الْخَوْفَthe fear،,وَبَخَسُواand they diminishedنَصِيبَthe shareالرَّجَاءِof hope،,مَعَwithطُولِlongالسَّلَامَةِsafety،,وَشُمُولِand the comprehensivenessالْعَافِيَةِof well-being؟?
And they diminished the share of hope, despite long safety and comprehensive well-being?
وَالْمُعَافَىand the one who is sparedأَكْثَرُis moreمِنَthanالْمُبْتَلَىthe afflicted؛;وَلَيْسَتْand are notالْفَوَائِدُthe benefitsأَقَلَّlessمِنَthanالْحَوَائِجِ1the needs..
And the one who is spared is more than the afflicted; and the benefits are not less than the needs.[1]
بَلْRatherكَيْفَhowيَدْعُوdoes he callإِلَىtoالسَّعَادَةِhappinessمَنْhe whoخَصَّhas singled outنَفْسَهُhimselfبِالشَّقْوَةِwith misery،,فَكَيْفَso howيَنْتَحِلُdoes he claimنَصِيحَةَthe counselالْعَامَّةِof the common people،,مَنْhe whoبَدَأَbeganبِغِشِّwith deceivingالْخَاصَّةِthe elite؟?
Rather, how can he call to happiness who has singled himself out for misery? So how can he claim to counsel the public who began by deceiving the elite?
وَلِمَAnd whyاحْتَجُّواdid they argue،,مَعَwithشِدَّةِthe strengthعُقُولِهِمْof their minds،,لِمَاfor whatأَجْمَعَتِhas agreed uponالْأُمَّةُthe communityعَلَىonتَقْبِيحِهِits ugliness؟?
And why did they argue, despite the strength of their minds, for what the community has unanimously agreed is ugly?
وَلِمَAnd whyفَخَرُواdid they boast،,مَعَwithاتِّسَاعِthe breadthمَعْرِفَتِهِمْof their knowledge،,بِمَاwith whatأَطْبَقُواthey have agreed uponعَلَىonتَهْجِينِهِ2its vilification؟?
And why did they boast, despite the breadth of their knowledge, of what they have unanimously agreed to vilify?[2]
وَكَيْفَAnd howيَفْطُنُdoes he perceiveعِنْدَatالِاعْتِلَالِthe argumentلَهُfor it،,وَيَتَغَلْغَلُ3and he penetratesعِنْدَatالِاحْتِجَاجِthe defenseعَنْهُfor it،,إِلَىtoالْغَايَاتِthe far-reaching endsالْبَعِيدَةِdistantوَالْمَعَانِيand the meaningsاللَّطِيفَةِsubtle،,وَلَاand notيَفْطُنُdoes he perceiveلِظَاهِرِthe apparentقُبْحِهِugliness of it،,وَشَنَاعَةِand the vilenessاسْمِهِof its name،,وَخُمُولِand the obscurityذِكْرِهِof its mention،,وَسُوءِand the evilأَثَرِهِof its effectعَلَىonأَهْلِهِits people..
And how, when arguing for it and penetrating deeply[3] in its defense to far-reaching ends and subtle meanings, does he not perceive its apparent ugliness, the vileness of its name, the obscurity of its mention, and the evil of its effect on its people?
وَكَيْفَAnd how،,وَهُوَwhile heالَّذِيis the one whoيَجْمَعُcombinesلَهُfor himselfبَيْنَbetweenالْكَدِّtoil،,وَقِلَّةِand scarcityالْمَرْزِئَةِ4of provision،,وَبَيْنَand betweenالسَّهَرِsleeplessness،,وَخُشُونَةِand roughnessالْمَضْجَعِof the bed،,وَبَيْنَand betweenطُولِlengthالِاغْتِرَابِof exile،,وَطُولِand lengthقِلَّةِof lackالِانْتِفَاعِof benefit،,وَمَعَand withعِلْمِهِhis knowledgeبِأَنَّthatوَارِثَهُhis heirأَعْدَىmore hostileلَهُto himمِنْthanعَدُوِّهِhis enemy،,وَأَنَّهُand that heأَحَقُّis more entitledبِمَالِهِto his wealthمِنْthanوَلِيِّهِhis guardian،,أَوَلَيْسَis he notهُوَheأَظْهَرَthe most apparentالْجَهْلَignoranceوَالْغَبَاوَةَand folly،,وَانْتَحَلَand adoptedالْغَفْلَةَnegligenceوَالْحَمَاقَةَand foolishness،,ثُمَّthenاحْتَجَّhe arguedلِذَلِكَfor thatبِالْمَعَانِيwith the meaningsالشِّدَادِstrong،,وَبِالْأَلْفَاظِand with the wordsالْحِسَانِbeautiful،,وَجَوْدَةِand the qualityالِاخْتِصَارِof conciseness،,وَبِتَقْرِيبِand with the approximationالْمَعْنَىof meaning،,وَبِسُهُولَةِand with the easeالْمَخْرَجِof delivery،,وَإِصَابَةِand the accuracyالْمَوْضِعِof placement،,فَكَانَso wasمَاwhatظَهَرَappearedمِنْfromمَعَانِيهِhis meaningsوَبَيَانِهِand his eloquenceمُكَذِّبًاbeliedلِمَاwhatظَهَرَappearedمِنْfromجَهْلِهِhis ignoranceوَنُقْصَانِهِand his deficiency..
And how can he, while he combines toil with scarcity of provision[4], sleeplessness with roughness of bed, long exile with long lack of benefit, and knowing that his heir is a greater enemy to him than his foe, and that he is more entitled to his wealth than his guardian? Is he not the most apparent in ignorance and folly, and has he not adopted negligence and foolishness, then argued for that with strong meanings, beautiful words, quality of conciseness, approximation of meaning, ease of delivery, and accuracy of placement? So what appeared of his meanings and eloquence belied what appeared of his ignorance and deficiency.
وَلِمَAnd whyجَازَis it permissibleأَنْthatيُبْصِرَhe seesبِعَقْلِهِwith his mindالْبَعِيدَthe distantالْغَامِضَthe obscure،,وَيَغْبَىand is blindعَنِtoالْقَرِيبِthe nearالْجَلِيلِthe momentous؟!?!
And why is it permissible that he sees with his mind the distant and obscure, yet is blind to the near and momentous?!
وَقُلْتُAnd I said::فَبَيِّنْthen explainلِيto meمَاwhatالشَّيْءُthe thingالَّذِيthatخَبَّلَ5corruptedعُقُولَهُمْtheir minds،,وَأَفْسَدَand ruinedأَذْهَانَهُمْtheir intellects،,وَأَغْشَىand veiledتِلْكَthoseالْأَبْصَارَeyes،,وَنَقَضَand brokeذَلِكَthatالِاعْتِدَالَbalance؟?وَمَاand whatالشَّيْءُthe thingالَّذِيthatلَهُfor him
And I said: "Then explain to me what the thing is that corrupted[5] their minds, ruined their intellects, veiled those eyes, and broke that balance? And what is the thing that for him..."
Footnotes
- 1.يَعْنِي: الْمُعَافَى أَكْثَرُ مِنَ الْمُبْتَلَى، وَالْفَوَائِدُ لَا تَقِلُّ عَنِ الْحَوَائِجِ؛ فَلَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَقْنِطَ الْإِنْسَانُ مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللهِ.
He means: the one who is spared is more than the afflicted, and benefits are not less than needs; so one should not despair of God's mercy.
- 2.يَعْنِي: أَجْمَعَتِ الْأُمَّةُ عَلَى تَقْبِيحِهِ، وَأَطْبَقُوا عَلَى تَهْجِينِهِ، فَكَيْفَ يَحْتَجُّونَ لَهُ؟
He means: the community agreed on its ugliness, and they unanimously vilified it, so how can they argue for it?
- 3.يَتَغَلْغَلُ: يَدْخُلُ فِي أَعْمَاقِ الْمَعَانِي وَيَسْتَنْبِطُهَا.
Yataghlghal: he enters into the depths of meanings and extracts them.
- 4.الْمَرْزِئَةُ: الرِّزْقُ، وَقِلَّةُ الْمَرْزِئَةِ تَعْنِي ضِيقَ الرِّزْقِ.
Al-Marzi'ah: provision; scarcity of al-Marzi'ah means tightness of livelihood.
- 5.خَبَّلَ: أَفْسَدَ وَأَذْهَبَ الْعَقْلَ.
Khabbala: corrupted and took away the mind.