وَكَانَAnd he wasإِذَاwhenسُئِلَaskedأَعْطَىhe gave
And when he was asked, he gave.
وَإِذَاAnd ifوَعَدَhe promisedأَوْorأَطْمَعَhe gave hope
And if he promised or gave hope,
كَانَwasوَعْدُهُhis promiseكَالْعِيَانِlike certain reality
His promise was like certainty itself.
وَإِطْمَاعُهُAnd his giving hopeكَالْإِنْجَازِlike fulfillment
And his giving hope was like fulfillment.
وَمَدَحَتْهُAnd praised himالشُّعَرَاءُthe poetsبِالْجُودِfor generosity
The poets praised him for his generosity.
وَذَكَرَتْهُAnd mentioned himالْخُطَبَاءُthe oratorsبِالسَّمَاحِfor liberality
And the orators mentioned him for his liberality.
وَلَقَدْAnd indeedيَهَبُhe givesلِلرَّجُلِto the manالْوَاحِدِsingle
Indeed he would give to a single man
الضَّاجِعَةَ1the flock (of sheep)مِنَofالشَّاءِsheep
the flock of sheep (footnote 1),
وَالْعِرْجَ2and the herd (of camels)مِنَofالْإِبِلِcamels
and the herd of camels (footnote 2).
وَكَانَAnd wasأَكْثَرُthe mostمَاthatيَهَبُhe gaveالْمَلِكُthe king
And the most that the king would give
مِنْofالْعَرَبِthe Arabsمِائَةُhundredبَعِيرٍcamels
to the Arabs was a hundred camels,
فَيُقَالُso it is saidوَهَبَhe gaveهُنَيْدَةَ3Hunayda
so it is said: 'He gave Hunayda's gift (footnote 3).'
وَإِنَّمَاBut onlyيُقَالُit is saidذَلِكَthatإِذَاwhenأُرِيدَis intended
But that is said only when one intends
بِالْقَوْلِby the sayingغَايَةُthe extremeالْمَدْحِof praise
by the saying the utmost praise.
وَلَقَدْAnd indeedوَهَبَhe gaveلِرَجُلٍto a manأَلْفَthousandبَعِيرٍcamels
Indeed he gave a man a thousand camels.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenرَآهَاhe saw themتَزْدَحِمُcrowdingفِيinالْوَادِيthe valley
And when he saw them crowding in the valley,
قَالَhe said
he said:
«أَشْهَدُ"I bear witnessأَنَّكَthat you areنَبِيٌّa prophet
"I bear witness that you are a prophet,
وَمَاand notهَذَاthisمِمَّاof that whichتَجُودُis generous withبِهِitالْأَنْفُسُthe souls
and this is not something that souls are generous with."
وَفَخَرَتْAnd boastedهَاشِمٌHashimعَلَىoverسَائِرِthe rest ofقُرَيْشٍQuraysh
And Hashim boasted over the rest of Quraysh,
فَقَالُواso they said
so they said:
«نَحْنُ"Weأَطْعَمُmost feedingلِلطَّعَامِfor food
"We are the most generous in providing food,
وَأَضْرَبُand most strikingلِلْهَامِat the heads
and the most striking at the heads (of enemies)."
وَذَكَرَهَاAnd mentioned themبَعْضُsome ofالْعُلَمَاءِthe scholars
Some scholars mentioned them,
فَقَالُواand they said
and they said:
«أَجْوَادٌ"Generous,مِجْدَادٌglorious,ذَوُوpossessors ofأَلْسِنَةٍtonguesحِدَادٍsharp»4"
"Generous, glorious, possessing sharp tongues" (footnote 4).
وَأَجْمَعَتِAnd agreedالْأُمَمُthe nationsكُلُّهَاall of them
And all the nations agreed,
بِخَيْلِهَاwith their stingyوَسَخِيِّهَاand their generousوَمُمْزُوجِهَاand their mixed
their stingy, their generous, and their mixed,
عَلَىuponذَمِّblamingالْبُخْلِstinginessوَحَمْدِand praisingالْجُودِgenerosity
upon blaming stinginess and praising generosity,
كَمَاjust asأَجْمَعُواthey agreedعَلَىuponذَمِّblamingالْكَذِبِlyingوَحَمْدِand praisingالصِّدْقِtruthfulness
just as they agreed upon blaming lying and praising truthfulness.
وَقَالُواAnd they said
And they said:
«أَفْضَلُ"The bestالْجُودِof generosityالْجُودُis the generosityبِالْمَجْهُودِwith the utmost effort
"The best of generosity is giving according to one's means."
وَحَتَّىAnd evenقَالُواthey saidفِيregardingجَهْدِthe effortالْمُقِلِّ5of the poor
And even regarding the effort of the poor (footnote 5),
وَفِيمَنْand regarding one whoأَخْرَجَexertedالْجُهْدَthe utmost effort
and regarding one who exerted the utmost effort
وَأَعْطَىand gaveالْكُلَّeverything
and gave everything,
وَحَتَّىand evenجَعَلُواthey madeلِمَنْfor whoeverجَادَwas generousبِنَفْسِهِwith himself
and even they made for whoever was generous with himself
فَضِيلَةًa virtueعَلَىoverمَنْone whoجَادَwas generousبِمَالِهِwith his wealth
over one who was generous with his wealth.
فَقَالَSo saidالْفَرَزْدَقُ6al-Farazdaq
So al-Farazdaq said (footnote 6):
عَلَىAtسَاعَةٍan hourلَوْifكَانَwereفِيamongالْقَوْمِthe peopleحَاتِمٌHatim
At an hour when if Hatim were among the people,
عَلَىoverجُودِهِhis generosityضَنَّتْwould be grudgingلَهُfor himنَفْسُthe soulحَاتِمٍof Hatim
the soul of Hatim would be grudging over his generosity.
وَلَمْAnd notيَكُنِwasالْفَرَزْدَقُal-Farazdaqلِيَضْرِبَto strikeالْمَثَلَthe example
And al-Farazdaq was not going to strike the example
فِيinهَذَاthisالْمَوْضِعِplaceبِكَعْبِwith Ka'bبْنِson ofمَامَةَ7Mama
in this place with Ka'b ibn Mama (footnote 7),
وَقَدْand indeed
and indeed...