تَحَوَّلَbecameعَدُوًّاan enemy،,وَزَوْجَةٌand a wifeمُخْتَلِعَةٌdivorced،,وَجَارِيَةٌand a slave girlمُسْتَبِيعَةٌ1purchased،,وَعَبْدًاand a servantيُحَقِّرُكَwho belittles youوَوَلَدًاand a sonيَنْتَهِرُكَwho rebukes you
He becomes an enemy, and a divorced wife, and a purchased slave girl, and a servant who belittles you, and a son who rebukes you.
فَانْظُرْSo lookأَيْنَwhereمَوْقِعُthe positionفَوْتِof missingالثَّنَاءِpraiseمِنْin relation toمَوْقِعِthe position ofمَاwhatعَدَدْنَاwe countedعَلَيْكَagainst youمِنْofهَذَاthisالْبَلَاءِaffliction
So see where missing praise stands in comparison to the afflictions we enumerated for you.
عَلَىalthoughأَنَّthatالثَّنَاءَpraiseطُعْمٌ2is a flavorوَلَعَلَّكَand perhaps youأَلَّاwill notتَطْعَمَهُtaste it،,وَالْحَمْدُand praiseأَرْزَاقٌis provisionsوَلَعَلَّكَand perhaps youأَنْmayتُحْرَمَهُbe deprived of it،,وَمَاand whatيَضِيعُis lostمِنْofإِحْسَانِthe kindnessالنَّاسِof peopleأَكْثَرُis more
Although praise is a pleasure, perhaps you will not taste it; and commendation is a provision, perhaps you will be deprived of it. What is lost of people's kindness is more.
وَعَلَىAnd althoughأَنَّthatالْحِفْظَ3memorizationقَدْindeedذَهَبَhas goneبِمَوْتِwith the deathأَهْلِهِof its peopleأَلَاdoتَرَىyou seeأَنَّthatالشِّعْرَpoetryلَمَّاwhenكَسَدَ4declinedأَفْحَمَsilencedأَهْلَهُits people؟?
And although memorization has perished with the death of its people, do you not see that when poetry became stagnant, it silenced its people?
وَلَمَّاand whenدَخَلَenteredالنَّقْصُdeficiencyعَلَىuponكُلِّeveryشَيْءٍthingأَخَذَtookالشِّعْرُpoetryمِنْهُfrom itبِنَصِيبِهِits share؟?
And when deficiency affected everything, did poetry not take its share?
وَلَمَّاand whenتَحَوَّلَتِtransferredالدَّوْلَةُthe stateفِيtoالْعَجَمِ5the Persians،,وَالْعَجَمُand the Persiansلَاdo notتُحِيطُpreserveالْأَنْسَابَgenealogies،,وَلَاand do notتَتَحَفَّظُpreserveالْمَقَامَاتِ6the stations،,
And when the state passed to the Persians, and the Persians do not protect genealogies nor preserve ranks.
لِأَنَّbecauseمَنْwhoeverكَانَwasفِيinالرِّيفِrural easeوَالْكِفَايَةِand sufficiency،,وَكَانَand wasمَغْمُورًاoverwhelmedبِسُكْرِby the intoxicationالْغِنَىof wealth،,كَثُرَbecame manyنِسْيَانُهُhis forgetfulnessوَقَلَّتْand became fewخَوَاطِرُهُ7his thoughts،,
Because whoever lives in comfort and sufficiency, and is overwhelmed by the intoxication of wealth, his forgetfulness increases and his reflections become few.
وَمَنِand whoeverاحْتَاجَneededتَحَرَّكَتْmovedهِمَّتُهُhis ambitionوَكَثُرَand became manyتَنْقِيرُهُhis scrutinizing
And whoever is in need, his ambition is stirred and his careful examination increases.
وَعَيْبُand the faultالْغِنَىof wealthأَنَّهُis that itيُورِثُcausesالْبَلَادَةَdullness،,وَفَضِيلَةُand the virtueالْفَقْرِof povertyأَنَّهُis that itيَبْعَثُstirsالْفِكْرَthought
The fault of wealth is that it produces dullness, and the virtue of poverty is that it stirs thought.
وَإِنْand ifأَنْتَyouصَحِبْتَaccompaniedالْغِنَىwealthبِإِهْمَالِwith neglectالنَّفْسِof the soulأَسْكَرَكَintoxicated youالْغِنَىwealth،,وَسُكْرُand the intoxicationالْغِنَىof wealthشَيِئَةُis the habitالْمُسْتَأْكِلِينَof the self-servingوَتَضْرِيَةُand the incitementالْخَدَّاعِينَ8of the deceivers،,
If you accompany wealth while neglecting the soul, wealth will intoxicate you; and the intoxication of wealth is the trait of those who exploit, and the incitement of deceivers.
وَإِنْand ifكُنْتَyou areلَاnotتَرْضَىsatisfiedبِحَظِّwith the shareالنَّائِمِof the sleepingوَبِعَيْشِand with the life
And if you are not satisfied with the share of a sleeper and with the life...
Footnotes
- 1.المُسْتَبِيعَةُ: الَّتِي اشْتُرِيَتْ لِلْمُتْعَةِ.
Al-Mustabīʿah: one who is purchased for pleasure.
- 2.الطُّعْمُ: مَا يُتَلَذَّذُ بِهِ.
At-Tuʿm: that which is enjoyed and relished.
- 3.الْحِفْظُ: حِفْظُ الشِّعْرِ وَالْأَخْبَارِ.
Al-Ḥifẓ: memorization of poetry and narratives.
- 4.كَسَدَ الشِّعْرُ: رَاجَ وَقْتًا ثُمَّ تَوَقَّفَ.
Poetry became stagnant: it was in vogue for a time, then it ceased.
- 5.الدَّوْلَةُ فِي الْعَجَمِ: انْتِقَالُ الْخِلَافَةِ وَالسُّلْطَةِ إِلَى الْفُرْسِ.
The state among the Persians: the transfer of the caliphate and authority to the Persians.
- 6.الْمَقَامَاتُ: مَنَازِلُ النَّاسِ وَأَحْوَالُهُمْ.
Al-Maqāmāt: people's ranks and conditions.
- 7.الْخَوَاطِرُ: مَا يَخْطُرُ بِالْبَالِ مِنْ فِكْرٍ وَمَعْنًى.
Al-Khawāṭir: thoughts and meanings that cross the mind.
- 8.تَضْرِيَةُ الْخَدَّاعِينَ: إِغْرَاؤُهُمْ وَإِثَارَتُهُمْ.
Tadriyat al-Khaddāʿīn: inciting and provoking the deceivers.