فِيهِin itحِيلَةٌa trick
In it there is a trick.
وَكُلُّand everyمُتَلَوِّنٍchangeableفِيinالْأَرْضِthe earthفَمُنْحَلُّis loosenerالْعُقَدِof knotsمُيَسَّرٌmade easyلِكُلِّfor everyرِبْحٍprofit
And every changeable person on earth is a loosener of knots, made easy for every profit.
فَدَعْso leaveعَنْكَfrom youخُلْطَةَthe mixingالْإِمَّعَةِof the imma'a (one who follows others)
So leave off mixing with the imma'a.
فَإِنَّهُfor he isحَارِضٌ1uselessلَاnoخَيْرَgoodفِيهِin him
For he is useless, there is no good in him.
وَاجْتَنِبْand avoidرُكُوبَridingالْجُمُوعِthe crowds
And avoid riding with the crowds.
فَإِنَّforغَايَتَهُits outcomeقَبْلَbeforeالذَّوَاقِthe tasting
For its outcome is before tasting.
وَلَاand notخَيْرَgoodفِيinالْمُتَلَوِّنِthe changeableذِيpossessor ofالْبَدَوَاتِwhims
And there is no good in the changeable one of whims.
وَلَاand notفِيinالْحَرُونِ2the stubbornذِيpossessor ofالتَّصْمِيمِdetermination
And not in the stubborn one of determination.
وَالْمُتَلَوِّنُand the changeableشَرٌّworseمِنَthanالْمُصَمِّمِthe determined
And the changeable is worse than the determined.
إِذْsinceكُنْتَyou areلَاnotتَعْرِفُyou knowلَهُfor himحَالًاa conditionيَقْصِدُhe intendsإِلَيْهَاto it
Since you do not know for him a condition he aims for.
وَلَاand notجِهَةًa directionيَعْمَلُhe worksعَلَيْهَاon it
Nor a direction he works upon.
وَلِذَلِكَand thereforeصَارَbecameالْعَاقِلُthe wiseيَخْدَعُdeceivesالْعَاقِلَthe wise
And therefore the wise deceives the wise.
وَلَاand notيَخْدَعُdeceivesالْأَحْمَقَthe fool
And does not deceive the fool.
لِأَنَّbecauseأَبْوَابَdoorsتَدْبِيرِof managementالْعَاقِلِof the wiseوَحِيَلِهِand his tricksمَعْرُوفَةٌknown
Because the doors of the wise man's management and his tricks are known.
وَطُرُقُand pathsخَوَاطِرِهِof his thoughtsمَسْلُوكَةٌtrodden
And the paths of his thoughts are trodden.
وَمَذَاهِبُهُand his waysمَحْصُورَةٌlimitedمَعْدُودَةٌcounted
And his ways are limited and counted.
وَلَيْسَand notلِتَدْبِيرِfor managementالْأَحْمَقِof the foolوَحِيلَتِهِand his trickجِهَةٌdirectionوَاحِدَةٌone
And the fool's management and trickery have no single direction.
وَمَنْand whoeverأَخْطَأَهَاmisses itكَذَبَlies
And whoever misses it, lies.
وَالْخَبَرُand the reportالصَّادِقُtrueعَنْaboutالشَّيْءِthe thingالْوَاحِدِthe oneوَاحِدٌis one
And the true report about the one thing is one.
وَالْخَبَرُand the reportالْكَاذِبُfalseعَنْaboutالشَّيْءِthe thingالْوَاحِدِthe oneلَاnotيُحْصَىcan be countedلَهُfor itعَدَدٌnumber
And the false report about the one thing cannot be counted.
وَلَاand notيُوقَفُcan be stoppedمِنْهُfrom itعَلَىatحَدٍّa limit
And no limit can be placed on it.
وَالْمُصَمِّمُand the determinedقَتْلُهُhis killingبِالْإِجْهَازِby finishing off
And the determined one's killing is by finishing off.
وَالْمُتَلَوِّنُand the changeableقَتْلُهُhis killingبِالتَّعْذِيبِby torture
And the changeable one's killing is by torture.
فَإِنْfor ifقُلْنَاwe sayفَلَيْسَthen notإِلَيْهِto himنَقْصِدُwe intend
For if we say, we do not intend him.
وَإِنِand ifاحْتَجَجْنَاwe argueفَلَسْنَاthen we are notعَلَيْهِagainst himنَرُدُّwe turn back
And if we argue, we do not turn against him.
وَلَكِنَّاbut weإِلَيْكَto youنَقْصِدُwe intendبِالْقَوْلِwith speech
But we intend you with speech.
وَإِلَيْكَand to youنُرِيدُwe wantبِالْمُشْوَرَةِwith consultation
And to you we direct our consultation.
وَقَدْand indeedقَالُواthey saidإِحْفَظْguardسِرَّكَyour secret
And they said: Guard your secret.
فَإِنَّforسِرَّكَyour secretمِنْfromدَمِكَyour blood
For your secret is from your blood.
وَسَوَاءٌand equalذَهَابُthe goingنَفْسِكَof your soulوَذَهَابُand the goingمَاthat whichبِهِwith itيَكُونُisقِوَامُthe supportنَفْسِكَof your soul
And the loss of your soul and the loss of that by which your soul is sustained are equal.
قَالَsaidالْمُنْجَابُAl-MunjaabالْعَنْبَرِيُّAl-Anbari
Al-Munjaab Al-Anbari said:
لَيْسَnotبِكَبِيرٍgreatمَاwhatأَصْلَحَهُit fixesالْمَالُwealth
Not great is what wealth fixes.
وَفَقْدُand the lossالشَّيْءِof the thingالَّذِيwhichبِهِby whichتَصْلُحُare fixedالْأُمُورُmattersأَعْظَمُgreaterمِنَthanالْأُمُورِthe matters
And the loss of the thing by which matters are fixed is greater than the matters.
وَلِهَذَاand for thisقَالُواthey saidفِيaboutالْإِبِلِcamels
And for this they said about camels:
لَوْifلَمْnotيَكُنْbeفِيهَاin themإِلَّاexceptأَنَّهَاthat they areرِقْوُstanchالدَّمِ3of blood
If there were nothing in them except that they are stanch of blood.
فَالشَّيْءُso the thingالَّذِيwhichهُوَit isثَمَنُthe priceالْإِبِلِof camelsوَغَيْرِand otherالْإِبِلِthan camelsأَحَقُّmore worthyبِالصَّوْنِof protection
So the thing that is the price of camels and other than camels is more worthy of protection.
وَقَدْand indeedقَضَوْاthey ruledبِأَنَّthatحِفْظَpreservingالْمَالِwealthأَشَدُّmore intenseمِنْthanجَمْعِهِcollecting it
And they ruled that preserving wealth is more intense than collecting it.
وَلِذَلِكَand thereforeقَالَsaidالشَّاعِرُthe poet
And therefore the poet said:
وَحِفْظُكَand your preservingمَالًاwealthقَدْindeedعَنِيتَyou caredبِجَمْعِهِto collect itأَشَدُّis more intenseمِنَthanالْجَمْعِthe collectingالَّذِيwhichأَنْتَyouطَالِبُهُare seeking it
And your preserving wealth you cared to collect is more intense than the collecting which you seek.
Footnotes
- 1.الْحَارِضُ: الْفَاسِدُ مِنَ اللَّحْمِ وَالطَّعَامِ، وَالْمُغَيَّرُ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ.
Al-Harid: the corrupt one among meat and food, and the altered one among people and others.
- 2.الْحَرُونُ: الْفَرَسُ الَّذِي يَقِفُ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَمْرٍ، وَالَّذِي لَا يَكَادُ يَتَقَدَّمُ.
Al-Haroon: the horse that stops without a command, and which hardly advances.
- 3.رِقْوُ الدَّمِ: أَيْ تُسَكِّنُ نَزْفَ الدَّمِ وَتُوقِفُهُ، وَذَلِكَ إِذَا كَانَتْ تُعْطَى لِمَنْ نَزَلَ بِهِ دَمٌ.
Riqw ad-dam: meaning it calms and stops the bleeding of blood, that is when it is given to one who suffers bleeding.