أَكْلَبُ1more dog-like،,لِأَنَّهُمْbecause theyأَقَلُّlessتَوَكُّلًاrelianceوَandأَسْوَأُworseبِاللَّهِof Godظَنًّاopinion،,
They are more dog-like, because they have less reliance and worse opinion of God.
وَAndالْجَوَادُthe generousإِمَّاeitherأَنْthatيَكُونَhe isمُتَوَكِّلًاreliant،,وَandإِمَّاorأَنْthatيَكُونَhe isأَحْسَنَbetterبِاللَّهِof Godظَنًّاopinion
And the generous is either reliant or has a better opinion of God.
وَAndهُوَheعَلَىonكُلِّeveryحَالٍstateبِالْمُتَوَكِّلِto the reliantأَشْبَهُmore similar،,وَandإِلَىtoمَاwhatأَشْبَهَهُresembles itأَنْزَعُ2more inclined،,
And in every case he is more similar to the reliant, and more inclined to what resembles him.
وَAndكَيْفَمَاhoweverدَارَit turnsأَمْرُهُhis affair،,وَandرَجَعَتْreturnsالْحَالُthe situationبِهِto him،,فَلَيْسَthen he is notمِمَّنْof those whoيَتَّكِلُrelyعَلَىonحَزْمِهِhis prudence،,وَandيَلْجَأُresortsإِلَىtoكَيْسِهِ3his intelligence،,وَandيَرْجِعُreturnsإِلَىtoجَوْدَةِgoodnessاحْتِيَاطِهِhis caution،,وَandشِدَّةِseverityاحْتِرَاسِهِhis guarding
However his affair turns and the situation returns to him, he is not among those who rely on their prudence, resort to their intelligence, and refer to the goodness of their caution and severity of their guarding.
وَAndاعْتِلَالُthe excuseالْبَخِيلِof the miserبِالْحَدَثَانِ4by misfortunes،,وَandسُوءُevilالظَّنِّopinionبِتَقَلُّبِof the changingالزَّمَانِof time،,إِنَّمَاonlyهُوَit isكِنَايَةٌa metaphorعَنْforسُوءِbadالظَّنِّopinionبِخَالِقِof the Creatorالْحَدَثَانِof misfortunesوَandبِالَّذِيof the One whoيُحْدِثُcreates،,وَandأَهْلِpeopleالزَّمَانِof the time
And the miser's excuse of misfortunes and his suspicion of time's changes is only a metaphor for his suspicion of the Creator of misfortunes, of the One who creates them, and of the people of the time.
وَAndهَلْdoesتَجْرِيrunالْأَحْدَاثُeventsإِلَّاexceptعَلَىonتَقْدِيرِthe decreeالْمُحْدِثِof the Creatorلَهَاof them،,وَandهَلْdoتَخْتَلِفُdifferالْأَزْمِنَةُ5timesإِلَّاexceptعَلَىbyتَصْرِيفِthe directionمَنْof the One whoدَبَّرَهَاmanaged them؟?
And do events run except according to the decree of their Creator? And do times differ except by the direction of the One who managed them?
أَDoلَسْنَاnot weوَandإِنْeven ifجَهِلْنَاwe ignoreأَسْبَابَهَاtheir causes،,فَقَدْindeedأَيْقَنَّاwe are certainبِأَنَّهَاthat theyتَجْرِيrunإِلَىtoغَايَاتِهَاtheir ends؟?
Are we not, even if we ignore their causes, certain that they run to their ends?
وَAndالدَّلِيلُthe proofعَلَىofأَنَّهُthat itلَيْسَis notبِهِمْwith themخَوْفُfearالْفَقْرِof poverty،,وَandأَنَّthatالْجَمْعَaccumulatingوَandالْمَنْعَwithholdingإِمَّاeitherأَنْthatيَكُونَاthey two areعَادَةًa habitمِنْهُمْof themأَوْorطَبِيعَةًa natureفِيهِمْin them،,إِنَّكَyouقَدْindeedتَجِدُfindالْمَلِكَthe kingبَخِيلًاmiserly،,وَandمَمْلَكَتَهُhis kingdomأَوْسَعُwider،,وَandخَرْجَهُhis incomeأَدَرُّ6more abundant،,وَandعَدُوَّهُhis enemyأَسْكَنَmore calm،,وَandتَجِدُyou findأَحْزَمَmore prudentمِنْهُthan himجَوَادًاgenerous،,وَandإِنْeven ifكَانَتْwasمَمْلَكَتُهُhis kingdomأَضْيَقَnarrower،,وَandخَرْجُهُhis incomeأَقَلَّless،,وَandعَدُوُّهُhis enemyأَشَدَّmore intenseحَرَكَةًmovement
And the proof that they are not motivated by fear of poverty and that accumulating and withholding is either a habit or a nature in them, is that you may find a king miserly while his kingdom is wider, his income more abundant, and his enemy more calm; and you find a more prudent man than him generous even if his kingdom is narrower, his income less, and his enemy more active.
وَAndقَدْindeedعَلِمْنَاwe knowأَنَّthatالزِّنْجَthe Zanjأَقْصَرُshortestالنَّاسِof peopleفِكْرَةًthoughtوَandرَوِيَّةًdeliberation،,وَandأَذْهَلَهُمْmost heedlessعَنْofمَعْرِفَةِknowledgeالْعَاقِبَةِof consequences
And we know that the Zanj are the shortest of people in thought and deliberation, and the most heedless of knowing consequences.
فَلَوْSo ifكَانَwasسَخَاؤُهُمْtheir generosityإِنَّمَاonlyهُوَitلِكَلَالِdue to dullnessحَدِّهِمْ7of their sharpnessوَandنَقْصِlackعُقُولِهِمْof their mindsوَandقِلَّةِfewnessمَعْرِفَتِهِمْof their knowledge،,لَكَانَthen would beيَنْبَغِيnecessaryلِفَارِسَfor Persiaأَنْthatتَكُونَbeأَبْخَلَmore miserlyمِنَthanالرُّومِthe Romans،,وَandتَكُونَbeالرُّومُthe Romansأَبْخَلَmore miserlyمِنَthanالصَّقَالِبَةِ8the Slavs..
So if their generosity was only due to the dullness of their sharpness and the lack of their minds and the fewness of their knowledge, then it would be necessary for Persia to be more miserly than the Romans, and the Romans more miserly than the Slavs.
وَAndكَانَit would beيَنْبَغِيnecessaryلِلرِّجَالِfor men،,فِيinالْجُمْلَةِgeneral،,أَنْthatيَكُونُواthey be
And in general, it would be necessary for men to be...
Footnotes
- 1.أَيْ: أَشْبَهُ بِالْكِلَابِ
i.e., more like dogs
- 2.أَيْ: أَمْيَلُ
i.e., more inclined
- 3.كَيْسُهُ: ذَكَاؤُهُ وَحِذْقُهُ
his intelligence and skill
- 4.الْحَدَثَانُ: النَّوَائِبُ وَالْمَصَائِبُ
calamities and misfortunes
- 5.الْأَزْمِنَةُ: جَمْعُ زَمَنٍ
times: plural of time
- 6.أَدَرُّ: أَكْثَرُ دَرًّا وَغَلَّةً
more abundant in income and produce
- 7.كَلَالُ الْحَدِّ: فُتُورُ الذِّهْنِ وَضَعْفُ الْفِطْنَةِ
dullness of mind and weakness of acumen
- 8.الصَّقَالِبَةُ: جَمْعُ صَقْلَبِيٍّ، وَهُمْ قَوْمٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّمَالِ
Slavs: a people from the north