نَفْسَكَyourselfمِنْfromثِقَتِكَyour trust،,وَلَاand notأَوْلَىmore worthyبِأَخْذِof takingالْحَذَرِcaution
Yourself from your trust, and no one is more worthy of taking caution.
مِنْهُfrom himمِنْfromأَمِينِكَyour trusted one
from him, from your trusted one.
اخْتُطِفَتْwas snatchedاخْتِطَافًاsnatchingوَاسْتُلِبَتْand was taken awayاسْتِلَابًاtaking away
It was snatched and taken away completely.
وَذَوَّبُواand they meltedمَالَكَyour wealthوَتَحَيَّفُوهُ1and they took it from all sides
And they consumed your wealth and took it from all sides [1].
وَأَلْزَمُوهُand they obliged itالسُّلَّthe consumptionوَلَمْand notيُدَاوُوهُthey treated it
And they inflicted upon it consumption and did not treat it.
وَقَدْand indeedقَالُواthey said::
And they said:
تَلَّىpreservesالْمَالَthe wealthرَبُّهُits ownerوَإِنْeven ifكَانَhe isأَحْمَقَfoolish
A man preserves his wealth even if he is foolish.
فَلَاso do notتَكُونَنَّbeدُونَbelowذَلِكَthatالْأَحْمَقِfoolish one
So do not be below that foolish one.
وَقَالُواand they said::
And they said:
لَاnotتَعْدَمُlacksامْرَأَةٌa womanصِنَاعَskill ofثُلَّةٍ2a group
A woman does not lack the skill of a group [2].
فَلَاso do notتَكُونَنَّbeدُونَbelowتِلْكَthatالْمَرْأَةِwoman
So do not be below that woman.
وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidالْأَوَّلُthe firstفِيaboutالْمَالِthe wealthالْمُضَيَّعِthe wastedالْمُسَلَّطِthe one given powerعَلَيْهِover itشَهَوَاتُdesires ofالْعِيَالِfamily
And the first said about wealth that is wasted and over which the desires of family have power:
لَيْسَnotلَهَاfor itرَاعٍa shepherdوَلَكِنْbutحَلَبَةٌ3milkers
It has no shepherd but milkers [3].
وَلَيْسَand notمَالِكُownerالْمَالِof wealthالْمُعَفَّىthe exemptedمِنَfromالْأَضْرَاسِthe molars
And the owner of wealth is not exempt from the molars.
فَيُقَالُso it is saidفِيهِabout it::
So it is said about it:
مَرْعَىpastureوَلَاand notأَكُولَةُeater،,وَعُشْبٌand grassوَلَاand notبَعِيرُcamel
Pasture but no eater, and grass but no camel.
فَقِصَارَاكَso your utmostمَعَwithالْإِصْلَاحِthe reformأَنْthatيَقُومَit sufficesبِمِلْءِwith fillingبَطْنِكَyour bellyوَبِحَقَائِقِكَand with your needs،,وَبِمَاand with whatيَنُوبُكَbefalls you
So your utmost with reform is that it suffices for filling your belly, your needs, and what befalls you.
وَلَاand notيُقَالُit is saidلِلْمَالِto the wealthعَلَىuponقِلَّةِscarcity ofالرَّعْيِgrazingوَكَثْرَةِand abundance ofالْحَلَبِmilking
And it is not said to wealth upon scarcity of grazing and abundance of milking.
فَكُسْso manageفِيinأَمْرِكَ4your affair،,
So manage your affair [4],
وَتَقَدَّمْand proceedفِيinحِفْظِpreservation ofمَالِكَyour wealth
and proceed in preserving your wealth.
فَإِنَّfor indeedمَنْwhoeverحَفِظَpreservesمَالَهُhis wealthفَقَدْhasحَفِظَpreservedالْأَكْرَمَيْنِthe two noble things
For whoever preserves his wealth has preserved the two noble things.
وَالْأَكْرَمَانِand the two noble thingsبِالدِّينِare religionوَالْعِرْضِand honor
And the two noble things are religion and honor.
وَقَدْand indeedقِيلَit was said::
And it was said:
«لِلرَّمْيِ"For shootingيُرَاشُis fletchedالسَّهْمُ5the arrow..
"For shooting the arrow is fletched [5]."
وَعِنْدَand atالنِّطَاحِthe buttingتَغْلِبُovercomeالْقُرْنَاءُ6the horned»"
"And at butting the horned overcome [6]."
وَإِذَاand whenرَأَتْsawالْعَرَبُthe Arabsمُسْتَأْكِلًاan eaterوَافَقَmatchedغَمْرًا7abundant foodقَالَتْthey said::
And when the Arabs saw an eater matched with abundant food [7], they said:
«لَيْسَ"Notعَلَيْكَupon youنَسْجُهُits weaving،,فَاسْحَقْso crushوَخَرِّقْ8and tear»"
"Its weaving is not upon you, so crush and tear [8]."
وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidرَسُولُMessengerاللهِof Allahصَلَّىmay He blessاللهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant him peace::
And the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
النَّاسُpeopleكُلُّهُمْall of themسَوَاءٌequalكَأَسْنَانِlike teethالْمُشْطِof the comb،,وَالْمَرْءُand a manكَثِيرٌis abundantبِأَخِيهِwith his brother
People are all equal like the teeth of a comb, and a man is abundant with his brother.
وَلَاand notخَيْرَgoodلَكَfor youفِيinصُحْبَةِcompanionship ofمَنْone whoلَاnotيَرَىseesلَكَfor youمِثْلَlikeمَاwhatيَرَىhe seesلِنَفْسِهِfor himself
And there is no good for you in the companionship of one who does not see for you like what he sees for himself.
فَتَعَرَّفْso knowشَأْنَcondition ofأَصْحَابِكَyour companions،,وَمَعْنَىand meaning ofجُلَسَائِكَyour sitting companions؛;
So know the condition of your companions and the meaning of your sitting companions;
فَإِنْfor ifكَانُواthey wereفِيinهَذِهِthisالصِّفَةِattributeفَاسْتَعْمِلْthen useالْحَزْمَprudence
For if they are in this attribute, then use prudence.
وَإِنْand ifكَانُواthey wereفِيinخِلَافِcontrary ofذَلِكَthatعَمِلْتَyou actعَلَىaccording toحَسَبِaccording toذَلِكَthat
And if they are in contrast to that, then you act according to that.
إِنِّيindeed Iلَسْتُam notآمُرُكَcommanding youإِلَّاexceptبِمَاwith whatأَمَرَكَcommanded youبِهِwith itالْقُرْآنُthe Quran::
I am not commanding you except with what the Quran commands you:
وَلَسْتُand I am notأُوصِيكَadvising youإِلَّاexceptبِمَاwith whatأَوْصَاكَadvised youبِهِwith it
And I am not advising you except with what it advised you with.
Footnotes
- 1.تَحَيَّفُوا: أَخَذُوا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهِ
They took from its sides.
- 2.ثُلَّةٌ: جَمَاعَةٌ
A group.
- 3.حَلَبَةٌ: جَمْعُ حَالِبٍ، وَهُمُ الَّذِينَ يَحْلُبُونَ
Milkers: plural of milker, those who milk.
- 4.كُسْ: أَصْلِحْ وَدَبِّرْ
Manage and take care of.
- 5.يُرَاشُ: يُقَوَّمُ بِالرِّيشِ
Is fletched: is straightened with feathers.
- 6.النِّطَاحُ: التَّنَاطُحُ بِالْقُرُونِ
Butting: fighting with horns.
- 7.غَمْرٌ: مَاءٌ كَثِيرٌ
Abundant water or food.
- 8.اسْحَقْ: أَلِنْهُ وَدُقَّهُ، وَخَرِّقْ: مَزِّقْ
Crush: soften and pound it, and tear: rip it.