وَقَالَand saidبَعْضُsomeالْحُكَمَاءِof the wise menلِرَجُلٍto a manاشْتَدَّbecame intenseجَزَعُهُhis griefمِنْfromبُكَاءِcryingصَبِيٍّof a young boyلَهُhis
And some of the wise men said to a man whose grief was intense from the crying of his young boy:
لَاdo notتَجْزَعْgrieveفَإِنَّهُfor itأَفْتَحُmore openلِجِرْمِهِfor his bodyوَأَصَحُّand more soundلِبَصَرِهِfor his eyesight
Do not grieve, for it (crying) is more open for his body and more sound for his eyesight.
وَضَرَبَand struckعَامِرُAmirبْنُibnعَبْدِAbdقَيْسٍQaisبِيَدِهِwith his handعَلَىonعَيْنِهِhis eyeفَقَالَand said
And ‘Amir ibn ‘Abd Qais struck his hand on his eye and said:
جَامِدَةٌstiffشَاخِصَةٌfixedلَاnotتَنْدَىmoist
Stiff, fixed, not moist.
وَقِيلَand it was saidلِصَفْوَانَto SafwanبْنِibnمُحْرِزٍMuhrizعِنْدَatطُولِlengthبُكَائِهِof his cryingوَتَذَكُّرِand rememberingأَحْزَانِهِhis sorrows
And it was said to Safwan ibn Muhriz, during the length of his crying and remembering his sorrows:
إِنَّindeedطُولَlengthالْبُكَاءِof weepingيُورِثُinheritsالْعَمَىblindness
Indeed, the length of weeping causes blindness.
فَقَالَand he saidذَلِكَthatلَهَاfor itشَهَادَةٌa testimony
So he said: 'That is for it (the eye) a testimony.'
فَبَكَىso he weptحَتَّىuntilعَمِيَhe became blind
So he wept until he became blind.
وَقَدْand indeedمُدِحَwas praisedبِالْبُكَاءِfor weepingنَاسٌpeopleكَثِيرٌmanyمِنْهُمْamong themيَحْيَىYahyaالْبَكَّاءُal-Bakka'وَهَيْثَمُand Haythamالْبَكَّاءُal-Bakka'
And indeed many people were praised for weeping, among them Yahya al-Bakka’ and Haytham al-Bakka’.
وَكَانَand wasصَفْوَانُSafwanبْنُibnمُحْرِزٍMuhrizيُسَمَّىwas calledالْبَكَّاءَal-Bakka'
And Safwan ibn Muhriz was called 'al-Bakka'' (the Weeper).
وَإِذَاand ifكَانَwasالْبُكَاءُweepingوَمَاand whatدَامَas long asصَاحِبُهُits companionفِيهِin itفَإِنَّهُthen indeed heفِيinبَلَاءٍafflictionوَرُبَّمَاand perhapsأَعْمَىhe blindsالْبَصَرَthe eyesightوَأَفْسَدَand corruptsالدِّمَاغَthe brainوَدَلَّand indicatesعَلَىonالسُّخْفِfoolishnessوَقُضِيَand is judgedعَلَىonصَاحِبِهِits companionبِالْهَلَعِwith panicوَشُبِّهَand is likenedبِالْأَمَةِto the female slaveاللَّكْعَاءِfoolishوَبِالْحَدَثِand to the young boyالضَّرِعِweak
And if weeping (as long as its companion remains in it, he is in affliction; perhaps it blinds the eyesight, corrupts the brain, indicates foolishness, and its companion is judged with panic, and is likened to a foolish female slave and a weak young boy) - then what do you think of laughter that never ceases while its companion is in utmost joy, until its cause ends?
كَذَلِكَthusفَمَاthen whatظَنُّكَis your opinionبِالضَّحِكِabout laughterالَّذِيthatلَاnotيَزَالُceasesصَاحِبُهُits companionفِيinغَايَةِextremityالسُّرُورِof joyإِلَىuntilأَنْthatيَنْقَطِعَis cut offعَنْهُfrom himسَبَبُهُits cause
Thus, what do you think of laughter that never ceases while its companion is in utmost joy, until its cause is cut off from him?
وَلَوْand ifكَانَwasالضَّحِكُlaughterقَبِيحًاuglyمِنَfromالضَّاحِكِthe laughing oneوَقَبِيحًاand uglyمِنَfromالْمُضْحِكِthe one who makes laughلَمَاnotقِيلَwould it have been saidلِلزَّهْرَةِof the flowerوَالْحِبْرَةِand the garmentوَالْحَلْيِand the jewelryوَالْقَصْرِand the palaceالْمُبْنَيِّbuilt
And if laughter were ugly from the laugher and ugly from the one who makes laugh, then it would not have been said of the flower, the garment, the jewelry, and the built palace:
كَأَنَّهُas if itيَضْحَكُlaughsضَحِكًاa laughter
As if it laughs a laughter.
وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidاللهُAllahجَلَّglorifiedذِكْرُهُbe His mention
And indeed Allah, glorified be His mention, said:
وَأَنَّهُand that HeهُوَHeأَضْحَكَmade laughوَأَبْكَىand made weepوَأَنَّهُand that Heقَدْindeedأَمَاتَcaused to dieوَأَحْيَاand gave life
And that it is He who makes laugh and makes weep, and that it is He who causes death and gives life.
فَوَضَعَso He placedالضَّحِكَlaughterبِحِذَاءِalongsideالْحَيَاةِlifeوَوَضَعَand He placedالْبُكَاءَweepingبِحِذَاءِalongsideالْمَوْتِdeath
So He placed laughter alongside life, and placed weeping alongside death.
Footnotes
- 1.عَامِرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ قَيْسٍ: تَابِعِيٌّ جَلِيلٌ عُرِفَ بِالزُّهْدِ الْعِبَادَةِ.
Amir ibn Abd Qais: a noble follower (tabi'i) known for asceticism and worship.
- 2.الشَّاخِصَةُ: الَّتِي لَا تَطْرِفُ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْحُزْنِ.
The fixed (eye): one that does not blink due to intense sorrow.
- 3.لَا تَنْدَى: لَا تَبْكِي.
It does not moisten: it does not weep.
- 4.صَفْوَانُ بْنُ مُحْرِزٍ: تَابِعِيٌّ كَانَ كَثِيرَ الْبُكَاءِ.
Safwan ibn Muhriz: a follower (tabi'i) who wept frequently.
- 5.اللَّكْعَاءُ: الْأَمَةُ الْجَاهِلَةُ الْأَحْمَقُ.
The foolish: an ignorant, foolish female slave.
- 6.الْحَدَثُ الضَّرِعُ: الصَّغِيرُ الْكَثِيرُ الْبُكَاءِ.
The weak and young: the small child who cries a lot.
- 7.الْحِذَاءُ: الْقُبَالَةُ وَالْمُقَابَلَةُ بِحَيْثُ يَكُونُ بِإِزَائِهِ.
Alongside: corresponding and facing such that it is opposite to it.