وَandاسْتَسْلَفَhe borrowedمِنْهُfrom himعَلِيٌّAliالْأَسْوَارِيُّal-Aswariمِائَةَhundredدِرْهَمٍdirhamsفَجَاءَنِيand he came to meوَهُوَwhile he wasحَزِينٌsadمُنْكَسِرٌbroken
And Ali al-Aswari borrowed a hundred dirhams from him, then he came to me sad and broken.
فَقُلْتُand I saidلَهُto himإِنَّمَاonlyيَحْزَنُhe grievesمَنْthe one whoلَاnotيَجِدُhe findsبُدًّاalternativeمِنْfromإِسْلَافِlendingالصَّدِيقِthe friendمَخَافَةَfearingأَنْthatلَاnotيَرْجِعَreturnsإِلَيْهِto himمَالُهُhis moneyوَلَاand notيَعُدَّhe countsذَلِكَthatهِبَةًa giftمِنَّةٍof favor
So I said to him: Only he grieves who has no alternative but to borrow from a friend, fearing that his money might not return to him, and he does not consider that a gift of favor.
أَوْorرَجُلٌa manيَخَافُhe fearsالشَّكِيَّةَthe blameفَهُوَso heإِنْifلَمْnotيُسْلِفْhe lendsكَرَمًاgenerouslyأَسْلَفَhe lendsخَوْفًاout of fear
Or a man who fears blame, so if he does not lend generously, he lends out of fear.
وَهَذَاand thisبَابٌa matterالشُّهْرَةُthe fameفِيهِin itهِيَit isقُرَّةُcoolnessعَيْنِكَof your eye
And this is a matter in which fame is the delight of your eye.
وَأَنَاand I amوَاثِقٌconfidentبِاعْتِزَامِكَin your determinationوَتَصْمِيمِكَand your resolveوَبِقِلَّةِand in the lackالْمُبَالَاةِof concernبِتَبْخِيلِwith the accusation of stinginessالنَّاسِof peopleلَكَtowards youفَمَاso whatوَجْهُfaceانْكِسَارِكَyour brokennessوَاغْتِمَامِكَand your grief
And I am confident in your determination and resolve, and in your lack of concern about people accusing you of stinginess. So what is the reason for your brokenness and grief?
قَالَhe saidاللَّهُمَّO Godغُفْرًاforgiveness
He said: O God, forgiveness!
لَيْسَnotذَاكَthatبِيwith meإِنَّمَاonlyبِيwith meأَنِّيthat IقَدْindeedكُنْتُI wasأَظُنُّI thinkأَنَّthatأَطْمَاعَaspirationsالنَّاسِof peopleقَدْalreadyصَارَتْbecameبِمَعْزِلٍawayعَنِّيfrom meوَآيِسَةًand despairingمِنِّيof me
He said: Not that is with me; rather, I had thought that people's aspirations had become far from me and despairing of me.
وَأَنِّيand that IقَدْindeedأَحْكَمْتُI have masteredهَذَاthisالْبَابَmatterوَأَتْقَنْتُهُand perfected itوَأَوْدَعْتُand I have placedقُلُوبَهُمُin their heartsالْيَأْسَdespairوَقَطَعْتُand I have severedأَسْبَابَthe meansالْخَوَاطِرِof thoughts
And that I have mastered this matter and perfected it, and placed despair in their hearts, and cut off the means of thoughts.
فَأَرَانِيand he showed meوَاحِدًاoneمِنْهُمْof themإِنَّindeedمِنْfromأَسْبَابِcausesإِفْلَاسِbankruptcyالْمَرْءِof a manطَمَعُthe greedالنَّاسِof peopleفِيهِin him
But he showed me one of them: indeed, among the causes of a man's bankruptcy is people's greed in him.
لِأَنَّهُمْbecause theyإِذَاwhenطَمِعُواthey become greedyفِيهِin himاحْتَالُواthey deviseلَهُfor himالْحِيَلَtricksوَنَصَبُواand they setلَهُfor himالشَّرَكَthe snare
Because when they become greedy in him, they devise tricks for him and set snares for him.
وَإِذَاand whenيَئِسُواthey despairمِنْهُof himفَقَدْindeedأَمِنَhe is safe
And when they despair of him, he is indeed safe.
وَهَذَاand thisالْمَذْهَبُthe beliefمِنْfromعَلِيٍّAliاسْتِضْعَافٌan underestimationشَدِيدٌsevere
And this belief from Ali is a severe underestimation.
وَمَاand notأَشُكُّI doubtأَنِّيthat Iعِنْدَهُwith himغَمْرٌa foolوَأَنِّيand that Iكَـlikeبَعْضِsomeمَنْwhoيَأْكُلُeatsمَالَهُhis wealth
And I have no doubt that I am with him a fool, and that I am like some who eats his wealth.
وَهُوَand heمَعَwithهَذَاthisخَلِيطٌa companionوَعَشِيرٌand a relative
And he, despite this, is a companion and a relative.
وَإِذَاand ifكَانَwasمِثْلُهُlike himلَمْnotيَعْرِفْنِيhe knows meوَلَمْand notيَتَقَرَّرْis establishedعِنْدَهُwith himمَذْهَبِيmy way
And if one like him does not know me, and my way is not established with him...
فَمَاthen whatظَنُّكَyour opinionبِالْجِيرَانِabout the neighborsبَلْratherمَاwhatظَنُّكَyour opinionبِالْمَعَارِفِabout the acquaintances
Then what do you think about the neighbors, rather what do you think about the acquaintances?
أَرَانِيI thinkأَنْفَتِحُI am openingفِيinغَيْرِnotفَحْمٍcoalوَأَقْدَحُand I am strikingبِزَنْدٍwith a flintمُصْلِدٍhard
I think I am opening in something that is not coal, and striking with a hard flint.
مَاhowأَخَوْفَنِيfearful I amأَنْthatأَكُونَI amقَدْindeedقُصِدَit is intendedإِلَيَّtowards meبِقَوْلٍwith a saying
How fearful I am that I have been targeted with a saying.
مَاhowأَخَوْفَنِيfearful I amأَنْthatيَكُونَisاللهُAllahفِيinسَمَائِهِHis heavenقَدْindeedقَصَدَintendedإِلَىtoأَنْthatيُفْقِرَنِيHe makes me poor
How fearful I am that Allah in His heaven has intended to make me poor.
قَالَhe saidوَيَقُولُونَand they sayثَوْبُكَyour garmentعَلَىonصَاحِبِكَyour companionأَحْسَنُis betterمِنْهُthan itعَلَيْكَon you
He said: And they say: Your garment on your companion is better than on you.
فَمَاso whatيَقُولُونَthey sayإِنْifكَانَhe wasأَقْصَرَshorterمِنِّيthan meأَلَيْسَdoes it notيَتَخَيَّلُhe appearsفِيinقَمِيصِيmy shirt
So what do they say if he is shorter than me? Does he not appear ridiculous in my shirt?
وَإِنْand ifكَانَhe wasطَوِيلًاtallجِدًّاveryوَأَنَاand I amقَصِيرٌshortجِدًّاveryفَلَبِسَهُand he wears itأَلَيْسَdoes it notيَصِيرُhe becomesآيَةًa signلِلسَّائِلِينَfor the askers
And if he is very tall, while I am very short, and he wears it, does he not become a spectacle for those who ask?
فَمَنْthen whoأَسْوَأُis worseأَثَرًاin influenceعَلَىuponصَدِيقِهِhis friendمِمَّنْthan the one whoجَعَلَهُmade himضَحِكَةًa laughingstockلِلنَّاسِfor people
Then who is worse in influence upon his friend than the one who made him a laughingstock for people?
مَاnotيَنْبَغِيit is appropriateلِيfor meأَنْthatأَكْسُوَهُI clothe himحَتَّىuntilأَعْلَمَI knowأَنَّهُthat heفِيهِin itمِثْلِيmy likeness
It is not appropriate for me to clothe him until I know that he is like me in it.
وَمَتَىand whenيَتَّفِقُdoes it happenهَذَاthisوَأَنَّىand howذَاكَis thatمَحْيًاin lifeوَمَمَاتًاand in death
And when would this happen? And how could that be in life and in death?