الْبَهَائِمِthe animals،,وَأَحْبَبْتُand I lovedأَنْthatتَجْمَعَyou gatherمَعَwithتَمَامِcompletenessنَفْسِselfالْمُثْرِيthe wealthy،,وَمَعَand withعِزِّgloryالْغِنَىrichesوَسُرُورِand joyالْقُدْرَةِof power،,فِطْنَةَthe intelligenceالْمُخِفِّof the lightened،,وَخَوَاطِرَand thoughtsالْمُقِلِّof the poor،,وَمَعْرِفَةَand knowledgeالْهَارِبِof the fugitiveوَاسْتِدْلَالَand inferenceالطَّالِبِ1of the seeker،,اقْتَصَدْتُI was moderateفِيinالْإِنْفَاقِspending،,وَكُنْتُand I wasمُعِدًّاpreparedلِلْحَدَثَانِfor events،,وَمُحْتَرِسًاand cautiousمِنْfromكُلِّeveryخَدَّاعٍdeceiver..
The animals, and I loved that you gather with the completeness of the wealthy self, and with the glory of riches and the joy of power, the intelligence of the lightened, and the thoughts of the poor, and the knowledge of the fugitive and the inference of the seeker ⟦1⟧, I was moderate in spending, and I was prepared for events, and cautious from every deceiver.
لَيْسَتْnotتَبْلُغُreachحِيَلُtricksلُصُوصِrobbersالنَّهَارِof the day،,وَحِيَلُand tricksسَرَّاقِthievesاللَّيْلِof the night،,وَحِيَلُand tricksطُرَّاقِnight travelersالْبُلْدَانِof the countries،,وَحِيَلُand tricksأَصْحَابِpeopleالْكِيمْيَاءِof alchemy،,وَحِيَلُand tricksالتُّجَّارِof merchantsفِيinالْأَسْوَاقِthe markets،,وَالصُّنَّاعِand craftsmenفِيinجَمِيعِallالصِّنَاعَاتِthe crafts،,وَحِيَلُand tricksأَصْحَابِpeopleالْحُرُوبِ2of wars،,وَحِيَلُand tricksالْمُسْتَأْكِلِينَof the parasites،,وَالْمُتَكَسِّبِينَand the earners..
They do not reach the tricks of day robbers, and tricks of night thieves, and tricks of night travelers of the countries, and tricks of alchemists, and tricks of merchants in the markets, and craftsmen in all crafts, and tricks of war people ⟦2⟧, and tricks of parasites and earners.
وَلَوْand ifجَمَعْتَyou gatheredالْجَفْرَ3the geomancyوَالسِّحْرَand magic،,وَالتَّمَائِمَ4and amuletsوَالسُّمَّand poison،,لَكَانَتْwould beحِيَلُهُمْtheir tricksفِيinالنَّاسِpeopleأَشَدَّmore severeتَغَلْغُلًاpenetration،,وَأَعْرَضَ5and wider،,وَأَسْرَىand more effectiveفِيinعُمْقِdepthالْبَدَنِof the body،,وَأَدْخَلَand more enteringإِلَىtoسُوَيْدَاءِcoreالْقَلْبِof the heart،,وَإِلَىand toأُمِّmotherالدِّمَاغِ6of the brain،,وَإِلَىand toصَمِيمِcoreالْكَبِدِof the liver،,وَلَهِيand indeed itأَدَقُّfinerمَسْلَكًاpassage،,وَأَبْعَدُand fartherغَايَةًendمِنَthanالْعِرْقِthe veinالسَّارِيflowing،,وَالشَّبَهِand the resemblanceالنَّازِعِ7drawing،,
And if you gathered geomancy ⟦3⟧ and magic and amulets ⟦4⟧ and poison, their tricks in people would be more severe in penetration, and wider ⟦5⟧, and more effective in the depth of the body, and more entering to the core of the heart, and to the mother of the brain ⟦6⟧, and to the core of the liver, and indeed it is finer in passage and farther in end than the flowing vein and the drawing resemblance ⟦7⟧.
وَلَوْand ifاتَّخَذْتَyou tookالْحِيطَانَthe wallsالرَّفِيعَةَhighالثَّخِينَةَthick،,وَالْأَقْفَالَand the locksالْمُحْكَمَةَstrongالْوَثِيقَةَfirm،,وَلَوْand ifاتَّخَذْتَyou tookالْمَمَارِقَthe rampartsوَالْجَوَاسِقَ8and the towers،,وَالْأَبْوَابَand the doorsالشِّدَادَstrong،,وَالْحُرَّاسَand the guardsالْمُتَعَاوِبِينَalternatingبِأَغْلَظِwith the heaviestالْمُؤَنِexpenses،,وَأَشَدِّand the most severeالْكُلَفِcosts،,وَتَرَكْتَand you leftالتَّقَدُّمَthe advanceفِيمَاin whatهُوَit isأَحْضَرُmore presentضَرَرًاharm،,وَأَدْوَمُand more lastingشَرًّاevil،,وَلَاand notغُرْمَcostعَلَيْكَon youفِيinالْحِرَاسَةِguardingفِيهِin it،,وَلَاand notمَشَقَّةَdifficultyعَلَيْكَon youفِيinالتَّحَفُّظِguardingمِنْهُfrom it..
And if you took high thick walls, and strong firm locks, and if you took ramparts and towers ⟦8⟧, and strong doors, and alternating guards with the heaviest expenses and the most severe costs, and you left the advance in what is more present harm and more lasting evil, and there is no cost on you in guarding it, and no difficulty on you in guarding against it.
إِنَّكَindeed youإِنْifفَتَحْتَyou openedلَهُمْfor themعَلَىagainstنَفْسِكَyourselfمِثْلَlikeسَمِّeyeالْخَيَّاطِ9of the tailor،,جَعَلُواthey madeفِيهِin itطَرِيقًاa roadنَهَجًاclear..
Indeed you, if you opened for them against yourself like the eye of the tailor ⟦9⟧, they would make in it a clear road.
Footnotes
- 1.الْهَارِبِ: الَّذِي يَهْرُبُ مِنَ الْحَرْبِ أَوِ الدَّيْنِ أَوِ الظُّلْمِ. وَاسْتِدْلَالُ الطَّالِبِ: طَلَبُ الدَّلِيلِ وَالْبُرْهَانِ.
The fugitive: the one who flees from war, debt, or oppression. And the inference of the seeker: seeking evidence and proof.
- 2.أَصْحَابِ الْحُرُوبِ: الْمُحَارِبُونَ وَالْقَادَةُ الْعَسْكَرِيُّونَ.
People of wars: the warriors and military leaders.
- 3.الْجَفْرُ: عِلْمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالْحَوَادِثِ بِالْحُرُوفِ وَالنُّجُومِ.
Al-Jafr: the science of the unseen and events using letters and stars.
- 4.التَّمَائِمُ: جَمْعُ تَمِيمَةٍ، وَهِيَ مَا يُعَلَّقُ عَلَى الْأَطْفَالِ أَوِ الْحَيَوَانَاتِ لِدَفْعِ الْعَيْنِ أَوِ الْحَسَدِ.
Amulets: plural of amulet, which is something hung on children or animals to ward off the evil eye or envy.
- 5.أَعْرَضَ: أَكْثَرُ عَرْضًا وَاتِّسَاعًا، أَيْ أَشَدُّ انْتِشَارًا فِي الْبَدَنِ.
Wider: more extensive and broader, i.e., more spreading in the body.
- 6.أُمِّ الدِّمَاغِ: الْغِشَاءُ الَّذِي يُحِيطُ بِالدِّمَاغِ.
Mother of the brain: the membrane that surrounds the brain.
- 7.الشَّبَهُ النَّازِعُ: هُوَ الْعِرْقُ الَّذِي يُمْتَدُّ مِنَ الْأَعْضَاءِ إِلَى الْقَلْبِ، وَقِيلَ: هُوَ الْعِرْقُ الَّذِي يَضْرِبُ.
The drawing resemblance: it is the vein that extends from the limbs to the heart, and it is said: it is the throbbing vein.
- 8.الْمَمَارِقُ: جَمْعُ مَمْرَقَةٍ، وَهِيَ مَا يُتَّخَذُ مِنَ الْحُصُونِ وَالْقِلَاعِ فَوْقَ الْأَبْوَابِ لِلْحِرَاسَةِ. وَالْجَوَاسِقُ: جَمْعُ جَاسِقَةٍ، وَهِيَ الْمَنَارَةُ أَوِ الْبُرْجُ الَّذِي يُوضَعُ عَلَيْهِ الْحَرَسُ.
Al-Mamarik: plural of mamraka, which is what is built of forts and citadels above doors for guarding. And Al-Jawasiq: plural of jasiqa, which is the lighthouse or tower on which guards are placed.
- 9.سَمُّ الْخَيَّاطِ: ثُقْبُ الْإِبْرَةِ.
Eye of the tailor: the needle's eye.