أَلْفُA thousandدِرْهَمٍdirhamsلَوْifوَهَبْتُI gaveلَكِto youمِنْهَاof themخَمْسَfiveمِائَةِhundredأَلْفِthousandدِرْهَمٍdirhams
A thousand dirhams, if I gave you five hundred thousand dirhams from them.
يَاOهَؤُلَاءِyou people
O you people!
فَرَجُلٌFor a manيَهَبُgivesضَرْبَةًa single strokeوَاحِدَةًoneخَمْسَfiveمِائَةِhundredأَلْفٍthousandيُقَالُis saidلَهُto himبَخِيلٌmiser
A man who gives five hundred thousand in a single stroke is called a miser?
صَاحِبِThe owner ofالثَّرِيدَةِthe tharidah
The Owner of the Tharidah
وَأَمَّاAnd as forصَاحِبُthe owner ofالثَّرِيدَةِthe tharidahالْبَلْقَاءِ1the piebald
And as for the owner of the piebald tharidah ⟦1⟧
فَلَيْسَthen notعَجَبِيmy wonderمِنْatبُلْقَةِthe piebaldness ofثَرِيدَتِهِhis tharidahوَسَائِرِand the rest ofمَاwhatكَانَwasيَظْهَرُappearingعَلَىuponإِخْوَانِهِhis companions
My wonder is not at the piebaldness of his tharidah and the rest of what he used to show to his companions.
كَعَجَبِيlike my wonderمِنْatشَيْءٍa thingوَاحِدٍone
Rather, my wonder is at one thing.
وَكَيْفَAnd howضَبَطَهُhe controlled itوَحَصَرَهُand confined itوَقَوِيَand was ableعَلَيْهِover it
And how he controlled it, confined it, and mastered it
مَعَwithكَثْرَةِthe abundance ofأَحَادِيثِهِhis narrationsوَصُنُوفِand the varieties ofمَذَاهِبِهِhis subjects
despite the abundance of his narrations and the varieties of his topics.
وَذَلِكَAnd thatأَنِّيthat Iفِيinكَثْرَةِthe abundance ofمَاwhatجَالَسْتُهُI sat with him
That is because, in the many times I sat with him
وَفِيand inكَثْرَةِthe abundance ofمَاwhatكَانَhe used toيَفْتِنُّelaborateفِيهِin itمِنَofالْأَحَادِيثِthe narrations
and in the many narrations he would elaborate upon
وَلَمْand notأَرَهُI saw himخَبَّرَreportأَنَّthatرَجُلًاa manوَهَبَgaveلِرَجُلٍto a manدِرْهَمًاa dirhamوَاحِدًاone
I never saw him report that a man gave another man even one dirham.
فَقَدْfor indeedكَانَhe used toيَفْتِنُّelaborateفِيonالْحَزْمِdecisivenessوَالْعَزْمِand resolve
For he would elaborate on decisiveness and resolve
وَفِيand onالْحِلْمِforbearanceوَالْعِلْمِand knowledge
and on forbearance and knowledge
وَفِيand onجَمِيعِallالْمَعَانِيthe meanings
and on all the [other] meanings
إِلَّاexceptذِكْرَthe mention ofالْجُودِgenerosity
except the mention of generosity
فَإِنِّيfor IلَمْnotأَسْمَعْI heardهَذَاthisالِاسْمَnameمِنْهُfrom himقَطُّever
For I never heard this word from him at all.
خَرَجَIt leftهَذَاthisالْبَابُchapterمِنْfromلِسَانِهِhis tongue
This subject left his tongue
كَمَاjust asخَرَجَit leftمِنْfromقَلْبِهِhis heart
just as it left his heart.
حَدِيثِThe narration ofطَاهِرٍTahirالْأَسِيرِthe captive
The Narration of Tahir the Captive
وَيُؤَكِّدُAnd it confirmsمَاwhatقُلْتُI saidفِيهِabout himمَاthat whichحَدَّثَنِيhe narrated to meبِهِwith itطَاهِرٌTahirالْأَسِيرُthe captive
And what confirms what I said about him is what Tahir the Captive narrated to me.
فَإِنَّهُfor heقَالَsaid
For he said:
وَمِمَّاAnd among whatيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَىthatأَنَّthatالرُّومَthe Byzantinesأَبْخَلُthe most miserlyالْأُمَمِof nations
Among the things that indicate that the Byzantines are the most miserly of nations
أَنَّكَis that youلَاdo notتَجِدُfindالْجُودَgenerosityفِيinلُغَتِهِمْtheir languageاسْمًاa name
is that you do not find generosity in their language as a name.
يَقُولُHe says
He says:
إِنَّمَاOnlyيُسَمِّيnamesالنَّاسُpeopleمَاwhatيَحْتَاجُونَthey needإِلَىtoاسْتِعْمَالِهِits use
People only name what they need to use.
وَمَعَAnd withالِاسْتِغْنَاءِthe lack of needيَسْقُطُfalls awayالتَّكَلُّفُthe effort
And when there is no need, the effort falls away.
وَقَدْAnd indeedزَعَمَclaimedنَاسٌsome peopleأَنَّthatمِمَّاamong whatيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَىtheغِشِّdeceitfulness ofالْفُرْسِthe Persians
And some people have claimed that among the things indicating the deceitfulness of the Persians
أَنَّهُis thatلَيْسَthere is notلِلنَّصِيحَةِfor counselفِيinلُغَتِهِمْtheir languageاسْمٌa nameوَاحِدٌone
is that there is no single name for counsel in their language
يَجْمَعُthat combinesالْمَعَانِيَthe meaningsالَّتِيwhichيَقَعُfalls uponعَلَيْهَاthemهَذَاthisالِاسْمُname
that encompasses the meanings this name covers.
وَقَوْلُAnd the saying ofالْقَائِلِthe one who says«نَصِيحَةٌ»'counsel'
And the saying of the speaker, 'counsel'
لَيْسَis notيُرَادُintendedبِهِby itسَلَامَةُthe soundness ofالْقَلْبِthe heart
is not meant by it the soundness of the heart.
فَقَدْfor indeedيَكُونُit may beأَنَّthatالرَّجُلَthe manسَلِيمُsoundالصَّدْرِof chest
For indeed, a man may be sound-hearted
وَلَمْand notيُحْدِثْhe causesسَبَبٌa causeمِنْforأَجْلِهِhis sakeيَقْصِدُhe intendsإِلَىtoالْمُشَاوَرَةِthe consultationعَلَيْكَwith you
and not cause, for his sake, an intention to consult with you
بِالَّذِيwith whatهُوَisأَرَدُّmore harmfulعَلَيْكَto you
with what is more harmful to you
عَلَىaccording toحَسَبِhis opinionرَأْيِهِhis opinionفِيكَabout you
according to his opinion about you
وَوَجْهِand the aspect ofلِنَفْعِكَfor your benefit
and the aspect of your benefit.
فَفِيSo inلُغَتِهِمْtheir languageاسْمٌa nameلِلسَّلَامَةِfor safety
For in their language there is a word for safety
وَاسْمٌand a nameلِإِرَادَةِfor the desire ofالْخَيْرِgood
and a word for the desire for good
وَحُسْنِand the goodness ofالْمُشَاوَرَةِconsultation
and the goodness of consultation
وَحَمْلِكَand your carryingبِالرَّأْيِby opinionعَلَىuponالصَّوَابِthe right
and guiding you by opinion to what is right.
فَلِلنَّصِيحَةِSo for counselعِنْدَهُمْwith themأَسْمَاءٌnamesمُخْتَلِفَةٌvarious
So for counsel, they have various different names
إِذَاwhenاجْتَمَعَتْthey all come together
when they all come together.
Footnotes
- 1.البَلْقَاءُ: هِيَ الَّتِي فِيهَا بَيَاضٌ وَسَوَادٌ، وَيُقْصَدُ بِهَا هُنَا ثَرِيدَةٌ مُخْتَلِطَةُ الْأَلْوَانِ.
Al-balka' means that which has whiteness and blackness; here it refers to a tharidah of mixed colors.