وَغُثُّكَ1And your fodderخَيْرٌis betterمِنْthanسَمْنِthe butterغَيْرِكَof someone elseلَوْifوَجَدْتَهُyou found it
And your fodder is better than the butter of someone else, even if you found it.
فَكَيْفَSo howوَدُونَهُand without itأَسَلٌa spearحِدَادٌ2sharp
So how (would it be) when there is a sharp spear and strong doors before it?
وَأَبْوَابٌand doorsشِدَادٌstrong
and strong doors.
قَالَتْShe saidاِمْرَأَةٌa womanلِبَعْضِto someالْعَرَبِof the Arabs«إِنْ"Ifتَزَوَّجْتَنِيyou marry meكَفَيْتُكَ»I will suffice you."
A woman said to some Arab: "If you marry me, I will suffice you."
فَأَنْشَأَAnd he beganيَقُولُsaying
And he began to say:
إِذَاIfلَمْnotيَكُنْbeلِيfor meغَيْرُother thanمَالِكَyour wealthمَسَّنِيtouches me
If I have nothing other than your wealth, then poverty afflicts me.
خَصَاصٌ3povertyوَبَانَand departsالْحَمْدُthe praiseمِنِّيfrom meوَالْأَجْرُand the reward
Poverty afflicts me, and praise and reward depart from me.
وَمَاAnd notخَيْرُgoodمَالٍwealthلَيْسَnotنَافِعًاbenefitingأَهْلَهُits family
And what good is wealth that does not benefit its owner?
وَلَيْسَAnd notلِشَيْخِfor the elderالْحَيِّof the tribeفِيinأَمْرِهِhis affairأَمْرٌany say
And the elder of the tribe has no say in his own affair.
وَقَالَAnd saidالْمَعْلُوطُAl-Ma'lutالْقُرَيْعِيُّ:Al-Qurai'i:
And Al-Ma'lut Al-Qurai'i said:
أَبَاO fatherهَانِئٍof Haniلَاdo notتَسْأَلِaskالنَّاسَthe peopleوَالْتَمِسْand seek
O father of Hani, do not ask people, but seek
بِكَفَّيْكَwith your own handsسِتْرَthe coveringاللهِof Godفَاللهُfor Godوَاسِعٌis bountiful
with your own hands the covering of God, for God is bountiful.
فَلَوْFor ifتَسْأَلِyou askالنَّاسَthe peopleالتُّرَابَfor dustلَأَوْشَكُواthey would almost
For if you asked people for dust, they would almost
إِذَاwhenقُلْتَyou saidهَاتُواbring itأَنْthatيَمَلُّواthey would get boredفَيَمْنَعُواand refuse
when you said 'bring it,' they would get tired and refuse.
عَوْدٌA returnإِلَىtoطَرَائِفِthe anecdotesالْبُخَلَاءِ:of the misers:
A return to the anecdotes of the misers:
ثُمَّThenرَجَعَreturnedالْحَدِيثُthe discourseإِلَىtoأَحَادِيثِthe talesالْبُخَلَاءِof the misers
Then the discourse returned to the tales of the misers
وَإِلَىand toطُرَفِthe witty sayingsمَعَانِيهِمْof their meaningsوَكَلَامِهِمْ:and their speech:
and to the witty sayings of their meanings and their speech:
[حَدِيثُThe storyابْنِof IbnحَسَّانَHassan]
The story of Ibn Hassan
قَالَHe saidابْنُIbnحَسَّانَ:Hassan:
Ibn Hassan said:
كَانَThere wasعِنْدَنَاwith usرَجُلٌa manمُقِلٌّpoor
There was a poor man with us
وَكَانَand there wasلَهُfor himأَخٌa brotherمُكْثِرٌwealthy
and he had a wealthy brother
وَكَانَand he wasمُفْرِطَextremeالْبُخْلِin miserlinessشَدِيدَsevereالنَّفَجِin self-conceit
and he was extremely miserly and very conceited.
فَقَالَSo saidلَهُto himيَوْمًاone dayأَخُوهُ:his brother:
So one day his brother said to him:
«وَيْحَكَ"Woe to youأَنَاI amفَقِيرٌpoorمُعِيلٌwith dependents
"Woe to you! I am poor with dependents,
وَأَنْتَand you areغَنِيٌّrichخَفِيفُlightالظَّهْرِof burden
and you are rich with a light burden (no family to support),
لَاdo notتُعِينُنِيhelp meعَلَىagainstالزَّمَانِtime
you do not help me against the vicissitudes of time,
وَلَاand do notتُوَاسِينِيconsole meبِبَعْضِwith someمَالِكَof your wealth
nor console me with some of your wealth,
وَلَاand do notتَتَفَرَّجُrelieveلِيfor meعَنْfromشَيْءٍ؟anything?
nor relieve me of anything?
وَاللهِBy GodمَاnotرَأَيْتُI have seenقَطُّeverوَلَاnorسَمِعْتُheard
By God, I have never seen nor heard
بِأَبْخَلَof a more miserlyمِنْكَ»than you."
of a more miserly person than you.
قَالَ:He said:
He said:
«وَيْحَكَ"Woe to you
"Woe to you!
لَيْسَnotالْأَمْرُthe matterكَمَاasتَظُنُّyou think
The matter is not as you think,
وَلَاand notالْمَالُthe wealthكَمَاasتَحْسِبُyou suppose
and the wealth is not as you suppose,
وَلَاand notأَنَاIكَمَاasتَقُولُyou sayفِيinالْبُخْلِmiserliness
and I am not as you say in miserliness
وَلَاnorفِيinالْيُسْرِease
nor in ease.
وَاللهِBy GodلَوْifمَلَكْتُI possessedأَلْفَa thousand
By God, if I possessed a thousand