al bukhala al jahiz

Page 201

جَادَwas generousبِحُوبَائِهِwith his difficult situationعِنْدَatالْمُصَافَنَةِ1the peace treaty

He was generous in his dire straits at the peace treaty ⟦1⟧.

فَمَاand notرَأَيْنَاwe sawعَرَبِيًّاan Arabسَفَّهَdeemed foolishحُلْمَthe forbearanceحَاتِمٍof Hatimبِجُودِهِin his generosityبِجَمِيعِwith allمَالِهِhis wealth

And we never saw an Arab deem foolish the forbearance of Hatim for his generosity with all his wealth.

وَلَاand notرَأَيْنَاwe sawأَحَدًاanyoneمِنْهُمْamong themسَفَّهَdeem foolishحُلْمَthe forbearanceكَعْبٍof Ka'bعَلَىuponجُودِهِhis generosityبِنَفْسِهِwith himself

And we never saw any of them deem foolish the forbearance of Ka'b for his generosity with his own life.

بَلْratherجَعَلُواthey madeذَلِكَthatمِنْfromكَعْبٍKa'bلِإِيَادَfor Iyadمَفْخَرًاa source of pride

Rather, they considered that from Ka'b for Iyad as a glory.

وَجَعَلُواand they madeذَلِكَthatمِنْfromحَاتِمٍHatimلِطَيِّئٍfor Tayyمَأْثَرَةًa noble deed

And they considered that from Hatim for Tayy as a virtuous act.

ثُمَّthenلِعَدْنَانَfor Adnanعَلَىoverقَحْطَانَ2Qahtan

Then for Adnan over Qahtan ⟦2⟧.

ثُمَّthenلِلْعَرَبِfor the Arabsعَلَىoverالْعَجَمِthe non-Arabs

Then for the Arabs over the non-Arabs.

ثُمَّthenلِسُكَّانِfor the inhabitantsجَزِيرَةِof the islandلِعَرَبِof the Arabs

Then for the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula.

وَلِأَهْلِand for the peopleتِلْكَthatالتُّرْبَةِlandعَلَىoverسَائِرِthe restالْجَزَائِرِof the islands/landsوَالتُّرَبِand lands

And for the people of that land over all other lands and regions.

فَمَنْso whoeverأَرَادَwantedأَنْtoيُخَالِفَcontradictمَاwhatوَصَفَdescribedاللهُGodجَلَّglorifiedذِكْرُهُHis mentionبِهِwith itنَفْسَهُHimself

So whoever wants to contradict what God—glorified be His mention—described Himself with

وَمَاand whatمَنَحَHe grantedمِنْofذَلِكَthatنَبِيَّهُHis ProphetصَلَّىblessاللهُGodعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant peace

And what He granted from that to His Prophet—may God bless him and grant him peace—

وَمَاand whatفُطِرَwas innately disposedعَلَىuponتَفْضِيلِهِhis preferenceالْعَرَبُthe Arabsقَاطِبَةًallوَالْأُمَمُand the nationsكَافَّةًall

And what the Arabs all and the nations all were created with the innate disposition of preferring him—

لَمْnotيَكُنْwould beعِنْدَنَاin our viewفِيهِconcerning himإِلَّاexceptإِكْفَارُهُdeclaring him an infidelوَاسْتِسْقَاطُهُ3and deeming him despicable

In our view, there is nothing for him except declaring him an infidel and deeming him despicable ⟦3⟧.

وَلَمْand notنَرَwe sawالْأُمَّةَthe nationأَبْغَضَتْhatedجَوَادًاa generous personقَطُّeverوَلَاnorحَقَرَتْهُdespised him

And we never saw the nation hate a generous person ever, nor despise him.

بَلْratherأَحَبَّتْهُloved himوَأَعْظَمَتْهُand magnified him

Rather, they loved him and magnified him.

بَلْratherأَحَبَّتْlovedعَقِبَهُhis offspringوَأَعْظَمَتْand magnifiedمِنْforأَجْلِهِhis sakeرَهْطَهُhis clan

Rather, they loved his descendants and magnified his clan for his sake.

وَلَاand notوَجَدْنَاهُمْwe found themأَبْغَضُواhatedجَوَادًاa generous personلِمُجَاوَزَتِهِbecause of his exceedingحَدَّthe limitالْجُودِof generosityإِلَىtoالسَّرَفِextravagance

And we did not find them hating a generous person because he exceeded the limit of generosity into extravagance.

وَلَاnorحَقَرَتْهُdespised him

Nor did they despise him.

بَلْratherوَجَدْنَاهُمْwe found themيَتَعَلَّمُونَlearningمَنَاقِبَهُ4his virtues

Rather, we found them learning his noble qualities ⟦4⟧.

وَيُدَارِسُونَand studyingمَحَاسِنَهُhis good deeds

And studying his excellent traits.

وَحَتَّىand evenأَضَافُواthey attributedإِلَيْهِto himمِنْofنَوَادِرِrareالْجَمِيلِbeautiful actsمَاthatلَمْnotيَفْعَلْهُhe did not do

And even attributed to him rare beautiful deeds that he never did.

وَنَحَلُوهُ5and they credited himمِنْwithغَرَائِبِmarvelousالْكَرَمِgenerositiesمَاthatلَمْnotيَكُنْhe would notيَبْلُغُهُreach it

And they attributed to him ⟦5⟧ marvelous acts of generosity that he would not attain.

وَلِذَلِكَand for thatزَعَمُواthey claimedأَنَّthatالثَّنَاءَpraiseفِيinالدُّنْيَاthe worldيُضَاعَفُis multipliedكَمَاjust asتُضَاعَفُare multipliedالْحَسَنَاتُgood deedsفِيinالْآخِرَةِthe Hereafter

And for that reason, they claimed that praise in this world is multiplied, just as good deeds are multiplied in the Hereafter.

نَعَمْyesوَحَتَّىand evenأَضَافُواthey attributedإِلَيْهِto himكُلَّeveryمَدِيحٍpraiseشَارِدٍ6stray

Yes, and even attributed to him every stray praise ⟦6⟧.

وَكُلَّand everyمَعْرُوفٍfavorمَجْهُولِunknownالصَّاحِبِthe doer

And every favor whose doer is unknown.

ثُمَّthenوَجَدْنَاwe foundهَؤُلَاءِtheseبِأَعْيَانِهِمْthemselvesلِلْبَخِيلِtowards the miserعَلَىonضِدِّthe oppositeهَذِهِthisالصِّفَةِquality

Then we found these same people towards the miser on the opposite of this quality.

وَعَلَىand onخِلَافِthe contraryهَذَاthisالْمَذْهَبِway

And on the contrary of this disposition.

وَجَدْنَاهُمْwe found themيُبْغِضُونَهُhating himمَرَّةًonceوَيُحَقِّرُونَهُand despising himمَرَّةًonce

We found them hating him at one time and despising him at another.