مَالِكٌYour wealthوَدِيعَةٌa depositعِنْدَwithغَيْرِكَsomeone else،,وَصَارَand becameغَيْرُكَyour otherالْحَافِظَthe guardianعَلَيْكَover you..
Your wealth is a deposit with someone else, and that someone else became the guardian over you.
وَإِنَّكَAnd indeed youيَوْمَthe dayتَطْمَعُyou hopeأَنْthatتُضَيِّعَyou loseمَالَكَyour wealth،,وَيَحْفَظُهُand preserves itغَيْرُكَsomeone else،,لَجَشَعُsurely the greedالطَّمَعِof covetousness،,مَخْذُولُfrustratedالْأَمَلِthe hope..
And indeed you, on the day you hope that you lose your wealth while someone else preserves it, surely the greed of covetousness is frustrated in hope.
احْتَالَDevisedالْآبَاءُthe fathersفِيinحَبْسِconfiningالْأَمْوَالِwealthعَلَىforأَوْلَادِهِمْtheir childrenبِالْوَقْفِby endowment،,فَاحْتَالَتِand devisedالْقُضَاةُthe judgesعَلَىagainstأَوْلَادِهِمْtheir childrenبِالِاسْتِبْحَاثِ1by the inquiryمَاhowأَسْرَعَهُمْswift they areإِلَىtoإِطْلَاقِreleasingالْحَجْرِthe legal restriction،,وَإِلَىand toإِينَاسِconfirmingالرُّشْدِmaturity،,إِذَاwhenأَرَادُواthey wantedالشِّرَاءَto buyمِنْهُمْfrom them..
The fathers devised to confine wealth for their children by endowment, and the judges devised against their children by the inquiry ⟦1⟧: how swift they are to release the legal restriction and to confirm maturity when they want to buy from them.
وَأَبْطَأَهُمْAnd slower they areعَنْهُمْtowards them،,إِذَاwhenأَرَادُواthey wantedأَنْthatتَكُونَbeأَمْوَالُهُمْtheir wealthجَائِزَةًpermissible/freeلِصَنَائِعِهِمْfor their crafts/uses..
And they are slower towards them when they want their wealth to be free for their uses.
يَاOابْنَson ofالْخَبِيثَةِthe wicked woman،,إِنَّكَindeed youوَإِنْeven thoughكُنْتَyou areفَوْقَaboveأَبْنَاءِthe sons ofهَذَاthisالزَّمَانِtime،,فَإِنَّthen indeedالْكِفَايَةَthe sufficiency/capacityقَدْhasمَسَخَتْكَtransformed you،,وَمَعْرِفَتُكَand your knowledgeبِكَثْرَةِof the abundance ofمَاwhatأَخْلَفَhas changed/broken promisesقَدْhasأَفْسَدَتْكَcorrupted you؛;وَزَادَand increasedفِيinذَلِكَthatأَنْthatكُنْتَyou wereبِكْرِيmy firstborn،,وَعَجْزَةُand helpless isأُمِّكَ2your mother..
O son of the wicked woman, even though you are above the sons of this time, the sufficiency has transformed you, and your knowledge of the abundance of what has changed has corrupted you; and added to that is that you were my firstborn, and your mother is helpless ⟦2⟧.
أَنَاIلَوْifذَهَبَwentمَالِيmy wealthلَجَلَسْتُI would sitقَاصًّاas a storyteller،,أَوْorطُفْتُI would travelفِيinالْآفَاقِthe horizons،,كَمَاasكُنْتُI was،,مُكْدِيًاbegging..
If my wealth were gone, I would sit as a storyteller, or travel in the horizons, as I was, begging.
اللِّحْيَةُThe beardوَافِرَةٌabundantبَيْضَاءُwhite،,وَالْحَلْقُand the throatجَهِيزٌreadyطَلٌّdew (i.e., moist)،,وَالسَّمْتُ3and the demeanorحَسَنٌgood،,وَالْقَبُولُand the acceptanceعَلَيَّupon meوَاقِعٌfalling..
The beard is abundant and white, the throat is ready and moist, and the demeanor ⟦3⟧ is good, and acceptance falls upon me.
إِنْIfسَأَلْتُI askedعَيْنِيmy eyeالدَّمْعَtearsأَجَابَتْit answered،,وَالْقَلِيلُand the littleمِنْofرَحْمَةِmercyالنَّاسِpeopleخَيْرٌis betterمِنَthanالْمَالِwealthالْكَثِيرِmuch،,وَصِرْتُand I becameمُحْتَالًاa schemerبِالنَّهَارِby day،,وَاسْتَعْمَلْتُand I usedصِنَاعَةَthe craft ofاللَّيْلِnight..
If I asked my eye for tears, it would answer, and the little mercy of people is better than much wealth, and I became a schemer by day and used the craft of night.
أَوْOrخَرَجْتُI went outقَاطِعَa cutterطَرِيقٍof road (highwayman)،,أَوْorصِرْتُI becameلِلْقَوْمِfor the peopleعَيْنًاan eye (spy)وَلَهُمْand for themمِجْهَرًا4a magnifier (informer)..
Or I went out as a highwayman, or I became for the people an eye and for them a magnifier ⟦4⟧.
سَلْAskعَنِّيabout meصَعَالِيكَthe vagabondsالْجَبَلِ5of the mountainوَزَوَاقِيلَand the brigandsالشَّامِ6of Syriaوَزُطِّand the Zuttالْآجَامِ7of the reed beds،,وَرُؤُوسِand the chiefsالْأَكْرَادِof the Kurds،,وَمَرَدَةِand the rebelsالْأَعْرَابِof the Bedouins،,وَفُتَّاكِand the assassinsنَهْرَبُطَّ8Nahrabitt،,وَلُصُوصِand the thievesالْقَفَصِ9of the cage،,وَسَلْand ask
Ask about me the vagabonds of the mountain ⟦5⟧, the brigands of Syria ⟦6⟧, the Zutt of the reed beds ⟦7⟧, the chiefs of the Kurds, the rebels of the Bedouins, the assassins of Nahrabitt ⟦8⟧, the thieves of the cage ⟦9⟧, and ask
Footnotes
- 1.الِاسْتِبْحَاثُ: هُوَ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ الْقَاضِي الْيَتِيمَ عَنْ بُلُوغِهِ وَرُشْدِهِ لِيَأْذَنَ لَهُ فِي التَّصَرُّفِ فِي مَالِهِ، وَقَدْ يُسْتَعْمَلُ بِمَعْنَى الْحِيلَةِ وَالتَّحَايُلِ.
Al-istibḥāth: it is that the judge asks the orphan about his maturity and sound judgment to permit him to dispose of his wealth, and it may be used in the sense of trickery and deceit.
- 2.عَجْزَةُ أُمِّكَ: أَيْ ضَعِيفَةٌ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ الدِّفَاعَ عَنْ نَفْسِهَا أَوِ التَّصَرُّفَ.
Your mother's helplessness: meaning she is weak and cannot defend herself or act.
- 3.السَّمْتُ: الْهَيْئَةُ وَالْمَنْظَرُ وَالسُّكُوتُ وَالْوَقَارُ.
Al-samt: appearance, demeanor, silence, and dignity.
- 4.الْمِجْهَرُ: آلَةٌ يُنْظَرُ بِهَا إِلَى الْأَشْيَاءِ الْبَعِيدَةِ، وَقِيلَ: هُوَ الْعَيْنُ الْحَادَّةُ النَّافِذَةُ، وَالْمُرَادُ هُنَا أَنَّهُ يَكُونُ عَيْنًا لِلْقَوْمِ يَرَى لَهُمْ مَا لَا يَرَوْنَهُ.
Al-mijhar: an instrument by which distant things are seen, and it is said: it is the sharp penetrating eye, and the intended meaning here is that he becomes an eye for the people, seeing for them what they do not see.
- 5.صَعَالِيكُ الْجَبَلِ: فُقَرَاءُ أَهْلِ الْجَبَلِ، وَقِيلَ: هُمْ قَوْمٌ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ لَا أَمْوَالَ لَهُمْ، يَتَكَسَّبُونَ بِالسَّرِقَةِ وَالْغَارَةِ.
The vagabonds of the mountain: the poor people of the mountain, and it is said: they are a group of Arabs who have no wealth, earning their living by theft and raid.
- 6.الزَّوَاقِيلُ: جَمْعُ زِقْلٍ، وَهُمُ الْقَوْمُ الَّذِينَ يَقْطَعُونَ الطَّرِيقَ وَيَخِيفُونَ السَّبِيلَ، وَقِيلَ: هُمُ الْأَتْبَاعُ وَالْغِلْمَانُ.
Al-zawāqīl: plural of ziqil, they are people who cut off the road and make the path fearful, and it is said: they are followers and boys.
- 7.زُطُّ الْآجَامِ: قَوْمٌ مِنَ الْأَكْرَادِ أَوِ الْهِنْدِ نَزَلُوا الْآجَامَ، وَالْآجَامُ: جَمْعُ أَجَمَةٍ، وَهِيَ الشَّجَرُ الْمُلْتَفُّ وَالْقَصَبُ.
Zutt of the reed beds: a people from the Kurds or India who settled in the reed beds, and al-ājām is plural of ajamah, which is dense trees and reeds.
- 8.نَهْرَبُطَّ: قَرْيَةٌ مِنْ قُرَى دُجَيْلٍ بِقُرْبِ وَاسِطٍ، وَقِيلَ: نَاحِيَةٌ مِنْ نَوَاحِي السَّوَادِ.
Nahrabitt: a village from the villages of Dujayl near Wāsiṭ, and it is said: a region from the regions of Sawād.
- 9.لُصُوصُ الْقَفَصِ: قَوْمٌ مِنَ اللُّصُوصِ كَانُوا يَسْكُنُونَ الْأَجَمَةَ فِي دِجْلَةَ سُمُّوا بِذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَخْرُجُونَ مِنْهَا كَالْقَفَصِ، وَقِيلَ: هُمْ قَوْمٌ لَهُمْ مَكَانٌ يُسَمَّى الْقَفَصَ.
Thieves of the cage: a people of thieves who used to live in the reed beds in the Tigris, named so because they used to come out from there like a cage, and it is said: they are a people who have a place called al-Qafaṣ.