وَفِيAnd inأَوَاخِرِthe endحَيَاتِهِ،of his life,
And in the end of his life, Al-Mutawakkil sought him out asking for him.
سَعَىsoughtإِلَيْهِhimالْمُتَوَكِّلُAl-Mutawakkilطَالِباًseekingإِيَّاهُ،him,
Al-Mutawakkil sought him out seeking him,
فَأَجَابَهُso answered himالْجَاحِظُ:Al-Jahiz:
so Al-Jahiz answered him:
«وَمَا"And whatيَصْنَعُdoes makeأَمِيرُthe Commanderالْمُؤْمِنِينَof the Faithful
"And what does the Commander of the Faithful make of a man of no avail, with a crooked side, running saliva, and an altered color?"
بِامْرِئٍwith a manلَيْسَwho is notبِطَائِلٍ،of avail,
with a man who is not of avail,
ذِيpossessingشِقٍّa sideمَائِلٍ،crooked,
possessing a crooked side,
وَلُعَابٍand salivaسَائِلٍ،flowing,
and flowing saliva,
وَلَوْنٍand a colorحَائِلاً؟»altered?"
and an altered color?"
وَقَالَAnd saidالْمُبَرِّدُ:Al-Mubarrad:
And Al-Mubarrad said: "I entered upon Al-Jahiz in his last days and said to him: How are you? He said: How is one whose half is paralyzed, if cut with saws he would not feel it, and his other half has gout, if a fly were to fly near him it would hurt him"
«دَخَلْتُ"I enteredعَلَىuponالْجَاحِظِAl-Jahizفِيinآخِرِlastأَيَّامِهِhis days
I entered upon Al-Jahiz in his last days
فَقُلْتُand I saidلَهُ:to him:
and I said to him:
كَيْفَHowأَنْتَ؟are you?
How are you?
قَالَ:He said:كَيْفَHowيَكُونُcan beمَنْone whoseنِصْفُهُhalf of himمَفْلُوجٌis paralyzed
He said: How can one be whose half is paralyzed,
لَوْifحُزَّhe were cutبِالْمَنَاشِيرِwith sawsلَاnotيَشْعُرُhe would feelبِهِ،it,
if cut with saws he would not feel it,
وَنِصْفُهُand his other halfالْآخَرُthe otherمُنْقَرِسٌhas gout
and his other half has gout,
لَوْifطَارَwere to flyالذُّبَابُthe flyبِقُرْبِهِnear himلَآلَمَهُ»it would hurt him"
if a fly were to fly near him it would hurt him"
وَلَمْAnd did notيَهْجُرْهُabandon himالْأَلَمُ؛the pain;
And pain did not abandon him; rather, it worsened. And it kept accompanying him like books accompany him.
بَلْratherتَفَاقَمَ.it worsened.
rather, it worsened.
وَظَلَّAnd it remainedيُرَافِقُهُaccompanying himمُرَافَقَةَthe accompanimentالْكُتُبِof booksلَهُ.to him.
And it kept accompanying him like books accompany him.
وَمَاAnd hardlyكَادَdidيَطْوِيhe foldصَفْحَةًa pageمِنْfromصَفَحَاتِهَا،its pages,
And hardly did he fold a page of its pages, until the lines of his final days folded by falling upon him, shaping his beloved grave immersed in paper, letters, and words.
حَتَّىuntilطَوَتْfoldedسُطُورُthe linesأَيَّامِهِof his daysالْأَخِيرَةِthe finalبِسُقُوطِهَاby fallingعَلَيْهِ،upon him,
until the lines of his final days folded by falling upon him,
مُشَكِّلَةًshapingقَبْرَهُhis graveالَّذِيwhichأَحَبَّhe lovedمَغْمُوراًimmersedبِالْوَرَقِin paperوَالْأَحْرُفِand lettersوَالْكَلِمَاتِ.and words.
shaping his grave which he loved immersed in paper, letters, and words.
وَهَكَذَاAnd thusكَانَتْwasمِيتَةُthe death ofشَهِيدِthe martyrالْكِتَابِof the Bookسَنَةَin the year٢٥٥255هـ.AH.
And thus was the death of the martyr of the Book in the year 255 AH.
لِلْجَاحِظِFor Al-Jahizأَكْثَرُare moreمِنْthanمِئَةٍa hundredوَسَبْعِينَand seventyكِتَاباًbook
Al-Jahiz has more than one hundred and seventy books between a small treatise and an authored work, except that most of these works did not survive.
بَيْنَbetweenرِسَالَةٍtreatiseصَغِيرَةٍsmallوَمُؤَلَّفٍ،and authored work,
between a small treatise and an authored work,
إِلَّاexceptأَنَّthatمُعْظَمَmost ofهَذِهِtheseالْآثَارِtraces/worksلَمْdid notيَسْلَمْ.survive.
except that most of these works did not survive.
وَإِنَّAnd indeedعَوَامِلَfactorsكَثِيرَةًmanyكَانَتْwereسَبَباًa causeفِيinضَيَاعِthe loss ofمُؤَلَّفَاتٍwritingsعَدِيدَةٍnumerousلِعَبَاقِرَةٍfor geniusesعَرَبٍArabكَالْجَاحِظِ.like Al-Jahiz.
And indeed many factors were a cause in the loss of numerous writings of Arab geniuses like Al-Jahiz.
وَبَقِيَAnd remainedلَنَاfor usبَقِيَّةٌa remainderمِمَّاfrom whatأَلَّفَهُauthoredأَبُوAbuعُثْمَانَUthmanوَأَوْدَعَهُand deposited itخَزَائِنَin treasuries ofالتُّرَاثِthe heritageالْعَرَبِيِّ،Arabic,
And a remainder remained for us of what Abu Uthman authored and deposited in the treasuries of the Arabic heritage, of which we mention: Kitab Al-Bayan wa Al-Tabyin, Kitab Al-Hayawan, and Kitab Al-Bukhala which we dedicate here in detail.
نَذْكُرُwe mentionمِنْهَا:of it:كِتَابَthe bookالْبَيَانِAl-Bayanوَالتَّبْيِينِ،wa Al-Tabyin,
we mention of it: Kitab Al-Bayan wa Al-Tabyin,
وَكِتَابَand the bookالْحَيَوَانِ،Al-Hayawan,
and Kitab Al-Hayawan,
وَكِتَابَand the bookالْبُخَلَاءِAl-Bukhalaالَّذِيwhichنُخَصِّصُهُwe dedicate itهُنَاhereبِالتَّفْصِيلِ.in detail.
and Kitab Al-Bukhala which we dedicate here in detail.
وَإِنَّكَAnd indeed youإِذَاifقَرَأْتَهُyou read itقِرَاءَةًa readingعَمِيقَةًdeepوَجَدْتَ،you will find,
And indeed if you read it with a deep reading, you will find what its author aims at regarding dimensions addressing the life of the Abbasid era, the affairs of the people, and what surrounded them from sudden changes, intrusive customs, strange traditions, and new ideas on social, economic, and intellectual levels.
مَاwhatيَرْمِيaimsإِلَيْهِat itصَاحِبُهُits authorمِنْfromأَبْعَادٍdimensionsتَتَنَاوَلُdealing withحَيَاةَlife ofالْعَصْرِthe eraالْعَبَّاسِيِّ،Abbasid,
what its author aims at regarding dimensions addressing the life of the Abbasid era,
وَشُؤُونَand affairs ofالنَّاسِ،the people,
and the affairs of the people,
وَمَاand whatأَحَاطَsurroundedبِهَاitمِنْfromتَغَيُّرَاتٍchangesطَارِئَةٍ،sudden,
and what surrounded them from sudden changes,
وَعَادَاتٍand customsدَخِيلَةٍ،intrusive,
and intrusive customs,
وَتَقَالِيدَand traditionsغَرِيبَةٍ،strange,
and strange traditions,
وَأَفْكَارٍand ideasجَدِيدَةٍnewعَلَىonالْأَصْعِدَةِthe levelsالِاجْتِمَاعِيَّةِsocialوَالِاقْتِصَادِيَّةِand economicوَالْفِكْرِيَّةِ.and intellectual.
and new ideas on social, economic, and intellectual levels.
إِذَنْThenمَاwhatهُوَisهَذَاthisالْكِتَابُ،book,
Then what is this book, and what is its purpose, and what does it contain?
وَمَاand whatغَايَتُهُ،is its purpose,
and what is its purpose,
وَمَاذَاand whatيَتَضَمَّنُ؟does it contain?
and what does it contain?
هُوَIt isكِتَابٌa bookيُصَوِّرُdepictingأَحْوَالَthe conditions ofفِئَةٍa groupمِنَofالنَّاسِpeople
It is a book depicting the conditions of a group of people who adopted for themselves a specific methodology in thought, action, and behavior.
اتَّخَذَتْthat adoptedلِنَفْسِهَاfor itselfمَنْهَجاًa methodologyمُعَيَّناًspecificفِيinالتَّفْكِيرِthoughtوَالتَّصَرُّفِand actionوَالسُّلُوكِ.and behavior.
that adopted for itself a specific methodology in thought, action, and behavior.
وَبَاتَتْAnd becameمُقْتَنِعَةًconvincedبِهِwith itاقْتِنَاعاًa convictionكَامِلاً،complete,
And became fully convinced of it, in whose shadow all other things faded away.
تَبَدَّدَتْfaded awayفِيinظِلِّهِits shadowكُلُّallالْأَشْيَاءِthe thingsالْأُخْرَى.other.
in whose shadow all other things faded away.
فَإِذَاAnd loالْبُخْلُstinginessهُوَisوَاقِعُهُمْtheir realityوَمَفْهُومُهُمْand their conceptوَحَيَاتُهُمُand their lifeالَّتِيwhichيَسِيرُونَthey walkعَلَيْهَا،upon it,
And lo, stinginess is their reality, their concept, and their life which they follow, trying to cast a veil of science over it,
مُحَاوِلِينَtryingإِسْدَالَto castسِتَارٍa veilمِنَofالْعِلْمِscienceعَلَيْهِ،upon it,
trying to cast a veil of science over it,
عَلَّهُمْperhaps theyفِيinذَلِكَthatيُقْنِعُونَconvinceالنَّاسَthe peopleإِيهَاماًby illusionبِأَنَّهُمْthat theyأَصْحَابُmasters ofفِكْرٍthoughtوَمَنْطِقٍ،and logic,
perhaps thereby convincing people by illusion that they are masters of thought and logic, men of management, and people of economy and saving.
وَرِجَالُand men ofتَدْبِيرٍ،management,
and men of management,
وَذَوُوand possessors ofاقْتِصَادٍeconomyوَتَوْفِيرٍ.and saving.
and people of economy and saving.
كَانَWasالْجَاحِظُAl-Jahizفِيinكِتَابِthe book ofالْبُخَلَاءِAl-Bukhalaعَالِماًa scientistشَأْنُهُhis statusفِيinجَمِيعِallمُؤَلَّفَاتِهِ.his authored works.
Al-Jahiz in Kitab Al-Bukhala was a scientist, as is his status in all his authored works.
كَانَHe wasعَالِماًa scientistطَبِيعِيّاًnaturalist
He was a naturalist.