فِيinكُلِّeveryيَوْمٍdayشَأْنٌmatter
Every day has its own affair.
كَانَwasالْفَقِيهُthe juristيَمُرُّpasses byبِاللُّقَطَةِ1the lost item
The jurist used to pass by a lost item [footnote 1]
فَيَتَجَاوَزُهَاand pass it byوَلَاand notيَتَنَاوَلُهَاtake it
and pass it by without taking it,
كَيْin order toيَمْتَحِنَtestبِحِفْظِهَاwith its preservationسِوَاهُothers besides him
in order to test others' preservation of it,
إِذْsinceكَانَwasجُلُّmostالنَّاسِof the peopleفِيinذَلِكَthatالدَّهْرِtime
since most people in that era
يُؤَدُّونَthey fulfillالْأَمَانَةَthe trustوَيَحُوطُونَand protectاللُّقَطَةَthe lost item
fulfilled the trust and protected lost items.
فَلَمَّاwhenتَبَدَّلُواthey changedوَفَسَدُواand became corrupt
When they changed and became corrupt,
وَجَبَbecame obligatoryعَلَىuponالْفَقِيهِthe juristإِحْرَازُهَاsecuring itوَالْحِفْظُand preservingلَهَاfor it
it became obligatory for the jurist to secure it and preserve it,
وَأَنْand thatيَصْبِرَhe be patientعَلَىuponمَاwhatنَابَهُbefell himمِنَofالْمِحْنَةِthe trial
and that he be patient with the trial that befell him
وَاخْتُبِرَand was testedبِهِwith itمِنَofالْكُلْفَةِthe hardship
and tested with hardship.
وَقَدْand indeedبَلَغَنِيit reached meأَنَّthatرَجُلًاa manأَتَىcame toصَدِيقًاa friendلَهُof his
And indeed it reached me that a man came to a friend of his
يَسْتَقْرِضُasking for a loanمِنْهُfrom himمَالًاmoney
asking him for a loan of money.
فَتَرَكَهُand he left himبِالْبَابِat the door
He left him at the door,
ثُمَّthenخَرَجَwent outإِلَيْهِto himمُؤْتَزِرًا2wearing a waist-wrapper
then came out to him wearing a waist-wrapper [footnote 2].
فَقَالَand he saidلَهُto himمَالِكَwhat is the matter with you
He said to him, 'What is the matter with you?'
قَالَhe saidجِئْتُI cameلِلْقِتَالِfor fightingوَاللِّطَامِand slappingوَالْخُصُومَةِand quarrelingوَالصَّخَبِand shouting
He said, 'I came for fighting, slapping, quarreling, and shouting.'
قَالَhe saidوَلِمَand why
He said, 'And why?'
قَالَhe saidلِأَنَّكَbecause youفِيinأَخْذِtakingمَالِيmy moneyبَيْنَbetweenحَالَيْنِtwo states
He said, 'Because in taking my money you are between two states:'
إِمَّاeitherأَنْthatتَذْهَبَyou take itبِهِwith itوَإِمَّاorأَنْthatتُمَاطِلَنِيyou delay meبِهِwith it
Either you take it away, or you delay my repayment.'
فَلَوْfor ifأَخَذْتُهُyou took itعَلَىonطَرِيقِthe wayالْبِرِّof righteousnessوَالصِّلَةِand kindness
For if you took it as a charitable gift and act of kindness,
لَاnotعَتَّدْتُI would countعَلَيْكَagainst youبِحَقٍّa rightوَلَوَجَبَand would be obligatoryعَلَيْكَupon youبِهِfor itشُكْرٌgratitude
I would not consider it a debt against you, and gratitude would be incumbent upon you for it.
وَإِذَاand ifأَخَذْتَهُyou take itمِنْfromطَرِيقِthe wayالسَّلَفِof loan
But if you take it as a loan,
كَانَتْwasالْعَادَةُthe customفِيinالدُّيُونِdebtsوَالسِّيرَةُand the practiceفِيinالْإِسْلَافِlendingالرَّدَّrepaymentأَوِorالتَّقَاضِيَdemanding repayment
the custom regarding debts and the practice in lending is repayment or demanding repayment.
وَإِذَاand ifتَقَاضَيْتُكَI demand repayment from youأَغْضَبْتُكَI anger youأَسْمَعْتَنِيyou make me hearمَاwhatأَكْرَهُI dislike
If I demand repayment, I anger you, and you say things I dislike,
فَتَجْمَعَso you combineعَلَيَّagainst meالْمَطْلَdelayوَسُوءَand badاللَّفْظِspeechوَالْوَحْشَةَand estrangementوَإِفْسَادَand spoilingالْيَدِthe handفِيinالْإِسْلَافِlending
thus combining against me delay, harsh words, estrangement, and spoiling the hand in lending,
وَأَنْتَwhile youأَظْلَمُmore unjust
while you are the more unjust.
فَاغْضَبْso become angryكَمَاasغَضِبْتَyou became angry
So become angry just as you became angry,
فَإِذَاfor whenنَقَلْتَنِيyou transfer meإِلَىtoحَالِكَyour stateفَعَلْتَyou would doفِعْلَكَyour deed
For when you bring me to your state, you would do as you do,
وَصِرْتُand I becomeأَنَاIوَأَنْتَand youكَمَاasقَالَsaidالْعَرَبِيُّthe Arab
and I and you become as the Arab said:
أَنَاIتَئِقٌangryوَصَاحِبِيand my companionمَئِقٌ3vexed
'I am angry and my companion is vexed' [footnote 3].
فَمَاso whatظَنُّكَis your opinionبِتَئِقٍof an angry personمِنَofالْغَيْظِrageمَمْلُوءٍfullمِنَofالْغَضَبِanger
So what do you think of one who is angry, full of rage and fury,
لِأَنِّيbecause Iمُتَأَقٌfilled with angerمِنَfromالْمَوْقِ4vexation
because I am filled with vexation [footnote 4]
مَمْلُوءٌfullمِنَofالْكُفْرَانِingratitude
full of ingratitude.
وَلَكِنِّيbut Iأَدْخُلُenterإِلَىintoالْمَنْزِلِthe houseفَأَخْرُجُand come outإِلَيْكَto youمُؤْتَزِرًاwearing a waist-wrapper
But I will go into the house and come out to you wearing a waist-wrapper,
فَأُعَجِّلُand I hastenلَكَfor youالْيَوْمَtodayمَاwhatادَّخَرْتُهُI had deferredإِلَىuntilغَدٍtomorrow
and I will give you today what I had deferred until tomorrow.
وَقَدْand indeedعَلِمْتُI knowأَنَّthatضَرْبَthe blowالْمَوْعِظَةِof admonitionدُونَless thanضَرْبِthe blowالْحِقْدِof rancorوَالسَّخِيمَةِ5and malice
And I know that the blow of admonition is less than the blow of rancor and malice [footnote 5],
فَتَرْبَحُso you gainصَرْفَthe differenceمَاwhatبَيْنَbetweenالْأَلَمَيْنِthe two painsوَفَضْلَand the surplusمَاwhatبَيْنَbetweenالشَّتْمَيْنِthe two insults
so you gain the difference between the two pains and the surplus between the two insults.
وَبَعْدُand after thatفَأَنَاso I amأَضَنُّ6more stingy
Moreover, I am more protective [footnote 6]
بِصَدَاقَتِيof my friendshipلَكَfor youوَأَشَحُّand more sparingعَلَىoverنَصِيبِيmy shareمِنْكَfrom you
of my friendship for you, and more sparing with my share of you,
مِنْthanأَنْthat
than that ...
Footnotes
- 1.اللُّقَطَةُ: مَا يُوجَدُ مِنَ الْمَالِ ضَائِعًا.
Al-luqata: property found lying about.
- 2.مُؤْتَزِرًا: أَيْ لَابِسًا الْإِزَارَ.
Mu'taziran: wearing an izār.
- 3.التَّئِقُ: الْغَضْبَانُ، وَالْمَئِقُ: الَّذِي يَمَلُّ وَيَضْجَرُ.
At-tā'iq: the angry one; al-mā'iq: one who becomes weary and annoyed.
- 4.الْمَوْقُ: الْحُمُقُ أَوِ الضِّيقُ.
Al-mawq: stupidity or narrowness.
- 5.السَّخِيمَةُ: الْحِقْدُ وَالْغِلُّ.
As-sakhīma: rancor and malice.
- 6.الضِّنُّ: الْبُخْلُ وَالشُّحُّ، وَالْمُرَادُ الْحِرْصُ عَلَى الصَّدَاقَةِ.
Ad-dinn: stinginess and miserliness; here meaning eagerness to preserve friendship.