لَاnotأَطْلُبُI askالْمَالَwealthكَيْin order toأَغْنَىbecome richبِفَضْلَتِهِby his bounty......
I do not seek wealth to become rich by his bounty...
مَاnotكَانَwasمَطْلَبُهُhis requestفَقْرًاpovertyإِلَىtoالنَّاسِpeople
His request was not poverty towards people.
وَقَالَand saidأَبُوAbuالْعَتَاهِيَةِal-Atahiya
And Abu al-Atahiya said:
أَنْتَyouمَاas long asاسْتَغْنَيْتَyou are self-sufficientعَنْfromصَاحِبِكَyour companionالدَّهْرَforeverأَخُوهُhis brother
As long as you are self-sufficient from your companion, you are his brother forever.
فَإِذَاbut whenاحْتَجْتَyou needإِلَيْهِhimسَاعَةًan hourمَجَّكَhe spat you outفُوهُ1his mouth
But when you need him for an hour, his mouth spits you out.
وَقَالَand saidأُحَيْحَةُUhayhaبْنُibnالْحَلَّاجِal-Hajjaj
And Uhayha ibn al-Hajjaj said:
فَلَوْand ifأَنِّيIأَشَاءُwishنَعِمْتُI would live in comfortبَالًاconditionوَandبَاكَرَنِيcame to me earlyصَبُوحٌmorning drinkأَوْorنَشِيلُ2afternoon drink
And if I wished, I would live comfortably, with morning or afternoon drink coming to me early.
وَلَاand notعَابَنِيblamed meعَلَىonالْأَنْمَاطِfine carpetsلَعْسٌdeliciousعَلَىonأَنْيَابِهِنَّtheir fangsالزَّنْجَبِيلُ3ginger
And no one blamed me for being on fine carpets, with delicious ginger on their fangs.
وَلَكِنَّنِيbut Iخُلِقْتُwas createdإِذَاifلَمَالٍfor wealthفَأَبْخَلُthen I am stingyبَعْدَafterذَلِكَthatأَوْorأَنِيلُI give
But I was created such that if I have wealth, I am either stingy after that or I give.
وَقَالَand saidآخَرُanother
And another said:
أَبَاO AbuمُصْلِحٍMuslihأَصْلِحْreformوَلَاتِكَand do notمُفْسِدًاa corrupterفَإِنَّfor indeedصَلَاحَrighteousnessالْمَالِof wealthخَيْرٌis betterمِنَthanالْفَقْرِpoverty
O Abu Muslih, reform and do not be a corrupter, for the righteousness of wealth is better than poverty.
أَلَمْdid notتَرَyou seeأَنَّthatالْمَرْءَthe manيَزْدَادُincreasesعِزَّةًhonorعَلَىamongقَوْمِهِhis peopleأَنْthatيَعْلَمُواthey knowأَنَّهُthat heمُثْرٍwealthy
Do you not see that a man increases in honor among his people when they know he is wealthy?
وَقَالَand saidعُرْوَةُUrwaبْنُibnالْوَرْدِ4al-Ward
And Urwa ibn al-Ward said:
ذَرِينِيleave meلِلْغِنَىfor wealthأَسْعَىI striveفَإِنِّيfor IرَأَيْتُI sawالنَّاسَpeopleشَرَّهُمْthe worst of themالْفَقِيرُ5the poor
Leave me to strive for wealth, for I have seen that the worst of people is the poor one.
أَبْعَدَهُمْthe most distant of themوَأَهْوَنَهُمْand the most contemptible of themعَلَيْهِمْto themوَإِنْeven ifأَمْسَىhe becomesلَهُfor himحَسَبٌnoble lineageوَخَيْرٌ6and goodness
The most distant of them and the most contemptible to them, even if he has noble lineage and goodness.
Footnotes
- 1.مَجَّهُ: رَمَاهُ مِنْ فَمِهِ.
Majjahu: he threw it from his mouth.
- 2.الصَّبُوحُ: شُرْبُ الْغَدَاةِ. النَّشِيلُ: شُرْبُ الْعَشِيِّ.
Sabuh: morning drink. Nashil: evening drink.
- 3.الْأَنْمَاطُ: جَمْعُ نَمَطٍ، وَهُوَ ثَوْبٌ مِنْ صُوفٍ مُلَوَّنٍ. اللَّعْسُ: الطَّعْمُ اللَّذِيذُ.
Anmat: plural of namat, a woolen cloth colored. La's: delicious taste.
- 4.عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الْوَرْدِ: شَاعِرٌ جَاهِلِيٌّ، ضَرَبَ بِهِ الْمَثَلُ فِي الْجُودِ.
Urwa ibn al-Ward: a pre-Islamic poet, famous for generosity.
- 5.الْفَقِيرُ: الَّذِي لَا مَالَ لَهُ.
Faqir: the one who has no wealth.
- 6.الْحَسَبُ: الشَّرَفُ الْقَدِيمُ.
Hasab: ancient honor.