«رُبَّMany aأَكْلَةٍmealتَمْنَعُpreventsأَكَلَاتٍmeals.
"Many a meal prevents [other] meals.
وَرُبَّAnd many aعَجَلَةٍhasteتَهَبُbestowsرَيْثًا1leisure/tarrying
And many a haste brings leisure." (Footnote 1)
»،وَعَابُواAnd they criticizedمِنْone whoقَالَ:said:
And they criticized the one who said: "...
«أَكْلَةٌ'A mealوَمَوْتَةٌ»and a death.'
'A meal and a death.'
وَقَالُوا:And they said:«لَا'Do notتَطْلُبْseekأَثَرًاa traceبَعْدَafterعَيْنٍ»a sight.'
And they said: "Do not seek a trace after a sight."
.وَقَالُوا:And they said:«لَا'Do notتَكُنْbeكَمَنْlike one whomتَغْلِبُهُovercomes himنَفْسُهُhis soulعَلَىoverمَاwhatيَظُنُّhe thinks,وَلَاand notيَغْلِبُهَاovercomes itعَلَىoverمَاwhatيَسْتَيْقِنُ»he is certain of.'
And they said: "Do not be like one whom his soul overcomes in what he thinks, and does not overcome it in what he is certain of."
.فَانْظُرْSo lookكَيْفَhowتُخْرِجُyou spendالدِّرْهَمَthe dirham,وَلَمْand notتُخْرِجْهُyou spend it.
So consider how you spend the dirham, and [how] you do not spend it.
وَقَالُوا:And they said:«شَرُّ'The worst ofمِنْthanالْمُرْزِئَةِ2the calamityسُوءُis the evil ofالْخَلَفِ»the successors.'
And they said: "Worse than the calamity (footnote 2) is the evil of the successors."
.وَقَالَAnd saidالشَّاعِرُ:the poet:
And the poet said:
إِنْIfيَكُنْbeمَاwhatبِهِwith itأُصِبْتَyou were afflictedجَلِيلًاgreat
If what you are afflicted with is great,
...فَذَهَابُthen the going ofالْعَزَاءِconsolationفِيهِin itأَجَلُّis greater
Then the loss of consolation in it is greater.
.وَلَأَنْAnd [that] youتَفْتَقِرَbecome poorبِجَائِحَةٍ3due to a calamityنَازِلَةٍbefallingخَيْرٌis betterلَكَfor youمِنْthanأَنْthatتَفْتَقِرَyou become poorبِجِنَايَةٍdue to an offenseمُكْتَسَبَةٍearned
And that you become poor due to a calamity (footnote 3) that befalls is better than that you become poor due to an offense you earned.
.وَمَنْAnd whoeverكَانَwasسَبَبًاa causeلِذَهَابِfor the going ofوَفْرِهِhis wealth,لَمْnotتُعْدِمْهُwill fail himالْحَسْرَةُthe regretمِنْfromنَفْسِهِhimselfوَاللَّائِمَةُand the blameمِنْfromغَيْرِهِothers
And whoever was a cause for the loss of his wealth, regret from himself and blame from others will not fail him,
,وَقِلَّةُand paucityالرَّحْمَةِof mercyوَكَثْرَةُand abundanceالشَّمَاتَةِof gloating,مَعَalong withالْإِثْمِthe sinالْمُوبِقِ4destructiveوَالْهَوَانِand humiliationعَلَىuponالصَّاحِبِthe companion
and little mercy and much gloating, along with destructive sin (footnote 4) and humiliation before the companion.
.وَذَكَرَAnd mentionedعُمَرُUmarبْنُibnالْخَطَّابِal-Khattabفِتْيَانَthe young men ofقُرَيْشٍQurayshوَسَرَفَهُمْand their extravaganceفِيinالْإِنْفَاقِspending
And Umar ibn al-Khattab mentioned the young men of Quraysh and their extravagance in spending,
,وَمُسَابَقَتِهِمْand their competingفِيinالتَّبْذِيرِwastefulness,فَقَالَ:and he said:«لَحِرْفَةُ'Indeed, the craft ofأَحَدِهِمْone of themأَشَدُّis harderعَلَيَّfor meمِنْthanعَيْلَتِهِ5his poverty»
and their competing in wastefulness, so he said: "Indeed, the craft of one of them is harder for me than his poverty" (footnote 5).
.يَقُولُ:He says:إِنَّIndeed,إِغْنَاءَenrichingالْفَقِيرِthe poorأَهْوَنُis easierعَلَيَّfor meمِنْthanإِصْلَاحِreformingالْفَاسِدِthe corrupt
He says: Indeed, enriching the poor is easier for me than reforming the corrupt.
.وَلَاAnd do notتَكُنْbeعَلَىagainstنَفْسِكَyourselfأَشْأَمَmore ominousمِنْthanخَوْتَعَةَ6Khawta'a
And do not be more ominous against yourself than Khawta'a (footnote 6),
,وَعَلَىand againstأَهْلِكَyour familyأَشْأَمَmore ominousمِنْthanالْبَسُوسِ7al-Basus
and against your family more ominous than al-Basus (footnote 7),
,وَعَلَىand againstقَوْمِكَyour peopleأَشْأَمَmore ominousمِنْthanعِطْرِthe perfume ofمَنْشَمٍ8Mansham
and against your people more ominous than the perfume of Mansham (footnote 8).
.وَمَنْAnd whoeverسَلَّطَgave powerالشَّهَوَاتِto desiresعَلَىoverمَالِهِhis wealth,وَحَكَّمَand made judgeالْهَوَىwhimsفِيinذَاتِpossessionيَدِهِhis hand
And whoever gives power to desires over his wealth, and makes whims judge over what is in his hand,
,فَبَقِيَthen remainsحَسِيرًاexhausted,فَلَاthen notيَلُومَنَّlet him blameإِلَّاexceptنَفْسَهُhimself
then he remains exhausted, so let him blame only himself.
.وَطُوبَىAnd blessed isلَكَfor youيَوْمَthe dayتَقْدِرُyou are ableعَلَىoverقَدَمٍa foot/stepتَنْتَفِعُyou benefitبِهِwith it
And blessed are you on the day you are able to take a step by which you benefit.
.وَقَالَAnd saidبَعْضُsome ofالشُّعَرَاءِ:the poets:
And some of the poets said:
Footnotes
- 1.الرَّيْثُ: الْإِبْطَاءُ وَالتَّأَخُّرُ.
Ar-Raith: slowness and delay.
- 2.الْمُرْزِئَةُ: الْمُصِيبَةُ.
Al-Murzī'ah: the calamity.
- 3.الْجَائِحَةُ: الْمُصِيبَةُ الْعَظِيمَةُ.
Al-Jā'iḥah: the great calamity.
- 4.الْمُوبِقُ: الْمُهْلِكُ.
Al-Mūbiq: the destructive.
- 5.الْعَيْلَةُ: الْفَقْرُ.
Al-ʻAylah: poverty.
- 6.خَوْتَعَةُ: رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ وَائِلٍ، كَانَ يُدْعَى بِالْأَشْأَمِ لِشُؤْمِهِ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ.
Khawta'a: a man from Bakr ibn Wā'il, who was called 'the most ominous' for his ill omen upon his people.
- 7.الْبَسُوسُ: امْرَأَةٌ كَانَتْ سَبَبًا لِحَرْبٍ طَوِيلَةٍ بَيْنَ بَكْرٍ وَتَغْلِبَ، فَصَارَتْ مَثَلًا فِي الشُّؤْمِ.
Al-Basūs: a woman who was the cause of a long war between Bakr and Taghlib, so she became a proverb in ill omen.
- 8.عِطْرُ مَنْشَمٍ: هِيَ امْرَأَةٌ كَانُوا إِذَا أَرَادُوا الْحَرْبَ عَطَّرُوا بِهِ، فَصَارَ مَثَلًا فِي الشَّرِّ وَالشُّؤْمِ.
The perfume of Mansham: it refers to a woman; when they intended war, they perfumed with it, so it became a proverb in evil and ill omen.