وَقَالَAnd saidالْآخَرُ:the other:
And the other said:
يَزْدَحِمُcrowdsالنَّاسُthe peopleعَلَىatبَابِهِhis door......وَالْمَشْرَعُand the watering placeالسَّهْلُthe easyكَثِيرُmuchالزِّحَامِcrowding
People crowd at his door ... and the easy watering place is much crowded.
وَقَالَAnd saidالْآخَرُ:the other:
And the other said:
وَإِذَاAnd ifافْتَقَرْتَyou become poorرَأَيْتَyou seeبَابَكَyour doorخَالِيًاempty......وَتَرَىand you seeالْغِنَىwealthيُهْدِيgivesلَكَto youالزُّوَّارَاthe visitors
And if you become poor, you see your door empty ... and you see wealth gives you visitors.
وَلَيْسَAnd notهَذَاthisمِنَfromالْأَوَّلِ،the first,إِنَّمَاbutهَذَاthisمَثَلُis likeقَوْلِهِ:his saying:
And this is not from the first, but this is like his saying:
أَلَمْDid notتَرَyou seeبَيْتَhouse ofالْفَقْرِpovertyيُهْجَرُis desertedأَهْلُهُits people......وَبَيْتَand house ofالْغِنَىwealthيُهْدَىis guidedلَهُto itوَيُزَارُand is visited
Did you not see the house of poverty is deserted by its people ... and the house of wealth is guided to and visited?
وَهَذَاAnd thisمَثَلُis likeقَوْلِهِ:his saying:
And this is like his saying:
إِذَاIfمَاwhatقَلَّis littleمَالُكَyour wealthكُنْتَyou becomeفَرْدًاalone......وَأَيُّand whichالنَّاسِof the peopleزُوَّارُvisitors ofالْمُقِلِّ؟the poor one?
If your wealth is little, you become alone ... and which of the people are visitors of the poor one?
وَالْعَرَبُAnd the Arabsتُفَضِّلُpreferالرَّجُلَthe manالْكَسُوبَthe acquisitiveوَالْغَرَّ1and the activeالطَّلُوبَ،the seeker,وَيَذُمُّونَand they blameالْمُقِيمَthe residentالْفَشِلَthe weakوَالدَّثُورَand the lazyالْكَسْلَانَ.the sluggish.
And the Arabs prefer the acquisitive man and the active seeker, and they blame the weak resident and the lazy sluggish one.
وَلِذَلِكَAnd thereforeقَالَsaidشَاعِرُهُمْ،their poet,وَهُوَand heيَمْدَحُpraisesرَجُلًا:a man:
And therefore their poet said, while he praises a man:
شَتَّىvariousمَطَالِبُهُ،his pursuits,بَعِيدُfarهِمَّهُhis ambition......جَوَّابُroamer ofأَوْدِيَةٍ،valleys,بَرُودِcoldالْمَضْجَعِ2the bed
His pursuits are various, his ambition is far ... roamer of valleys, cold is his bed.
وَمَدَحَAnd praisedآخَرُanotherنَفْسَهُ،himself,فَقَالَ:and said:
And another praised himself, and said:
فَإِنْSo ifتَأْتِيَانِيyou two come to meفِيinالشِّتَاءِthe winterوَتَلمِسَاand touch......مَكَانَplace ofفِرَاشِيmy bedفَهُوَthen itبِاللَّيْلِat nightبَارِدُcold
So if you two come to me in the winter and touch the place of my bed, then it is cold at night.
وَقَالَAnd saidآخَرُ:another:
And another said:
إِلَىToمَلِكٍa kingلَاnotيَنْقُضُdoes breakالنَّأْيُdistanceعَزْمَهُhis resolve......خُرُوجُgoing out ofتَرُوكِabandoningلِلْفِرَاشِfor the bedالْمُمَهَّدِ3the prepared
To a king whose resolve distance does not break ... leaving the prepared bed.
وَقَالَAnd saidالْآخَرُ:the other:
And the other said:
فِدَاكَMay you be ransomedقَصِيرُshortالْهَمِّof ambitionيَمْلَأُfillsعَيْنَهُhis eye......مِنَfromالنَّوْمِ،sleep,إِذْwhenمُلْقَىthrownفِرَاشِكَyour bedبَارِدُcold
May you be ransomed, the short of ambition fills his eye with sleep, when your bed is thrown cold.
Footnotes
- 1.الْغَرُّ: الْأَرْيَحِيُّ، وَالطَّلُوبُ: الَّذِي يَطْلُبُ الْمَعَالِيَ وَالْمَكَاسِبَ.
Al-Gharr: the generous, and Al-Talub: the one who seeks high things and gains.
- 2.أَيْ: بَارِدُ الْمَضْجَعِ لِكَثْرَةِ اسْتِيقَاظِهِ عَنْهُ وَقِيَامِهِ مِنْهُ.
That is, his bed is cold because of his frequent waking from it and rising from it.
- 3.يَقُولُ: هُوَ خَرُوجٌ تَرُوكٌ لِلْفِرَاشِ الْمُمَهَّدِ، أَيْ: كَثِيرُ الْخُرُوجِ عَنِ الْفِرَاشِ وَتَارِكٌ لَهُ.
He says: he is a goer-out, leaving the prepared bed, i.e., much going out from the bed and leaving it.