فَقَدْfor indeedقَالَsaidالشَّاعِرُthe poet
For indeed the poet said:
قَلِيلُlittleالْمَالِof wealthتُصْلِحُهُyou set it rightفَيَبْقَىso it remains
Little wealth that you manage well remains,
وَلَاand notيَبْقَىremainsالْكَثِيرُthe abundantعَلَىuponالْفَسَادِcorruption
And much does not remain under corruption.
وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidالشَّمَّاخُAl-Shammakhبْنُson ofضِرَارٍ1Dirar
And Al-Shammakh ibn Dirar said: ⟦1⟧
لِمَالِfor wealthالْمَرْءِof a manيُصْلِحُهُhe sets it rightفَيُغْنِيso it enriches
For a man's wealth that he manages well enriches
مَفَاقِرَهُhis needsأَعَفُّmore chasteمِنَthanالْقَنُوعِ2contentment
his poverty more chaste than begrudging contentment. ⟦2⟧
وَقَالَand saidأُحَيْحَةُ3Uḥayḥah
And Uḥayḥah said: ⟦3⟧
اسْتَغْنِbe richأَوْorمُتْdieوَلَاand do notيَغْرُرْكَdeceive youذُوpossessor ofشَبٍّyouth
Be rich or die, and let not the possessor of youth deceive you
مِنِfromابْنِson ofعَمٍّpaternal uncleوَلَاnorعَمٍّpaternal uncleوَلَاnorخَالٍ4maternal uncle
neither a cousin, nor an uncle, nor a maternal uncle. ⟦4⟧
إِنِّيindeed Iأُكِبُّapply myselfعَلَىonالزَّوْرَاءِAl-ZawraأَعْمُرُهَاI build it
Indeed I apply myself to Al-Zawra, building it,
إِنَّindeedالْكَرِيمَthe generousعَلَىamongالْأَقْوَامِthe peopleذُوpossessorالْمَالِ5of wealth
for the generous among people is the one with wealth. ⟦5⟧
وَقَالَand saidأَيْضًاalso
And he also said:
اسْتَغْنِbe richعَنْfromكُلِّeveryذِيpossessor ofقُرْبَىkinshipوَذِيand possessor ofرَحِمٍwomb relation
Be free of need from every kin and relation,
إِنَّindeedالْغَنِيَّthe richمِنِone whoاسْتَغْنَىbecame free of needعَنِfromالنَّاسِpeople
Verily, the truly rich is he who is free of need from people.
وَالْبَسْand wearعَدُوَّكَyour enemyفِيinرِفْقٍgentlenessوَفِيand inدَعَةٍease
And wear your enemy with gentleness and ease,
لِبَاسَthe garmentذِيpossessor ofإِرْبَةٍneedلِلدَّهْرِfor timeلَبَّاسِ6wearer
like the garment of a man of prudence, a wearer for all times. ⟦6⟧
وَلَاand do notتَغُرَّنَّكَlet deceive youأَضْغَانٌhidden grudgesمُزَمَّلَةٌcovered
And do not let hidden grudges deceive you,
قَدْoftenيُضْرَبُbeatenالدَّبَرُthe sore-backed camelالدَّامِيbleedingبِإِحْلَاسِ7with saddlecloth
Often the bleeding sore-backed camel is beaten with a saddlecloth. ⟦7⟧
وَقَالَand saidسَهْلُSahlبْنُson ofهَارُونَHarun
And Sahl ibn Harun said:
أَذَاifامْرُؤٌa manضَاقَbecame narrowعَنِّيfor meلَمْnotيَضِقْbecome narrowخُلُقِيmy character
If a man is stingy toward me, my character does not become narrow
مِنْfromأَنْthatيَرَانِيhe sees meغَنِيًّاrichعَنْهُfrom himبِالْيَاسِ8with despair
so that he sees me rich without him, with despair. ⟦8⟧
فَلَاso let notيَرَانِيhe see meإِذَاwhenلَمْnotيَرْعَhe respectsآصِرَتِيmy ties
So let him not see me, when he does not respect my ties,
مُسْتَمْرِيًاseekingدُرَرًاpearlsمِنْهُfrom himبِإِبْسَاسِwith beggary
seeking from him pearls with beggary.
Footnotes
- 1.الشَّمَّاخُ بْنُ ضِرَارٍ الذُّبْيَانِيُّ، شَاعِرٌ جَاهِلِيٌّ.
Al-Shammakh ibn Dirar al-Dhubyani, a pre-Islamic poet.
- 2.الْقَنُوعُ: الرِّضَا بِالْيَسِيرِ مِنَ الْعَطَاءِ.
Al-qanūʿ: contentment with little given.
- 3.أُحَيْحَةُ بْنُ الْجُلَاحِ، مِنْ شُعَرَاءِ أَوْسٍ.
Uḥayḥah ibn al-Julāḥ, one of the poets of Aws.
- 4.ذُو شَبٍّ: ذُو شَبَابٍ وَقُوَّةٍ.
Dhū shabb: one with youth and strength.
- 5.الزَّوْرَاءُ: مَدِينَةٌ قَدِيمَةٌ قُرْبَ بَغْدَادَ.
Al-Zawrāʾ: an ancient city near Baghdad.
- 6.ذُو إِرْبَةٍ: ذُو رَأْيٍ وَحَاجَةٍ.
Dhū irbah: one with judgment and need.
- 7.الدَّبَرُ: الْجَمَلُ الَّذِي أَصَابَهُ دَبَرٌ فِي ظَهْرِهِ.
Ad-dabar: camel afflicted with a sore on its back.
- 8.الْيَاسُ: الْقَطْعُ وَالْيَأْسُ.
Al-yās: cutting off and despair.