وَالْمَسَاكِينِand the poor،وَخَدَمْتُand I servedالْخُلَفَاءَthe caliphsوَالْمُكَدِّينَand the laborers،وَخَالَطْتُand I associated withالنُّسَّاكَthe asceticsوَالْفُتَّاكِ1and the notoriousوَعَمَّرْتُand I populatedالسُّجُونَthe prisonsكَمَاjust asعَمَّرْتُI populatedمَجَالِسَgatheringsالذِّكْرِof remembrance،وَحَلَبْتُand I milkedالدَّهْرَtimeأَشْطُرَهُ2its halvesوَصَادَفْتُand I encounteredدَهْرًاa timeكَثِيرَmanyالْأَعَاجِيبِwonders،فَلَوْلَاhad it not been thatأَنِّيIدَخَلْتُenteredمِنْthroughكُلِّeveryبَابٍdoor،وَجَرَيْتُand I ranمَعَwithكُلِّeveryرِيحٍwind،وَعَرَفْتُand I knewالسَّرَّاءَprosperityوَالضَّرَّاءَ3and adversity،حَتَّىuntilمَثَّلَتْrepresentedلِيto meالتَّجَارِبُexperiencesعَوَاقِبَconsequencesالْأُمُورِof affairs،وَقَرَّبَتْنِيand brought me closerمِنْtoغَوَامِضِsubtletiesالتَّدْبِيرِof management،لَمَاnotأَمْكَنَنِيwould have been possible for meجَمْعُcollectingمَاwhatأُخَلِّفُهُI leave behindلَكَfor you،وَلَاnorحِفْظُpreservingمَاwhatحَبَسْتُهُI have keptعَلَيْكَfor you،وَلَمْand notأَحْمَدْI would praiseنَفْسِيmyselfعَلَىforجَمْعِهِcollecting it،كَمَاjust asحَمِدْتُهَاI praised it (myself)عَلَىforحِفْظِهِpreserving it،لِأَنَّbecauseبَعْضَsomeهَذَاthisالْمَالِwealthلَمْnotأَنَلْهُI obtained itبِالْحَزْمِwith prudenceوَالْكَيْسِ4and cleverness،قَدْindeedحَفِظْتُهُI have preserved itعَلَيْكَfor youمِنْfromفِتْنَةِthe trial ofالْبِنَاءِbuilding،وَمِنْand fromفِتْنَةِthe trial ofالنِّسَاءِwomen،وَمِنْand fromفِتْنَةِthe trial ofالثَّنَاءِpraise،وَمِنْand fromفِتْنَةِthe trial ofالرِّيَاءِ5hypocrisy،وَمِنْand fromأَيْدِيthe handsالْوُكَلَاءِof the agents،فَإِنَّهُمُfor they areالدَّاءُthe diseaseالْعَيَاءُ6incurable۔
And the poor, and I served the caliphs and the laborers, and I associated with the ascetics and the notorious, and I populated prisons as I populated gatherings of remembrance, and I milked the halves of time, and I encountered a time of many wonders. Had it not been that I entered through every door, and ran with every wind, and knew prosperity and adversity, until experiences represented the consequences of affairs to me and brought me closer to the subtleties of management, I would not have been able to collect what I leave behind for you, nor preserve what I have kept for you, and I would not have praised myself for collecting it as I praised myself for preserving it, because some of this wealth I did not obtain with prudence and cleverness; I have preserved it for you from the trial of building, from the trial of women, from the trial of praise, from the trial of hypocrisy, and from the hands of agents, for they are the incurable disease.
وَلَسْتُand I am notأُوصِيكَI advise youبِحِفْظِهِto preserve itلِفَضْلِdue to the virtueحُبِّيof my loveلَكَfor you،وَلَكِنْbutبِفَضْلِdue toبُغْضِيmy hatredلِلْقَاضِيfor the judge۔
And I do not advise you to preserve it due to the virtue of my love for you, but due to my hatred for the judge.
إِنَّindeedاللهَAllah،عَزَّMightyوَجَلَّand Majestic،لَمْdid notيُسَلِّطِgive authorityالْقُضَاةَthe judgesعَلَىoverأَمْوَالِthe wealthالْأَوْلَادِof the childrenإِلَّاexceptعُقُوبَةًas a punishmentلِلْأَوْلَادِfor the children،لِأَنَّbecauseأَبَاهُhis father،إِنْifكَانَwasغَنِيًّاrichقَادِرًاcapable،أَحَبَّlovedأَنْtoيُرِيَهُshow himغِنَاهُhis wealthوَقُدْرَتَهُand his power،وَإِنْand ifكَانَwasفَقِيرًاpoorعَاجِزًاincapable،أَحَبَّlovedأَنْtoيَسْتَرِيحَrestمِنْfromشَيْنِهِhis flawوَمِنْand fromحِمْلِthe burdenمَئُونَتِهِof his maintenance،وَإِنْand ifكَانَwasخَارِجًاoutsideمِنَofالْحَالَيْنِthe two states،أَحَبَّlovedأَنْtoيَسْتَرِيحَrestمِنْfromمُدَارَاتِهِdealing with him،فَلَاso notهُمْtheyشَكَرُواthankedمَنْthe one whoجَمَعَcollectedلَهُمْfor them،وَكَفَاهُمْand sufficed them،وَوَقَاهُمْand protected them،وَغَرَسَهُمْand nurtured them،وَلَاnorهُمْtheyصَبَرُواwere patientعَلَىwithمَنْthe one on whomأَوْجَبَmade obligatoryاللهُAllahحَقَّهُhis rightعَلَيْهِمْupon them۔
Indeed, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, did not give the judges authority over the wealth of the children except as a punishment for the children, because his father, if he was rich and capable, loved to show him his wealth and power, and if he was poor and incapable, loved to rest from his flaw and from the burden of his maintenance, and if he was outside the two states, loved to rest from dealing with him. So neither did they thank the one who collected for them, sufficed them, protected them, and nurtured them, nor were they patient with the one on whom Allah made his right obligatory upon them.
وَالْحَقُّand the truthلَاnotيُوصَفُis describedعَاجِلُهُits immediateبِالْحَلَاوَةِwith sweetness،كَمَاjust asلَاnotيُوصَفُis describedعَاجِلُthe immediateالْبَاطِلِof falsehoodبِالْمَرَارَةِwith bitterness۔
And the immediate of truth is not described with sweetness, just as the immediate of falsehood is not described with bitterness.
فَإِنْifكُنْتَyou areمِنْهُمْamong them،فَالْقَاضِيthen the judgeلَكَis for you،وَإِنْand ifلَمْnotتَكُنْyou areمِنْهُمْamong them،فَاللهُthen Allahلَكَis for you۔
If you are among them, then the judge is for you, and if you are not among them, then Allah is for you.
فَإِنْifسَلَكْتَyou followسَبِيلِيmy pathصَارَbecomesمَالُthe wealthغَيْرِكَof othersوَدِيعَةًa trustعِنْدَكَwith you،وَصِرْتَand you becomeالْحَافِظَthe preserverعَلَىoverغَيْرِكَothers۔
If you follow my path, the wealth of others becomes a trust with you, and you become the preserver over others.
وَإِنْand ifخَالَفْتَyou deviate fromسَبِيلِيmy pathصَارَbecomes
And if you deviate from my path, then becomes