لَكَانَwould have beenالشَّحْمُthe fatإِلَىtoالْبَهِيمَةِthe beastأَسْرَعَfasterوَعَنْand fromذَاتِpossessor ofالْعَقْلِintellectوَالْهِمَّةِand ambitionأَبْطَأُslower
It would have been faster for fat to go to the beast, and slower from the possessor of intellect and ambition.
وَلِأَنَّand becauseالْعَقْلَintellectمَقْرُونٌis coupledبِالْحَذَرِwith cautionوَالِاهْتِمَامِand concernوَلِأَنَّand becauseالْغَبَاءَstupidityمَقْرُونٌis coupledبِفَرَاغِwith emptinessالْبَالِof mindوَالْأَمْنِand security
And because intellect is coupled with caution and concern, and because stupidity is coupled with peace of mind and security.
فَلِذَلِكَthereforeالْبَهِيمَةُthe beastتَقْنُوgathersشَحْمًاfatفِيinالْأَيَّامِthe daysالْيَسِيرَةِfewوَلَاand notتَجِدُyou findذَلِكَthatلِذِيfor the one who hasالْهِمَّةِambitionالْبَعِيدَةِfar-reaching
Therefore, the beast accumulates fat in a few days, and you do not find that for the one with far-reaching ambition.
وَمُتَوَقِّعُand the one expectingالْبَلَاءِcalamityفِيinالْبَلَاءِcalamityوَأَنْand ifسَلِمَhe is safeمِنْهُfrom itوَالْغَافِلُand the heedlessفِيinالرَّجَاءِhopeإِلَىuntilأَنْthatيُدْرِكَهُit overtakes himالْبَلَاءُcalamity
The one expecting calamity is in calamity even if he is safe from it, and the heedless remains in hope until calamity overtakes him.
وَلَوْلَاand were it notأَنَّكَthat youتَجِدُfindهَذِهِtheseالْأَبْوَابَtopicsوَأَكْثَرَand moreمِنْهَاthan themمُصَوَّرَةًdepictedفِيinكِتَابِيmy bookالَّذِيwhichسَمَّيْتُهُI named itكِتَابَBookالْمَسَائِلِof QuestionsلَأَتَيْتُI would have comeعَلَىuponكَثِيرٍmuchمِنْهُof itفِيinهَذَاthisالْكِتَابِbook
And were it not that you find these topics and more of them depicted in my book which I named 'The Book of Questions', I would have included much of it in this book.
فَأَمَّاas forمَاwhatسَأَلْتَyou askedمِنْofاحْتِجَاجِargument ofالْأَشِحَّاءِthe misersوَنَوَادِرِand anecdotes ofأَحَادِيثِsayings ofالْبُخَلَاءِthe misers
As for what you asked about the arguments of the misers and the rare sayings of the misers.
فَسَأُوجِدُكَthen I will provide youذَلِكَthatفِيinقَصَصِهِمْtheir storiesإِنْifشَاءَwillsاللَّهُAllahتَعَالَىExaltedمُفَرَّقًاscatteredوَفِيand inاحْتِجَاجِهِمْtheir argumentمُجْمَلًاsummarized
I will provide you that in their stories, God willing, scattered, and in their arguments summarized.
فَهُوَfor it isأَجْمَعُmore comprehensiveلِهَذَاfor thisالْبَابِtopicمِنْthanوَصْفِdescription ofمَاwhatعِنْدِيI haveدُونَwithoutمَاwhatانْتَهَىreachedإِلَيَّto meمِنْofأَخْبَارِهِمْtheir newsعَلَىonوَجْهِهَاits face
For it is more comprehensive for this topic than describing what I have, without what has reached me of their reports as they are.
وَعَلَىand besidesأَنَّthatالْكِتَابَthe bookأَيْضًاalsoيَصِيرُbecomesأَقْصَرَshorterوَيَصِيرُand becomesالْعَارُthe shameفِيهِin itأَقَلَّless
And also the book becomes shorter, and the shame in it becomes less.
وَنَبْتَدِئُand we beginبِرِسَالَةِwith the epistle ofسَهْلِSahlبْنِibnهَارُونَHarunثُمَّthenبِطَرَفِwith the people ofأَهْلِpeople ofخُرَاسَانَKhurasanلِإِكْثَارِbecause of the abundanceالنَّاسِpeopleفِيconcerningأَهْلِpeople ofخُرَاسَانَKhurasan
We begin with the epistle of Sahl ibn Harun, then with the people of Khurasan, because of people's frequent mention of the people of Khurasan.
وَلَكَand for youفِيinهَذَاthisالْكِتَابِbookثَلَاثَةُthreeأَشْيَاءَthings
And in this book you have three things:
تَبَيُّنُclarification ofحُجَّةٍan argumentطَرِيفَةٍnovelأَوْorتَعَرُّفُlearningحِيلَةٍa trickلَطِيفَةٍsubtleأَوْorاسْتِفَادَةُgainingنَادِرَةٍa rare anecdoteعَجِيبَةٍwondrous
Clarification of a novel argument, or learning a subtle trick, or gaining a wondrous rare anecdote.
وَأَنْتَand youفِيinضَحِكٍlaughterمِنْهُfrom itإِذَاwhenشِئْتَyou wishوَفِيand inلَهْوٍamusementإِذَاwhenمَلِلْتَyou are boredالْجِدَّseriousness
And you have laughter from it when you wish, and amusement when you are bored with seriousness.
وَأَنَاand Iأَزْعُمُclaimأَنَّthatالْبُكَاءَweepingصَالِحٌbeneficialلِلطَّبَائِعِfor temperamentsوَمَحْمُودُand praiseworthyالْمَغَبَّةِin consequence
I claim that weeping is beneficial for temperaments and praiseworthy in consequence.
إِذَاwhenوَافَقَit agreesالْمَوْضِعَthe placeوَلَمْand notيُجَاوِزْexceedالْمِقْدَارَthe measureوَلَمْand notيَعْدِلْdeviateعَنِfromالْجِهَةِthe direction
When it suits the situation, does not exceed the proper measure, and does not deviate from the right course.
وَدَلِيلٌand it is evidenceعَلَىofالرِّقَّةِtendernessوَالْبُعْدِand remotenessمِنَfromالْقَسْوَةِhardnessوَرُبَّمَاand perhapsعُدَّit is countedمِنَamongالْوَفَاءِloyaltyوَشِدَّةِand intensity ofالْوَجْدِyearningعَلَىforالْأَوْلِيَاءِthe loved ones
It is evidence of tenderness and remoteness from hardness, and perhaps it is counted as loyalty and intense yearning for loved ones.
وَهُوَand it isمِنْamongأَعْظَمِgreatestمَاwhatيَتَقَرَّبُone draws nearبِهِwith itالْعَابِدُونَthe worshippersوَاسْتَرْحَمَand sought mercyبِهِwith itالْخَائِفُونَthe fearful
It is among the greatest means by which worshippers draw near to God and by which the fearful seek mercy.