وَيُقْصِيهِand keeps him awayالنَّدَىgenerosityوَتَزْدَرِيهِand despises himحَلِيلَتُهُhis wifeوَيَنْهَرُهُand scolds himالصَّغِيرُthe little child
Generosity keeps him away, his wife despises him, and the small child scolds him.
وَتَتَلْقَىand you findذَاthe oneالْغِنَىwealthوَلَهُand for himجَلَالٌmajestyيَكَادُalmostفُؤَادُheartصَاحِبِهِof his companionيَطِيرُflies
And you find a rich man who has majesty such that his companion's heart almost flies (with joy).
قَلِيلٌfewذَنْبُهُhis sinsوَالذَّنْبُand the sinجَمٌّmanyوَلَكِنَّbutالْغِنَىwealthرَبُّlordغَفُورٌforgiving
His sins are few while sins are many, but wealth is a forgiving lord.
وَقَالَand saidسَعِيدُSa'idابْنُson ofزَيْدِZaydابْنِson ofعَمْرِو'Amrابْنِson ofنُفَيْلٍNufayl
And Sa'id ibn Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl said:
تِلْكَthoseعِرْسَايَmy two wivesتَنْطِقَانِspeakعَلَىuponعَمْدٍintentionلَيto meالْيَوْمَtodayقَوْلَspeechزُورٍfalsehoodوَهُتْرٍand nonsense
Those two wives of mine speak to me today with intentional falsehood and nonsense.
سَأَلَتَانِيyou two asked meالطَّلَاقَfor divorceأَنْthatرَأَتَاyou two sawمَاwhatلِيI haveقَلِيلًاlittleقَدْindeedجِئْتُمَانِيyou two have brought meبِنُكْرٍsomething strange
You two asked me for divorce when you saw that I have little wealth; indeed you two have brought me a strange thing.
فَلَعَلِّيperhapsأَنْthatيَكْثُرَbecomes muchالْمَالُthe wealthعِنْدِيwith meوَيُعَرَّىand becomes freeمِنَfromالْمَغَارِمِthe debtsظَهْرِيmy back
Perhaps wealth will increase with me and my back will be free from debts.
وَيَرَىand he seesأَعْبُدٌmale servantsلَنَاfor usوَأَوَاقٍand ouncesوَمَنَاصِيفُand female servantsمِنْfromخَوَادِمِmaid-servantsعَشْرِten
And he sees for us male servants, ounces (of silver), and female servants among ten maid-servants.
وَتَجُرُّand they dragالْأَذْيَالَthe skirtsفِيinنِعْمَةٍbountyزُوَلٍthat departsتَقُولَانِyou two sayضَعْput downعَصَاكَyour stickلِدَهْرٍfor time
And they drag their skirts in a transient bounty; you two say: 'Put down your stick for a while'.
وَيْكَأَنَّhow muchمَنْwhoeverيَكُنْisلَهُfor himنَشَبٌwealthيُحْبَبْis lovedوَمَنْand whoeverيَفْتَقِرْbecomes poorيَعِشْlivesعَيْشَlifeضُرٍّof harm
How much whoever has wealth is loved, and whoever becomes poor lives a life of hardship.
وَيُجَنَّبُand is kept awayسِرَّthe secretالنَّجِيِّof the confidantوَلَكِنَّbutأَخَاthe possessorالْمَالِof wealthمُحْضَرُpresentكُلِّeveryشَرٍّevil
And the poor man is kept away from the secret of the confidant, but the rich man is present at every evil.
وَقَالَand saidالْآخَرُthe other
And the other said:
وَلِلْمَالِand for wealthمِنِّيfrom meجَانِبٌa sideلَاnotأُضِيعُهُI neglect itوَلِلَّهْوِand for leisureمِنِّيfrom meوَالْبِطَالَةِand for idlenessجَانِبٌa side
And for wealth I have a portion I do not neglect, and for leisure and idleness I have a portion.
وَقَالَand saidالْأَخْنَسُal-Akhnasابْنُson ofشِهَابٍShihab
And al-Akhnas ibn Shihab said:
وَقَدْand indeedعِشْتُI livedدَهْرًاa long timeوَالْغُوَاةُand the misguidedصَحَابَتِيmy companionsأُولَئِكَthoseإِخْوَانِيmy brothersالَّذِينَwhomأُصَاحِبُI accompany
And I have lived a long time while the misguided are my companions; those are my brothers with whom I associate.
Footnotes
- 1.القصيدة في الأغاني وتمامها: قليل ذنبه والذنب جمّ ولكن الغنى ربّ غفور
The poem is in al-Aghani and its completion: 'His sins are few while sins are many, but wealth is a forgiving lord.'
- 2.سعيد بن زيد بن عمرو بن نفيل أحد العشرة المبشرين بالجنة، وكان من أشراف الصحابة
Sa'id ibn Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl was one of the ten promised paradise, and he was among the nobles of the Companions.
- 3.العرس: المرأة، ونطقا: تكلما، وعمد: عمدًا، والزور والهتر: الكذب
Al-'irs means woman, 'nataqa' means they speak, 'amd means intentionally, and 'zur' and 'hatr' mean falsehood.
- 4.نكر: منكرًا عجيبًا
Nukr means something strange and unrecognized.
- 5.الأواق: جمع أوقية وهي وزن من الفضة، والمناصيف: جمع منصفة وهي الخادم
Awāq is plural of ūqiyya, a weight of silver; manāṣīf is plural of munaṣṣifa, meaning a servant.
- 6.أي: تقولان ذلك استهزاءً وعدم اكتراث
That is, they say that mockingly and without concern.
- 7.النشب: المال، وضر: شدة
Nashab means wealth, and durr means hardship.
- 8.النجيّ: الذي يناجيك، أي: يحرم الفقير من السر الذي يناجى به، بل يحضر الغني في كل شر
An-najiyy is the one who confides in you, i.e., the poor person is deprived of the secret that is confided, but the rich attends every evil.
- 9.الأخنس بن شهاب التميمي: شاعر جاهلي
Al-Akhnas ibn Shihab at-Tamimi was a pre-Islamic poet.
- 10.الغواة: الضالون، وصحابتي: أصحابي
Al-ghuwāt means the misguided; ṣaḥābatī means my companions.