أَبْخَلَmore stingyمِنَthanالنِّسَاءِthe womenفِيinالْجُمْلَةِthe whole
They are more stingy than women in general.
وَكَانَAnd it wasيَنْبَغِيshouldلِلصِّبْيَانِfor the boysأَنْthatيَكُونُواthey beأَسْخَىmore generousمِنَthanالنِّسَاءِthe women
And boys should be more generous than women.
وَكَانَAnd it wasيَنْبَغِيshouldأَنْthatيَكُونَhe beأَقَلُّthe leastالْبُخَلَاءِof the misersعَقْلًاin intellectأَعْقَلَmore sensibleمِنْthanأَسَدِّthe most uprightالْأَجْوَادِof the generousعَقْلًاin intellect
And the least intelligent of misers should be more sensible than the most upright of the generous in intellect.
وَكَانَAnd it wasيَنْبَغِيshouldلِلْكَلْبِfor the dogوَهُوَand it isالْمَضْرُوبُthe one struckبِهِwith itالْمَثَلُthe exampleفِيinاللُّؤْمِmeannessأَنْthatيَكُونَhe beأَعْرَفَmore knowingبِالْأُمُورِof mattersمِنَthanالدِّيكِthe roosterالْمَضْرُوبِthe one struckبِهِwith itالْمَثَلُthe exampleفِيinالْجُودِgenerosity
And the dog, which is the example of meanness, should be more aware of matters than the rooster, which is the example of generosity.
وَقَالُواAnd they said«هُوَheأَسْخَىmore generousمِنْthanلَافِظَةَLafitha»2
And they said: 'He is more generous than Lafitha.'
وَandأَلْأَمُmore vileمِنْthanكَلْبٍa dogعَلَىonجِيفَةٍa carcass،
And more vile than a dog on a carcass.
وَandأَلْأَمُmore vileمِنْthanكَلْبٍa dogعَلَىonعِرْقٍa root»3
And more vile than a dog on a root.
وَقَالُواAnd they said«أَجِعْmake hungryكَلْبَكَyour dogيَتْبَعْكَhe will follow you»4
And they said: 'Make your dog hungry and he will follow you.'
وَنِعْمَAnd excellentكَلْبٌa dogفِيinبُؤْسِthe miseryأَهْلِهِof its people
And what an excellent dog in the misery of his people.
وَandأَسْمِنْfattenكَلْبَكَyour dogيَأْكُلْكَhe will eat you،
And fatten your dog and he will eat you.
وَandأَحْرَصُmore eagerمِنْthanكَلْبٍa dogعَلَىonعِقْيِthe excrementصَبِيٍّof a boy،5
And more eager than a dog on a boy's excrement.
وَandأَجْوَعُhungrierمِنْthanكَلْبَةِa female dogحَوْمَلَHawmal،6
And hungrier than a female dog of Hawmal.
وَandلَهُوَand certainly it isأَبْذَأُmore disgracefulمِنْthanكَلْبٍa dog،
And certainly it is more disgraceful than a dog.
وَحَشَّAnd stuffedفُلَانٌso-and-soمِنْfromخَرْءِthe dungالْكَلْبِof the dog،
And so-and-so stuffed from the dung of the dog.
وَandأَخَسَّmore contemptibleكَمَاasيُقَالُit is saidلِلْكَلْبِto the dog،
And more contemptible as is said to the dog.
وَandكَالْكَلْبِlike the dogفِيinالْأَرِيِّthe stall،7
And like the dog in the stall.
لَاnotهُوَheيَعْتَلِفُeats fodder،وَلَاand notهُوَheيَتْرُكُleavesالدَّابَّةَthe animalتَعْتَلِفُto eat fodder
He does not eat fodder, nor does he let the animal eat fodder.
وَقَالَAnd saidالشَّاعِرُthe poet::
And the poet said:
سَرَتْshe traveledمَاwhatسَرَتْshe traveledمِنْofلَيْلِهَاher night،ثُمَّthenعَرَّسَتْshe camped...
She traveled what she traveled of her night, then she camped...
عَلَىonرَجُلٍa manبِالْعَرْجِin Al-Arjأَلْأَمُmore vileمِنْthanكَلْبٍa dog،8
On a man in Al-Arj, more vile than a dog.
وَقَالَAnd saidاللهُAllahجَلَّGlorifiedذِكْرُهُbe His mention::«فَمَثَلُهُSo his exampleكَمَثَلِis like the exampleالْكَلْبِof the dog،
And Allah, Glorified be His mention, said: 'So his example is like the example of the dog.'
إِنْifتَحْمِلْyou loadعَلَيْهِupon itيَلْهَثْit pants،أَوْorتَتْرُكْهُyou leave itيَلْهَثْit pants
If you load upon it, it pants, or if you leave it, it pants.
Footnotes
- 1.الْمَثَلُ فِي الْجُودِ وَاللُّؤْمِ
The proverb about generosity and meanness.
- 2.لَافِظَةَ: اسْمُ امْرَأَةٍ كَانَتْ تَلْفِظُ بِالْعَطَايَا
Lafitha: the name of a woman who used to give generously.
- 3.الْعِرْقُ: الْأَصْلُ مِنَ النَّبَاتِ أَوِ الشَّجَرِ
Arq: the root of a plant or tree.
- 4.أَجِعْ: أَمْرٌ مِنْ أَجَاعَ بِمَعْنَى جَعَلَهُ جَائِعًا
Aji': a command from aja'a meaning make him hungry.
- 5.الْعِقْيُ: مَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْ بَطْنِ الصَّبِيِّ مِنْ غَائِطٍ
Iqy: what comes out of a child's belly of excrement.
- 6.حَوْمَلُ: مَوْضِعٌ أَوِ اسْمُ امْرَأَةٍ
Hawmal: a place or the name of a woman.
- 7.الْأَرِيُّ: الْإِصْطَبْلُ الَّذِي تُحْبَسُ فِيهِ الدَّوَابُّ
Ariy: the stable where animals are kept.
- 8.الْعَرْجُ: مَوْضِعٌ بَيْنَ مَكَّةَ وَالْمَدِينَةِ
Al-Arj: a place between Mecca and Medina.