أُعَرِّضُهُI expose itلِلْفَسَادِto corruption،,وَأَنْand thatأُعِينَكَI help youعَلَىuponالْقَطِيعَةِthe severance،,فَلَاso do notتَلُمْنِيblame meعَلَىforأَنْthatكُنْتَyou wereعِنْدِيwith meوَاحِدًاoneمِنْofأَهْلِpeopleعَصْرِكَyour era..
I expose it to corruption, and that I help you in severance, so do not blame me for your being one of the people of your time.
فَإِنْFor ifكُنْتَyou wereعِنْدَinنَفْسِكَyourselfفَوْقَهُمْabove themوَبَعِيدًاand farمِنْfromمَذْهَبِهِمْtheir doctrine،,فَلَاthen do notتُكَلِّفِburdenالنَّاسَpeopleعِلْمَknowledgeالْغَيْبِof the unseenفَتَظْلِمَهُمْand thus wrong them..
For if you consider yourself above them and far from their path, do not burden people with knowledge of the unseen, for then you would wrong them.
ثُمَّThenقَالَhe said::وَمَاand notزَالَتْceasedالْعَارِيَةُthe borrowed thingمُؤَدَّاةًreturned،,وَالْوَدِيعَةُand the depositمَحْفُوظَةًpreserved،,فَلَمَّاbut whenقَالُواthey said::
Then he said: "And the borrowed thing continued to be returned and the deposit preserved, but when they said:
«"أَحَقُّmost deservingالْخَيْلِof horsesبِالرَّكْضِof gallopingالْمُعَارُthe borrowed،,بَعْدَafterأَنْthatكَانَit wasيُقَالُsaid::«"أَحَقُّmost deservingالْخَيْلِof horsesبِالصَّوْنِof careالْمُعَارُthe borrowed»"،,وَبَعْدَand afterأَنْthatقِيلَit was saidلِبَعْضِهِمْto some of them::«"أَرْفِقْbe gentleبِهِwith it»"،,فَقَالَand he said::«"إِنَّهُindeed itعَارِيَةٌis a borrowed thing»"،,وَقَالَand he saidالْآخَرُthe other::فَأَقْتُلَthen I kill،,فَسَدَتْthen became corruptالْعَارِيَةُthe borrowed thing،,وَاسْتَدَّand was blockedهَذَاthisالْبَابُ1the door»"..
"The borrowed horse is most deserving of galloping," after it used to be said: "The borrowed horse is most deserving of care," and after it was said to some of them: "Be gentle with it," and he said: "It is a borrowed thing," and the other said: "Then I will kill (it)?" So the custom of borrowing became corrupt, and this door was closed.
وَلَمَّاAnd whenقَالُواthey said::شَمِّرْtuck upقَمِيصَكَyour shirt،,وَاسْتَعِدَّand prepareلِنَائِلٍfor a gift......وَاحْكُكْand rubجَبِينَكَyour foreheadلِلْقَضَاءِfor the judgeبِثُومِ2with garlic
And when they said: "Tuck up your shirt, and prepare for a gift... and rub your forehead with garlic for the judge,"
وَاخْفِضْand lowerجَنَاحَكَyour wingإِنْifمَشَيْتَyou walkedتَخَشُّعًاin humility......حَتَّىuntilتُصِيبَyou obtainوَدِيعَةَa deposit ofيَتِيمٍan orphan
And lower your wing if you walk in humility... until you obtain the deposit of an orphan.
وَحِينَAnd whenأَكَلَتِdevouredالْأَمَانَاتِthe trustsالْأُمَنَاءُthe trustworthyوَالْأَوْصِيَاءُand the executors،,وَرَتَعَand grazedفِيهَاin themالْمُعَدِّلُونَthe brokersوَالصَّرَّافُونَ3and the money-changers،,وَجَبَit became incumbentحِفْظُهَاtheir preservationوَدَفْنُهَاand their burying،,وَكَانَand it wasأَكْلُthe eatingالْأَرْضِof the earthلَهَاfor themخَيْرًاbetterمِنْthanأَكْلِthe eatingالْخَئُونِof the treacherousالْفَاجِرِthe wickedوَاللَّئِيمِand the vileالْغَادِرِthe deceitful..
And when the trustworthy and the executors devoured the trusts, and the brokers and money-changers grazed in them, it became necessary to preserve and bury them, and the earth's consuming them was better than the consuming of the treacherous wicked and the vile deceitful.
وَهَذَاAnd thisمَعَwithقَوْلِthe sayingأَكْثَمَof AkthamبْنِibnصَيْفِيٍّSayfiفِيinذَلِكَthatالدَّهْرِtime::«"لَوْifسُئِلَتِwas askedالْعَارِيَةُthe borrowed thingأَيْنَwhereتَذْهَبِينَare you going»"،,قَالَتْit said::«"أَكْسِبُI earnأَهْلِيmy familyذَمًّاblame»4"..
And this is with the saying of Aktham ibn Sayfi in that time: "If the borrowed thing were asked where are you going?" it would say: "I earn my family blame."
وَأَنَاAnd Iالْيَوْمَtodayأَنْهَىforbidعَنِagainstالْعَارِيَةِthe borrowingوَالْوَدِيعَةِand the deposit،,وَعَنِand againstالْقَرْضِthe loanوَالْفَرْضِand the stipend..
And I today forbid borrowing and deposit, and loan and stipend.
وَأَكْرَهُAnd I dislikeأَنْthatيُخَالِفَcontradictقَوْلِيmy sayingفِعْلِيmy action..
And I dislike that my saying contradict my action.
أَمَّاAs forالْقَرْضُthe loanفَلِمَاthen because of whatأَنْبَأْتُكَ5I informed you،,وَأَمَّاand as forالْفَرْضُthe stipendفَلَيْسَthen notيَسَعُهُit can encompassإِلَّاexceptبَيْتُthe houseالْمَالِof wealth..
As for the loan, then because of what I informed you, and as for the stipend, nothing can cover it except the treasury.
وَلَوْAnd ifوَهَبْتُI giftedلَكَto youدِرْهَمًاa dirhamوَاحِدًاone،,لَفَتَحْتُI would openعَلَىuponمَالِيmy wealthبَابًاa doorلَاthat notتَسُدُّهُcan close itالْجِبَالُthe mountains..
And if I gifted you one dirham, I would open upon my wealth a door that the mountains cannot close.
Footnotes
- 1.يُقَالُ: إِنَّ هَذَا الْمَثَلَ يُضْرَبُ لِلَّذِي يَأْخُذُ الشَّيْءَ لِيَرُدَّهُ فَلَا يَرُدُّهُ.
It is said that this proverb is applied to one who takes something to return it but does not return it.
- 2.بَيْتٌ مِنَ الْكَامِلِ، وَهُوَ فِي أَمْثَالِ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ وَغَيْرِهِ.
A verse from the meter kāmil, found in the proverbs of Abū ʿUbayd and others.
- 3.الْمُعَدِّلُونَ: الَّذِينَ يَتَّجِرُونَ فِي التَّعْدِيلِ وَالْجَرْحِ، وَالصَّرَّافُونَ: الَّذِينَ يُبَدِّلُونَ الدَّنَانِيرَ وَالدَّرَاهِمَ.
The muʿaddilūn are those who deal in attestation and discrediting (of witnesses), and the ṣarrāfūn are those who exchange dinars and dirhams.
- 4.قِيلَ إِنَّ أَكْثَمَ بْنَ صَيْفِيٍّ قَالَ هَذَا فِي جَاهِلِيَّتِهِ.
It is said that Aktham ibn Ṣayfī said this in the pre-Islamic period.
- 5.يَعْنِي أَنَّهُ قَدْ أَخْبَرَهُ عَنِ الْقَرْضِ وَمَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْفَسَادِ.
He means that he has informed him about lending and the corruption in it.