وَandقَالُوا:they said:«يَاOعَاقِدُremembererاُذْكُرْrememberحُلَا1Hula»
And they said: "O you who remembers, remember Hula."
وَandقَالُوا:they said:«الرَّشِيفُthe sipأَنْقَعُmore quenchingلِلظَّمْآنِ2for the thirsty»
And they said: "The sip is more quenching for the thirsty."
وَandقَالُوا:they said:«اَلْقَلِيلُthe littleالدَّائِمُthe continuousأَكْثَرُmoreمِنَthanاَلْكَثِيرِthe muchالْمُنْقَطِعِthe intermittent»
And they said: "The little that continues is better than the much that stops."
وَandقَالَsaidأَبُوfatherالدَّرْدَاءِ:Ad-Darda':«إِنِّيindeed Iلَأَسْتَجِمُّrefreshنَفْسِيmyselfبِبَعْضِwith someالْبَاطِلِof falsehoodكَرَاهَةَdislikingأَنْthatأَحْمِلَI loadعَلَيْهَاupon itمِنَofالْحَقِّthe truthمَاwhatيُمِلُّهَاmakes it bored»
And Abu Ad-Darda' said: "I refresh my soul with some falsehood, disliking that I load upon it of the truth what would bore it."
وَandقَالَsaidاَلشَّاعِرُ:the poet:وَإِنِّيand indeed Iلَحُلْوٌam sweetتَعْتَرِينِيaffects meمَرَارَةٌbitterness......وَإِنِّيand indeed Iلَصَعْبُam difficultالرَّأْسِof headغَيْرُnotجَمُوحٍ3rebellious
And the poet said: "And I am sweet, but bitterness affects me... and I am hard-headed, not rebellious."
وَandقَالُواthey saidفِيaboutعَذْلِblamingالْمُصْلِحِ،the reformer,وَandلَائِمَةِblamingالْمُقْتَصِدِ:the thrifty:«اَلشَّحِيحُthe miserlyأَعْذَرُmore excusableمِنَthanالظَّالِمِthe wrongdoer»
And they said about blaming the reformer and reproaching the thrifty: "The miserly is more excusable than the wrongdoer."
وَandقَالُوا:they said:«لَيْسَnotمِنَofالْعَدْلِjusticeسُرْعَةُswiftnessالْعَذْلِof blame»
And they said: "It is not of justice to hasten blame."
وَandقَالُوا:they said:«لَعَلَّperhapsلَهُfor himعُذْرًاan excuseوَwhileأَنْتَyouتَلُومُblame»
And they said: "Perhaps he has an excuse while you blame."
وَandقَالُوا:they said:«رُبَّmany aلَائِمٍblamerمُلِيمٍworthy of blame»
And they said: "Many a blamer is himself blameworthy."
وَandقَالَsaidاَلْأَحْنَفُ:Al-Ahnaf:«رُبَّmany aمَلُومٍblamedلَاnoذَنْبَfaultلَهُfor him»
And Al-Ahnaf said: "Many a blamed one has no fault."
وَandقَالَ:he said:«إِعْطَاءُgivingالسَّائِلِthe askerتَضْرِيَةٌ4a training،,وَandإِعْطَاءُgivingالْمُلِحِّthe importunateمُشَارَكَةٌ5partnership»
And he said: "Giving to the asker is a training, and giving to the importunate is a partnership."
وَandقَالَsaidاَلنَّبِيُّthe ProphetصَلَّىblessاَللهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَandسَلَّمَ:grant peace:«لَاnotتَصْلُحُis permissibleالْمَسْأَلَةُaskingإِلَّاexceptفِيinثَلَاثٍ:three:فَقْرٍpovertyمُدْقِعٍ6destitute،,وَandغُرْمٍdebtمُفْظِعٍ7heavy،,وَandدَمٍbloodمُوجِعٍpainful»
And the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Asking is not permissible except in three cases: destitute poverty, heavy debt, and painful blood (money to pay blood money)."
وَandقَالَsaidاَلشَّاعِرُ:the poet:اَلْحُرُّthe free manيُلْحَىis blamed،,وَandاَلْعَصَاthe stickلِلْعَبْدِfor the slave......وَandلَيْسَnotلِلْمُلِحِّfor the importunateغَيْرُother thanاَلرَّدِّ8the refusal
And the poet said: "The free man is blamed, and the stick is for the slave... and for the importunate there is nothing but refusal."
وَandقَالُوا:they said:«إِذَاwhenجَدَّbecame seriousاَلسُّؤَالُaskingجَدَّbecame seriousاَلْمَنْعُrefusal»
And they said: "When asking becomes intense, refusal becomes intense."
وَandقَالُوا:they said:«اِحْذَرْbeware ofإِعْطَاءَgivingالْمَخْدُوعِينَ،the deceived,وَandبَذْلَspendingالْمَغْبُونِينَ،the duped,فَإِنَّfor indeedالْمَغْبُونَthe dupedلَاnotمَحْمُودٌpraisedوَandلَاnotمَأْجُورٌrewarded»
And they said: "Beware of giving to the deceived, and spending on the duped, for the duped is neither praised nor rewarded."
وَandلِذَلِكَthereforeقَالُوا:they said:«لَاnotتَكُنْbeأَدْنَىnearestاَلْعِيرَيْنِof the two caravansإِلَىtoاَلسَّهْمِ9the arrow»
And therefore they said: "Do not be the nearest of the two caravans to the arrow."
يَقُولُ:he says:إِذَاifأَعْطَيْتَyou giveالسَّائِلِينَthe askersمَالَكَyour wealthصَارَتْbecameمَقَاتِلُكَyour fighting forces
He says: If you give your wealth to the askers, your fighting forces become (weakened).
Footnotes
- 1.حُلَا: مَوْضِعٌ بِالْيَمَنِ، كَانَ أَهْلُهُ يُذْكَرُونَ بِالْوَفَاءِ بِالْعَهْدِ.
Hula: a place in Yemen, whose people were known for keeping promises.
- 2.الرَّشِيفُ: مَصُّ الْمَاءِ بِالشَّفَتَيْنِ قَلِيلًا قَلِيلًا، وَهُوَ أَرْوَى لِلظَّمْآنِ مِنَ الْعَبِّ.
Ar-Rasheef: sipping water with the lips little by little, and it is more quenching for the thirsty than gulping.
- 3.الْبَيْتُ لِلْحُطَيْئَةِ، وَعَجُزُهُ: وَإِنِّي لَصَعْبُ الرَّأْسِ غَيْرُ جَمُوحِ.
The verse is by Al-Hutay'ah, and its second half: "And I am hard-headed, not rebellious."
- 4.التَّضْرِيَةُ: تَعْلِيمُ الْكَلْبِ الصَّيْدَ، وَالْمَعْنَى: أَنَّ إِعْطَاءَ السَّائِلِ يُعَوِّدُهُ عَلَى السُّؤَالِ.
At-Tadriyah: training a dog for hunting; meaning: giving to the asker accustoms him to asking.
- 5.الْمُلِحُّ: الَّذِي يُلِحُّ فِي السُّؤَالِ، وَالْمُشَارَكَةُ: أَنْ يُشَارِكَهُ فِي مَالِهِ.
Al-Mulihh: the one who persists in asking, and partnership means that he shares his wealth with him.
- 6.الْمُدْقِعُ: الَّذِي أَلْجَأَهُ الْفَقْرُ إِلَى الدُّقْعَةِ، وَهِيَ التُّرَابُ.
Al-Mudqi': the one whose poverty forces him to the dust (i.e., extreme poverty).
- 7.الْمُفْظِعُ: الَّذِي يُفْظِعُ، أَيْ يُهْلِكُ وَيُثْقِلُ.
Al-Mufzi': the one that is terrible, i.e., destructive and heavy.
- 8.يُلْحَى: يُذَمُّ وَيُعَاتَبُ. وَالْعَصَا لِلْعَبْدِ: أَيْ أَنَّ الْعَبْدَ يُضْرَبُ بِالْعَصَا.
Yulha: is blamed and reproached. And the stick for the slave: i.e., the slave is beaten with a stick.
- 9.اَلْعِيرَانِ: الْقَافِلَتَانِ، وَالْمَثَلُ يُضْرَبُ لِلَّذِي يَتَعَرَّضُ لِلْمَكْرُوهِ.
Al-'Iran: the two caravans; the proverb is used for the one who exposes himself to harm.