وَلِذَلِكَand thereforeقَالَsaidمُشْتَرِيbuyerالْأَرْضِthe landلِبَائِعِهَاto its sellerحِينَwhenقَالَsaidلَهُto himالْبَائِعُthe seller
Therefore the buyer of the land said to its seller, when the seller said to him:
«دَفَعْتُهَا1"I paid itإِلَيْكَto youبَطِيئَةَslowالْإِجَابَةِof responseعَظِيمَةَgreatالْمَئُونَةِ»of cost"
"I paid it to you, slow to respond, great of cost."
قَالَ:he said:«دَفَعْتُهَا"I paid itإِلَيْكَto youبَطِيئَةَslowالِاجْتِمَاعِof gatheringسَرِيعَةَswiftالتَّفَرُّقِ»of dispersal"
He said: "I paid it to you slow to gather, swift to disperse."
وَالدِّرْهَمُand the dirhamهُوَisالْقُطْبُthe poleالَّذِيwhichتَدُورُrevolvesعَلَيْهِon itرَحَىthe millstoneالدُّنْيَاof the world
And the dirham is the pole on which the millstone of the world revolves.
وَاعْلَمْand knowأَنَّthatالتَّخَلُّصَthe escapeمِنْfromنَزَوَاتِ2the capricesالدِّرْهَمِof the dirhamوَتَفَلُّتِهِand its slipping awayوَالتَّحَرُّزِand guarding againstمِنْfromسُكْرِthe intoxicationالْغِنَىof wealthوَتَقَلُّبِهِand its fluctuationشَدِيدٌis severe
And know that escaping the caprices of the dirham and its slipping away, and guarding against the intoxication of wealth and its fluctuation, is severe.
فَلَوْfor ifكَانَit wasإِذَاwhenتَفَلَّتَit slipped awayكَانَwasحَارِسُهُits guardصَحِيحَsoundالْعَقْلِof mindسَلِيمَintactالْجَوَارِحِof limbsلَرَدَّهُhe would have returned itفِيinعِقَالِهِits halterوَلَشَدَّهُand he would have bound itبِوَثَاقِهِwith its rope
For if when it slipped away its guard had been sound of mind, intact of limbs, he would have returned it to its halter and bound it with its rope.
وَلَكِنَّاbut weوَجَدْنَاfoundضَعْفَهُhis weaknessعَنْinضَبْطِهِcontrolling itبِقَدَرِaccording toقَلَقِهِits restlessnessفِيinيَدِهِhis hand
But we found his weakness in controlling it according to its restlessness in his hand.
وَلَاand do notتَغْتَرَّbe deceivedبِقَوْلِهِمْ:by their saying:
And do not be deceived by their saying:
«مَالٌ"silentصَامِتٌ»3wealth"
"Silent wealth"
فَإِنَّهُfor it isأَنْطَقُmore eloquentمِنْthanكُلِّeveryخَطِيبٍoratorوَأَنَمُّand more tale-bearingمِنْthanكُلِّeveryنَمَّامٍgossip
For it is more eloquent than every orator, and more tale-bearing than every gossip.
فَلَاso do notتَكْتَرِثْbe concernedبِقَوْلِهِمْ:by their saying:«هَذَيْنِ"these twoالْحَجَرَيْنِ»4stones"
So do not be concerned by their saying: "These two stones"
وَتَتَوَهَّمُand imagineجُمُودَهُمَاtheir stillnessوَسُكُونَهُمَاand their quiescenceوَقِلَّةَand the scantinessظَعْنِهِمَاof their travelوَطُولَand the lengthإِقَامَتِهِمَاof their stay
And imagine their stillness and their quiescence, the scantiness of their travel, and the length of their stay.
فَإِنَّfor indeedعَمَلَهُمَاtheir workوَهُمَاwhile they areسَاكِنَانِat restوَنَقْضَهُمَاand their destructionلِلطَّبَائِعِof naturesوَهُمَاwhile they areثَابِتَانِstationaryأَكْثَرُmoreمِنْthanصَنِيعِthe deedالسُّمِّof the poisonالنَّاقِعِ5the lethalوَالسَّبُعِand the beastالْعَادِيthe predatory
For their work while they are at rest, and their destruction of natures while they are stationary, is more than the deed of lethal poison and the predatory beast.
فَإِنْfor ifكُنْتَyou areلَاnotتَكْتَفِيsatisfiedبِصَنْعَةٍwith a skillحَتَّىuntilتَفْقِدَهُyou lack itوَلَاand notتَحْتَالُyou schemeفِيهِin itحَتَّىuntilتَحْتَالَyou schemeلَهُfor it
For if you are not satisfied with a skill until you lack it, and you do not scheme in it until you scheme for it
فَالْقَبْرُthen the graveخَيْرٌbetterلَكَfor youمِنَthanالْفَقْرِpovertyوَالسِّجْنُand prisonخَيْرٌbetterلَكَfor youمِنَthanالذُّلِّhumiliation
Then the grave is better for you than poverty, and prison is better for you than humiliation.
وَقَوْلِيand my sayingهَذَاthisمُرٌّbitterيَعْقُبُfollowed byحَلَاوَةَthe sweetnessالْأَبَدِof eternityوَقَوْلُand the sayingأَبِيof Abuالْعَاصِal-Asحُلْوٌsweetيَعْقُبُfollowed byمَرَارَةَthe bitternessالْأَبَدِof eternity
And my saying this is bitter, followed by the sweetness of eternity, and the saying of Abu al-As is sweet, followed by the bitterness of eternity.
فَخُذْso takeلِنَفْسِكَfor yourselfبِالثِّقَةِwith confidenceوَلَاand do notتَرْضَbe contentأَنْthatيَكُونَbeالْحِرْبَاءُthe chameleonالرَّاكِبُthe riderالْعُودِof the stickأَحْزَمَmore resoluteمِنْكَthan you
So take for yourself with confidence, and do not be content that the chameleon riding the stick is more resolute than you.
فَإِنَّfor indeedالشَّاعِرَthe poetيَقُولُ:says:
For the poet says:
أَنَّىhowأُتِيحَwas made possibleلَهَاfor itحِرْبَاءُa chameleonتَنَضَّبُهُpursuing itلَاnotيُرْسِلُdoes it releaseالسَّاقَthe legإِلَّاexceptمُمْسِكًاholdingسَاقًا6a leg
How was a chameleon made possible for it, pursuing it, not releasing a leg except holding a leg.
Footnotes
- 1.أَيْ: دَفَعْتُهَا دَفْعَةً وَاحِدَةً؟ أَوِ الْمُرَادُ: دَفَعْتُهَا إِلَيْكَ وَأَنْتَ بَطِيءُ الْإِجَابَةِ، عَظِيمُ الْمَئُونَةِ عَلَيَّ.
That is: I paid it in one payment? Or the meaning: I paid it to you while you are slow to respond, great of cost upon me.
- 2.النَّزَوَاتُ: النَّوَزَاتُ وَالْقَفَزَاتُ مِنَ النَّزَوِ، وَهِيَ الْوَثَبَاتُ وَالْحَرَكَاتُ غَيْرُ الْمُسْتَقِرَّةِ.
Al-nazawat: the starts and leaps from al-nazw, which are the bounds and unstable movements.
- 3.يُقَالُ لِلْمَالِ: صَامِتٌ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يُحِسُّ وَلَا يَنْطِقُ، يُرِيدُ أَنَّهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ صَامِتًا فَهُوَ فِي تَأْثِيرِهِ أَفْصَحُ مِنْ كُلِّ نَاطِقٍ.
It is said of wealth: silent because it does not feel or speak, meaning that even if it is silent, in its effect it is more eloquent than any speaker.
- 4.يَعْنِي الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ، أَوِ الدِّرْهَمَ وَالدِّينَارَ.
He means gold and silver, or the dirham and the dinar.
- 5.النَّاقِعُ: الْقَاتِلُ، أَوِ الَّذِي بَلَغَ فِي السُّمِّ غَايَتَهُ.
Al-naqi': the lethal, or the one that has reached its utmost in poison.
- 6.هَذَا بَيْتٌ مِنْ قَصِيدَةٍ لِعَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ الزِّبَعْرَى، وَيُقَالُ: لِأُمَيَّةَ بْنِ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ.
This is a verse from a poem by Abdullah ibn al-Ziba'ra, and it is said by Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt.