نِعْمَتَكَYour favorوَمَاand whatدَسُّواthey plottedلَهَاagainst itمِنَofالدَّوَاهِيcalamities
Your favor, and what calamities they plotted against it.
وَاعْلَمْAnd knowعَلَىthatأَنَّthatسِحْرَهُمْtheir magicيَسْتَرِقُّsteals awayالذِّهْنَthe mindوَيَخْتَطِفُand snatchesالْبَصَرَthe sight
And know that their magic steals the mind and snatches the sight.
قَالَSaidرَسُولُMessengerاللهِof AllahصَلّىmayاللهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peaceإِنَّIndeedمِنَamongالْبَيَانِeloquenceسِحْرًاis magic
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'Indeed, some eloquence is magic.'
وَسَمِعَAnd heardعُمَرُUmarبْنُson ofعَبْدِservant ofالْعَزِيزِthe Mightyيَتَكَلَّمُspeakingفِيaboutحَاجَةٍa needفَقَالَso he said
And Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz heard someone speaking about a need and said:
هَذَاThisوَاللهِby Allahالسِّحْرُmagicالْحَلَالُlawful
This, by Allah, is lawful magic.
وَقَدْAnd indeedقَالَsaidرَسُولُMessengerاللهِof AllahصَلّىmayاللهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peaceلَاnoخِلَابَةَ1deception
And indeed the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'There is no deception' [footnote 1].
وَاحْذَرْAnd bewareاحْتِمَالَof acceptingمَدِيحِهِمْtheir praiseفَإِنَّfor indeedمُحْتَمِلَthe one who acceptsالْمَدِيحِpraiseفِيinوَجْهِهِhis faceكَمَادِحٍlike a praiserنَفْسَهُhimself
And beware of accepting their praise, for the one who accepts praise in his face is like one who praises himself.
إِنَّIndeedمَالِكَyour wealthلَاnotيَسَعُcan satisfyمُرِيدِيهِthose who desire itوَلَاand notيَبْلُغُcan reachرِضَىthe satisfactionطَالِبِيهِof those who seek it
Indeed, your wealth cannot satisfy all those who desire it, nor will it attain the satisfaction of all who seek it.
وَلَوْAnd ifأَرْضَيْتَهُمْyou satisfy themبِاسْتِخَاطٍat the risk of their displeasureمِثْلِهِمْlike themلَكَانَit would beذَلِكَthatخُسْرَانًاa lossمُبِينًاclear
And if you were to satisfy them by incurring the displeasure of others like them, that would be a clear loss.
فَكَيْفَThen howوَمَنْwhenيَسْخَطُbecomes displeasedأَضْعَافُmany times moreمَنْthan those whoيَرْضَىare pleasedوَهَجَاءُand the satireالسَّاخِطِof the displeasedأَضَرُّmore harmfulمِنْthanفَقْدِthe loss ofمَدِيحِpraiseالرَّاضِيof the pleased
For how can you, when those who become displeased are many times more than those who are pleased, and the satire of the displeased is more harmful than the loss of praise from the pleased?
وَعَلَىAnd even ifأَنَّهُمْtheyإِذَاifاعْتَوَرُوكَattacked youبِمَشَاصِقِهِمْwith their arrowsوَتَدَاوَلُوكَand passed you aroundبِسِهَامِهِمْ2with their arrows
And even if they attack you with their arrows and pass you around with their arrows [footnote 2],
لَمْnotتَرَyou will seeمِمَّنْamong those whomأَرْضَيْتَهُyou pleasedفِيinأَسْخَاطِهِمْtheir displeasuresأَحَدًاanyoneيُنَاضِلُwho fightsعَنْكَfor youوَلَاnorيُهَاجِيwho satirizesشَاعِرًاa poetدُونَكَinstead of you
You will not see among those you pleased, when they become displeased, anyone who fights on your behalf or satirizes a poet on your behalf.
بَلْRatherيُخَلُّوكَthey leave youغَرَضًاa targetلِسِهَامِهِمْfor their arrowsوَدَرِيئَةًand a shieldلِنِبَالِهِمْfor their darts
Rather, they leave you as a target for their arrows and a shield for their darts.
ثُمَّThenيَقُولُhe saysوَمَاWhatكَانَwasعَلَيْهِupon himلَوْifأَرْضَاهُمْhe pleased them
Then he says: 'What would it have cost him to please them?'
فَكَيْفَSo howيُرْضِيهِمْcan he please themوَرِضَىwhen the satisfactionالْجَمِيعِof allشَيْءٌis somethingلَاnotيُنَالُattainable
So how can he please them, when the satisfaction of all is something unattainable?
وَقَدْAnd indeedقَالَsaidالْأَوَّلُthe predecessor
And the predecessor said:
وَكَيْفَAnd howيَتَّفِقُcan be reconciledلَكَfor youرِضَىthe satisfactionالْمُخْتَلِفِينَof those who differ
And how can you reconcile the satisfaction of those who differ?
وَقَالُواAnd they saidمَنْعُthe refusalالْجَمِيعِto allأَرْضَىmore pleasingلِلْجَمِيعِto all
And they said: 'Refusing all is more pleasing to all.'
إِنِّيIndeed Iأُحَذِّرُكَwarn youمَصَارِعَthe fallsالْمَخْدُوعِينَof the deceivedوَأَرْفَعُكَand I raise youعَنْaboveمَضَاجِعِthe bedsالْمَغْبُونِينَof the duped
I warn you of the falls of the deceived, and I raise you above the beds of the duped.
إِنَّكَIndeed youلَسْتَare notكَمَنْlike one whoلَمْnotيَزَلْceasesيُقَاسِيenduringتَعَذُّرَthe difficultyالْأُمُورِof affairsوَيَتَجَرَّعُ3and swallowing
Indeed, you are not like one who has never ceased enduring the difficulty of affairs and swallowing [footnote 3]
مَرَارَthe bitternessالْعَيْشِof lifeوَيَتَحَمَّلُand bearingثِقَلَthe weightالْكَدِّof toilوَيَشْرَبُand drinkingبِكَأْسِwith the cupالذُّلِّof humiliation
the bitterness of life, bearing the weight of toil, and drinking from the cup of humiliation
حَتَّىuntilكَادَalmostيَمْرُنُbecomes accustomedعَلَىtoذَلِكَthatجِلْدُهُhis skinوَيَسْكُنُand settlesعَلَيْهِupon itقَلْبُهُhis heart
until his skin almost becomes accustomed to that and his heart settles upon it.
وَفَقْرُAnd the povertyمِثْلِكَof someone like youمُضَاعَفُis doubledالْأَلَمِin painوَجَزَعُand the distressمَنْof one whoلَمْhas notيَعْرِفِknownالْأَلَمَpainأَشَدُّis more severe
And the poverty of someone like you has doubled pain, and the distress of one who has not known pain is more severe.
وَمَنْAnd one whoلَمْhas notيَزَلْalwaysفَقِيرًاpoorفَهُوَthen heلَاdoes notيَعْرِفُknowالشَّامِتِينَthe gloatersوَلَاnorيَدْخُلُهُenter himالْمَكْرُوهُthe dislikeمِنْfromسُرُورِthe joyالْحَاسِدِينَof the envious
And one who has always been poor does not know the gloaters, nor does dislike enter him from the joy of the envious.
وَلَاand notيُلَامُis blamedعَلَىforفَقْرِهِhis povertyوَلَاand notيَصِيرُbecomesمَوْعِظَةًa lessonلِغَيْرِهِfor others
And he is not blamed for his poverty, nor does he become a lesson for others.
وَحَدِيثًاand a taleيَبْقَىremainsذِكْرُهُhis mentionوَيُعْلِنُهُand announces itبَعْدَafterالْمَمَاتِdeathوَلَدُهُhis child
And a tale whose mention remains, and his child announces it after death.
دَعْنِيLeave meمِنْfromحِكَايَاتِthe storiesالْمُسْتَأْكِلِينَof the parasitesوَرُقَىand the incantationsالْخَادِعِينَof the deceivers
Leave me alone with the stories of parasites and the incantations of deceivers.
فَمَاfor notزَالَceasedالنَّاسُpeopleيَحْفَظُونَmemorizing
For people have not ceased memorizing
Footnotes
- 1.لَا خِلَابَةَ: أَيْ لَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَخْدَعَ أَحَدٌ أَحَدًا فِي الْبَيْعِ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ، وَهُوَ نَهْيٌ عَنِ الْخِدَاعِ.
No deception: meaning it is not permissible for one to deceive another in sale or otherwise; it is a prohibition of deception.
- 2.الْمَشَاصِقُ وَالسِّهَامُ: جَمْعُ مِشْقَصٍ وَسَهْمٍ، وَهُمَا مِنْ آلاتِ الْقِتَالِ، يُرَادُ بِهِمَا الْهَجْوُ وَالذَّمُّ.
Al-mashasiq and as-siham: plurals of mishqas and sahm, which are weapons of combat; meant metaphorically as satire and defamation.
- 3.يَتَجَرَّعُ: يَبْلَعُ بِمَشَقَّةٍ، يُقَالُ تَجَرَّعَ الْمَاءَ إِذَا بَلَعَهُ بِلُهْوَةٍ.
Yatajarra'u: to swallow with difficulty; one says 'tajarra'a al-maa' when one swallows it with difficulty.