وَلَمْAnd notيَمْضِpassedوَقْتٌtimeطَوِيلٌlong
And not much time passed
حَتَّىuntilإِذَاwhenأَحَسَّhe feltبِاكْتِمَالِwith the completion ofالْقُوَىٰ،the strengths,
until when he felt the completion of his strengths,
قَصَدَhe headed toبَغْدَادَ،Baghdad,وَأَقَامَand he residedفِيهَا.in it.
he headed to Baghdad, and resided in it.
وَهُنَاكَAnd thereبَزَغَdawnedفَجْرُdawn ofالْجَاحِظِ،Al-Jahiz,
And there dawned the dawn of Al-Jahiz,
وَأَخَذَand he beganيَتَأَلَّقُ،to shine,وَاضِعًاplacingكُتُبَهُhis booksالْأُولَىٰthe first
and he began to shine, placing his first books
مَنْسُوبَةًattributedإِلَىٰtoعَبْدِAbdullahاللَّهِAllahبْنِbinالْمُقَفَّعِ،Al-Muqaffa,
attributed to Abdullah bin Al-Muqaffa,
وَسَهْلِand Sahlبْنِbinهَارُونَ،Harun,لِيَقْرَأَهَاso that people would read itالنَّاسُpeopleوَتَشِيعَand it would spreadبَيْنَهُمْ.among them.
and Sahl bin Harun, so that people would read them and they would spread among them.
فَأَصْبَحَSo becameاسْمُname ofالْجَاحِظِAl-Jahizيَتَرَدَّدُrepeatedعَلَىٰonكُلِّeveryشَفَةٍlipوَلِسَانٍ.and tongue.
So the name of Al-Jahiz became repeated on every lip and tongue.
وَكَثُرَAnd became manyالْحَاسِدُونَ،the envious ones,فَأَرَادُواso they wantedتَقْلِيدَto imitateأُسْلُوبِstyle ofالْجَاحِظِ،Al-Jahiz,
And the envious ones became many, so they wanted to imitate the style of Al-Jahiz,
وَالْإِنْتِقَاصَand to disparageمِنْهُ،him,إِلَّاexceptأَنَّهُمْthat theyلَمْdid notيَفُوزُوا.succeed.
and to disparage him, except that they did not succeed.
وَقَرَأَAnd readلَهُto himالْخَلِيفَةُthe caliphالْمَأْمُونُAl-Ma'munبَعْضَsome ofكُتُبِهِhis booksفِيinالْإِمَامَةِ،the Imamate,
And the caliph Al-Ma'mun read some of his books on the Imamate,
فَأُعْجِبَso he was impressedبِهَا،by them,وَقَدَّمَand presentedإِلَيْهِto himأَبُوAbuعُثْمَانَUthmanكِتَابَbook of«الْعَبَّاسِيَّةِ»"Al-Abbasiyyah"فَنَالَso he attainedثَوَابَهُ.his reward.
so he was impressed by them, and Abu Uthman presented to him the book "Al-Abbasiyyah" and attained his reward.
وَمَاAnd did notكَانَwasمِنَfromالْخَلِيفَةِthe caliphالْمَأْمُونِAl-Ma'munإِلَّاexceptأَنْthatأَسْنَدَhe assignedإِلَيْهِto himدِيوَانَdepartment ofالْكُتَّابِ،the Scribes,
And the caliph Al-Ma'mun did nothing except assign to him the Department of Scribes,
الَّذِيwhichلَمْdid notيَطُلْprolongالْإِقَامَةَthe residenceفِيهِ،in it,وَبَعْدَand afterثَلَاثَةِthreeأَيَّامٍdays
in which he did not prolong his residence, and after three days
طَلَبَrequestedالْجَاحِظُAl-Jahizمِنَfromالْخَلِيفَةِthe caliphإِعْفَاءَهُhis exemptionمِنْfromهَذِهِthisالْمَسْؤُولِيَّةِresponsibility
Al-Jahiz requested from the caliph his exemption from this responsibility
الَّتِيwhichتَحْتَّمُnecessitatesعَلَىٰuponصَاحِبِهَاits holderطَبْعًاa temperamentرَصِينًا،sober,
which necessitates upon its holder a sober temperament,
وَمَسْلَكِيَّةًand a conductصَارِمَةًstrictلَاthat does notتَتَلَاءَمُsuitوَمِزَاجَthe mood ofالْجَاحِظِAl-Jahizوَطَبَائِعَهُ.and his nature.
and a strict conduct that does not suit the mood of Al-Jahiz and his nature.
وَتَوَطَّدَتْAnd strengthenedرَوَابِطُهُhis tiesبِكِبَارِwith majorرِجَالِmen ofعَصْرِهِ،his era,فَاتَّصَلَso he connectedالْجَاحِظُAl-Jahizبِمُحَمَّدِwith MuhammadبْنِbinعَبْدِAbdالْمَلِكِAl-MalikالزَّيَّاتِAl-Zayyatوَزِيرِminister ofالْمُعْتَصِمِ،Al-Mu'tasim,
And his ties with the major men of his era were strengthened, so Al-Jahiz connected with Muhammad bin Abdul Malik Al-Zayyat, the minister of Al-Mu'tasim,
وَكَتَبَand he wroteلَهُfor himوَمَدَحَهُ،and praised him,وَأَهْدَاهُand gifted himكِتَابَbook of«الْحَيَوَانِ»"Al-Hayawan"
and he wrote for him and praised him, and gifted him the book "Al-Hayawan"
فَأَجَازَهُso he rewarded himالْوَزِيرُthe ministerبِخَمْسَةِwith fiveآلافِthousandدِينَارٍ،dinars,ثُمَّthenأَغْدَقَhe lavishedعَلَيْهِupon himمَالًاmoneyكَثِيرًاmuch
so the minister rewarded him with five thousand dinars, then lavished much money upon him
جَعَلَهُwhich made himيَقُومُundertakeبِرِحْلَاتٍjourneysعَدِيدَةٍnumerousإِلَىٰtoدِمَشْقَDamascusوَأَنْطَاكِيَاAntiochوَمِصْرَand Egypt......
which made him undertake numerous journeys to Damascus, Antioch, and Egypt...
وَلَمَّاAnd whenصَارَتِbecameالْخِلَافَةُthe caliphateإِلَىtoالْمُتَوَكِّلِ،Al-Mutawakkil,نُكِبَwas ruinedالْوَزِيرُthe ministerابْنُIbnالزَّيَّاتِAl-Zayyatبِيَدِat the hand ofالْقَاضِيthe judgeمُحَمَّدِMuhammadبْنِbinأَبِيAbiدُؤَادَ،Du'ad,
And when the caliphate passed to Al-Mutawakkil, the minister Ibn Al-Zayyat was ruined at the hand of the judge Muhammad bin Abi Du'ad,
فَهَرَبَso fledالْجَاحِظُ،Al-Jahiz,ثُمَّthenأُعِيدَhe was returnedإِلَىtoالْقَاضِيthe judgeمُقَيَّدًا،shackled,مَغْلُولَwith chainedالْعُنُقِ،neck,مُعْتَذِرًاapologizingعَنْforفِرَارِهِ،his flight,
so Al-Jahiz fled, then he was returned to the judge shackled, with his neck chained, apologizing for his flight,
وَقَدْAndأَبْدَىshowedابْنُIbnأَبِيAbiدُؤَادَDu'adإِعْجَابَهُhis admirationبِهِ،for him,فَقَالَso he said«أَنَا"Iأَثِقُtrustبِظَرْفِهِ،his wit,وَلَاand I do notأَثِقُtrustبِدِينِهِ»his religion"
and Ibn Abi Du'ad showed his admiration for him, so he said: "I trust his wit, but I do not trust his religion".
وَقَدَّمَAnd presentedإِلَيْهِto himالْجَاحِظُAl-Jahizكِتَابَهُhis book«الْبَيَانَ"Al-Bayanوَالتَّبْيِينَ»wa Al-Tabyin"،,بَعْدَafterأَنْthatانْقَطَعَhe secluded himselfإِلَيْهِto work on itعَامًاa yearكَامِلًا.complete.
And Al-Jahiz presented to him his book "Al-Bayan wa Al-Tabyin", after he had secluded himself for a whole year to complete it.
وَتَدَرَّجَتْAnd progressedإِتِّصَالَاتُهُhis connectionsحَتَّىuntilبَلَغَتِthey reachedالْفَتْحَAl-Fathبْنَbinخَاقَانَ،Khaqan,فَقَدَّمَso he presentedلَهُto himبَعْضَsome ofكُتُبِهِ.his books.
And his connections progressed until they reached Al-Fath bin Khaqan, so he presented some of his books to him.
وَجَعَلَهُAnd made himالْمُتَوَكِّلُAl-Mutawakkilمُؤَدِّبًاa tutorلِأَوْلَادِهِ.for his children.
And Al-Mutawakkil made him a tutor for his children.
وَلَمَّاAnd whenرَأَىhe sawبَشَاعَتَهُhis uglinessصَرَفَهُ.he dismissed him.
And when he saw his ugliness, he dismissed him.
وَقَدْAndحَدَّثَnarratedالْجَاحِظُAl-Jahizفِيaboutذَلِكَthatعَنْconcerningنَفْسِهِ،himself,فَقَالَ:so he said:
And Al-Jahiz narrated about that concerning himself, so he said:
«ذُكِرْتُ"I was mentionedلِلْمُتَوَكِّلِto Al-Mutawakkilلِتَأْدِيبِto tutorبَعْضِsome ofوَلَدِهِ،his children,فَلَمَّاso whenرَآنِيhe saw meاسْتَبْشَعَhe found repulsiveمَنْظَرِي،my appearance,فَأَمَرَso he orderedلِيfor meبِعَشَرَةِwith tenآلَافِthousandدِرْهَمٍdirhamsوَصَرَفَنِي»and dismissed me"
"I was mentioned to Al-Mutawakkil to tutor some of his children, so when he saw me, he found my appearance repulsive, and he ordered ten thousand dirhams for me and dismissed me".
وَاتَّصَلَAnd connectedأَبُوAbuعُثْمَانَUthmanأَيْضًاalsoبِإِبْرَاهِيمَwith IbrahimبْنِbinالْعَبَّاسِAl-Abbasالصُّولِيِّ،Al-Suli,وَقَدْand heأَهْدَىٰgifted
And Abu Uthman also connected with Ibrahim bin Al-Abbas Al-Suli, and he gifted