الصَّدْرُthe chest،,وَفِيand inذَلِكَthatمَوْتُdeathالشَّهْوَةِof desireوَتَسْكِينُand calmingالْحَرَكَةِof movement..
The chest, and in that is the death of desire and the calming of movement.
وَلَوْand ifأَنَّthatرَجُلًاa manجَلَسَsatعَلَىonبَيْدَرِa heap ofتَمْرٍdatesفَائِقٍexcellent،,وَعَلَىand onكُدْسِa stack ofكُمَّثْرَى1pearsمَنْعُوتٍdescribed،,وَعَلَىand onمِائَةِa hundredقِنْوِbunches ofمَوْزٍ2bananasمَوْصُوفٍdescribed،,لَمْnotيَكُنْwasأَكْلُهُhis eatingإِلَّاexceptعَلَىaccording toقَدْرِextent ofاسْتِطْرَافِهِhis desire for novelty،,وَلَمْand notيَكُنْwasأَكْلُهُhis eatingعَلَىlikeقَدْرِextent ofأَكْلِهِhis eatingإِذَاwhenأُتِيَit was broughtبِذَلِكَwith thatفِيinطَبَقٍa trayنَظِيفٍclean،,مَعَwithخَادِمٍa servantنَظِيفٍclean،,عَلَيْهِon itمِنْدِيلٌa napkinنَظِيفٌclean..
And if a man sat on a heap of excellent dates, and on a stack of described pears, and on a hundred bunches of described bananas, his eating would only be according to his desire for novelty, and his eating would not be like his eating when that was brought to him on a clean tray, with a clean servant, and a clean napkin on it.
وَبَعْدُand after،,فَأَصْحَابُنَاso our companionsآنِسُونَfamiliarوَاثِقُونَconfidentمُسْتَرْسِلُونَat ease،,يَعْلَمُونَthey knowأَنَّthatالطَّعَامَthe foodلَهُمُfor themاتُّخِذَwas prepared،,وَأَنَّand thatأَكْلَهُمْtheir eatingلَهُof itأَوْفَقُmore suitableمِنْthanتَمْزِيقِtearingالْخَدَمِthe servantsوَالأَتْبَاعِand followersلَهُof it..
And moreover, our companions are familiar, confident, and at ease, knowing that the food was prepared for them, and that their eating it is more suitable than the servants and followers tearing it apart.
وَلَوِand ifاحْتَاجُواthey neededلَدَعَوْاthey would callبِهِfor it،,وَلَمْand notيَحْتَشِمُواthey would be shyمِنْهُfrom it،,وَلَكَانَand it would beلَاnotأَقَلَّlessمِنْthanأَنْthatيُجَرِّبُواthey testذَلِكَthatالْمَرَّةَthe timeوَالْمَرَّتَيْنِand the two times،,وَأَنْand thatلَاnotيَقْضُواthey would judgeعَلَيْنَاagainst usبِالْبُخْلِwith stinginessدُونَwithoutأَنْthatيَرَوْنَاهُthey see it..
And if they needed [something], they would call for it and not be shy about it, and it would be no less than that they test that once or twice, and that they not judge us with stinginess without having seen it.
فَإِنْfor ifكَانُواthey wereمُحْتَشِمِينَshyوَقَدْand indeedبَسَطْنَاهُمْwe made them at ease،,وَشَاءَand willedظَنُّهُمْtheir opinionبِنَاof usمَعَwithمَاwhatيَرَوْنَthey seeمِنَofالْكُلْفَةِthe effortلَهُمْfor them،,فَهَؤُلَاءِso theseأَصْحَابُpeople ofتَجَنٍّaversionوَتَتَرُّعٍ3and affectation..
For if they were shy after we made them at ease, and their opinion of us willed [so] despite what they see of our effort for them, then these are people of aversion and affectation.
وَلَيْسَand notفِيinطَاقَتِيmy capacityإِعْتَابُappeasingالْمُتَجَنِّيthe avoiderوَلَاand norرَدُّrejectingالْمُتَتَرِّعِthe affecter..
And it is not in my capacity to appease the avoider nor to reject the affecter.
قُلْتُI saidلَهُto him::إِنِّيindeed IقَدْalreadyرَأَيْتُI sawأَكْلَهُمْtheir eatingفِيinمَنَازِلِهِمْtheir homesوَعِنْدَand atإِخْوَانِهِمْtheir brothers،,وَفِيand inحَالَاتٍsituationsكَثِيرَةٍmanyوَمَوَاضِعَand placesمُخْتَلِفَةٍdifferent،,وَرَأَيْتُand I sawأَكْلَهُمْtheir eatingعِنْدَكَat your place،,فَرَأَيْتُand I sawشَيْئًاsomethingمُتَفَاوِتًاdiscrepantوَأَمْرًاand a matterمُتَفَاقِمًاaggravated..
I said to him: 'Indeed I have seen their eating in their homes and at their brothers', and in many situations and different places, and I saw their eating at your place, and I saw something discrepant and an aggravated matter.'
فَاحْسِبْso considerأَنَّthatالتَّجَنِّيَthe aversionعَلَيْهِمْupon themغَالِبٌprevailing،,وَأَنَّand thatالضَّعْفَthe weaknessلَهُمْfor themشَامِلٌencompassing،,وَأَنَّand thatسُوءَbadالظَّنِّopinionيُسْرِعُhastensإِلَيْهِمْto themخَاصَّةًespecially،,لِمَwhyلَاnotتُدَاوِيyou treatهَذَاthisالْأَمْرَmatterبِمَاwith whatلَاnoمُؤُونَةَcostفِيهِin itبِالشَّيْءِwith the thingالَّذِيthatلَاnoقَدْرَvalueلَهُfor it،,أَوْorتَدَعُyou leaveدُعَاءَهُمْinviting themوَالإِرْسَالَand sendingإِلَيْهِمْto themوَالْحِرْصَand the eagernessعَلَىforإِجَابَتِهِمْtheir response؟?
So consider that aversion prevails over them, and weakness encompasses them, and that bad opinion hastens to them especially. Why do you not treat this matter with what has no cost, with the thing that has no value, or leave inviting them and sending to them and the eagerness for their response?
وَالْقَوْمُand the peopleلَيْسَnotيُلْقُونَthey throwأَنْفُسَهُمْthemselvesعَلَيْكَupon you،,وَإِنَّمَاbut onlyيَجِيئُونَكَthey come to youبِالإِسْتِحْبَابِwith desirabilityمِنْكَfrom you..
And the people do not throw themselves upon you, but they come to you because of desirability from you.
فَإِنْfor ifأَحْبَبْتَyou wishأَنْtoتَمْتَحِنَtestمَاwhatأَقُولُI say،,فَدَعْso leaveمُوَاتَرَةَ4continuationالرُّسُلِof messengersوَالْكُتُبِand books،,وَالتَّغَضُّبَand angerعَلَيْهِمْat themإِذَاwhenأَبْطَؤُواthey delayed،,ثُمَّthenانْظُرْlook..
For if you wish to test what I say, so leave the continuation of messengers and books, and anger at them when they delay, then look.
قَالَhe said::فَإِنَّfor indeedالْخُبْزَthe breadإِذَاwhenكَثُرَincreasedعَلَىonالْخِوَانِthe tableفَالْفَاضِلُso the surplusمِمَّاof whatيَأْكُلُونَthey eatلَاnotيَسْلَمُis safeمِنْfrom
He said: 'For indeed bread, when it increases on the table, the surplus of what they eat is not safe from...'
Footnotes
- 1.كُمَّثْرَى: جِنْسٌ مِنَ الْفَاكِهَةِ مَعْرُوفٌ، وَالْوَاحِدَةُ كُمَّثْرَاةٌ.
Pear: a well-known kind of fruit, the singular is pear.
- 2.الْمَوْزُ: فَاكِهَةٌ مَعْرُوفَةٌ، وَاحِدَتُهُ مَوْزَةٌ.
Banana: a well-known fruit, its singular is banana.
- 3.التَّتَرُّعُ: التَّكَلفُ وَالتَّصَنُّعُ، وَقِيلَ: التَّعَزُّزُ.
Affectation: artificiality and pretense, and it is said: self-restraint.
- 4.الْمُوَاتَرَةُ: الْمُتَابَعَةُ وَالتَّوَالِي.
Muwaātara: succession and continuity.