبْتِدَاءِbeginningحَالِكَof your stateوَعَلَىand onأَوَّلِfirstمُجَاهَدَتِكَyour strivingلِشَهْوَتِكَagainst your desire
The days of fruit pass while you are still at the beginning of your state and at the start of your striving against your desire.
وَمَتَىand whenلَمْnotتَعُدِّcountالشَّهْوَةُdesireفِتْنَةًa trialوَالْهَوَىand whimsعَدُوًّاan enemyٱغْتَرَرْتَyou are deceivedلَهُمَاby themوَضَعُفْتَand you become weakعَنْهُمَاagainst themوَٱئْتَمَنْتَهُمَاand you trust themعَلَىoverنَفْسِكَyourselfوَهُمَاwhile they areأَحْضَرُthe most presentعَدُوٍّenemyوَشَرُّand evilدَخِيلٍintruder
And whenever you do not consider desire a trial and whims an enemy, you are deceived by them and become weak against them, and you trust them over yourself while they are the most present enemy and the worst intruder.
فَاضْمَنُواso guaranteeلِيfor meالنَّزْوَةَ1the impulseالْأُولَىfirstأَضْمَنْI guaranteeلَكُمْfor youتَمَامَcompleteالصَّبْرِpatienceوَعَاقِبَةَand consequenceالْيُسْرِof easeوَثَبَاتَand stabilityالْعِزِّof honorفِيinقُلُوبِكُمْyour heartsوَالْغِنَىand wealthفِيinأَعْقَابِكُمْyour descendantsوَدَوَامَand continuationتَعْظِيمِof honoringالنَّاسِpeopleلَكُمْfor you
So guarantee me the first impulse (1), and I guarantee you complete patience, the consequence of ease, stability of honor in your hearts, wealth in your descendants, and the continued honoring of you by people.
فَإِنَّهُfor indeedلَوْifلَمْnotيَكُنْbeمِنْofمَنْفَعَةِbenefitالْغِنَىwealthإِلَّاexceptأَنَّكَthat youلَاnotتَزَالُcontinueمُعَظَّمًاhonoredعِنْدَwithمَنْone whoلَمْnotيَنَلْobtainمِنْكَfrom youقَطُّeverدِرْهَمًاa dirhamلَكَانَit would beالْفَضْلُthe virtueفِيinذَلِكَthatبَيِّنًاclearوَالرِّبْحُand the profitظَاهِرًاapparent
For if there were no benefit of wealth except that you remain honored in the sight of one who never obtained a dirham from you, then the virtue in that would be clear and the profit apparent.
وَلَوْand ifيَكُنْbeمِنْofبَرَكَةِblessingالثَّرْوَةِrichesوَمِنْand ofمَنْفَعَةِbenefitالْيُسْرِeaseإِلَّاexceptأَنَّthatرَبَّownerالْمَالِof wealthالْكَثِيرِmuchلَوْifٱتَّصَلَhe connectedبِمَلِكٍwith a kingكَبِيرٍgreatوَفِيand amongجُلَسَائِهِhis companionsمَنْone whoهُوَhe isأَوْجَبُmore entitledحُرْمَةًrespectوَأَقْدَمُand olderصُحْبَةًcompanionshipوَأَصْدَقُand more sincereمَحَبَّةًloveوَأَمْتَعُand more enjoyableإِمْتَاعًاentertainmentوَأَكْثَرُand moreفَائِدَةًbenefitوَصَوَابًاand correctnessإِلَّاexceptأَنَّهُthat heخَفِيفُlightالْحَالِthe situationقَلِيلُlittleذَاتِpossessorالْيَدِof the handثُمَّthenأَرَادَwantedذَلِكَthatالْمَلِكُkingأَنْtoيَقْسِمَdivideمَالًاwealthأَوْorيُوَزِّعَdistributeبَيْنَهُمْamong themطَرَفًا2a portionلَجَعَلَhe would makeحَظَّshareالْمُوسِرِ3of the wealthyأَكْثَرَmoreوَإِنْeven ifكَانَhe wasفِيinكُلِّeverythingشَيْءٍthingدُونَbelowأَصْحَابِهِhis companionsوَحَظَّand the shareالْمُخِفِّof the poorأَقَلَّlessوَإِنْeven ifكَانَhe wasفِيinكُلِّeverythingشَيْءٍthingفَوْقَaboveأَصْحَابِهِhis companions
And if there were no blessing of riches and no benefit of ease except that the owner of much wealth, if he connected with a great king, and among the king's companions there was one who was more entitled to respect, older in companionship, more sincere in love, more enjoyable in entertainment, more beneficial and correct, except that he was of light situation and little possession, then the king wanted to divide wealth or distribute a portion (2) among them, he would make the share of the wealthy (3) more, even if he was below his companions in everything, and the share of the poor less, even if he was above his companions in everything.
قَدْindeedذَكَرْنَاwe mentionedرِسَالَةَthe letterسَهْلِof Sahlبْنِibnهَارُونَ4Harunوَمَذْهَبَand the doctrineالْحِزَامِيِّof al-Hizamiوَقِصَصَand the storiesالْكِنْدِيِّof al-Kindiوَأَحَادِيثَand the sayingsالْحَارِثِيِّof al-Harithiوَاحْتِجَاجَاتِهِمْand their argumentsوَطَرَائِفَand the anecdotesبُخْلِهِمْof their miserlinessوَبَدَائِعَand the wondersحِيَلِهِمْof their tricks
We have already mentioned the letter of Sahl ibn Harun (4), the doctrine of al-Hizami, the stories of al-Kindi, the sayings of al-Harithi, their arguments, the anecdotes of their miserliness, and the wonders of their tricks.
[قِصَّةُThe storyمُحَمَّدِof MuhammadبْنِibnأَبِيAbiالْمُؤَمَّلِal-Mu'ammal:]
[The story of Muhammad ibn Abi al-Mu'ammal:]
قُلْتُI saidلِمُحَمَّدِto MuhammadبْنِibnأَبِيAbiالْمُؤَمَّلِal-Mu'ammalأَرَاكَI see youتُطْعِمُyou feedالطَّعَامَfoodوَتَتَّخِذُهُand you prepare itوَتَنْفِقُand you spendالْمَالَmoneyوَتَجُودُand you are generousبِهِwith itوَلَيْسَand there is notبَيْنَbetweenقِلَّةِlack
I said to Muhammad ibn Abi al-Mu'ammal: "I see you feed food and prepare it, spend money and are generous with it. And there is not between the lack..."
Footnotes
- 1.النَّزْوَةُ: الْحَرْكَةُ أَوِ الْإِقْدَامُ أَوَّلَ مَا يَبْدُو مِنَ الْهَوَى.
Al-nazwa: the stirring or the first advance of whim.
- 2.طَرَفًا: أَيْ قِسْمًا أَوْ حِصَّةً.
Tarfan: a portion or share.
- 3.الْمُوسِرُ: الْغَنِيُّ.
Al-musir: the wealthy.
- 4.سَهْلُ بْنُ هَارُونَ: أَدِيبٌ وَكَاتِبٌ مَعْرُوفٌ بِالْبُخْلِ وَالْبَلَاغَةِ.
Sahl ibn Harun: a famous writer and scribe known for miserliness and eloquence.