ar,en
وإن كان القاضي حمام بن أحمد حدَّثني عن يحيى بن مالك عن عائذ، بإسناد يرفعه إلى أبي الدرداء أنه قال: «أجمُّوا النفوس بشيء من الباطل ليكون عونًا لها على الحق.»,"Yet it is true that Cadi Humam Ibn Ahmad has informed me on the authority of Yahya Ibn Malik, who had it from ` A’idh upon a chain of authority mounting to Abu ‘l-Darda’, that the latter said, “Recreate your souls with a little vanity, that it may the better aid them to hold fast to the truth.”"
ومن أقوال الصالحين من السلف المرضيِّ: «مَن لم يحسن يتفتَّى لم يحسن يتقوَّى.»,"A righteous and well-approved father of the faith declared, “The man who has never known how to comport himself as a cavalier will never know how to be truly god fearing.”"
وفي بعض الأثر: «أريحوا النفوس؛ فإنها تصدأ كما يصدأ الحديد.»,"The Prophet is reported to have said, “Rest your souls from time to time: they are apt to rust, in the same way that steel rusts.”"
والذي كلَّفتني لا بد فيه من ذكر ما شاهدتْه حضرتي، وأدركته عنايتي، وحدَّثني به الثقات من أهل زمانه، فاغتفرْ لي الكناية عن الأسماء؛ فهي إما عورة لا نَستجيز كشفها، وإما نُحافظ في ذلك صديقًا ودودًا، ورجلًا جليلًا.,"In performing this task with which you have charged me I must perforce relate such things as I ‘have personally witnessed, or what I have discovered by diligent research, or matters communicated to me by reliable informants of my own times. Pray excuse me if I sometimes do no more than hint at the names of the heroes, of my anecdotes, and do not mention them more explicitly; this is due either to some shame which I do not hold it permissible to uncover, or in order to protect a loving friend or an illustrious man."
وبحسبي أن أُسمي من لا ضرر في تسميته، ولا يَلحقنا والمسمَّى عيبٌ في ذكره، إِما لاشتهارٍ لا يُغني عنه الطيُّ وتركُ التبيين، وإما لرضًى من المُخبَر عنه بظهور خبره وقلةِ إنكارٍ منه لنقله.,"It will suffice me to name only those the naming of whom does no harm, and whose mention brings no opprobrium either upon ourselves or them; either because the affair is so notorious that concealment and the avoidance of clear specification will do the party concerned no good, or for the simple reason that the person being reported on is quite content that his story should be made public, and by no means disapproves of its being bandied about."
وسأورد في رسالتي هذه أشعارًا قلتُها فيما شاهدته، فلا تنكر أنت ومن رآها عليَّ أني سالكٌ فيها مسلك حاكي الحديث عن نفسه، فهذا مذهب المتحلِّين بقول الشعر، وأكثر من ذلك فإنَّ إخواني يجشِّموني القولَ فيما يَعْرِض لهم على طرائقهم ومذاهبهم. وكفاني أني ذاكر لك ما عَرض لي مما يشاكل ما نحوتُ نحوه وناسبُه إليَّ.,"I shall be quoting in this essay verses which I have composed myself upon my own observations. Do not take it amiss, my friend, or whoever else may happen to see this volume, that I am here following the fashion of those who always quote themselves in their stories; such is the way of men who affect the writing of poetry. Moreover, my friends make me shy to write about their adventures after their own private ways and habits; so I have been satisfied to mention here only what has occurred to me, within the terms of reference you have prescribed, in every case attributing the incident to myself."
والتزمت في كتابي هذا الوقوفَ عند حدك، والاقتصارَ على ما رأيتُ أو صحَّ عندي بنقل الثقات، ودعني من أخبار الأعراب والمتقدمين؛ فسبيلُهم غير سبيلنا، وقد كثرت الأخبار عنهم، وما مذهبي أن أنضي مطيَّة سواي، ولا أتحلَّى بحلي مستعار.,"I have kept in this book to the bounds set by you, limiting myself to things which I have either seen with my own eyes, or I am convinced are true as deriving from trustworthy reporters. Spare me those tales of Bedouins, and of lovers long ago! Their ways were not our ways, and the stories told of them are too numerous in any case. It is not my practice to wear out anybody’s riding-beast but my own; I am not one of those who deck themselves up in borrowed plumes."
والله المستغفَر والمستعان لا ربَّ غيره.,In all this I ask God’s forgiveness and succour; there is no Lord beside Him.
باب وقسمت رسالتي هذه على ثلاثين بابًا، منها في أصول الحب عشرة؛ فأولها هذا الباب، ثم باب في علامات الحب، ثم باب فيه ذكر من أحب في النوم، ثم باب فيه ذكر من أحب بالوصف، ثم باب فيه ذكر من أحب من نظرة واحدة، ثم باب فيه ذكر من لا تصح محبته إلا مع المطاولة، ثم باب التعريض بالقول، ثم باب الإشارة بالعين، ثم باب المراسلة، ثم باب السفير.,"PRELIMINARY EXCURSUS I HAVE divided this treatise into thirty chapters. Of these, ten are concerned with the root-principles of Love, the first being the immediately following chapter on the Signs of Love. After this comes a chapter on Those who have fallen in Love while Asleep; then a chapter on Those who have fallen in Love through a Description; next a chapter on Those who have fallen in Love at First Sight; a chapter on Those whose Love has only become True after Long Association; a chapter on Allusion by Words; a chapter on Hinting with the Eyes; a chapter on Correspondence; and lastly (of these first ten) a chapter on the Messenger."
ومنها في أعراض الحب وصفاته المحمودة والمذمومة اثنا عشر بابًا، وإن كان الحب عَرضًا والعرض لا يحتمل الأعراض، وصفةً والصفةُ لا تُوصف؛ فهذا على مجاز اللغة في إقامة الصفة مقام الموصوف،,"The second section of the book comprises twelve chapters on the accidents of Love, and its praiseworthy and blameworthy attributes. (Here I should remark in parenthesis that Love is in fact an accident, and as such cannot properly be said itself to be susceptible to accidents; Love is an attribute, and attributes may riot be further qualified. I am therefore speaking metaphorically in discussing Love’s accidents and attributes, putting the attribute itself in the place of the thing qualified thereby."
وعلى معنى قولنا: وجودنا عرضًا أقل في الحقيقة من عرض غيره، وأكثر وأحسن وأقبح في إدراكنا لها، علمنا أنها متباينة في الزيادة والنقصان من ذاتها المرئية والمعلومة؛ إذ لا تقع فيها الكمية ولا التجزي، لأنها لا تشغل مكانًا،,"When we say and feel that one accident is greater or smaller, more beautiful or uglier in reality than another accident, according to our apprehension of that reality, we recognize that accidents differ from each other, in terms of excess or deficiency, in respect only of their visible and knowable essence; there is no question of numerical quantity or physical partition being relevant to them, seeing that they do not occupy any space.)"
وهي: باب الصديق المساعد، ثم باب الوصل، ثم باب طي السر، ثم باب الكشف والإذاعة، ثم باب الطاعة، ثم باب المخالفة، ثم باب من أحب صفةً لم يُحب بعدها غيرها مما يخالفها، ثم باب القنوع، ثم باب الوفاء، ثم باب الغدر، ثم باب الضنى، ثم باب الموت.,"This section is made up first of a chapter on the Helping Friend, then a chapter on Union, then a chapter on Concealing the Secret, and after that chapters on Revealing and Divulging the Secret, on Compliance, and on Opposition; a chapter on Those who have fallen in Love with a certain Quality and thereafter have not loved any other different to it; and chapters on Fidelity, on Betrayal, on Wasting Away, and on Death."
ومنها في الآفات الداخلة على الحب ستة أبواب، وهي: باب العاذل، ثم باب الرقيب، ثم باب الواشي، ثم باب الهجر، ثم باب البين، ثم باب السلو.,"In the third part of the essay there are six chapters on the misfortunes which enter into Love. These chapters deal respectively with the Reproacher, the Spy, the Slanderer, Breaking Off, Separation, and Forgetting."
ومن هذه الأبواب الستة بابان لكل واحد منهما ضد من الأبواب المتقدمة الذكر، وهما: باب العاذل، وضده باب الصديق المساعد؛ وباب الهجر، وضده باب الوصل؛ ومنها أربعة أبواب لا ضد لها من معاني الحب، وهي: باب الرقيب، وباب الواشي، ولا ضد لهما إلا ارتفاعهما.,"Two of these six chapters are matched each with a corresponding chapter (of those already mentioned) on an opposite subject: the chapter on the Reproacher is paired with the, chapter on the Helping Friend, and the chapter on Breaking Off complements the chapter on Union. The other four have no contrasting themes in Love’s repertory. The chapters on the Spy and the Slanderer have no opposites, except their removal altogether."
وحقيقة الضد ما إذا وقع ارتفع الأول، وإن كان المتكلمون قد اختلفوا في ذلك. ولولا خوفنا إطالة الكلام فيما ليس من جنس الكتاب لتقصيناه.,"The real nature of opposites is that when the opposite to a given condition occurs, the original state is removed, however much the schoolmen may have differed in their views of the matter; we would have thrashed the question out thoroughly, but for the fear of dilating at too great length upon a topic not absolutely material to the present book."
وباب البين وضده تصاقب الديار؛ وليس التصاقب من معاني الحب التي نتكلم فيها، وباب السلو، وضده الحب بعينه؛ إذ معنى السلو ارتفاع الحب وعدمه.,"As for the Chapter on Separation, its true opposite would be contiguity of dwellings; but contiguity is not one of the themes of Love, which we are at present engaged in discussing. And the opposite of the chapter on Forgetting is really Love itself, since forgetting means the removal and non-existence of Love."
ومنها بابان ختمنا بهما الرسالة؛ وهما: باب الكلام في قبح المعصية، وباب في فضل التعفف، ليكون خاتمةَ إيرادنا وآخرَ كلامنا الحضُّ على طاعة الله عز وجل، والأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر؛ فذلك مُفترضٌ على كل مؤمن.,"Finally come two chapters to terminate the discourse a chapter discussing the Vileness of Sinning, and a chapter on the Virtue of Continence. I have planned the matter thus so that the conclusion of our exposition and the end of our discussion may be an exhortation to obedience to Almighty God, and a recommendation to do good and to eschew evil; which last commandment is indeed a duty imposed upon all believers."
لكنا خالفنا في نَسق بعض هذه الأبواب هذه الرُّتبة المقسمة في دَرج هذا الباب الذي هو أول أبواب الرسالة، فجعلناها على مباديها إلى منتهاها واستحقاقها في التقدم والدرجات والوجود، ومن أول مراتبها إلى آخرها، وجعلنا الضد إلى جنب ضده؛ فاختلف المساق في أبواب يسيرة. والله المستعان.,"Notwithstanding all, this, in setting out certain of these chapters we have in fact varied the order apportioned in the course of this opening chapter of the treatise. We have arranged them serially from the beginning to the conclusion of the story according to there due right of precedence, their gradations, and their actuality, proceeding methodically from the first degree to the last. We have also placed each pair of opposites side by side; as a result, the proper sequence has been departed from in a few chapters. I ask God’s help again."
وهَيْئتُها في الإيراد أولُها هذا الباب الذي نحن فيه، وفيه صدر الرسالة، وتقسيم الأبواب، والكلام في باب ماهية الحب، ثم باب علامات الحب، ثم باب من أحب بالوصف، ثم باب من أحب من نظرة واحدة، ثم باب من لا يحب إلا مع المطاولة، ثم باب من أحب صفة لم يحب بعدها غيرها مما يخالفها، ثم باب التعريض بالقول، ثم باب الإشارة بالعين، ثم باب المراسلة، ثم باب السفير، ثم باب طي السر، ثم باب إذاعته، ثم باب الطاعة، ثم باب المخالفة، ثم باب العاذل، ثم باب المساعد من الإخوان، ثم باب الرقيب، ثم باب الواشي، ثم باب الوصل، ثم باب الهجر، ثم باب الوفاء، ثم باب الغدر، ثم باب البين، ثم باب القنوع، ثم باب الضنى، ثم باب السلو، ثم باب الموت، ثم باب قبح المعصية، ثم باب فضل التعفف.,"My actual disposition of the material is therefore as follows. I have placed first and foremost this chapter in the middle of which we now are; it comprises the preliminary excursus, the division of the chapters, and a discourse on the Nature of Love. This is followed by the chapter on the Signs of Love; then the chapter on Those who have fallen in Love through a Description; then the chapter on Those who have fallen in Love at First Sight; then the chapter on Those who have only fallen in Love after Long Association; then the chapter on Those who have fallen in Love with a certain Quality and thereafter have not loved any other different to it; then the chapter on Allusion by Words; then the chapter on Hinting with the Eyes; then the chapter on Correspondence ; then the chapter on the Messenger ; then the chapter on Concealing the Secret; then the chapter on Divulging the Secret; then the chapter on Compliance; then the chapter on Opposition; then the chapter on the Reproacher; then the chapter on the Helpful Brother; then the chapter on the Spy; then the chapter on the Slanderer; then the chapter on Union; then the chapter on Breaking Off ; then the chapter on Fidelity; then the chapter on Betrayal then the chapter on Separation; then the chapter on Contentment; then the chapter on Wasting Away; then the chapter on Forgetting; then the chapter on Death; then the chapter on the Vileness of Sinning; and lastly the chapter on the Virtue of Continence."
الكلام في ماهية الحب,Of the Nature of Love
الحب — أعزك الله — أوله هَزل وآخره جِد، دقَّت معانيه لجلالتها عن أن تُوصف، فلا تُدرك حقيقتها إلا بالمعاناة، وليس بمُنكَر في الديانة، ولا بمحظور في الشريعة؛ إذ القلوب بيد الله عز وجل.,"Of Love -may God exalt you!- the first part is jesting, and the last part is right earnestness. So majestic are its divers aspects, they are too subtle to be described; their reality can only be apprehended by personal experience. Love is neither disapproved by Religion, nor prohibited by the Law; for every heart is in God’s hands."
وقد أحب من الخلفاء المهديين والأئمة الراشدين كثير، منهم بأندلسنا عبد الرحمن بن معاوية لدَعجاء، والحَكَم بن هشام، وعبد الرحمن بن الحكم وشغفهُ بطروب أُم عبد الله ابنه أشهرُ من الشمس، ومحمد بن عبد الرحمن وأمره مع غزلان أم بنيه عثمان والقاسم والمطرف مَعلوم، والحكم المستنصر وافتتانُه بصبح أم هشام المؤيَّد بالله — رضي الله عنه وعن جميعهم — وامتناعُه عن التعرُّض للولد من غيرها، ومثل هذا كثير.,"Many rightly guided caliphs and orthodox imams have been lovers. Of those who have lived in our beloved Andalusia I may mention `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Mu’awiya, the lover of Da`ja; al-Hakam Ibn Hisham; `Abd al-Rahman Ibn al-Hakam, whose passion for Tarub the mother of his son `Abd Allah is more famous among men than the very sun itself; Muhammad Ibn `Abd al-Rahman, well-known admirer of Ghizlan who bore him ‘Uthman, al-Qasim and al-Mutarrif; and Al-Hakam al-Mustansir, adorer of Subh mother of Hisham al-Mu’aiyad Billah, who refused to interest himself in any other child but hers. Such instances are extremely numerous;"
ولولا أن حقوقهم على المسلمين واجبة — وإنما يجب أن نذكر من أخبارهم ما فيه الحزمُ وإحياء الدين، وإنما هو شيء كانوا ينفردون به في قُصورهم مع عيالهم فلا ينبغي الإخبار به عنهم — لأوردتُ من أخبارهم في هذا الشأن غيرَ قليل.,"and but for the rightful claims of our rulers upon the respect of all Moslems, so that we ought to recount concerning them only such stories as illustrate martial resolution and the propagation of the faith-and their amours were after all conducted in the privacy of their palaces and in the bosom of their families, so that it would not be at all seemly to report on them-but for this I would certainly have introduced not a few anecdotes illustrating their part in the love-business."
وأما كِبار رجالهم ودعائم دولتهم فأكثر من أن يُحصَوا، وأحدثُ ذلك ما شاهدناه بالأمس من كلف المظَفَّر بن عبد الملك بن أبي عامر بواحدة، بنت رجل من الجبائين، حتى حمله حُبُّها أن يتزوجها، وهي التي خَلف عليها بعد فناء العامر بن الوزير عبد الله بن مَسلمة، ثم تزوجها بعد قتلِهِ رجلٌ من رؤساء البربر.,"As for their men of State and pillars of Empire, their tender romances are indeed innumerable; the most recent instance being the affair we were witnessing only yesterday between al-Muzaffar `Abd al-Malik Ibn Abi ‘Amir and Wahid the cheese monger’s daughter, a grand passion which so transported that great nobleman that he actually married the girl; she was subsequently ` inherited’ by the-grand–vizier `Abd Allah Ibn Maslama after the fall of the `Amirids; and when `Abd Allah in his turn was put to death, she became the consort of a Berber chieftain."
ومما يشبه هذا أن أبا العيش بن مَيمون القُرشي الحسيني أخبرني أن نزار بن معد، صاحب مصر، لم يرَ ابنه منصور بن نزار الذي ولي الملك بعده وادعى الإلهية إلَّا بعد مدة من مولده، مساعدةً لجارية كان يُحبها حبًّا شديدًا. هذا ولم يكن له ذَكَر ولا من يَرث ملكه ويُحيي ذكره سواه.,"I was told of a similar instance too by Abu ‘l-`Aish Ibn Maimun al-Qurashi al-Husaini: Nizar Ibn Ma` add, ruler of Egypt, would not look upon his son Mansur Ibn Nizar his successor on the throne, the one who claimed to be a god-for quite a time after he was born, so as to spare the feelings of a certain ‘slave-girl with whom he was deeply in love; yet he had no other male issue but this child to inherit his kingdom and keep his memory green."
ومن الصالحين والفقهاء في الدهور الماضية والأزمان القديمة مَن قد أستغني بأشعارهم عن ذكرهم، وقد ورد من خبر عُبيد الله بن عُتبة بن مسعود وشعره ما فيه الكفاية، وهو أحد فقهاء المدينة السبعة، وقد جاء من فُتيا ابن عبَّاس — رضي الله عنه — ما لا يحتاج معه إلى غيره حين يقول: هذا قتيل الهوى لا عَقْل ولا قود.,"Of the saints and learned doctors of the faith who lived in past ages and times long ago, some there are whose love lyrics are sufficient testimony to their passion, so that they require no further notice. It will be enough to mention only one name: ‘Ubaid Allah Ibn `Abd Allah’ Ibn ‘Utba Ibn Masud was famous for his tender verses, and he, as we remember, was one of the celebrated Seven Jurists of Medina. As for Ibn `Abbas, a single sentence once uttered by him amply dispenses with any need for further quotation; he pronounced the weighty judgment, “This man was slain by love: there is therefore no case for blood wit or retaliation.”"
وقد اختلف الناس في ماهيته وقالوا وأطالوا، والذي أذهب إليه أنه اتصال بين أجزاء النفوس المقسومة في هذه الخليقة في أصل عنصرها الرفيع، لا على ما حكاه محمد بن داود — رحمه الله — عن بعض أهل الفلسفة: الأرواح أُكَرٌ مقسومة، لكنْ على سبيل مناسبة قواها في مقرِّ عالمها العلوي ومجاورتها في هيئة تركيبها.,"Concerning the nature of Love men have held various and divergent opinions, which they have debated at great length. For my part I consider Love as a conjunction between scattered parts of souls that have become divided in this physical universe, a union effected within the substance of their original sublime element. I do not share the view advanced by Muhammad Ibn Dawud -God have mercy on his soul!- who followed certain philosophers in declaring that spirits are segmented spheres; rather do I suppose an affinity of their vital forces in the supernal world, which is their everlasting home, and a close approximation in the manner of their constitution."
وقد علمنا أن سر التمازج والتباين في المخلوقات إنما هو الاتصال والانفصال.,We know the secret of commingling and separation in created things to be simply a process of union and disassociation;
والشكل دأبًا يستدعي شكله، والمِثْل إلى مِثْله ساكن، وللمُجانسة عملٌ محسوس وتأثير مشاهد، والتنافر في الأضداد والموافقة في الأنداد والنزاع فيما تَشابه موجود فيما بيننا، فكيف بالنفس وعالَمُها العالَم الصافي الخفيف، وجوهرها الجوهر الصعَّاد المعتدل، وسِنْخها المهيَّأ لقَبول الاتفاق والمَيل والتَّوق والانحراف والشهوة والنفار!,"every form always cries out for its corresponding form; like is ever at rest with like. Congeneity has a perceptible effect and a visible influence; repulsion of opposites, accord between similar, attractions of like for like these are facts taking place all round us. How much more then should the same factors operate within the soul, whose world is pure and etherial, whose substance is volatile and perfectly poised, whose constituent principle is so disposed as to be intensely sensitive to harmony, inclination, yearning, aversion, passionate desire and antipathy."
كل ذلك معلوم بالفطرة في أحوال تصرُّف الإنسان فيسكن إليها، والله عز وجل يقول: {هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا}؛ فجعل علَّة السكون أنها منه.,"All this is common knowledge it is immediately observable in the moods which successively control every man, and to which we all accommodate ourselves successfully. Allah Himself says, “It is He that created you of one soul, and fashioned thereof its spouse, that he might find repose in her” (Koran VII I8g). Be it noted that the reason God assigns for man’s reposing in woman is that she was made out of him."
ولو كان علةُ الحب حُسن الصورة الجسديَّة لوجب ألَّا يُستحسن الأنْقصُ من الصورة، ونحن نجد كثيرًا ممن يُؤثر الأدنى ويَعلم فضلَ غيره ولا يجد محيدًا لقلبه عنه، ولو كان للمُوافقة في الأخلاق لَمَا أحب المرء من لا يساعده ولا يُوافقه؛ فعِلْمُنا أنه شيء في ذات النفس.,"If the cause of Love were physical beauty, the consequence would be that no body defective in any shape or form would attract admiration; yet we know of many a man actually preferring the inferior article, though well aware that another is superior, and quite unable to turn his heart away from it. Again, if Love were due to a harmony of characters, no man would love a person who was not of like purpose and in concord with him. We therefore conclude that Love is something within the soul itself."
وربما كانت المَحبة لسبب من الأسباب، وتلك تفنى بفناء سببها؛ فمن ودَّك لأمر ولَّى مع انقضائه، وفي ذلك أقول:,"Sometimes, it is true, Love comes as a result of a definite cause outside the soul, but then it passes away when the cause itself disappears: one who is fond of you because of a certain circumstance will turn his back on you when that motive no longer exists. I have made this point in the verses, which follow."
وِدَادِي لَكَ البَاقِي عَلَى حَسْبِ كَوْنِهِ *** تَنَاهَى فَلَمْ يَنْقُصْ بِشَيْءٍ وَلَمْ يَزِدْ وَلَيْسَتْ لَهُ غَيْرُ الإِرَادَةِ عِلَّةً *** وَلَا سَبَبٌ حَاشَاهُ يَعْلَمُهُ أَحَدْ إِذَا مَا وَجَدْنَا الشَّيْءَ عِلَّةَ نَفْسِهِ *** فَذَاكَ وُجُودٌ لَيْسَ يَفْنَى عَلَى الأَبَدْ وَإِمَّا وَجَدْنَاهُ لِشَيْءٍ خِلافهُ *** فَإِعْدَامُهُ فِي عُدْمِنَا مَا لَهُ وُجِدْ,"My love for thee shall aye endure As now, most perfect and most pure; It brooks no increase, no decline, Since it’s complete, and wholly thine.  I cannot any cause discover, Except my will, to be thy lover, And boldly challenge any man To name another, if he can.  For sure, when any thing we see Of its own self sole cause to be, That being, being of that thing, Lives ever undiminishing  But when we find its origin Is other than the thing it’s in, Our losing that which made it be Annihilates it instantly."
ومما يؤكِّد هذا القول أننا علمنا أن المحبة ضُروب، فأفضلها محبَّة المتحابِّين في الله عز وجل؛ إما لاجتهاد في العمل، وإما لاتفاق في أصل النِّحلة والمذاهب، وإما لفضل عِلْم يُمنحه الإنسان.,"This statement is confirmed by the fact that Love, as we know, is of various kinds. The noblest sort, of Love is that which exists between persons who love each other in God either because of an identical zeal for the righteous work upon which they are engaged, or as the result of a harmony in sectarian belief and principles, or by virtue of a common possession of some noble knowledge."
ومحبة القرابة، ومحبة الألفة والاشتراك في المطالب، ومحبة التصاحب والمعرفة، ومحبة البر يضعه المرء عند أخيه، ومحبة الطمع في جاه المحبوب، ومحبة المتحابَّين لسر يجتمعان عليه يلزمهما ستره، ومحبة بلوغ اللذة وقضاء الوطر، ومحبة العشق التي لا علة لها إلا ما ذكرنا من اتصال النفوس.,"Next to this is the love, which springs from kinship; then the love of familiarity and the sharing of identical aims; the love of comradeship and acquaintance; the love, which is rooted in a benevolent regard for one’s fellow; the love that results from coveting the loved one’s worldly elevation; the love that is based upon a shared secret which both must conceal; love for the sake of getting enjoyment and satisfying desire; and passionate love, that has no other cause but that union of souls to which we have referred above."
فكل هذه الأجناس منقضية مع انقضاء عللها، وزائدة بزيادتها، وناقصة بنقصانها، متأكدة بدنوها، فاترة ببعدها، حاشا محبة العشق الصحيح المُمكن من النفس؛ فهي التي لا فناء لها إلا بالموت.,"All these varieties of Love come to an end when their causes disappear, and increase or diminish with them; they are intensified according to the degree of their proximity, and grow languid as their causes draw further and further away. The only exception. is the Love of true passion, which has the mastery of the soul: this is the love, which passes not away save with death."
وإنك لتجد الإنسان السالي برغمه، وذا السِّن المتناهية إذا ذكَّرته تذكر وارتاح وصبا، واعتاده الطرب، واهتاج له الحنين.,"You will find a man far advanced in years, who swears that he has forgotten love entirely; yet when you remind him of it, he calls that love back to mind, and is rejoiced; he is filled with youthful desire; his old emotion returns to him; his yearning is mightily stirred."
ولا يعرض في شيء من هذه الأجناس المذكورة، مِن شُغل البال والخَبل والوسواس، وتبدُّل الغرائز المركبة، واستحالة السجايا المطبوعة، والنُّحول والزفير وسائر دلائل الشجا؛ ما يعرض في العشق؛ فصحَّ بذلك أنه استحسان رُوحاني، وامتزاج نَفساني، فإن قال قائل: لو كان هذا كذلك لكانت المحبَّة بينهما مستوية؛ إذ الجزءان مشتركان في الاتصال وحظهما واحد.,"In none of the other sorts of love does anything like this happen: that mental preoccupation, that derangement of the reason, that melancholia, that transformation of settled temperaments, and alteration of natural dispositions, that moodiness, that sighing, and all the other, symptoms of profound agitation which accompany assionate love. All this proves that true Love is a spiritual approbation, a fusion of souls. It may be objected, that if Love were as I have described, it would be exactly equal in both the parties concerned, since the two parts would be partners in the act of union and the share of each would be the same."
فالجواب عن ذلك أن نقول: هذه لَعمري معارضة صحيحة، ولكنَّ نفس الذي لا يحب من يُحبه مكتنفةُ الجهات ببعض الأعراض الساترة والحُجب المحيطة بها من الطبائع الأرضية، فلم تُحس بالجزء الذي كان متصلًا بها قبل حلولها حيث هي، ولو تخلَّصت لاستويا في الاتصال والمحبة.,"To this I reply, that the objection is indeed well-founded; but the soul of the man who loves not one who loves him is beset on all sides by various accidents which occlude, and veils that encompass it about, those earthy temperaments which now overlay it, so that his soul does not sense that part which was united with it before it came to occupy its present lodging-place. Had his soul been liberated from these restrictions, the two would have been equal in their experience of union and love."
ونفس المحب متخلصة عالمة بمكان ما كان يشركها في المجاورة، طالبةٌ له، قاصدة إليه، باحثة عنه، مشتهية لملاقاته، جاذبة له لو أمكنها كالمغناطيس والحديد، قوة جوهر المغناطيس المتصلة بقوة جوهر الحديد لم تبلغ من تحكمها ولا من تصفيتها أن تقصد إلى الحديد على أنه من شكلها وعنصرها، كما أن قوة الحديد لشدتها قصدت إلى شكلها وانجذبت نحوه؛ إذ الحركة أبدًا إنما تكون من الأقوى، وقوة الحديد متروكة الذات غير ممنوعة بحابسٍ، تطلب ما يشبهها، وتنقطع إليه، وتنهض نحوه بالطبع والضرورة، وبالاختيار والتعمُّد.,"As for the lover, his soul is indeed free and aware of where that other is that shared with it in ancient proximity; his soul is ever seeking for the other, striving after it, searching it out, yearning to encounter it again, drawing it to itself if might be as a magnet draws the iron. The essential force of the magnet, when in contact with the essential force of the iron, is not so strong or so refined as to seek out after the iron, for all that the iron is of the self-same kind and element; it is the force of the iron, by virtue of its natural strength, that reaches out after its kind’ and is drawn towards it. Movement always takes place from the side of the more powerful. The force of the iron, when left to itself and not prevented by any restriction, seeks out what- resembles itself and with single-minded devotion, so to speak, hastens towards it; this it does naturally and necessarily, not out of free choice and set purpose."
وأنت متى أمسكت الحديد بيدك لم ينجذب؛ إذ لم يبلغ من قوته أيضًا مغالبةَ المُمسك له مما هو أقوى منه.,"When you hold back the iron in your hand it is no longer attracted to the magnet, because the force it possesses is not sufficient to overcome the stronger force holding it back."
ومتى كثرت أجزاء الحديد اشتغل بعضها ببعض، واكتفت بأشكالها عن طلب اليسير من قواها النازحة عنها، فمتى عظُم جِرم المغناطيس ووازت قُواه جميعَ قُوى جِرم الحديد عادت إلى طبعها المعهود.,"When the particles of iron are numerous, one group of these is fully occupied with the other and all are adequately satisfied by their own kind, and do not care to seek after that small portion of their forces standing at a distance from them. When the mass of the magnet is large, however, and its forces are a match for all the forces lying within the iron’s mass, the iron reverts to its accustomed nature."
وكالنار في الحجر لا تبرز على قوة الحجر في الاتصال والاستدعاء لأجزائها حيث كانت إلا بعد القدح ومجاورة الجِرمين بضغطهما واصطكاكهما، وإلا فهي كامنة في حَجرها لا تبدو ولا تظهر.,"Similarly the fire which is latent in the flint, in spite of the force belonging to fire to unite and to summon together its scattered parts wherever they may be, does not in fact issue from the flint until the latter is struck. When the two masses press and rub closely against each other, the fire is liberated; otherwise it remains latent within the flint, and does not show or manifest itself at all."
ومن الدليل على هذا أيضًا أنك لا تجد اثنين يتحابَّان إلا وبينهما مشاكلة واتفاق الصفات الطبيعية، لا بد في هذا وإن قل، وكلما كثرت الأشباه زادت المُجانسة وتأكَّدت المودة.,"My theory is further proved by the fact that you will never find two persons in love with one another without there being some likeness and agreement of natural attributes between them. This condition must definitely obtain, even if only to a small degree; the more numerous the resemblances, the greater will be their congeneity and the firmer their affection."
فانظر هذا تراه عِيانًا، وقولُ رسول الله ﷺ يؤكِّده: «الأرواح جنود مجندة، ما تَعارف منها ائتلف، وما تناكر منها اختلف.»,"It is only necessary to look for this, and you will see it quite plainly on all hands. The Messenger of Allah confirmed the matter when he said, “Spirits are regimented battalions those which know one another associate familiarly together, while those which do not know one another remain at variance.”"
وقولٌ مرويٌّ عن أحد الصالحين: «أرواح المؤمنين تتعارف.»,"A saint is reported as having stated, “The spirits of believers know one another.”"
ولهذا ما اغتم بقراط حين وُصف له رجل من أهل النقصان يُحبه، فقيل له في ذلك، فقال: ما أحبني إلا وقد وافقتُه في بعض أخلاقه.,"For the same reason Hippocrates was not distressed when he was told of a man deficient in virtue who was in love with him. The matter being remarked upon, he said, “He would not have fallen in love with me if I had not accorded with him in some aspect of my character.”"
وذكر أفلاطون أن بعض الملوك سجنه ظلمًا، فلم يزل يحتجُّ عن نفسه حتى أظهر براءته، وعلم الملك أنه له ظالم، فقال له وزيره الذي كان يتولى إيصال كلامه إليه: أيها الملك، قد استبان لك أنه بريء؛ فما لك وله؟,"Plato relates how a certain king threw him in prison unjustly, and he did not cease to argue his case until he proved his innocence, and the king realised that he had been unjust to him. The minister who had charged himself with conveying Plato’s words to the monarch exclaimed, “O king, it has now become evident to you that he is innocent; what more lies between you and him?”"
فقال الملك: لعمري ما لي إليه سبيل، غير أني أجد لنفسي استثقالًا لا أدري ما هو.,"The king answered, “Upon my life, I have nothing against him, except that I feel within myself an inexplicable disgust with him.”"
فأدَّى ذلك إلى أفلاطون، قال: فاحتجتُ أن أفتش في نفسي وأخلاقي أجد شيئًا أقابل به نفسه وأخلاقه مما يشبهها، فنظرت في أخلاقه فإذا هو محب للعدل كاره للظلم، فميزت هذا الطبع فيَّ، فما هو إلا أن حركت هذه الموافقة، وقابلت نفسه بهذا الطبع الذي بنفسي، فأمر بإطلاقي وقال لوزيره: قد انحلَّ كل ما أجد في نفسي له.,"The minister reported this saying to Plato. The latter remarked, continuing his story, “So I was obliged to search within my soul and my character for something resembling his soul and his character, which might be a point of correspondence between us. I considered his character, and observed that he loved equity and hated injustice. I diagnosed the same disposition within myself; and no sooner did I set this point of agreement into motion and confront his soul with this characteristic which he possessed in common with me, than he gave orders for my release.” Plato relates that the king then said to his minister, “All the antipathy against him that I formerly felt within me has now been dissolved.”"
وأما العلة التي توقع الحب أبدًا في أكثر الأمر على الصورة الحسنة، فالظاهر أن النفس تولع بكل شيء حسن، وتميل إلى التصاوير المتقنة، فهي إذا رأت بعضها تثبتت فيه، فإن ميزت وراءها شيئًا من أشكالها اتصلت وصحت المحبة الحقيقية، وإن لم تميز وراءها شيئًا من أشكالها لم يتجاوز حبها الصورة، وذلك هو الشهوة.,"As for what causes Love in most cases to choose a beautiful form to light upon, it is evident that the soul itself being beautiful, it is affected by all beautiful things, and has a yearning for perfect symmetrical images whenever it sees any such image, it fixes itself upon it; then, if it discerns behind that image something of its own kind, it becomes united and true love is established. If however the soul does not discover anything of its own kind behind the image, its affection goes no further than the form, and remains mere carnal desire."
وإن للصور لتوصيلًا عجيبًا بين أجزاء النفوس النائية، وقرأت في السفر الأول من التوراة أن النبي يعقوب عليه السلام أيام رَعيه غنمًا لابن خاله مهرًا لابنته شارَطه على المشاركة في إنسالها، فكل بَهيم ليعقوب وكل أغر للابان، فكان يعقوب عليه السلام يعمد إلى قضبان الشجر يسلخ نصفًا ويترك نصفًا بحاله، ثم يلقي الجميع في الماء الذي تَرده الغنم، ويتعمد إرسال الطروقة في ذلك الوقت فلا تلد إلا نصفين؛ نصفًا بُهْمًا ونصفًا غُرًّا.,"Indeed, physical forms have a wonderful faculty of drawing together the scattered parts of men’s souls. I have read in the first book of the Pentateuch how the Prophet Jacob, during the days when he was watching his uncle Laban’s sheep, to be a dowry for his uncle’s daughter, entered into an engagement with Laban that he should share with him the offspring of the flock; all the lambs that were of a single colour would belong to Jacob, while every lamb born with a white blaze was to fall to Laban. Now Jacob would lay hold of the tree branches and strip off the bark of a half, and leave the other half as they were; then he cast all into the water whither the sheep came down to drink. He would contrive to send the pregnant ewes down to drink at that time; and they would give birth in due course half to single-coloured lambs, and half to lambs marked with a blaze."
وكثيرًا ما يصرف شعراء أهل الكلام هذا المعنى في أشعارهم، فيخاطبون المرئيَّ في الظاهر خطابَ المعقول الباطن، وهو المستفيض في شعر النظَّام إبراهيم بن سيَّار وغيره من المتكلمين، وفي ذلك أقول شعرًا، منه:,"The poets of the scholastics frequently touch on this theme in their compositions, addressing the external object of the vision as though it were an inner concept of the mind. The subject is very common in the poetry of al-Nazzam Ibrahim Ibn Saiyar and of other scholastics; I myself have treated the topic in the verses, which follow."
مَا عِلَّةُ النَّصْرِ فِي الأَعْدَاءِ تَعْرِفُهَا *** وَعِلَّةُ الفَرِّ مِنْهُمْ أنْ يَفِرُّونَا إِلَّا نِزَاعُ نُفُوسِ النَّاسِ قَاطِبَةً *** إِلَيْكَ يَا لُؤْلُؤًا فِي النَّاسِ مَكْنُونا مَنْ كُنْتَ قُدَّامَهُ لَا يَنْثَنِي أَبَدًا *** فَهُمْ إِلَى نُورِكَ الصَّعَّادِ يَعشُونا وَمَنْ تَكُنْ خَلْفَهُ فَالنَّفْسُ تَصْرِفُهُ *** إِلَيْكَ طَوْعًا فَهُمْ دَأبًا يَكرُّونا,"No other cause of victory There is, when we defeat the foe, No other reason that we flee Before their onset, as I know,  But that the souls of all mankind In urgently unanimity, O pearl in human hearts enshrined! Strive to possess themselves of thee.  And so, where’re thou dost precede, None following lags far behind, But with thy mounting light to lead All see the way, and triumph find.  But when to rearward thou dost stand The warriors emulate thy deed, And, answering their hearts’ command, Wheel round to join thee with all speed."
ومن ذلك أقول:  أَمِنْ عَالَمِ الأَمْلَاكِ أَنْتَ أَمِ انْسِيٌّ *** أَبِنْ لِي فَقَدْ أزْرَى بِتَمْيِيزِيَ العِيُّ أَرَى هَيْئَةً إِنْسِيَّةً غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ *** إِذَا أُعمل التَّفْكِيرُ فَالجِرْمُ عُلْوِيُّ تَبَارَكَ مَنْ سَوَّى مَذَاهِبَ خَلْقِهِ *** عَلَى أَنَّكَ النُّورُ الأَنِيقُ الطَّبِيعِيُّ,"I have another poem on the same subject.  Say, art thou of the angels’ sphere, Or sharest thou our human kind? My dazzled judgment sees not clear; Bewilderment defeats my mind.’  The vision of my outward eye A human shape descries in thee; When inward reason I apply, I know thy form is heavenly.  Then blessed be God, Who did design His creatures so symmetrical, And fashioned thee a light to shine In natural beauty over all."
وَلَا شَكَّ عِنْدِي أَنَّكَ الرُّوحُ سَاقَهُ *** إِلَيْنَا مِثَالٌ فِي النُّفُوسِ اتِّصَالِيُّ عَدِمْنَا دَلِيلًا فِي حُدُوثِكَ شَاهِدًا *** نَقِيسُ عَلَيْهِ غَيْرَ أَنَّكَ مَرْئِيُّ وَلَوْلَا وُقُوعُ العَيْنِ فِي الكَوْنِ لَمْ نَقُلْ *** سِوَى أَنَّكَ العَقْلُ الرَّفِيعُ الحَقِيقِيُّ,"Thou the primeval Spirit art, As I undoubtingly believe, Which an affinity of heart Made our souls worthy to receive.  No other proof do we possess To argue thy mortality, But that thy visual loveliness Impinges on our eyes, to see.  Did we not view thy essence clear Within this world of space and time, We would declare in faith sincere Thou art pure Reason, true, sublime!"
وكان بعض أصحابنا يُسمِّي قصيدةً لي «الإدراك المتوهم»، منها:  تَرَى كُلَّ ضِدٍّ بِهِ قَائِمًا *** فَكَيْفَ تَحُدُّ اخْتِلَافَ المَعَانِي فَيَا أَيُّهَا الجِسْمُ لَا ذَا جِهَاتٍ *** وَيَا عَرَضًا ثابتًا غَيْرَ فَانِ نَقَضْتَ عَلَيْنَا وُجُوهَ الكَلَام *** فَمَا هُوَ مُذْ لُحْتَ بِالمُسْتَبَانِ,"One of my friends has called another poem of mine, from which the next extract comes, “The Imaginative Perception”.  All opposites, as thou dost see, In him subsist combined; Then how shall such variety Of Meanings be defined?  O wondrous body that dost lie Beyond dimensions’ range! O accident, that shalt not die, Exempt from chance and change!  Thou cuttest through the tangled thread Of scholars’ argument, And makest, in thy light thus shed, The truth self-evident."
وهذا بعينه موجود في البغضة، ترى الشخصين يتباغضان لا لمعنًى ولا علة، ويستثقل بعضهما بعضًا بلا سبب.,"Precisely the same thing is to be found in the case of Hatred: you will see two persons hating one another for no basic cause or reason whatsoever, but simply because the one has a wholly irrational antipathy for the other."
والحب — أعزك الله — داء عَيَاء، وفيه الدواء منه على قدر المعاملة، ومقامٌ مستلذ، وعلة مشتهاة، لا يودُّ سليمُها البرءَ، ولا يتمنَّى عليلُها الإفاقة، يُزيِّن للمرء ما كان يأنف منه، ويُسهِّل عليه ما كان يصعُب عنده، حتى يُحيل الطبائع المركبة والجِبِلَّة المخلوقة. وسيأتي كل ذلك ملخصًا في بابه إن شاء الله.,"Love -may God exalt you!- is in truth a baffling ailment, and its remedy is in strict accord with the degree to which it is treated; it is a delightful malady, a most desirable sickness. Whoever is free of it likes not to be immune, and whoever is struck down by it yearns not to recover. Love represents as glamorous that which a man formerly disdained, and renders easy for him that which he hitherto found hard; so that it even transforms established temperaments and inborn dispositions, as shall be set forth briefly in its own appropriate chapter, God willing."
خبر ولقد علمتُ فتًى من بعض معارفي قد وَحِل في الحب وتورَّط في حبائله، وأضر به الوجد، وأنضحه الدنف، وما كانت نفسُه تطيب بالدعاء إلى الله عزَّ وجلَّ في كشف ما به، ولا ينطق به لسانُه، وما كان دعاؤه إلا بالوصل والتمكُّن ممن يُحب، على عظيم بلائه وطويل همه، فما الظنُّ بسقيمٍ لا يريد فقْد سقمه.,"Among my acquaintances I once knew a youth who was bogged down in love and stuck fast in its toils passion had grievously affected him, sickness had worn him out. Yet his soul found no comfort in praying to Almighty God to remove his afflictions; his tongue was not loosed in any petition for deliverance. His only prayer was to be united with and to be possessed of the one he loved, despite the enormity of his sufferings and the long protraction of his cares. (What is one to think of the sick man who desires not to be rid of his sickness?)."
ولقد جالستُه يومًا فرأيت من إكبابه وسوء حاله وإطراقه ما ساءني، فقلت له في بعض قولي: فرَّج الله عنك. فلقد رأيتُ أثر الكراهية في وجهه.,"One day I was seated with him, and felt so distressed at the visible evidence of his miserable condition, his head cast down, his staring eyes, that I said to him (among other things), “May Allah grant you relief!” I at once observed in his face the marks of strong displeasure with what I had said."
وفي مثله أقول من كلمةٍ طويلةٍ:  وَأَسْتَلِذُّ بَلَائِي فِيكَ يَا أَمَلِي *** وَلَسْتُ عَنْكَ مَدَى الأَيَّامِ أَنْصَرِفُ إِنْ قِيلَ لِي تَتَسَلَّى عَنْ مَوَدَّتِهِ *** فَمَا جَوَابِيَ إِلَّا اللَّامُ وَالأَلِفُ,"It was with such a situation in mind that I composed the follow verses, part of a long poem.  O rare delight, these pains that break My heart, dear hope, for thy sweet sake! Through all the days, in all my woe, I will not ever let thee go.  If any man should dare to say, “Thou shalt forget his love one day” The only answer I will give Is an eternal negative?"
خبر وهذه الصفات مخالفة لما أخبرني به عن نفسه أبو بكر محمد بن قاسم بن محمد القرشيُّ، المعروف بالشلشي، من ولد الإمام هشام بن عبد الرحمن بن معاوية، أنه لم يُحب أحدًا قط، ولا أسِف على إلفٍ بانَ منه، ولا تجاوز حد الصُّحبة والأُلفة إلى حدِّ الحُب والعشق منذ خُلق.,"What I have described is all the exact opposite of what Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Qasim Ibn Muhammad al-Qurashi once told me in reference to his own case. (He is the man better known as al-Shabanisi, a descendant of Imam Hisham Ibn `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Mu’awiya) He declared that he had never loved anyone, never grieved to be separated from any friend, and never in all his life transgressed the limits of association and comradeship to penetrate the bounds of love and passionate affection."
باب علامات الحب وللحُب علامات يقفوها الفَطن، ويهتدي إليها الذكي؛ فأولها إدمان النظر؛ والعين باب النفس الشارع، وهي المنقبة عن سرائرها، والمُعبِّرة لضمائرها، والمُعربة عن بواطنها، فترى الناظر لا يطرف، يتنقَّل بتنقُّل المحبوب، وينزوي بانزوائه، ويميل حيث مال كالحرباء مع الشمس، وفي ذلك أقول شعرًا، منه:  فَلَيْسَ لِعَيْنِي عِنْدَ غَيْرِكَ مَوْقِفٌ *** كَأَنَّكَ مَا يَحْكُونَ مِنْ حَجَرِ البَهْتِ أُصَرِّفُهَا حَيْثُ انْصَرَفتَ وَكَيْفَمَا *** تَقَلَّبْتَ كَالمَنْعُوتِ فِي النَّحْوِ وَالنَّعْتِ,"THE SIGNS OF LOVE LOVE has certain signs, which the intelligent man quickly detects, and the shrewd man readily recognizes. Of these the first is the brooding gaze: the eye is the wide gateway of the soul, the scrutinizer of its secrets, conveying its most private thoughts, and giving expression to its deepest-hid feelings. You will see the lover gazing at the beloved unblinkingly; his eyes follow the loved one’s every movement, withdrawing as he withdraws, inclining as he inclines, just as the chameleon’s stare shifts with the shifting of the sun. I have written a poem on this topic, from which the following may be quoted.  My eye no other place of rest Discovers, save with thee; Men say the lodestone is possessed Of a like property.  To right or left it doth pursue Thy movements up or down, As adjectives in grammar do Accord them with their noun."
ومنها الإقبال بالحديث، فما يكاد يُقبل على سوى محبوبه ولو تعمد غير ذلك، وإن التكلف ليستبين لمن يرمُقه فيه، والإنصات لحديثه إذا حدَّث، واستغرابُ كل ما يأتي به وكأنه عينُ المحال، وخَرق العادات، وتصديقه وإن كذب، وموافقتُه وإن ظلم، والشهادة له وإن جار، واتباعُه كيف سلك وأيَّ وجه من وجوه القول تناول.,"The lover will direct his conversation to the beloved, even when he purports however earnestly to address another: the affectation is apparent to anyone with eyes to see. When the loved one speaks, the lover listens with rapt attention to his every word; he marvels at everything the beloved says, however extraordinary and absurd his observations may be; he believes him implicitly even when he is clearly lying, agrees with him though he is obviously in the wrong, testifies on his behalf for all that he may be unjust, follows after him however he may proceed and whatever line of argument he may adopt."
ومنها أن يجود المرءُ ببذل كل ما كان يقدر عليه مما كان ممتنعًا به قبلَ ذلك، كأنه هو الموهوب له، والمسعي في حظه. كل ذلك ليُبدي محاسنه، ويُرغِّب في نفسه؛,"A man in love will give prodigally to the limit of his capacity, in a way that formerly he would have refused; as if he were the one receiving the donation, he the one whose happiness is the object in view; all this in order that he may show off his good points, and make himself desirable."
فكم بخيل جاد! وقطُوب تطلَّق! وجبان تشجَّع! وغليظ الطبع تطرَّب! وجاهل تأدَّب! وتفِل تزيَّن! وفقير تجمَّل! وذي سن تفتَّى! وناسك تفتَّك! ومصون تبذَّل!,"How often has the miser opened his purse strings, the scowler relaxed his frown, the coward leapt heroically into the fray, the clod suddenly become sharp-witted, the boor turned into the perfect gentleman, the stinker transformed himself into the elegant dandy, the sloucher smartened up, the decrepit recaptured his lost youth, the godly gone wild, the self-respecting kicked over the traces-and all because of love!"
فأما إذا تمكن وأخذ مأخذه، فحينئذٍ ترى الحديث سِرارًا، والإعراض عن كل ما حَضر إلا عن المحبوب جهارًا. ولي أبيات جمعتُ فيها كثيرًا من هذه العلامات، منها:  أَهْوَى الحَدِيثَ إِذَا مَا كَانَ يُذْكَرُ لِي *** فِيهِ وَيَعْبَقُ لِي عَنْ عَنْبَرٍ أَرجِ إِنْ قَالَ لَمْ أَسْتَمِعْ مِمَّنْ يُجَالِسُنِي *** إِلَى سِوَى لَفْظِهِ المُسْتَطْرفِ الغَنِجِ وَلَوْ يَكُونُ أَمِيرُ المُؤْمِنِينَ مَعِي *** مَا كُنْتُ مِنْ أَجْلِهِ عَنْهُ بِمُنْعَرِجِ,"But when the fire really takes a hold and is firmly established, then you will see the secret whispering, the unconcealed turning away from all present but the beloved. I have some verses in which I have contrived to bring together many of these signs, and will now quote from these.  I love to hear when men converse And in the midst his name rehearse; The air I breathe seems redolent That moment with the amber’s scent,  But when he speaketh, I give ear Unto no other sitting near, But lean to catch delightedly His pretty talk and coquetry,  Nor yet, though my companion there The Prince of All the Faithful were, Permit my mind to be removed On his account from my beloved."
ومنها الإسراعُ بالسيرِ نحو المكان الذي يكون فيه، والتعمُّد للقعود بقُربه والدنو منه، واطِّراح الأشغال الموجبة للزوال عنه، والاستهانةُ بِكل خَطْب جليل داعٍ إلى مفارقته، والتباطؤ في الشيء عند القيام عنه، وفي ذلك أقول شعرًا:  وَإِذَا قُمْتُ عَنْكَ لَمْ أَمْشِ إِلَّا *** مَشْيَ عَانٍ يُقَادُ نَحْوَ الفَنَاءِ فِي مَجِيئِي إِلَيْكَ أَحْتَثُّ كَالبَدْ *** رِ إِذَا كَانَ قَاطِعًا لِلسَّمَاءِ وَقِيَامِي إِنْ قُمْتَ كَالأَنْجُمِ العَا *** لِيَةِ الثَّابِتَاتِ فِي الإِبْطَاءِ,"The lover hurries to the spot where the beloved is at the moment, endeavors to sit as near him as possible sidles up close to him, lays aside all occupations that might oblige him to leave his company, makes light of any matter however weighty that would demand his parting from him, is very slow to move when he takes his leave of him. I have put this somewhere into verse.  No captive for the gallows bound With more reluctance quits his cell Than I thy presence, in profound Regret to say farewell.  But when, my darling, comes the time That we may be together, I Run swiftly as the moon doth climb The ramparts of the sky.  At last, alas! That sweet delight Must end anew; I, lingering yet, Turn slowly, as from heaven’s height The fixed stars creep to set."
ومنها بَهْت يقع وروعةٌ تبدو على المحب عند رؤية من يُحب فجأةً وطلوعه بغتةً. ومنها اضطراب يبدو على المحب عند رؤية من يُشبه محبوبه، أو عند سماع اسمه فجأة، وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، منها:  إِذَا مَا رَأَتْ عَيْنَايَ لَابِسَ حُمْرَةٍ *** تَقَطَّعَ قَلْبِي حَسْرَةً وَتَفَطَّرَا غدَا لِدِمَاءِ النَّاسِ بِاللَّحْظِ سَافِكًا *** وَضَرَّجَ مِنْهَا ثَوْبَهُ فَتَعَصْفَرَا,"Other signs of love are that sudden confusion and excitement betrayed by the lover when he unexpectedly sees the one he loves coming upon him unawares, that agitation which overmasters him on beholding someone who resembles his beloved or, on hearing his name suddenly pronounced. This I have put into verse, as the following extract indicates.  Whene’er my ranging eyes descry A person clad in red, My heart is split with agony And sore discomforted.  His roguish glance, as I conclude, Has shed such human blood That now his garments are imbrued All saffron from the flood."
وهذه العلامات تكون قبل استعار نار الحب وتأجُّج حريقه، وتوقُّد شعله، واستطارة لهبه.,"All these signs are to be observed even before the fire of Love is properly kindled, ere its conflagration truly bursts forth, its blaze waxes fierce, its flames leap up."
فِإِنْ أَقُمْ عَنْهُ مُضْطَرًّا فَإِنِّيَ لَا *** أَزَالُ مُلْتَفِتًا وَالمَشْيُ مَشْيُ وَجِي عَيْنَايَ فِيهِ وَجِسْمِي عَنْهُ مُرْتَحِلٌ *** مِثْل ارْتِقَابِ الغَرِيقِ البَرَّ فِي اللُّججِ أَغُصُّ بِالمَاءِ إِنْ أَذْكُر تَبَاعُدَهُ *** كَمَنْ تَثَاءَبَ وَسَطَ النَّقْعِ وَالوَهَجِ وَإِنْ تَقُلْ مُمْكِنٌ قَصْد السَّمِاءِ أَقُلْ *** نَعَمْ، وَإِنِّي لَأَدْرِي مَوْضِعَ الدَّرَجِ,"And if, through dire compulsion, I Stand up at last to say good-bye, Still glancing fondly at my sweet I stumble, as on wounded feet;  My eyes upon his features play The while my body drifts away, As one the billows tumble o’er Yet gazes, drowning, on the shore.  When I recall how distant he Now is, I choke in sorrow’s sea, Weary as one who sinks, to expire In some deep bog, or raging fire.  Yet, if thou sayest, “Canst thou still Aspire to heaven?” “That I will”, I answer boldly, “and I know The stairs that to its summit go!”"
ويقول: وإياكم وقاتل الثلاثة.,"He also said, “Beware of the three babblers!”"
ومن علاماته وشواهده الظاهرة لكُل ذي بَصر: الانبساطُ الكثير الزائد، والتضايقُ في المكان الواسع، والمجاذبة على الشيء يأخذه أحدهما، وكثرة الغمز الخفي، والميل بالاتكاء، والتعمد لمسِّ اليد عند المحادثة، ولمس ما أمكن من الأعضاء الظاهرة، وشرب فضلة ما أبقى المحبوب في الإناء، وتحري المكان الذي يقابله فيه.,"Other outward signs and tokens of love are the following, which are apparent to all having eyes in their heads: abundant and exceeding cheerfulness at finding oneself with the beloved in a narrow space, and a corresponding depression on being together in a wide expanse; to engage in a playful tug-of-war for anything the one or the other lays hold of; much clandestine winking; leaning sideways and supporting oneself against the object of one’s affection; endeavoring to touch his hand, and whatever other part of his body one can reach, while engaged in conversation ; and drinking the remainder of what the beloved has left in his cup, seeking out the very spot against which his lips were pressed."
ومنها علامات متضادة، وهي على قدر الدواعي والعوارض الباعثة، والأسباب المحركة، والخواطر المهيجة، والأضداد أنداد، والأشياء إذا أفرطت في غايات تضادها، ووقفت في انتهاء حدود اختلافها تشابهت، قدرة من الله عز وجل تضلُّ فيها الأوهام؛ فهذا الثلج إذا أدمن حبسه في اليد فَعَل فِعْل النار، ونجد الفَرَح إذا أفرط قتل، والغم إذا أفرط قتل، والضحك إذا كثر واشتد أسال الدمع من العينين.,"There are also contrary signs that occur according to casual provocations and accidental incitements, and a variety of motivating causes and stimulating thoughts. Opposites are of course likes, in reality; when things reach the limit of contrariety, and stand at the furthest bounds of divergence, they come to resemble one another. This is decreed by God’s omnipotent power, in a manner that baffles entirely the human imagination. Thus, when ice is pressed a long time in the hand, it finally produces the same effect as fire. We find that extreme joy and extreme sorrow kill equally; excessive and violent laughter sends the tears coursing from the eyes."
وهذا في العالم كثير، فنجد المحبين إذا تكافيا في المحبة وتأكدت بينهما تأكدًا شديدًا أكثر بهما جدُّهما بغير معنًى، وتضادُّهما في القول تعمدًا، وخروجُ بعضهما على بعض في كل يسير من الأمور، وتتبع كلٌّ منهما لفظةً تقع من صاحبه وتأولها على غير معناها.,"It is a very common phenomenon in the world about us. Similarly with lovers: when they love each other with an equal ardour, and their mutual affection is intensely strong, they will turn against one another without any valid reason, each purposely contradicting the other in whatever he may say; they quarrel violently over the smallest things, each picking up every word that the other lets fall and willfully misinterpreting it."
كل هذه تجربة ليبدو ما يعتقده كل واحد منهما في صاحبه.,All these devices are aimed at testing and proving what each is seeking in the other.
والفرق بين هذا وبين حقيقة الهجرة والمضادة المتولدة عن الشحناء ومُخارجة التشاجر سرعةُ الرضى؛ فإنك بينما ترى المُحبين قد بلغا الغاية من الاختلاف الذي لا يقدر يصلُح عند الساكن النفس، السالم من الأحقاد في الزمن الطويل، ولا ينجبر عند الحَقود أبدًا، فلا تلبث أن تراهما قد عادا إلى أجمل الصُّحبة، وأُهدرت المعاتبة، وسقط الخلاف، وانصرفا في ذلك الحين بعينه إلى المُضاحكة والمداعبة، هكذا في الوقت الواحد مرارًا.,"Now the difference between this sham, and real aversion and contrariness born of deep-seated hatred and inveterate contention, is that lovers are very quickly reconciled after their disputes. You will see a pair of lovers seeming to have reached the extreme limit of contrariety, to the point that you would reckon not to be mended even in the instance of a person of most tranquil spirit, wholly exempt from rancour, save after a long interval, and wholly irreparable in the case of a quarrelsome man; yet in next to no time you will observe them to have become the best of friends once more; silenced are those mutual reproaches, vanished that disharmony; forthwith they are laughing again and playfully sporting together. The same scene may be enacted several times at a single session."
وإذا رأيت هذا من اثنين، فلا يُخالِجْك شكٌّ ولا يدخلنَّك ريبٌ البتةَ، ولا تتمارَ في أن بينهما سرًّا من الحب دفينًا، واقْطع فيه قَطْع من لا يصرفه عنه صارف، ودونكها تجربةً صحيحةً وخبرةً صادقة: هذا لا يكون إلا عن تكلفٍ في المودة وائتلاف صحيح، وقد رأيتُه كثيرًا.,"When you see a pair of lovers behaving in such a fashion, let no doubt enter your mind, no uncertainty invade your thoughts; you may be sure without hesitation, and convinced as by an unshakable certainty, that there lies between them a deep and hidden secret-the secret of true love. Take this then for a sure test, a universally valid experiment: it is the product only of an equal partnership in love, and a true concord of hearts. I myself have observed it frequently."
ومن أعلامه أنك تجد المحب يستدعي سماع اسم من يُحب، ويستلذ الكلام في أخباره، ويجعلها هِجِّيراه، ولا يرتاح لشيء ارتياحه لها، ولا ينهنهه عن ذلك تخوُّف أن يَفطن السامع ويفهم الحاضر — وحُبُّك الشيء يُعمي ويُصم.,"Another sign is when you find the lover almost entreating to hear the loved one’s name pronounced, taking an extreme delight in speaking about him, so that the subject is a positive obsession with him; nothing so much rejoices him, and he is not in the least restrained by the fear that someone listening may realise what he is about, and someone present will understand his true motives. Love for a thing renders you blind and deaf."
فلو أمكن المُحب ألَّا يكون حديثٌ في مكان يكون فيه إلا ذكر مَن يُحبه لما تعدَّاه.,"If the lover could so contrive, that in the place where he happens to be there should be no talk of anything but his beloved, he would never leave that spot for any other in the whole world."
ويعرض للصادق المودة أن يبتدئ في الطعام وهو له مُشتهٍ، فما هو إلا وقت ما تهتاج له مِن ذِكْر من يُحب صار الطعام غُصةً في الحلق، وشجًى في المريء، وهكذا في الماء، وفي الحديث، فإنه يفاتحكه مبتهجًا، فتَعرض له خطرة من خطرات الفكر فيمن يُحب، فتستبين الحوالة في منطقه، والتقصير في حديثه، وآيةُ ذلك الوُجومُ والإطراق وشدة الانفلاق؛ فبينما هو طَلْق الوجه، خفيفُ الحركات، صار مُنطبقًا متثاقلًا حائرَ النفس، جامدَ الحركة، يبرم من الكلمة، ويضجر من السؤال.,"It can happen that a man sincerely affected by love will start to eat his meal with an excellent appetite; yet the instant the recollection of his loved one is excited, the food sticks in his throat and chokes his gullet. It is the same if he is drinking, or talking he begins to converse with you gaily enough, and then all at once he is invaded by a chance thought of his dear one. You will notice the change in his manner of speaking, the instantaneous failure of his conversational powers; the sure signs are his long silences, the way he stares at the ground, his extreme taciturnity. One moment he is all smiles, lightly gesticulating; the next, and he has become completely boxed up, sluggish, distrait, rigid, too weary to utter a single word, irritated by the most innocent question."
ومن علاماته حُبُّ الوحدة والأنس بالانفراد، ونُحول الجسم دون حدٍّ يكون فيه، ولا وجع مانع من التقلب والحركة والمشي.,"Love’s signs also include a fondness for solitude and a pleasure in being alone, as well as a wasting of the body not accompanied by any fever or ache preventing free activity and liberty of movement."
دليل لا يكذِب ومُخبر لا يخون عن كلمة في النفس كامنة.,The walk is also an unerring indication and never-deceiving sign of an inward lassitude of spirit.
والسهرُ من أعراض المُحبين، وقد أكثر الشعراء في وصفه، وحكوا أنهم رُعاة الكواكب، وواصفُو طول الليل.,"Sleeplessness too is a common affliction of lovers; the poets have described this condition frequently, relating how they watch the stars, and giving an account of the night’s interminable length."
وفي ذلك أقول وأذكر كتمان السر، وأنه يتوسَّم بالعلامات:  تَعَلَّمَتِ السَّحَائِبُ مِنْ شُئُونِي *** فَعَمَّتْ بِالحَيَا السَّكْبِ الهَتُونِ وَهَذَا اللَّيْلُ فِيكَ غَدَا رَفِيقي *** بذلك أَمْ عَلَى سَهَري مُعيني فَإِنْ لَمْ يَنْقَضِ الإِظْلَامُ … *** ألا مَا أَطْبَقَتْ نَوْمًا جُفُونِي فَلَيْسَ إِلَى النَّهَارِ لَنَا سَبِيلٌ *** وَسُهْدٌ زَائِدٌ فِي كُلِّ حِينِ كَأَنَّ نُجُومَهُ وَالغَيْمُ يُخْفِي *** سَنَاهَا عَنْ مُلَاحَظَةِ العُيُونِ ضَمِيرِي فِي وِدَادِكَ يَا مُنَايَا *** فَلَيْسَ يَبِينُ إِلَّا بِالظُّنُونِ,"I too have some verses on this topic, in which I also touch on the guarding of Love’s secret, and mention the signs from which it may be prognosticated.  The clouds, when they my tears discerned, A lesson from my weeping learned And covered all the parched domain With deluges of flooding rain.  And has the night because of thee Now come to share my misery, Or will it succour bring, perchance, To this my weary vigilance?  For if the shadows of the night Will ne’er disperse, and turn to light, Until my eyes, pressed down by woes, At last in weary slumber close;  I do not think that any way Remains, to lead me back to day, But still augmenting sleeplessness My every moment shall oppress.  And now dark clouds o’erspread the And hide the starlight from my eyes, Concealing from my anxious gaze The comfort of their fitful blaze.  Such inward torment of the mind, Thee loving, dearest heart, I find, Surmise alone can fully guess And advertize my soul’s distress."
وفي مثل ذلك قطعةٌ منها:  أَرْعَى النُّجُومَ كَأَنَّنِي كُلِّفْتُ أَنْ *** أَرْعَى جَمِيعَ ثُبُوتِهَا وَالخُنَّسِ فَكَأَنَّهَا وَاللَّيْلُ نِيرَانُ الجَوَى *** قَدْ أُضْرِمَتْ فِي فِكْرَتِي مِنْ حِنْدِسِ وَكَأَنَّنِي أَمْسَيْتُ حَارِسَ رَوْضَةٍ *** خَضْرَاءَ وُشِّعَ نَبْتُهَا بِالنَّرْجِسِ لَوْ عَاشَ بَطْلَيمُوسُ أَيْقَنَ أَنَّنِي *** أَقْوَى الوَرَى فِي رَصْدِ جَرْيِ الكُنَّسِ,"Another poem of mine-I quote an extract-deals with the same notion.  I am the shepherd of the skies, Deputed to preserve The planets as they sink and rise, The stars that do not swerve.  Those, as they swing their lamps above Our earth, by night possessed, Are like the kindled fires of love Within my darkling breast.  Or I am now the gardener Of some green mead, methinks, And through the grasses, here and there, A white narcissus winks.  Were Ptolemy alive to-day, And did he know of me, “Thou art the maestro”, he would say, “Of all astronomy!”"
والشيء قد يذكر لما يُوجبه: وقع لي في هذه الأبيات تشبيه شيئين بشيئين في بيت واحد، وهو البيت الذي أوله «فكأنها والليل»، وهذا مستغرب في الشعر، ولي ما هو أكملُ منه، وهو تشبيه ثلاثة أشياء في بيت واحد، وتشبيه أربعة أشياء في بيت واحد، وكلاهما في هذه القطعة التي أُوردها، وهي:  مَشُوقٌ مُعَنًّى مَا يَنَامُ مُسَهَّدٌ *** بِخَمْرِ التَّجَنِّي مَا يَزَالُ يُعَرْبِدُ فَفِي سَاعَةٍ يُبْدِي إِلَيْكَ عَجَائِبًا *** يُمِرُّ وَيَسْتَحْلِي وَيُدْنِي ويُبْعِدُ كَأَنَّ النَّوَى وَالعَتبَ وَالهَجْرَ وَالرِّضَى *** قِرَانٌ وَأَنْدَادٌ وَنَحْسٌ وَأَسْعَدُ رَثَى لِغَرَامِي بَعْدَ طُولِ تَمَنُّعٍ *** وَأَصْبَحْتُ مَحْسُودًا وَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَحْسُدُ نَعِمْنَا عَلَى نُورٍ مِنَ الرَّوْضِ زَاهِرٍ *** سَقَتْهُ الغَوَادِي فَهْو يُثْنِي وَيَحمدُ كَأَنَّ الحَيَا وَالمُزْنَ وَالرَّوْضَ عَاطِرًا *** دُمُوعٌ وَأَجْفَانٌ وخَدٌّ مُوَرَّدُ,"A thing is sometimes mentioned on account of that which causes it to occur. In the verses I have just cited, I have compared two pairs of things with each other in one and the same stanza, the second of the poem beginning “Those, as they swing their lamps above” this is considered very unusual in poetry. However, I can also quote an even more perfect example of virtuosity from my own works-the likening of three, and even four pairs of things in a single stanza; both these feats have been accomplished in the piece here following.  Still yearning, and disquieted, Still sleepless tossing on his bed, Wits drunken and disorderly With the coarse wine of calumny;  He shows to thee in one brief hour Marvels defeating reason’s power Now hostile, now the friend sincere, Now running off, now pressing near  As if this passion, this reproof, To be complacent, or aloof, Were stars conjoining, or in flight, Fortune’s benevolence, or spite.  After so long refusal, he Took pity on my love, and me, And I, who envied others’ chance, Am target now for envy’s glance.  Together in a garden gay With bloom we passed our happy day, The while the bright and whispering flowers Gave thanks to God for morning’s showers  As if the matin rains, indeed, The clouds, and that sweet-scented mead, Were dropping tears, and eyes bedewed, And cheeks with roses all imbued."
ولا ينكر عليَّ منكر قولي «قران»؛ فأهل المعرفة بالكواكب يُسمُّون التقاء كوكبين في درجة واحدة قرانًا.,"Let none find fault with me or object to my use of the term “conjoining”, for those who have knowledge of the stars speak of the meeting of two stars in a single degree as a “conjunction”."
ولي أيضًا ما هو أتم من هذا، وهو تشبيه خمسة أشياء في بيت واحد في هذه القطعة، وهي:  خَلَوْتُ بِهَا وَالرَّاحُ ثَالِثَةٌ لَهَا *** وَجُنْحُ ظَلَامِ اللَّيْلِ قد مُدَّ مَا انْبَلَجْ فَتَاةٌ عدمْتُ العَيْشَ إِلَّا بِقُرْبِهَا *** فَهَلْ فِي ابْتِغَاءِ العَيْشِ — وَيْحَكَ — مِنْ حَرَجْ كَأَنِّي وَهِي والكَأْسَ والخَمْرَ والدُّجَى *** ثَرًى وَحْيًا والدُّرُّ والتِّبْرُ وَالسَّنَجْ  فهذا أمر لا مزيدَ فيه ولا يقدر أحدٌ على أكثرَ منه؛ إذ لا يَحتمل العَروضُ ولا بنية الأسماء أكثر من ذلك.,"I have not yet exhausted my repertoire, but can cite a still more perfect example, the likening of five pairs of things in a single stanza, as in my next quotation.  She sat there privily with me, And wine besides, to make us three, While night profound o’ershadowing Stretched out its long and stealthy wing.  A damsel fair-I would prefer To die, than not live close with her; And is it such a dreadful crime To wish to live this little time?  It was as if myself, and she, The cup, the wine, the obscurity, Were earth, and raindrops, and pearls set Upon a thread, and gold, and jet.  That is a point beyond which it is impossible for anyone to go; neither prosody nor the structure of words will tolerate more than five comparisons in the same stanza."
ويعرض للمُحبين القلقُ عند أحد أمرين: أحدهما عند رجائه لقاءَ من يُحب فيعرض عند ذلك حائل.,"Trepidation overtakes lovers in two situations. The first is when the lover hopes to meet the beloved, and then some obstacle intervenes to prevent it."
خبر وإني لأعلم بعضَ مَن كان محبوبُه يَعده الزيارة، فما كنتُ أراه إلا جائيًا وذاهبًا لا يقرُّ به القرار، ولا يثبت في مكان واحد، مقبلًا مدبرًا قد استخفه السرور بعد ركانة، وأشاطه بعد رزانة.,"I know a man whose loved one had promised to visit hi; thereafter I never saw him but that he was coming and going the whole time, quite unable to be still or to remain in one place; now he would advance, anon he would retire; joy had made him positively nimble and spritely, though formerly he was exceedingly grave and sedate."
ولي في معنى انتظار الزيارة:  أَقَمْتُ إِلَى أَنْ جَاءَنِي اللَّيْلُ رَاجِيًا *** لِقَاءَكَ يَا سُؤْلِي وَيَا غَايَةَ الأَمَلْ فَأَيْأَسَنِي الإِظْلَامُ عَنْكَ وَلَمْ أَكُنْ *** لِأَيْأَسَ يَوْمًا إِنْ بَدَا اللَّيْلُ يَتَّصِلْ وَعِنْدِي دَلِيلٌ ليس يكذبُ خُبْره *** بأمْثَالِه في مُشْكَلِ الأَمْرِ يُسْتَدَل لأَنَّكَ لَوْ رُمْتَ الزِّيَارَةَ لَمْ يَكُنْ *** ظَلَامٌ وَدَامَ النُّورُ فينا ولَمْ يَزُلْ,"I have some verses on the subject of awaiting the visit of the beloved.  I waited still, until night came Upon me, hoping yet To meet thee, O my quest, and aim On which my heart is set!  Then I, who never any day Despaired, though long the night, At last to dark despair gave way When dark o’ercame my light.  Moreover I a proof will cite That cannot tell a lie; The like such problems solve aright As reason else defy:  To wit, if thou shouldst ever deign One night to visit me, No longer darkness would remain, But light eternally."
والثاني عند حادثٍ يحدُث بينهما من عتاب لا تُدْرَى حقيقته إلا بالوصف، فعند ذلك يشتدُّ القلق حتى توقف على الجليلة، فإما أن يذهب تحمُّله إن رجا العفو، وإما أن يصير القلق حزنًا وأسفًا إن تخوف الهجر.,"The second cause of trepidation is when a quarrel breaks out between the loving couple, in the course of which reproaches fly about, the true grounds whereof only a detailed explanation can make clear. Then the lover’s agitation becomes violent indeed, and continues until the matter comes completely into the open; when either the burden under which he has been struggling is lifted, if he has cause to hope for forgiveness, or his trepidation converts into sorrow and despair, if he is fearful that the beloved will thenceforward banish him."
ويعرض للمُحب الاستكانةُ لجفاء المحبوب عليه، وسيأتي مفسَّرًا في بابه إن شاء الله تعالى. ومن أعراضه: الجزع الشديد والحُمرة المقطعة تغلب عندما يرى من إعراض محبوبه عنه ونِفاره منه، وآية ذلك الزفيرُ وقلةُ الحركة والتأوه وتنفس الصُّعَداء. وفي ذلك أقول شعرًا، منه:  جَمِيلُ الصَّبْرِ مَسْجُونٌ *** وَدَمْعُ العَيْنِ مَسْفُوح,"Among the accidents of Love may be mentioned an extreme impatience under affliction, such a paroxysm of emotion as completely overwhelms the lover and leaves him speechless, as when he sees his beloved turning from him in undisguised aversion. I have a line or two referring to this.  Fair fortitude imprisoned lies, And tears flow freely from the eyes."
ومن علاماته أنك ترى المحب يحب أهل محبوبه وقرابته وخاصَّته حتى يكونوا أحظَى لديه من أهله ونفسه ومن جميع خاصته.,"Another sign of Love is that you will see the lover loving his beloved’s kith and kin and the intimate ones of his household, to such an extent that they are nearer and dearer to him than his own folk, himself, and all his familiar friends."
والبكاء من علامات المحب، ولكن يتفاضلون فيه؛ فمنهم غزير الدمع هامِل الشئون تجيبه عينه وتحضُره عبرته إذا شاء، ومنهم جَمود العين عديم الدَّمع، وأنا منهم.,"Weeping is a well-known sign of Love; except that men differ very greatly from one another in this particular. Some are ready weepers; their tear-ducts are always overflowing, and their eyes respond immediately to their emotions, the tears rolling down at a moment’s notice. Others are dry-eyed and barren of tears; to this category I myself belong."
وكان الأصل في ذلك إدماني أكل الكُندر لخفقان القلب، وكان عَرَض لي في الصبا، فإني لأُصابُ بالمصيبة الفادحة فأجد قلبي يتفطَّر ويتقطَّع، وأُحِس في قلبي غُصَّةً أمرَّ من العلقم تَحول بيني وبين توفية الكلام حق مخارجه، وتكاد تشوقني النفس أحيانًا ولا تجيب عيني البتة إلا في الندرة بالشيء اليسير من الدمع.,"This is the result of my habit of eating frankincense to abate the palpitation from which I have suffered since childhood. I will be afflicted by some shocking blow, and at once feel my heart to be splitting and breaking into fragments; I have a choking sensation in my heart more bitter than colocynth, that prevents me from getting my words out properly, and sometimes well nigh suffocates me. My eyes therefore respond to my feelings but rarely, and then my tears are exceedingly sparse."
خبر ولقد أذكرني هذا الفصل يومًا: ودعت أنا وأبو بكر محمد بن إسحاق صاحبي أبا عامر محمد بن عامر صديقنا — رحمه الله — في سفرته إلى المشرق التي لم نَرَه بعدها، فجعل أبو بكر يبكي عند وداعه ويُنشد متمثِّلًا بهذا البيت:  أَلَا إِنَّ عَيْنًا لَمْ تَجُدْ يَوْمَ وَاسِطٍ *** عَلَيْكَ بِبَاقِي دَمْعِهَا لَجَمُودُ,"Writing the above paragraph has put me in mind of a certain day when I, with my companion Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Ishaq, was bidding farewell to our dear friend Abu `Amin Muhammad Ibn ‘Amir (God have him in His mercy!) prior to his departure for the East on that journey after which we were never to see him again. Abu Bakr, as he said good-bye, began to weep, and cited the following verses to illustrate his grief.  When thou on Wasit field didst lie Felled to the dust, what eye Grudged its last tears on thee to shed, Was dry indeed and dead."
وهو في رثاء يزيد بن عمر بن هَبيرة رحمه الله، ونحن وقوف على ساحل البحر بمالقة، وجعلت أنا أُكثر التفجُّع والأسف ولا تساعدني عيني، فقلت مُجيبًا لأبي بكر:  وإِنَّ امرَأً لَمْ يُفْنِ حُسْنَ اصْطِبَارِهِ *** عَلَيْكَ وَقَدْ فَارَقْتَهُ لَجَلِيدُ,"The stanza is taken from an elegy on Yazid Ibn `Umar Ibn Hubaira (God have mercy on his soul!). We were standing on the seashore at Malaga, and I began to feel more and more distressed and heartbroken, yet my eyes would not come to my aid. Then I said, in response to the verses quoted by Abu Bakr:  The heart that shed not, still the Stoic, Its fortitude heroic, When thou wast gone, and it alone That heart was made of stone!"
وفي المذهب الذي عليه الناس أقول من قصيدة قلتُها قبل بلوغ الحُلُم، أولها:  دَلِيلُ الأَسَى نَارٌ عَلَى القَلْبِ تَلْفَحُ *** وَدَمْعٌ عَلَى الخَدَّيْنِ يَحْمَى وَيَسْفَحُ إِذَا كَتَمَ المَشْغُوفُ سِرَّ ضُلُوعِهِ *** فَإِنَّ دُمُوعَ العَيْنِ تُبْدي وَتَفْضَحُ إِذَا مَا جُفُونُ العَيْنِ سَالَتْ شُئُونُهَا *** فَفِي القَلْبِ دَاءٌ لِلْغَرَامِ مُبَرِّحُ,"I also have an ode, composed before reaching puberty, in which I follow the usual conventions observed by those who treat this theme; I will quote the opening lines.  The sign of sorrow is a flame That strikes the heart, and burns the same, As too the tears that freely go Adown the cheeks in ceaseless flow.  For when the man by Love possessed Conceals the secret of his breast, His tears the guarded truth betray And bare it to the light of day.  So, when the tear-ducts overfill The eyelids, and their torrent spill, Be sure, if thou observant art, Love’s painful sickness rends that heart."
ويعرض في الحُبِّ سوء الظن واتهام كل كلمة من أحدهما وتوجيهها إلى غير وجهها، وهذا أصل العتاب بين المحبين. وإني لأعلم من كان أحسن الناس ظنًّا وأوسعهم نفسًا وأكثرهم صبرًا وأشدهم احتمالًا وأرحبهم صدرًا، ثم لا يحتمل ممن يُحب شيئًا، ولا يقع له معه أيسر مخالفة حتى يُبدي من التَّعديد فنونًا، ومن سوء الظن وُجوهًا. وفي ذلك أقول شعرًا، منه:  أُسِيءُ ظَنِّي بِكُلِّ مُحتقِر *** تأتي بِهِ والحَقِيرُ مَنْ حَقَرْ كَي لَا يُرَى أَصْلُ هِجْرَةٍ وَقلًى *** فَالنَّارُ فِي بَدْءِ أَمْرِهَا شَرَرْ وأَصْلُ عُظْمِ الأُمُورِ أَهْوَنُهَا *** وَمِنْ صَغِيرِ النَّوَى تَرَى الشَّجَرْ,"It will happen in Love that the lovers have evil thoughts of one another; each suspects every word the partner utters, and misconstrues it willfully; which is the origin of those reproaches which lovers often level each against each. I have an acquaintance who is normally the most unsuspicious man in the world, extremely broad-minded, possessed of great patience and untold tolerance, indulgent to a fault; yet when he is in love, he cannot endure the slightest thing between him and the object of his affection; let the least difference arise between them, and he will forthwith utter all kinds of reproaches and give voice to every manner of mistrust. I have put this situation into verse.  I have a dark, suspicious mind, And nothing negligible find Thou doest; despicable they, Who do despise Love’s least affray!  They will not see, until too late, The roots of rupture and of hate, Forgetting, to their own despite, A spark may set a town alight.  Things of the greatest moment in The humblest origins begin; Witness the date-tree, hugely grown To heaven from a little stone."
وترى المُحب، إذا لم يَثِق بنقاء طويَّة محبوبه له، كثيرَ التحفظ مما لم يكن يتحفَّظ منه قبل ذلك، مثقفًا لكلامه، مزينًا لحركاته ومرامي طرفه، ولا سيما إن دُهي بمتجنٍّ، وبُلي بمُعربد.,"You will see the lover, when unsure of the constancy of his loved one’s feelings for him, perpetually on his guard in a way that he never troubled to be before; he polishes his language, he refines his gestures and his glances, particularly if he has the misfortune and mischance to be in love with one given to making unjust accusations, or of a quarrelsome disposition."
ومن آياته مراعاة المحب لمحبوبه، وحفظُه لكُل ما يقع منه، وبحثه عن أخباره حتى لا تسقط عنه دقيقة ولا جليلة، وتتبُّعه لحركاته.,"Another sign of Love is the way the lover pays attention to the beloved; remembering everything that falls from his lips; searching out all the news about him, so that nothing small or great that happens to him may escape his knowledge; in short, following closely his every movement."
ولعمري لقد تَرى البليد بصيرًا في هذه الحالة ذكيًّا، والغافل فطنًا.,"Upon my life, sometimes you will see a complete dolt under these circumstances become most keen, a careless fellow turn exceedingly quick-witted."
خبر ولقد كنتُ يومًا بالمريَّة قاعدًا في دكَّان إسماعيل بن يونس الطبيب الإسرائيلي، وكان بصيرًا بالفِراسة مُحسنًا لها، وكُنَّا في لمَّة، فقال له مجاهد بن الحصين القيسي: ما تقول في هذا؟,"I was seated one day at Almeria, with a knot of other people, in the shop of Ismail Ibn Yunus, the Hebrew physician who was also a shrewd and clever physiognomist. Mujahid Ibn al-Hasin al-Qaisi said to him, pointing to a certain man named Hatim-he was familiarly known as Abu ‘l-Baga’-who was withdrawn apart from the rest of us, “What do you say about his man?”"
وأشار إلى رجل مُنتبذ عنَّا ناحية اسمه حاتم، ويُكنى أبا البقاء، فنظر إليه ساعةً يسيرةً ثم قال: هو رجل عاشق، فقال له: صدقت، فمن أين قلت هذا؟,"He looked at him for a brief moment, and then said, “He is passionately in love.” Mujahid exclaimed, “You are right; what made you say this?”"
قال: لِبُهْت مُفرط ظاهر على وجهه فقط دون سائر حركاته، فعلمت أنه عاشق وليس بمُريب.,"Ismail answered, “Because of an extreme confusion apparent in his face. Simply that; otherwise all the rest of his movements are unremarkable. I knew from his that he is in love, and not suffering from any mental disorder.”"
باب من أحب في النوم ولا بُد لكل حُب من سبب يكون له أصلًا، وأنا مبتدئ بأبعد ما يمكن أن يكون من أسبابه ليجري الكلامُ على نسق، أو أن يُبتدأ أبدًا بالسهل والأهون؛ فمن أسبابه شيء لولا أني شاهدته لم أذكره لغرابته.,"OF FALLING IN LOVE WHILE ASLEEP EVERY love affair must necessarily have some original cause. I shall now begin with the most unlikely of all causes of love, so that the discourse may proceed in due order, starting as ever with the simplest and easiest example. Love indeed is sometimes caused by things so strange, that but for having myself observed them I would not have mentioned them at all."
خبر وذلك أني دخلتُ يومًا على أبي السريِّ عمَّار بن زياد صاحبنا مولى المؤيد فوجدته مفكرًا مهتمًّا، فسألته عمَّا به، فتمنَّع ساعةً ثم قال: لي أُعجوبة ما سُمِعتْ قط. قلت: وما ذاك؟ قال: رأيت في نَومي الليلةَ جاريةً، فاستيقظتُ وقد ذهَب قلبي فيها وهِمْت بها، وإني لفي أصعب حال من حبها.,"One day I visited our friend Abu ‘l-Sari ‘Ammar Ibn Ziyad, the freedman of al-Mu’aiyad, and found him deep in thought and much preoccupied. I asked him what was amiss; for a while he refused to explain, but then he said, “An extraordinary thing has happened to me, the like of which I have never heard.” “What is that?” I enquired. “Last night”, he answered, “I saw in a dream a young maiden, and on awaking I found that I had completely lost my heart to her, and that I was madly in love with her. Now I am in the most difficult straits possible, with this passion I have conceived for her.”"
ولقد بقي أيامًا كثيرةً تزيد على الشهر مغمومًا لا يهنئه شيء وَجْدًا، إلى أن عذلتُه وقلتُ له: من الخطأ العظيم أن تشغل نفسك بغير حقيقة، وتُعلِّق وهمك بمعدوم لا يوجد، هل تعلم مَن هي؟ قال: لا والله.,"He continued cast down and afflicted for more than a month; nothing would cheer him up, so profound was his emotion. At last I scolded him, saying, “It is a vast mistake to occupy your soul with something unreal, and to attach your fantasy to a non-existent being. Do you know who she is?” “No, by Allah!” he replied.”"
قلت: إنك لقَيْل الرأي مُصاب البصيرة إذ تحب مَن لم تره قط ولا خُلِق ولا هو في الدنيا، ولو عشقتَ صورةً من صور الحمام لكنت عندي أعذر. فما زِلتُ به حتى سلا وما كاد.,"“Really”, I went on, “you have very little judgment, –and your discretion must be affected, if you axe actually in love with a person whom you have never seen, someone moreover who was never created and does not exist in the world at all. If you had fallen for one of those pictures they paint on the walls of the public baths, I would have found it easier to excuse you.” So I continued, until at last by making a great effort he forgot his trouble."
أبدلت أَشْخَاصنَا كُرْهًا وَفَرْطَ قِلًى كَمَا الصَّحَائِفُ قَدْ يُبْدَلْنَ بِالنَّسْخِ,"Thou didst convert my loving dream To loathing, and to hate extreme So copyists have oft times slipped And quite transformed a manuscript"
باب من أحب بالوصف ومن غريب أصول العشق أن تقع المَحبة بالوصف دون المُعاينة، وهذا أمر يُترقَّى منه إلى جميع الحب، فتكون المراسلة والمكاتبة والهم والوجد والسهر على غير الأبصار، فإن للحكايات ونعت المحاسن ورصف الأخبار تأثيرًا في النفس ظاهرًا. وأن تسمع نَغمتها من وراء جدار، فيكون سببًا للحب واشتغال البال.,"OF FALLING IN LOVE THROUGH A DESCRIPTION ONE of the strangest origins of passion is when a man falls in love through merely hearing the description of the other party, without ever having set eyes on the beloved. In such a case he will progress through all the accustomed stages of love; there will be the sending to and fro of messengers; the exchange of letters, the anxiety, the deep emotion, the sleeplessness; and all this without actual sight of the object of affection. Stories, descriptions of beautiful qualities, and the reporting of news about the fair one have a manifest effect on the soul; to hear a girl’s voice singing behind a wall may well move the heart to love, and preoccupy the mind."
وهذا كله قد وقع لغير ما واحد، ولكنه عندي بُنيان هارٍ على غير أُسٍّ، وذلك أن الذي أفرغ ذهنه في هوى مَن لم يرَ لا بُد له إذ يخلو بفكره أن يُمثل لنفسه صورةً يتوهمها، وعينًا يُقيمها نُصب ضميره، لا يتمثَّل في هاجسِه غيرَها، قد مال بوهمه نحوها، فإن وقعت المُعاينة يومًا ما فحينئذٍ يتأكَّد الأمر أو يبطل بالكلية، وكلا الوجهين قد عَرض وعُرف.,"All this has occurred to more than one man. In my opinion, however, such a love is a tumbledown building without any foundations. If a man’s thoughts are absorbed by passionate regard for one whom he has never seen, the inevitable result is that whenever he is alone with his own reflections, he will represent to himself a purely imaginary picture of the person whose identity he keeps constantly before his mind; no other being than this takes shape in his fantasy; he is completely carried away by his imagination, and visualizes and dreams of her only. Then, if some day he actually sees the object of his fanciful passion, either his love is confirmed, or it is wholly nullified. Both these alternatives have actually happened and been known."
وأكثرُ ما يقع هذا في ربَّات القُصور المحجوبات من أهل البيوتات مع أقاربهن من الرجال، وحُب النساء في هذا أثبت من حُب الرجال؛ لضعفهن وسُرعة إجابة طبائعهن إلى هذا الشأن، وتمكُّنه منهن. وفي ذلك أقول شعرًا، منه:  وَيَا مَنْ لَامَنِي فِي حُبِّ *** مَنْ لَمْ يَرَهُ طَرْفِي لَقَدْ أَفْرَطْتَ فِي وَصْفِـ *** ـكَ لِي فِي الحُبِّ بِالضَّعْفِ فَقُلْ: هَلْ تُعْرَفُ الجَنَّـ *** ـةُ يَوْمًا بِسِوَى الوَصْفِ,"This kind of romance usually takes place between veiled ladies of guarded palaces and aristocratic households and their male kinsfolk; the love of women is more stable in these cases than that of men, because women are weak creatures and their natures swiftly respond to this sort of attraction, which easily masters them completely. I have described this type of love in verse.  O thou who chidest me Because my heart has been Entranced by passion utterly For one I have not seen  Thou dost exaggerate In all that thou dost speak Upon my passion, and dost state My love is poor and weak.  For say: what do men know Of Paradise above, Save they have heard that it is so And what they hear they love?"
وأقول شعرًا في استحسان النَّغمة دون وقوع العين على العيان، منه:  قَدْ حَلَّ جَيْشُ الغَرَامِ سَمْعِي *** وَهْوَ عَلَى مُقْلَتَيَّ يَبْدُو,"I also have some lines on the theme of admiring the beauty of a singing voice, without ever having seen the singer.  Love’s soldiery assailed mine ear And now do occupy My heart; their triumph doth appear In my submissive eye."
وإن هذه الأحوال لتحدُث بين الأصدقاء والإخوان، وعني أُحدث.,"These conditions also obtain in the relations between friends and comrades, as I shall show in a personal reminiscence."
خبر إنه كان بيني وبين رجل من الأشراف ودٌّ وكيد وخطاب كثير، وما تراءينا قط، ثم منح الله لي لقاءه، فما مرَّت إلا أيام قلائل حتى وقعت لنا مُنافرة عظيمة ووحشة شديدة متصلة إلى الآن، فقلت في ذلك قطعةً، منها:,"There was once a strong bond of affection between myself and a member of a noble family; we corresponded frequently, but had never set eyes on one another. Then Allah granted me the boon of meeting him; and but a few days elapsed when a violent aversion and strong antipathy arose between us, that has continued uninterruptedly down to to the present day. I have put this incident into verse, and will quote a line or two."
ووقع لي ضدُّ هذا مع أبي عامر بن أبي عامر — رحمة الله عليه — فإني كنت له على كراهة صحيحة، وهو لي كذلك، ولم يرني ولا رأيته، وكان أصل ذلك تَنقيلًا يُحمل إليه عني وإليَّ عنه، ويؤكده انحراف بين أبوينا لتنافسهما فيما كانا فيه من صُحبة السلطان ووجاهة الدنيا، ثم وفَّق الله الاجتماعَ به، فصار لي أودَّ الناس، وصرتُ له كذلك إلى أن حال الموت بيننا. وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، منها:  أَخٌ لِي كَسَّبَنِيهِ اللِّقَاءُ *** وَأَوْجَدَنِي فِيهِ عِلْقًا شَرِيفًا وَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَكْرَهُ مِنْهُ الجِوَارَ *** وَمَا كُنْتُ أَرْغَبُهُ لِي أَلِيفًا وَكَانَ البَغِيضَ فَصَارَ الحَبِيبَ *** وَكَانَ الثَّقِيلَ فَصَارَ الخَفِيفَا وَقَدْ كُنْتُ أُدْمِنُ عَنْهُ الوَجِيفَ *** فَصِرْتُ أُدِيمُ إِلَيْهِ الوَجِيفَا,"The opposite transpired in the case of my relations with Abu `Amin Ibn Abi `Amin (God keep him in His mercy!). Once I truly detested him, and he fully reciprocated my feelings; this was before I had seen .him, and he me. The root of the matter was a slanderous report, which had been carried to each of us about the other, aggravated by an aversion existing between our respective fathers that sprung from their mutual rivalry in the race for preferment at Court and worldly promotion. Then Allah so ordained that we should come together; thereafter he became my dearest friend, and I his likewise, until the day that death parted us. The following verses were written by me to commemorate this friendship.  He was a brother, whom I gained By meeting, and thereby obtained A truly noble treasure; His friendship was not wished by me, And I supposed his company Would yield me little pleasure  But he, who was my erstwhile foe, Became my friend, he, whom I so Abhorred, my heart’s sweet rapture; And having ever sought to fly From meeting him, thereafter I Sought ever him to capture."
وأما أبو شاكر عبد الرحمن بن محمد القبريُّ فكان لي صديقًا مدةً على غير رؤية، ثم التقينا فتأكَّدت المودة واتصلت وتمادت إلى الآن.,"As for Abu Shakir ‘Abd al-Rahman Ibn Muhammad al-Qabri, he was my friend for a long while before I ever saw him; then we met, and our love was confirmed; and it has continued without interruption right down to the present time."
باب من أحب من نظرة واحدة وكثيرًا ما يكون لُصوق الحب بالقلب من نظرة واحدة، وهو ينقسم قسمين، فالقسم الواحد مخالف للذي قبل هذا، وهو أن يعشق المرء صورةً لا يعلم من هي، ولا يدري لها اسمًا ولا مستقرًّا. وقد عرض هذا لغير واحد.,"OF FALLING IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT OFTEN it happens that Love fastens itself to the heart as the result of a single glance. This variety of Love is divided into two classes. The first class is the contrary of what we have just been describing, in that a man will fall head over heels in love with a mere form, without knowing who that person may be, what her name- is, or where she lives. This has happened to more than one man."
خبر حدثني صاحبنا أبو بكر محمد بن أحمد بن إسحاق عن ثقة أخبره — سقط عني اسمه، وأظنه القاضي ابن الحذاء — أن يوسف بن هارون الشاعر المعروف بالرَّماديِّ كان مجتازًا عند باب العطارين بقُرطبة — وهذا الموضع كان مجتمعَ النساء — فرأى جاريةً أخذت بمجامع قلبه، وتخلَّل حبُّها جميعَ أعضائه، فانصرف عن طريق الجامع وجعل يَتبعها وهي ناهضة نحو القنطرة، فجازتها إلى الموضع المعروف بالرَّبَض.,"Our friend Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Ishaq informed me, quoting a trustworthy authority whose name has escaped me-though I think it was Judge Ibn al-Hadhdha’ that the poet Yusuf Ibn Harun, better known as al-Ramadi, was one day passing the Gate of the Perfumers at Cordova, a place where ladies were wont to congregate, when he espied a young girl who, as he said, “entirely captured my heart, so that all my limbs were penetrated by the love of her”. He therefore turned aside from going to the mosque and set himself instead to following her, while she for her part set off towards the bridge, which she then crossed and came to the place known as al-Rabad."
فلما صارت بين رياض بني مروان — رحمهم الله — المبنية على قبورهم في مقبرة الربض خَلْف النهر، نَظرت منه مُنفردًا عن الناس لا همَّة له غيرها، فانصرفت إليه فقالت له: ما لك تمشي ورائي؟,"When she reached the mausolea of the Banu Marwan (God have mercy on their souls!) that are erected over their graves in the cemetery of al-Rabad, beyond’ the river, she observed him to have gone apart from the rest of the people and to be preoccupied solely with her. She accordingly went up to him and said, “Why are you walking behind me?”"
فأخبرها بعظيم بليَّته بها، فقالت له: دَعْ عنك هذا ولا تطلُب فضيحتي؛ فلا مطمع لك في النِّية، ولا إلى ما ترغبه سبيل. فقال: إني أقنع بالنظر. فقالت: ذلك مُباح لك. فقال لها: يا سيدتي، أحُرَّة أم مملوكة؟ قالت: مملوكة. فقال لها: ما اسمك؟ قالت: خلوة. قال: ولمن أنت؟ فقالت له: علمك والله بما في السماء السابعة أقرب إليك مما سألت عنه؛ فدع المحال.,"He told her how sorely smitten he was with her, and she replied, “Have done with that! Do not seek to expose me to shame; you have no prospect of achieving your purpose, and there is no way to you’re gratifying your desire.” He countered, “I am satisfied merely to look at you.” “That is permitted to you”, she replied. Then he asked her, “My lady, are you a freewoman, or are you a slave?” “I am a slave”, she answered. “And what is your name?” he enquired. “Khalwa”, she told him. “And to whom do you belong?” He asked next. To this she retorted, “By Allah, you are likelier to know what inhabits the Seventh Heaven, than the answer to that question. Seek not the impossible!”"
يُؤَكِّدُ ذَا أَنَّا نَرَى كُلَّ نَشْأَةٍ *** تَتِمُّ سَرِيعًا عَنْ قَرِيبٍ معادُهَا وَلَكِنَّنِي أَرْضٌ عزَازٌ صليبةٌ *** مَنِيعٌ إلى كُل الغُرُوسِ انْقِيَادُهَا فَمَا نَفِدتْ مِنْهَا لَدَيْهَا عُرُوقُهَا *** فَلَيْسَتْ تُبَالِي أَنْ تَجُودَ عِهَادُهَا,"This truth is readily Confirmed, because we see That things too quickly grown Are swiftly overthrown.  Mine is a stubborn soil To plough with arduous toil, Intractible indeed To tiller and to seed.  But once the roots begin To strike and thrive therein, Come bounteous rain, come drought, The lusty stem will sprout."
فقال لها: يا سيدتي، وأين أراكِ بعد هذا؟ قالت: حيث رأيتَني اليومَ في مثل تلك الساعة من كل جُمعة. فقالت له: إما أن تَنهض أنت وإما أنهض أنا. فقال لها: انهضي في حفظ الله. فنهضت نحو القَنطرة ولم يمكنه اتباعها؛ لأنها كانت تلتفت نحوه لترى أيُسايرها أم لا، فلما تجاوزت باب القنطرة أتى يقفوها فلم يقع لها على مسألة.,"“My lady”, he begged, “Where may I see you again?” “Where you saw me today”, she replied, “at the same hour, every Friday.” Then she added, “Will you go off now, or shall I?” “Do you go off, in Allah’s protection!” he replied. So she went off in the direction of the bridge; and he could not follow her, because she kept looking round to see if he was accompanying her or not. When she had passed the gate of the bridge, he came after her but could find no trace of her whatsoever."
قال أبو عمر، وهو يوسف بن هارون: فوالله لقد لازمت باب العطَّارين والرَّبض من ذلك الوقت إلى الآن، فما وقعتُ لها على خبر، ولا أدري أسَماءٌ لَحَستْها أم أرضٌ بلعتْها، وإن في قلبي منها لأحَرَّ من الجمر. وهي خلوة التي يَتغزَّل بها في أشعاره. ثم وقع بعد ذلك على خَبرها بعد رحيله في سببها إلى سَرَقسطة في قصة طويلة.,"“And by Allah”, said Abu `Umar (that is to say, Yusuf Ibn Harun), recounting the story of his adventure, “I have frequented the Perfumers’ Gate and al-Rabad the whole time from then till now, but I have never come upon any further news of her. I know not whether the heavens have devoured her, or whether the earth has swallowed her up; and the feeling I have in my heart on her account is hotter than burning coals.” This is the Khalwa whose name he celebrates in his love lyrics. Thereafter he had news of her after he journeyed to Saragossa for her sake, but that is a long story."
ومثل ذلك كثير، وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، منها:  عَيْنِي جَنَتْ فِي فُؤَادِي لَوْعَةَ الفِكَرِ *** فَأُرسلُ الدَّمْعَ مُقْتَصًّا مِنَ البَصَرِ فَكَيْفَ تُبْصِرُ فعل الدَّمْع مُنْتَصِفًا *** مِنْهَا بِإغْرَاقِهَا فِي دَمْعِهَا الدُّرَرِ لَمْ أَلْقَهَا قَبْلَ إِبْصَارِي فَأَعْرِفَهَا *** وَآخِرُ العَهْدِ مِنْهَا سَاعَةُ النَّظَرِ,"This sort of thing happens frequently enough; I have a poem on the subject, from which I here quote.  Against my heart mine eye designed Great wrong, and anguish to my mind, Which sin my spirit to requite Hath loosed these tears against my sight.  How shall mine eye behold in fact This justice that my tears exact, Seeing that in their flood profound My weeping eye is wholly drowned?  Since I had never seen her yet I could not know her, when we met; The final thing of her I knew Was what I saw at that first view."
والقسم الثاني مخالف للباب الذي يأتي بعد هذا الباب إن شاء الله، وهو أن يعلق المرءُ من نظرةٍ واحدةٍ جاريةً معروفة الاسم والمكان والمَنشأ، ولكن التفاضل يقع في هذا في سُرعة الفناء وإبطائه، فمن أحب من نظرة واحدة وأسرع العلاقة من لمحة خاطرة؛ فهو دليل على قلَّة الصبر، ومُخبرٌ بسرعة السلو، وشاهد الظرافة والملل، وهكذا في جميع الأشياء أسرعُها نموًّا أسرعها فناءً، وأبطؤها حدوثًا أبطؤها نفاذًا.,"The second class of the variety of Love now under discussion is the contrary of what we shall be describing in the chapter next following, if Allah wills. This is for a map to form an attachment at first sight with a young lady whose name, place of abode and origin are known to him. The difference here is the speed or tardiness with which the affair passes off. When a man falls in love at first sight, and forms a sudden attachment as the result of a fleeting glance, that proves him to be little steadfast, and proclaims that he will as suddenly forget his romantic adventure; it testifies to his fickleness and inconstancy. So, it is with all things; the quicker they grow, the quicker they decay; while on the other hand slow produced is slow consumed."
خبر إني لأعلم فتًى من أبناء الكُتَّاب ورأته امرأة سرية النشأة، عالية المنصب، غليظة الحجاب، وهو مُجتاز، ورأته في موضع تَطلَّعَ منه كان في منزلها، فعلقتْه وعَلقها، وتهاديا المراسلة زمانًا على أرق من حد السيف، ولولا أني لم أقصد في رسالتي هذه كشفَ الحيل وذكر المكائد لأوردتُ مما صحَّ عندي أشياء تُحيِّر اللبيب وتدهش العاقل. أسبل الله علينا ستره وعلى جميع المسلمين بمَنِّه، وكفانا.,"A young fellow I know, the son of a clerk, was one day observed by a lady of noble birth, high position and strict seclusion; she saw him passing by, while peeping out from a place of vantage in her home, and conceived an attachment for him which he reciprocated. They exchanged epistles for a time, by ways more delicate than the edge of a fine-ground sword; and were it not that I purpose not in this essay to uncover such ruses and make mention of such subterfuges, I could have set down here such things as I am certain would have confounded the shrewdest and astonished the most intelligent of men. I pray that God in His great bounty will draw over us and all good Moslems the curtain of His mercy. He is indeed sufficient for our needs."
باب من لا يحب إلا مع المطاولة ومن الناس من لا تصحُّ محبته إلا بعد طولِ المُخافتة، وكثيرِ المُشاهدة، ومتمادي الأُنس، وهذا الذي يوشك أن يدوم ويثبت ولا يَحيك فيه مرُّ الليالي، فما دَخل عسيرًا لم يخرج يسيرًا؛ وهذا مذهبي. وقد جاء في الأثر أن الله عز وجل قال للروح — حين أمره أن يدخل جسدَ آدم وهو فخَّار فهابَ وجَزعَ: ادخُل كرهًا واخرُج كرهًا. حُدِّثناه عن شيوخنا.,"OF FALLING IN LOVE AFTER LONG ASSOCIATION SOME men there are whose love only becomes true after long converse, much contemplation, and extended familiarity. Such a one is likely to persist and to be steadfast in his affection, untouched by the passage of time what enters with difficulty goes not out easily. That is my own way in these matters, and it is confirmed by Holy Tradition. For God, as we are informed by our teachers, when He commanded the Spirit to enter Adam’s body, that was like an earthen vessel-and the Spirit was afraid, and sorely distressed -said to it, “Enter in unwillingly, and come forth again unwillingly!”"
ولقد رأيت من أهل هذه الصفة مَن إن أَحسَّ من نفسه بابتداء هوًى، أو توَجَّس مِن استحسانه ميلًا إلى بعض الصور؛ استعمل الهجر وترك الإلمام لئلا يزيد ما يجد فيخرج الأمر عن يده، ويُحال بين العَيْر والنَّزَوان. وهذا يدل على لُصوق الحُب بأكباد أهل هذه الصفة، وأنه إذا تمكَّن منهم لم يُحَلَّ أبدًا.,"I have myself seen a man of this description who, whenever he sensed within himself the beginnings of a passionate attachment, or conceived a penchant for some form whose beauty he admired, at once employed the device of shunning that person and giving up all association with him, lest his feelings become more intense and the affair get beyond his control, and he find himself completely stampeded. This proves how closely Love cleaves to such people’s hearts, and once it lays hold of them never looses its grip."
وإني لأطيل العجب مِن كل مَن يدعي أنه يحب مِن نظرة واحدة، ولا أكاد أصدقه، ولا أجعل حُبَّه إلا ضربًا من الشهوة، وأما أن يكون في ظنِّي متمكنًا من صميم الفؤاد نافذًا في حجاب القلب فما أُقدِّر ذلك، وما لصق بأحشائي حُبٌّ قطُّ إلا مع الزمن الطويل، وبعد ملازمة الشخص لي دهرًا، وأخذي معه في كل جدٍّ وهزل، وكذلك أنا في السلوِّ والتوقي، فما نسيت ودًّا لي قطُّ، وإن حَنيني إلى كل عهد تقدَّم لي ليُغِصُّني بالطعام، ويُشرقني بالماء — وقد استراح مَن لم تكن هذه صفتُه — وما مللتُ شيئًا قط بعد معرفتي به، ولا أسرعت إلى الأنس بشيء قط أولَ لقائي له،,"I indeed marvel profoundly at all those who pretend to fall in love at first sight; I cannot easily prevail upon myself to believe their claim, and prefer to consider such love as merely a kind of lust. As for thinking that that sort of attachment can really possess the inmost heart, and penetrate the veil of the soul’s recess, that I cannot under any circumstances credit. Love has never truly gripped my bowels, save after a long lapse of time, and constant companionship with the person concerned, sharing with him all that while my every occupation, be it earnest or frivolous. So I am alike in consolation and in passion; I have never in my life forgotten any romance, and my nostalgia for every former attachment is such that I well nigh choke when I drink, and suffocate when I eat. The man who is not so constituted quickly finds complete relief and is at rest again; I have never wearied of anything once I have known it, and neither have I hastened to feel at home with it on first acquaintance."
وفي ذلك أقول شعرًا، منه:  مَحَبَّةُ صِدْقٍ لَمْ تَكُنْ بِنْتَ سَاعَةٍ *** وَلَا وَرِيَتْ حِينَ ارْتِيَادٍ زِنَادُهَا وَلَكِنْ عَلَى مَهلٍ سَرَتْ وَتَوَلَّدَتْ *** بِطُولِ امْتِزَاجٍ فَاسْتَقَرَّ عِمَادُهَا فَلَمْ يَدْنُ مِنْهَا عَزْمُهَا وَانْتِفَاضُهَا *** وَلَمْ يَنْأَ عَنْهَا مُكْثُهَا وَازْدِيَادُهَا,"I have meditated upon this theme in verse as follows.  True love is not a flower That springeth in an hour; Its flint will not strike fire At casual desire.  Love is an infant rare Begotten, slow to bear; Its lime must mingle long Before its base is strong.  And then not soon will it Be undermined, and split; Firm will its structure stand, Its fabric still expand."
وُقْصٌ فَلَيْسَ بِهَا عَنْقَاءُ وَاحِدَةٌ *** وَهَلْ تُزَانُ بِطُولِ الجِيدِ بُعْرَانُ وَآخَرٌ كَانَ فِي مَحْبُوبِهِ فَوَهٌ *** يَقُولُ حَسْبِيَ فِي الأَفْوَاهِ غِزلَانُ وَثَالِثٌ كَانَ فِي مَحْبُوبِه قِصَرٌ *** يَقُولُ إِنَّ ذَوَاتِ الطُّولِ غِيلَانُ,"Now never was the wild cow born Whose neck was long and angular; And are not camels held inn scorn Because their necks stick out so far?”  I know another lad who loved A most uncommon wide-mouthed dame He said, “Her loveliness is proved By the gazelle, whose mouth’s the same.”  And still a third young chap I know Whose well-beloved was unco small; “Tall women”, he would say, “are so Stuck up-they’re devils, one and all.”"
ولا يظن ظانٌّ ولا يتوهَّم متوهِّم أن كل هذا مخالف لقولي المسطر في صدر الرسالة، أن الحب اتصال بين النفوس في أصل عالمها العُلوي، بل هو مؤكِّد له؛ فقد علمنا أن النفس في هذا العالم الأدنى قد غمرتْها الحُجب، ولحقتْها الأغراض، وأحاطتْ بها الطبائع الأرضية الكونية، فسترت كثيرًا من صفاتها وإن كانت لم تحله، لكن حالت دونه فلا يُرجَى الاتصال على الحقيقة إلا بعد التهيؤ من النفس والاستعداد له، وبعد إيصال المعرفة إليها بما يشاكلها ويوافقها، ومقابلة الطبائع التي خفيت مما يُشابهها من طبائع المحبوب، فحينئذٍ يتصل اتصالًا صحيحًا بلا مانع.,"Now let no man think or imagine that what I have here said is contrary to my statement, inscribed in the exordium of this treatise, that Love is a union of souls effected within the substance of their supernal world. On the contrary, my present remarks confirm that assertion. For we know that in this lower world the soul is shrouded in many veils, that it is overtaken By divers accidents, that it is encompassed by all those earthy, mundane instincts; in consequence many of true attributes are obscured. And although all these obstacles do not preclude the soul entirely from achieving union with its fellow-soul, nevertheless they undoubtedly stand in the way of that union, which may therefore only be truly realized after long and careful preparation and making ready. The soul must first be made aware of its points of resemblance and concord with its fellow-soul; it must confront its own hidden temperaments with the corresponding temperaments of the beloved. Then and then only will veritable union be consummated, and that without further let or hindrance.D"
وأما ما يقع من أول وهلة ببعض أعراض الاستحسان الجسدي، واستطراف البصر الذي لا يجاوز الألوان، فهذا سر الشهوة ومعناها على الحقيقة، فإذا غَلبت الشهوة وتجاوزت هذا الحد، ووافق الفصلَ اتصالٌ نفساني تشترك فيه الطبائع مع النفس يُسمَّى عشقًا.,"As for what transpires at first blush as a result of certain accidental circumstances-physical admiration, and visual enchantment which does not go beyond mere external forms-and this is the very secret and meaning of carnal desire; when carnal desire moreover becomes so overflowing that it surpasses these bounds, and when such an overflow coincides with a spiritual union, in which the natural instincts share equally with the soul; the resulting phenomenon is called passionate love."
ومن هذا دخل الغَلَط على من يزعُم أنه يُحب اثنين، ويعشق شخصين متغايرين، فإنما هذا من جهة الشهوة التي ذكرنا آنفًا، وهي على المجاز تسمى محبةً لا على التحقيق.,"Herein lies the root of the error, which misleads a man into asserting that he loves two persons, or is passionately enamored of two entirely different individuals. All this is to be explained as springing out of carnal’ desire, as we have just described; it is called love only metaphorically, and not in the true meaning of the term."
وأما نفس المحب فما في المَيل به فضل يصرفه من أسباب دينه ودنياه، فكيف بالاشتغال بحبٍّ ثانٍ.,"As for the true lover, his yearning of the soul is so excessive as to divert him from all his religious and mundane occupations; how then should he have room to busy himself with a second love affair?"
وإني لأعرف فتًى من أهل الجدِّ والحسب والأدب كان يبتاع الجارية وهي سالمة الصدر من حُبِّه، وأكثر من ذلك كارهة له لقلة حلاوة شمائل كانت فيه، وقُطوب دائم كان لا يفارقه، ولا سيما مع النساء، فكان لا يلبث إلا يسيرًا ريثما يصل إليها بالجماع ويعود ذلك الكُره حبًّا مفرطًا، وكلفًا زائدًا، واستهتارًا مكشوفًا، ويتحول الضجر لصحبته ضجرًا لفراقه.,"I know a certain young man who is rich, of noble birth, and of the finest education, and who made a practice of purchasing slave-girls. The girl would be o begin with innocent of any regard for him; still worse, she would positively dislike him, for indeed his ways were not very engaging, with that perpetual scowl which never left his face, particularly when he was with women; yet within a very short time he had mastered her to his will. Thereupon her -aversion would be changed into excessive love, extreme affection, and quite shameless infatuation; whereas formerly she was irritated to be in his company, now she could not endure to be parted from him."
صحبه هذا الأمر في عدة منهن، فقال بعضُ إخواني: فسألته عن ذلك فتبسم نحوي وقال: إذًا والله أخبرك؛ أنا أبطأ الناس إنزالًا، تقضي المرأة شهوتها وربما ثنَّت وإنزالي وشهوتي لم ينقضيا بعدُ، وما فترت بعدها قط، وإني لأبقى بمُنَّتي بعد انقضائها الحين الصالح، وما لاقى صدري صدر امرأة قط عند الخلوة إلا عند تعمدي المعانقة، وبحسب ارتفاع صدري نزول مؤخري.,The same thing happened with a remarkable number of the girls. A friend of mine asked him once how he explained his success; in a detailed reply he ascribed it to his unusual dexterity in lovemaking.
فمثل هذا وشبهه إذا وافق أخلاق النفس ولَّد المحبة؛ إذ الأعضاء الحسَّاسة مسالك إلى النفوس ومؤديات نحوها.,"This example-and I could quote others-proves that when a spiritual concord is once established, love is immediately engendered. Physical contact completes -the circuit and thus enables the current of love to flow freely into the soul."
باب من أحب صفةً لم يستحسن بعدها غيرها مما يخالفها واعلم — أعزَّك الله — أن للحُب حكمًا على النفوس ماضيًا، وسلطانًا قاضيًا، وأمرًا لا يخالَف، وحدًّا لا يُعصى، وملكًا لا يُتعدَّى، وطاعةً لا تُصرف، ونفاذًا لا يُرد؛ وأنه ينقض المِرَر، ويَحُلُّ المُبرَم، ويُحلِّل الجامد، ويُخِلُّ الثابت، ويَحِلُّ الشغافَ، ويُحِلُّ الممنوع.,"OF FALLING IN LOVE WITH A QUALITY AND THEREAFTER NOT APPROVING ANY OTHER DIFFERENT KNOW now -may God exalt you!- that Love exercises an effective authority, a decisive sovereignty over the soul; its commands cannot be opposed, its ordinances may not be flouted, its rule is not to be transgressed; it demands unwavering obedience, and against its dominion there is no appeal. Love untwists the firmest plaits, and looses the tightest strands it dissolves that which is most solid, undoes that which is most firm; it penetrates the deepest recesses of the heart, and makes lawful things most strictly forbidden."
ولقد شاهدت كثيرًا من الناس لا يُتَّهمون في تمييزهم، ولا يُخاف عليهم سقوط في معرفتهم، ولا اختلال بحُسن اختيارهم، ولا تَقصير في حَدْسهم، قد وصفوا أحبابًا لهم في بعض صفاتهم بما ليس بمُستحسن عند الناس، ولا يُرضى في الجمال، فصارت هِجِّيراهم، وعُرضة لأهوائهم، ومنتهى استحسانهم.,"I have known many men whose discrimination was beyond suspicion, men not to be feared deficient in knowledge, or wanting in taste, or lacking discernment, and who nevertheless described their loved ones as possessing certain qualities not by any means admired by the general run of mankind, or approved according to the accepted canons of beauty. Yet those qualities had become an obsession with them, the sole object of their passion, and the very last word (as they thought) in elegance."
ثم مضى أولئك إمَّا بسلوٍّ أو بَيْنٍ أو هجر، أو بعض عوارض الحب، وما فارقهم استحسان تلك الصفات ولا بان عنهم تفضيلُها على ما هو أفضل منها في الخليقة، ولا مالوا إلى سواها، بل صارت تلك الصفات المُستجادة عند الناس مهجورةً عندهم وساقطةً لديهم إلى أن فارقوا الدنيا وانقضت أعمارهم، حنينًا منهم إلى مَن فقدوه، وألفة لمن صحبوه.,"Thereafter their loved ones vanished, either into oblivion, or by separation, or jilting, or through some other accident to which love is always liable; but those men never lost their admiration for the curious qualities which provoked their approval of them, neither did they ever afterwards cease to prefer these above other attributes that are in.-reality superior to them. They had no inclination whatsoever for any qualities besides these; indeed, the very features which the rest of mankind deem most excellent were shunned and despised by them. So they continued until the day of their death; all their lives were spent in sighing regretfully for the loved ones they had lost, and taking joyous delight in their remembered companionship."
وما أقول إن ذلك كان تصنُّعًا، لكن طبعًا حقيقيًّا واختيارًا لا دَخَل فيه، ولا يرَوْن سواه، ولا يقولون في طيِّ عَقْدهم بغيره.,"I do not consider, that this was any kind of affectation on their part; on the contrary, it was their true and natural disposition to admire such eccentric qualities; they chose them unreservedly, they thought none other worthy of regard, and in the very depths of their souls they did not believe otherwise."
وإني لأعرف من كان في جِيد حبيبه بعضُ الوقص فما استحسن أغيد ولا غيداء بعد ذلك.,"I know a man whose loved one was somewhat short of neck; thereafter he never admired anyone, man or girl, whose neck was long and slender."
وأعرف من كان أول علاقته بجارية مائلة إلى القِصَر فما أحبَّ طويلةً بعد هذا، وأعرف أيضًا من هوَى جاريةً في فمها فَوَه لطيف، فلقد كان يتقذَّر كل فم صغير ويذُمُّه ويكرهه الكراهية الصحيحة.,"I also know a man whose first attachment was with a girl inclined to be petite; he never fell in love with a tall woman after that. A third man I know was madly enamoured of a girl whose mouth was a trifle wide; lie thought small mouths positively disgusting, he abused them roundly, and clearly felt an authentic aversion in regard to them."
وما أصف عن مَنقوصي الحظُوظ في العلم والأدب، لكن عن أوفر الناس قسطًا في الإدراك، وأحقهم باسم الفهم والدِّراية.,"Now the men of whom I have been speaking are by no means under-endowed knowledge and culture; on the contrary they are men of the keenest perception, truly worthy to be described as intelligent and understanding."
وعنِّي أخبرك أني أحببتُ في صباي جاريةً لي شقراء الشعر، فما استحسنتُ من ذلك الوقت سوداء الشعر، ولو أنه على الشمس أو على صورة الحسن نفسه.,"Let me add a personal touch. In my youth I loved a slave-girl who happened to be a blonde; from that time I have never admired brunettes, not though their lark tresses set off a face as resplendent as the sun, or the very image of beauty itself."
وإني لأجد هذا في أصل تركيبي من ذلك الوقت، لا تُؤاتيني نفسي على سواه، ولا تحب غيره البتة.,"I find this taste to have become a part of my whole make-up and constitution since those early days; my soul will not suffer me to acquire any other, or to love any type but that."
وهذا العارض بعينه عَرض لأبي — رضي الله عنه — وعلى ذلك جرى إلى أن وافاه أجلُه.,"This very same thing happened to my father also God be pleased with him!), and he remained faithful his first preference until the term of his earthly life was done."
وأما جماعة خلفاء بني مروان — رحمهم الله — ولا سيما ولدُ الناصر منهم، فكلهم مجبولون على تفضيل الشقرة، لا يختلف في ذلك منهم مختلف، وقد رأيناهم ورأينا من رآهم من لَدُن دولة الناصر إلى الآن فما منهم إلا أشقر؛ نزاعًا إلى أمهاتهم، حتى قد صار ذلك فيهم خِلقة، حاشا سليمان الظافر — رحمه الله — فإني رأيته أسود اللمَّة واللحية.,"All the Caliphs of the Banu Marwan (God have mercy on their souls!), and especially the sons of al-Nasir, were without variation or exception disposed by nature to prefer blondes. I have myself seen them, and known others who had seen their forebears, from the days of al-Nasir’s reign down to the present day; every one of them has been fair-haired, taking after, their mothers, so that this has become a hereditary trait with them; all but Sulaiman al-Zafir (God have mercy on him!), whom I remember to have had black ringlets and a black beard."
وأما الناصر والحكم المُستنصر — رضي الله عنهما — فحدثني الوزير أبي — رحمه الله — وغيره أنهما كانا أشقرَين أشهلين، وكذلك هشام المؤيَّد، ومحمد المهدي، وعبد الرحمن المرتضي — رحمهم الله — فإني قد رأيتهم مرارًا، ودخلت عليهم فرأيتهم شُقرًا شُهلًا، وهكذا أولادهم وإخوتهم وجميع أقاربهم، فلا أدري أذلك استحسان مركَّب في جميعهم أم لرواية كانت عند أسلافهم في ذلك فجرَوْا عليها.,"As for al-Nasir and al-Hakam al-Mustansir (may God be pleased with them!), I have been informed by my late father, the vizier, as well as by others, that both of them were blond and blue-eyed. The same is true of Hisham al-Mu’aiyad, Muhammad al-Mahdi, and `Abd al-Rahman al-Murtada (may God be merciful to them all!); I saw them myself many times, and had the honour of being received by them, and I remarked that they all had fair hair and blue eyes. Their sons, their brothers, and all their near kinsmen possessed the selfsame characteristics. I know not whether this was due to a predilection innate in them all, or whether it was in consequence of a family tradition handed down from their ancestors, and which they followed in their turn."
وهذا ظاهر في شعر عبد الملك بن مروان بن عبد الرحمن بن مروان بن أمير المؤمنين الناصر، وهو المعروف بالطليق، وكان أشعر أهل الأندلس في زمانهم، وأكثر تغزله فبالشُّقر، وقد رأيته وجالسته.,"This comes out clearly in the poetry of `Abd al-Malik Ibn Marwan Ibn `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Marwan, the descendant of the Caliph al-Nasir, better known as al-Taliq; he was the greatest poet of Andalusia in those times, and in most of his love lyrics he serenades blondes. I have seen him personally, and sat in his company."
وليس العجب فيمن أحبَّ قبيحًا ثم لم يَصحبه ذلك في سواه، فقد وقع من ذلك، ولا فيمن طُبع مذ كان على تفضيل الأدنى، ولكن فيمن كان ينظُر بعين الحقيقة ثم غَلب عليه هوًى عارضٌ بعد طول بقائه في الجماعة، فأحاله عما عهدتْه نفسُه حوالةً صارت له طبعًا، وذهب طبعه الأول وهو يعرف فضل ما كان عليه أوَّلًا، فإذا رجع إلى نفسه وجدها تأبَى إلا الأدنى، فأعجب لهذا التغلب الشديد والتسلط العظيم، وهو أصدق المحبة حقًّا، لا من يتحلَّى بشِيَم قوم ليس منهم،,"It is not so remarkable that a man who has once fallen in love with an ill-favored wench should not carry that foible with him for the rest of his amatory career; it is one of those things that are always liable to happen. Neither is it astonishing that a man should prefer the inferior article, when such an eccentricity is part of his inborn nature. What is truly amazing, is that a man formerly accustomed to see things with the eye of truth should suddenly be overcome by a casual passion, after he has been out about in society a long time, and that this accident of caprice should so completely transform him from his previous habits as to become a second nature with him, entirely displacing his first. In such extraordinary cases he will know well enough the superiority of his former disposition, but when he comes back to his senses he finds that his soul now refuses to have anything to do with any but the baser sort of goods. Marvelous indeed is the mighty domination, the splendid tyranny of the human passion. Such a man is a sincere and devoted lover, and not he who apes the manners of folk with whom he has no connexion whatever, and pretends to a character which belongs to him not at all."
ويدَّعي غريزةً لا تقبله، فيزعم أنه يتخيَّر من يحب. أما لو شغل الحب بصيرته وأطاح فكرته، وأجحف بتمييزه؛ لحال بينه وبين التخيُّل والارتياد.,"The latter sort of man asserts indeed that he chooses at will whom he will love; but if love had really taken possession of his powers of discernment, if love had extirpated his native reason and swept away his natural discretion, then love would have so dominated his soul that he would no longer be free to pick and choose, as he so boasts to do."
وقد قيل: ليس المُخبَر كالمعايِن. وقد ذكر ذلك أفليمون صاحبُ الفِراسة، وجعلها مُعتمده في الحكم.,"It is a well-known saying that hearing of a thing is not like seeing it; this was already remarked by Poleron, the master of physiognomy, who established the eye as the most reliable basis for forming judgment."
وفي ذلك أقول شعرًا، منه:  مِنْهُمْ فَتًى كَانَ فِي مَحْبُوبِهِ وَقَص *** كَأَنَّمَا الغيدُ فِي عَيْنَيْهِ جنَّانُ وَكَانَ مُنْبَسِطًا فِي فَضْلِ خِبْرَتِهِ *** بِحُجَّةٍ حَقُّهَا فِي القَوْلِ تِبْيَانُ إِنَّ المَهَا وَبِهَا الأَمْثَالُ سَائِرَةٌ *** لَا يُنْكِرُ الحُسْنَ فِيهَا الدَّهْرَ إِنْسَانُ,"I have a poem or two on this theme also.  I know a youth that loved a lass Whose neck was short and somewhat stout; And now, when long-necked maidens pass, He thinks them jinn’s, without a doubt.  He is content, to justify His claim that he has chosen well, Upon a logic to rely That has some substance, truth to tell.  Thus he would argue: “The wild cow Is famed in proverb and in song, And no man lives, but will allow Beauty doth to the cow belong.”"
وأقول أيضًا:  يَعِيبُونَهَا عِنْدِي بِشُقْرَةِ شَعْرِهَا *** فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ هَذَا الَّذِي زَانَهَا عِنْدِي يَعِيبُونَ لَوْنَ النَّورِ وَالتِّبْرِ ضِلَّةً *** لِرَأْيِ جَهُولٍ فِي الغِوَايَةِ مُمْتَدِّ وَهَلْ عَابَ لَوْنَ النَّرْجِسِ الغَضِّ عَائِبٌ *** وَلَوْنَ النُّجُومِ الزَّاهِرَاتِ عَلَى البُعْد وَأَبْعَدُ خَلْقِ الله مِنْ كُلِّ حِكْمَةٍ *** مُفَضِّلُ جِرْمٍ فَاحِمِ اللَّوْنِ مُسْوَدِّ بِهِ وُصِفَتْ أَلْوَانُ أَهْلِ جَهَنَّمٍ *** وَلِبْسَةُ بِاكٍ مُثْكَلِ الأَهْلِ مُحْتَدِّ وَمُذْ لَاحَتِ الرَّايَاتُ سُودًا تَيَقَّنتْ *** نُفُوسُ الوَرَى أَنْ لَا سَبِيلَ إِلَى الرُّشْدِ,"Another poem of mine is worth quoting here.  They blame the girl of whom I’m fond Because her lovely hair is blond: “But that’s exactly”, I reply, “What makes her pretty, to my eye!”  They criticize the colour bright Of glittering gold, and shimmering light, And they are crazy so to do, And stupid, and erroneous, too.  Is there just a cause to crab, think you, The tender-sweet narcissus’ hue, Or is the twinkle of a star So hateful to behold afar?  Of all God’s creatures, I declare That man of wisdom has least share Who chooses, in his darkened soul, To love a body black as coal.  Black is the hue, the Scriptures tell, Of the inhabitants of Hell; Black is the robe the mourner dons, And mothers who have lost their sons.  Moreover, since from Khorasan The black Abbasid banners ran, The souls of men know, to their cost, The cause of righteousness is lost."
باب التعريض بالقول ولا بُد لكل مَطلوبٍ من مدخل إليه، وسببٍ يُتوصَّل به نحوه، فلم ينفرد بالاختراع دون واسطة إلا العليمُ الأول جلَّ ثناؤه.,"OF ALLUSION BY WORDS WHATEVER it may be that one is seeking after, one must inevitably contrive some means of coming in to it, some expedient whereby one may achieve access to and attainment of it. There is but one person uniquely able to create without intermediary; the Prime Omniscient Himself, be He ever exalted and extolled!"
فأول ما يستعمل طُلَّاب الوصل وأهل المحبة في كشف ما يجدونه إلى أحِبَّتِهم التعريضُ بالقول؛ إما بإنشاد شعر، أو بإرسال مُثُل، أو تعمية بيت، أو طرح لغز، أو تسليط كلام.,"The first device employed by those who seek union, being lovers, in order to disclose their feelings to the object of their passion, is allusion by means of words. Either they will quote a verse of poetry, or despatch an allegory, or rhyme a riddle, or propose an enigma, or use heightened language."
والناس يختلفون في ذلك على قدر إدراكهم، وعلى حسب ما يرونه من أحبتهم من نفار أو أُنس أو فطنة أو بلادة.,"Men vary in their methods according to the degree of their perspicacity, or the amount of aversion or sympathy, wit or dullness, which they remark in their loved ones."
وإني لأعرف من ابتدأ كشف محبته إلى من كان يُحب بأبيات قلتُها؛ فهذا وشبهه يَبتدئ به الطالب للمودة، فإن رأى أُنسًا وتسهيلًا زاد، وإن يُعاين شيئًا من هذه الأمور في حين إنشاده لشيء مما ذكرنا، أو إيراده لبعض المعاني التي حدَّدنا، فانتظاره الجواب إما بلفظ أو بهيئة الوجه والحركات لَمَوْقِفٌ بين الرجاء واليأس هائل، وإن كان حينًا قصيرًا، ولكنه إشراف على بلوغ الأمل أو انقطاعه.,"I know a man who commenced his declaration of love by quoting to his lady some verses of my own composition. This and the like are the shifts resorted to in the first stages of the love-quest. If the lover detects some sign of sympathy and encouragement, he then proceeds further. When he observes one or other of the characteristics we have described, while in the actual course of quoting some such verses, or hinting obliquely at the meaning he wishes to convey in the manner we have defined, then as he waits for his reply, whether it is to be given verbally, or by a grimace, or a gesture, he finds himself in a truly fearful situation, torn between hope and despair; and though the interval may be brief, enough, yet in that instant he becomes aware if his ambition is attainable, or if it must be abandoned."
ومن التعريض بالقول: جنسٌ ثانٍ، ولا يكون إلا بعد الاتفاق ومعرفة المحبَّة من المحبوبِ، فحينئذٍ يقع التشكِّي، وعقد المواعيد، والتغرير، وإحكام المودات بالتعريض، وبكلام يظهر لسامعه منه معنًى غير ما يذهبان إليه، فيجيب السامع عنه بجواب غير ما يتأدَّى إلى المقصود بالكلام، على حسب ما يتأدَّى إلى سمعه، ويسبق إلى وهمه، وقد فهم كلُّ واحد منهما عن صاحبه، وأجابه بما لا يفهمه غيرُهما، إلَّا من أُيِّد بحسٍّ نافذ، وأُعين بذكاء، وأُمدَّ بتجربة، ولا سيما إن أحس من معانيهما بشيء، وقَلَّما يغيب عن المتوسِّم المجيد؛ فهنالك لا خفاء عليه فيما يريدان.,"There is another variety of verbal allusion, which is only to be brought into play when an accord has been reached, and the lover knows that his sentiments are reciprocated. Then it is that the complaints begin, the assignations, the reproaches, the plighting of eternal troths. All this is accomplished by means of verbal allusions, which to the uninitiated hearer appear to convey a meaning quite other to that intended by the lovers; he replies in terms entirely different from the true purport of the exchanges, following the impression which his imagination forms on the basis of what his ears have picked up. Meanwhile each of the loving pair has understood his partner’s meaning perfectly, and answered in a manner not to be comprehended by any but the two of them; unless indeed the listener is endowed with a penetrating sensibility, assisted by a sharp wit and reinforced by long experience. Especially is this the case if the intelligent bystander has some sense of what the lovers are hinting at; rarely indeed does this escape the detection of the trained observer. In that event, no single detail of what the lovers are intending remains hidden from him."
وأنا أعرف فتًى وجاريةً كانا يتحابان، فأرادها في بعض وَصْلها على بعض ما لا يجمل، فقالت: والله لأشكونَّك في الملأ علانيةً، ولأفضحنك فضيحةً مستورةً.,"I know of a youth and a girl who were very much in love with each other. In the course of one of his interviews with her, the young man made a slightly improper suggestion. At this the girl exclaimed, “By Allah! I shall make a public complaint against you, and I shall put you to shame privately.”"
فلما كان بعد أيام حضرت الجاريةُ مجلس بعض أكابر المُلوك وأركان الدولة وأجلِّ رجال الخلافة، وفيه ممن يُتوقَّى أمره من النساء والخدم عددٌ كثير، وفي جملة الحاضرين ذلك الفتى؛ لأنه كان بسبب من الرئيس، وفي المجلس مغنياتٌ غيرُها، فلما انتهى الغناء إليها سوَّت عودها، واندفعت تغني بأبيات قديمة، وهي:  غَزَالٌ قَدْ حَكَى بَدْرَ التَّمَامِ *** كَشَمْسٍ قَدْ تَجَلَّتْ مِنْ غَمَامِ سَبَى قَلْبِي بِأَلْحَاظٍ مِرَاضٍ *** وقَدِّ الغُصْنِ فِي حُسْنِ القَوَامِ خَضَعتُ خُضُوعَ صَبٍّ مُسْتَكِينٍ *** لَهُ وذَللتُ ذِلَّةَ مُسْتَهَامِ فَصِلْنِي يَا فَدَيْتُكَ فِي حَلَالٍ *** فَمَا أَهْوَى وِصَالًا فِي حَرَام,"Some days later the girl found herself in a company of great princes and the leading statesmen of the realm; present also were a great number of women and of servants, against whom it would be well to be on one’s guard. The youth in question was in the concourse too, for he was in the entourage of the master of ceremonies. Other singing girls besides her were in attendance. When it came to her turn to sing, she tuned her lute and began to chant the words of an ancient song. Sweet fawn adorable, Fair as the moon at full, Or like the sun, that through Dark clouds shines out to view  With that so languid glance He did my heart entrance, With that lithe stature, he As slender as a tree.  I yielded to his whim, I humbled me to him, As lovesick suitor still Obeys his darling’s will.  Let me thy ransom be! Embrace me lawfully I would not give my charms Into licentious arms."
وعلمت أنا هذا الأمر فقلت:  عِتَابٌ وَاقِعٌ وَشكَاةُ ظُلْمِ *** أَتَتْ مِنْ ظَالِمٍ حَكَمٍ وَخَصْمِ تَشَكَّتْ مَا بِهَا لَمْ يَدْرِ خَلْقٌ *** سِوَى المَشْكُوِّ مَا كَانَتْ تُسَمِّي,"I myself have known this situation, and put it into verse.  Harsh words of bitter blame And false complaining came From one most cruel, who Was judge, and plaintiff too!  She laid her nameless charge Before the world at large, But none knew her intent Save him, whose hurt she meant."
باب الإشارة بالعين ثم يتلو التعريضَ بالقول، إذا وقع القبولُ والموافقة، الإشارةُ بلحظ العين، وإنه ليقوم في هذا المعنى المقامَ المحمود، ويبلغ المبلغ العجيب، ويُقطَع به ويُتواصل، ويُوعد ويُهدد، وينتهر ويبسط، ويُؤْمر ويُنْهى، وتُضرب به الوعود، ويُنبَّه على الرقيب، ويُضحَك ويُحزَن، ويُسأل ويُجاب، ويُمنع ويُعطى.,"OF HINTING WITH THE EYES AFTER verbal allusion, when once the lover’s advance has been accepted and an accord established, the next following step consists in hinting with the glances of the eyes. Glances play an honourable part in this phase, and achieve remarkable results. By means of a glance the lover can be dismissed, admitted, promised, threatened, upbraided, cheered, commanded, forbidden; a glance will lash the ignoble, and give warning of the presence of spies; a glance may convey laughter and sorrow, ask a question and make a response, refuse and give-in short,"
فالإشارة بمُؤخِّر العين الواحدة نَهي عن الأمر، وتفتيرها إعلام بالقَبول، وإدامة نظرها دليل على التوجع والأسف، وكسر نظرها آية الفرح. والإشارة إلى إطباقها دليل على التهديد، وقلب الحدقة إلى جهة ما ثم صرفها بسرعة تنبيه على مُشار إليه.,"To make a signal with the corner of the eye is to, forbid the lover something; to droop the eye is an indication of consent; to prolong the gaze is a sign of suffering and distress; to break off the gaze is a mark of relief; to make signs of closing the eyes is an indicated threat. To turn the pupil of the eye in a certain direction and then to turn it back swiftly, calls attention to the presence of a person so indicated."
والإشارة الخفيَّة بمؤخر العينين كلتيهما سؤال، وقلب الحدقة من وسط العين إلى المُوق بسرعة شاهدُ المنع، وترعيد الحدقتين من وسط العينين نهي عام، وسائر ذلك لا يُدرَك إلا بالمشاهدة.,A clandestine signal with the corner of both eyes is a question; to turn the pupil rapidly from the middle of the eye to the interior angle is a demonstration of refusal; to flutter the pupils of both eyes this way and that is a general prohibition. The rest of these signals can only be understood by actually seeing them demonstrated.
واعلم أن العين تنوب عن الرُّسل، ويُدرَك بها المراد، والحواس الأربع أبواب إلى القلب ومنافذ نحو النفس، والعين أبلغها، وأصحها دلالةً، وأوعاها عملًا، وهي رائد النفس الصادق، ودليلها الهادي، ومرآتها المَجْلُوَّة التي بها تَقف على الحقائق، وتميِّز الصفات، وتفهم المحسوسات،,"You should realize that the eye takes the place of a messenger, and that with its aid all the beloved’s intention can be apprehended. The four senses besides are also gateways of the heart, and passages giving admission to the soul; the eye is however the most eloquent, the most expressive, and the most efficient of them all. The eye is the true outrider and faithful guide of the soul; it is the soul’s well-polished mirror, by means of which it comprehends all truths, attains all qualities, and understands all sensible phenomena."
وبحسبك من قوة إدراك العين أنها إذا لاقى شعاعُها شعاعًا مجلوًّا صافيًا، إما حديدًا مفصولًا أو زجاجًا أو ماءً أو بعض الحجارة الصافية أو سائر الأشياء المجلوة البراقة ذوات الرفيف والبصيص واللمعان، يتصل أقصى حدوده بجسم كثيف ساتر منَّاع كدِر، انعكس شعاعُها؛ فأدرك الناظرُ نفسَه ومازها عيانًا.,"Here, if you will, is a sufficient proof of the eye’s power of perception. When the eye’s rays encounter some clear, well-polished object-be it burnished steel or glass or water, a brilliant stone, or any other polished and gleaming substance having lustre, glitter and sparkle-whose edges terminate in a coarse, opaque, impenetrable, dull material, those rays of the eye are reflected back, and the observer then beholds himself and obtains an ocular vision of his own person."
وهو الذي ترى في المرآة، فأنت حينئذٍ كالناظر إليك بعين غيرك.,This is what you see when you look into a mirror; in that situation you are as it were looking at yourself through the eyes of another.
ودليل عيانيٌّ على هذا أنك تأخذ مرآتين كبيرتين فتُمسك إحداهما بيمينك خلف رأسك، والثانية بيسارك قبالة وجهك، ثم تزويها قليلًا حتى يلتقيان بالمقابلة، فإنك ترى قفاك وكلَّ ما وراءك، وذلك لانعكاس ضوء العين إلى ضوء المرآة التي خلفك إذ لم تجد منفذًا في التي بين يديك، ولما لم يجد وراء هذه الثانية منفذًا انصرف إلى ما قابله من الجسم.,"A visual demonstration of this may be contrived in the following manner. Take two large mirrors, and hold one of them in your right hand, behind your head, and the other in your left hand, in front of your face; then turn the one or the other obliquely, so that the two meet confronting each other. You will now see your neck and the whole of your backward parts. This is due to the reflection of the eye’s radiation against the radiation of the mirror behind you; the eye cannot find any passage through the mirror in front of you, and when it also fails to discover an outlet behind the second mirror, its radiation is diverted to the body confronting it."
وإن كان صالح غلام أبي إسحاق النظَّام خالف في الإدراك، فهو قول ساقط لم يوافقه عليه أحد.,"Though Salih, the pupil of Abu Ishaq al-Nazzam, held a contrary view on the nature of perception to this which I have advanced, his theory is in fact rubbish, and has not been accepted by anyone."
باب المراسلة ثم يتلو ذلك إذا امتزجا المراسلةُ بالكتب، وللكتب آيات. ولقد رأيتُ أهل هذا الشأن يُبادرون لقطع الكُتبِ، وبحلها في الماء، وبمحو أثرها، فرُبَّ فضيحة كانت بسببِ كتاب. وفي ذلك أقول:  عَزِيزٌ عَلَيَّ اليَوْمَ قَطْعُ كِتَابِكُم *** ولَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يُلْفَ لِلْوُدِّ قَاطِعُ فَآثَرْتُ أَنْ يَبْقَى وِدَادٌ وَيَنْمَحِي *** مِدَاد فَإِنَّ الفَرْعَ لِلأَصْلِ تَابِعُ فَكَمْ مِنْ كِتَابٍ فِيهِ مِيتَةُ رَبِّه *** وَلَمْ يَدْرِهِ إِذْ نَمَّقَتْهُ الأَصَابِعُ,"OF CORRESPONDENCE NOW that the lovers are fairly intermingled in their relations, they will begin to correspond in writing. Letters assuredly tell their own tale. Some men I have seen, that were given to correspondence, who made all haste to tear their letters up, to dissolve them in water, and to rub out all trace of them. Many a shameful exposure has been occasioned by a letter, as I have remarked in verse. It grieves me mightily, to tear Thy letter up this day, my dear; But there is nothing, that I swear, Can ever break my love sincere.  For I would rather see this ink Erased, and that our love endure; The branch will always sprout, I think, If but the trunk remains secure.  Too oft a letter sent in haste Has been the death of him, who penned, But guessed not, while his fingers traced The missive, what would be its end."
وينبغي أن يكون شكل الكتاب ألطفَ الأشكال، وجنسُه أملحَ الأجناس.,"The letter should be designed after the most elegant pattern, and should be as pretty as can be contrived."
ولعمري إن الكتاب لَلِسان في بعض الأحايين، إما لحصرٍ في الإنسان وإما لحياء وإما لهيبة.,"For by my life, the letter is sometimes the lover’s tongue, either because he is faltering in speech, or bashful, or awe-struck."
إِذَا لَمْ أُوَاقِعْ مَحْرَمًا أَتَّقِي بِه *** مَجِيئِيَ يَوْمَ البَعْثِ وَالوَجْهُ بَاهِت فَلَسْتُ أُبَالِي فِي الهَوَى قَوْلَ لَائِمٍ *** سَوَاءٌ لَعَمْرِي جَاهِرٌ أَوْ مُخَافِت وَهَلْ يَلْزَمُ الإِنْسَانَ إِلَّا اخْتِيَارُهُ *** وَهَلْ بِخَبَايَا اللَّفْظِ يُؤْخَذُ صَامِت,"“O, since I have nothing wrought Save what Faith declares I ought, Nothing I should face with gloom On the dreadful Day of Doom;  “Naught I care for others’ blame Who declare my love a shame; Let them whisper, let them shout, I can face their scandal out.  “Shall a man be judged, think you, Save for what he willed to do, Or have charged against his head Words that he has never said?”"
نعم، حتى إنَّ لوصول الكتاب إلى المحبوب وعِلْم المُحب أنه قد وقع بيده ورآه للذةً يجدها المحب عجيبةً تقوم مقام الرؤية، وإن لرد الجواب والنظر إليه سرورًا يَعدِل اللقاء، ولهذا ما ترى العاشق يَضع الكتاب على عينيه وقلبه ويُعانقه.,"Indeed, the very delivery of the letter to his loved one, and the knowledge that it is at that moment in the beloved’s hands, will provoke in the lover a wonderful joy, that is a consoling substitute for an actual sight of the object of his affection; while the receiving of the reply, and gazing fondly upon it, delight him fully as much as a lovers’ meeting. It is on this account that you will see the passionate swain laying the letter upon his eyes, or against his heart, fondling it and kissing it."
ولعهدي ببعض أهل المحبة، ممن كان يَدري ما يقول ويُحسن الوصف ويُعبِّر عما في ضميره بلسانه عبارة جيدةً، ويُجيد النظر، ويدقق في الحقائق، لا يَدع المُراسلة وهو مُمكن الوصل قريبُ الدار أتيُّ المَزار، ويَحكي أنها وجوه اللذة.,"I have myself known a lover who was certainly not ignorant of what and how he should speak, a man of fine eloquence, well able to express his thoughts in the language of the tongue, of penetrating insight, and minute comprehension of subtle truths, -and who nevertheless did not abandon the device of correspondence, for all that he lived close by his beloved and could readily come to her, and be with her as often as he chose: he told me that he savoured in correspondence many different varieties of delight."
ولقد أُخبرت عن بعض السُّقَّاط الوُضعاء أنه كان يضع كتاب محبوبه على إحليله، وأن هذا النوع من الاغتلام قَبيح، وضَرب من الشَّبق فاحش.,"I have also been told of a base and worthless fellow who put his sweetheart’s letters to a particularly disgusting use, that was in fact a horrible sort of sensuality, a foul type of lechery."
وأما سَقيُ الحِبْرِ بالدَّمع فأعرف مَن كان يفعل ذلك ويُقارضه محبوبه، يسقي الحبر بالرِّيق. وفي ذلك أقول:  جَوَابٌ أَتَانِي عَنْ كِتَابٍ بَعَثْتُهُ *** فَسَكَّنَ مُهْتَاجًا وَهَيَّجَ سَاكِنَا سَقِيتُ بِدَمْعِ العَيْنِ لَمَّا كَتَبْتُهُ *** فِعَالَ مُحِبٍّ لَيْسَ فِي الوُدِّ خَائِنَا فَمَا زَالَ مَاءُ العَيْنِ يَمْحُو سُطُورَهُ *** فَيَا مَاءَ عَيْنِي قَدْ مَحَوْتَ المَحَاسِنَا غَدَا بِدُمُوعِي أَوَّلُ الحَظِّ بَيْنَنَا *** وَأَضْحَى بِدَمْعِي آخِرُ الحَظِّ بَائِنًا,"As for watering the ink of the love-letter with one’s tears, I know of a man who did this regularly, and his beloved repaid him by watering the ink of her missives with her saliva. I have some verses which refer to this sort of practice.  I wrote a letter to my love She sent me a reply thereto That stilled the agitation of My heart, then stirred it up anew.  I watered every word I penned With tears o’erflowing from my eyes, As lovers will, who do intend In love no treacherous surprise.  And still the tears flowed down apace, And washed the careful lines away O wicked waters, to efface The lovely things I strove to say!  Behold, where first I set my pen The tears have made my writing plain, But as I came to close, ah! then The script is vanished in their rain."
خبر ولقد رأيتُ كتابَ المُحب إلى محبوبه، وقد قَطع في يده بسكين له فسال الدم، واستمد منه وكتب به الكتاب أجمعَ، ولقد رأيت الكتاب بعد جُفوفه فما شككت أنه بصبغ اللكِّ.,"I once saw a’ letter written by a lover to his beloved he had cut his hand with a knife, and as the blood gushed forth he used it for ink, and wrote the entire letter with it. I saw the same letter after the blood had dried, and would have sworn that it was written with a tincture of resin."
باب السفير ويقع في الحب بعد هذا، بعد حُلول الثقة وتمام الاستئناس، إدخال السفير، ويجب تخيُّره وارتياده واستجادته واستفراهه؛ فهو دليل عقل المرء، وبيده حياته وموته، وستره وفضيحته، بعد الله تعالى، فينبغي أن يكون الرسول ذا هيئة، حاذقًا يكتفي بالإشارة، ويُقرطس عن الغائب، ويُحسن من ذات نفسه ويَضع من عَقله ما أغفله باعثُه، ويؤدي إلى الذي أرسله كل ما يشاهد على وجهه كأنما كان للأسرار حافظًا، وللعهد وفيًّا، قنوعًا ناصحًا.,"OF THE MESSENGER THE next scene in the love-play, now that confidence prevails and complete sympathy has been established, is the introduction of the Messenger. He needs to be sought and chosen with great care, so that he shall be both a good and an energetic man; he is the proof of the lover’s intelligence, for in his hands (under God’s Providence) rest the life and death of the lover, his honour and his disgrace. The Messenger should be presentable, quick-witted, able to take a hint and to read between the lines, possessed of initiative and the ability to supply out of his own understanding things which may have been overlooked by his principal; he must also convey to his employer all that he observes with complete accuracy; he ought to be able to keep secrets and preserve trusts; he must be loyal, cheerful and a sincere well-wisher."
ومن تعدَّى هذه الصفات كان ضرره على باعثه بمقدار ما نقَصه منها. وفي ذلك أقول شعرًا، منه:  رَسُولُكَ سَيْفٌ فِي يَمِينِكَ فَاسْتَجِدْ *** حُسَامًا وَلَا تَضْرِبْ بِهِ قَبْلَ صَقْلِهِ فَمَنْ يَكُ ذَا سَيْفٍ كَهَامٍ فَضُرُّه *** يَعُودُ عَلَى المَعْنيِّ مِنْهُ بِجَهْلِهِ,"Should he be wanting in these qualities, the harm he will do to the lover for whom he is acting will be in strict proportion to his own shortcomings. I have put all this in verse.  The messenger is like a blade In thy right hand; pick to thy like Thy sword, and when thy choice is made Polish it well, ere thou dost strike.  Whoever ventures to rely On a blunt weapon, is a fool; The price he pays is pretty high For trusting such a useless tool."
وأكثر ما يستعمل المُحبُّون في إرسالهم إلى من يُحبونه إما خاملًا لا يُؤبه له، ولا يُهتدَى للتحفظ منه لصباه أو لهيئة رثة أو بدادة في طلعته. وإما جليلًا لا تلحقه الظِّنن لنُسك يُظهره، أو لسنٍّ عالية قد بلغها.,"Lovers for the most part employ as their messengers to the beloved either a humble and insignificant fellow to whom nobody will pay much attention, because of his youthfulness or his scruffy look or untidy appearance; or a very respectable person to whom no sort of suspicion will attach on account of his show of piety, or because he is of advanced years."
وما أكثر هذا في النساء، ولا سيما ذوات العكاكيز والتَّسابيح والثَّوبين الأحمرين.,"Women too are frequently used, especially those who hobble along on sticks, and carry rosaries, and are wrapped up in a pair of red cloaks."
وإني لأذكر بقُرطبةَ التحذيرَ للنساء المُحدَثات من هذه الصفات حيثما رأيتها.,"I remember how at Cordova young women had been put on their guard against such types, wherever they might happen to see them."
أو ذوات صناعة يقرَّب بها من الأشخاص؛ فمن النساء كالطبيبة والحجَّامة والسراقة والدلالة والماشطة والنائحة والمغنية والكاهنة والمُعلمة والمُستخفة والصناع في المغزل والنسيج وما أشبه ذلك.,"Women plying a trade or profession, which gives them ready access to people, are popular with lovers-the lady doctor for instance, or the blood-letter, the peddler, the broker, the coiffeuse, the professional mourner, the singer, the soothsayer, the schoolmistress, the errand girl, the spinner, the weaver, and the like."
أو ذا قرابة من المرسَل إليه لا يشح بها عليه.,"It is also found convenient to employ a person who is closely related to the beloved, and who will therefore not be grudged admittance."
فكم مَنيع سهُل بهذه الأوصاف، وعسير يَسُرَ، وبعيد قَرُب. وجَمُوح أنس!,"How many an inaccessible maiden has proved approachable by using messengers like these! How often have apparently insurmountable difficulties been easily overcome, and the one who seemed so far off proved close at hand, the one most refractory been readily tamed!"
وكم داهية دهت الحُجب المصونة، والأستار الكثيفة، والمقاصير المحروسة، والسدد المضبوطة لأرباب هذه النعوت!,"How many disagreeable surprises have befallen well-protected veils, thick curtains, close guarded boudoirs, and stoutly fashioned doors, at the hands of suchlike persons!"
ولولا أن أنبه عليها لذكرتها، ولكن لقطع النظر فيها، وقلة الثقة بكل واحد، والسعيدُ من وُعظ بغيره، وبالضد تتميز الأشياء.,"But for my desire to call attention to them, I would never have mentioned these types at all; but I felt bound to do so, in order that others may have their eyes open, and not readily trust in any of their sort. Happy is the man who takes warning by another’s experience, even if he be his enemy!"
أسبل الله علينا وعلى جميع المسلمين ستره، ولا أزالَ عن الجميع ظل العافية.,"I pray that Allah may cover us and all good Moslems with the veil of His protection, and never suffer the shadow of His preservation to pass away from any one of us."
خبر وإني لأعرف من كانت الرسول بينهما حمامةً مؤدَّبة، ويُعقد الكتاب في جناحِها. وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، منها:  تَخَيَّرَهَا نوحٌ فَمَا خَابَ ظَنُّه *** لَدَيْهَا وَجَاءَتْ نَحْوَهُ بِالبَشَائِرِ سَأُودِعُها كُتْبي إِلَيْكَ فَهَاكهَا *** رَسَائِلَ تُهْدَى فِي قَوادِمِ طَائِرِ,"I know of a pair of lovers whose messenger was a well-trained dove; the letter would be fastened to its wing. On this topic I have the following verses.  Old Noah chose a dove, to be His faithful messenger, and he Was not confounded so to choose: She brought him back the best of news.  So I am trusting to this dove My messages to thee, my love, And so I send her forth, to bring My letters safely in her wing."
باب طي السر ومن بعض صفاتِ الحُب الكتمانُ باللسان، وجحود المحب إن سُئل، والتصنُّع بإظهار الصبر، وأن يُرى أنه عِزْهاةٌ خَلِيٌّ.,"OF CONCEALING THE SECRET ONE of the attributes of Love is holding the tongue; the lover will deny everything if interrogated, affect a great show of fortitude, and make it appear that he is extremely continent and a confirmed bachelor."
ويأبى السرُّ الدقيق، ونارُ الكلف المتأججة في الضلوع، إلا ظهورًا في الحركات والعين، ودبيبًا كدبيب النار في الفحم، والماء في يبيس المَدر.,"For all that the subtle secret will out. The flames of passion raging in his breast will be glimpsed in his gestures and in the expression of his eyes; they will creep slowly but surely into the open, like fire among coals or water through dry clay."
وقد يُمكن التَّمويه في أول الأمر على غير ذي الحسِّ اللطيف، وأما بعد استحكامه فمحال.,"It is possible in the early stages to delude those lacking in finer sensibility; once Love has firmly established itself, however, that is entirely out of the question."
وربما يكون السبب في الكتمان تَصاون المُحب عن أن يَسِمَ نفسه بهذه السمة عند الناس؛ لأنها بزعمه من صفات أهل البطالة، فيفر منها ويتفادى.,"Sometimes the reason for such reticence is the lover’s desire to avoid branding himself with that mark in the eyes of his fellows; he professes that philandering is a sign of frivolity, and therefore (he says) he flees from love and will have naught of it."
وما هذا وجه التصحيح، فبحسب المرء المُسلم أن يعفَّ عن محارم الله عزَّ وجل التي يأتيها باختياره ويُحاسب عليها يوم القيامة.,"But this is not at all the right line of approach; it is sufficient for a good Moslem to abstain from those things which Allah has forbidden, and which, if he choose to do, he will find charged to his account on the Day of Resurrection."
وأما استحسان الحُسن وتمكُّن الحب فطَبع لا يُؤمر به ولا يُنهى عنه؛ إذ القلوب بيد مُقلبها، ولا يَلْزمه غيرُ المعرفة والنظر في فرق ما بين الخطأ والصواب، وأن يعتقد الصحيح باليقين، وأما المحبة فخِلقة، وإنما يملك الإنسان حركات جوارحِه المكتسبة.,"But to admire beauty, and to be mastered by love that is a natural thing, and comes not within the range of Divine commandment and prohibition; all hearts are in God’s hands, to dispose them what way He will, and all that is required of them is that they should know and consider the difference between right and wrong, and believe firmly what is true. Love itself is an inborn disposition; man can only control those motions of his members, which he has acquired by deliberate effort."
وفي ذلك أقول:  يَلُومُ رِجَالٌ فِيك لَمْ يَعْرِفُوا الهَوَى *** وَسِيَّانِ عِنْدِي فِيك لَاحٍ وَسَاكِتُ يَقُولُونَ جَانَبْتَ التَّصَاوُنَ جُمْلَةً *** وَأَنْت عَلَيْهِمْ بِالشَّرِيعَةِ قَانِت فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ هَذَا الرِّيَاءُ بِعَيْنِه *** صُرَاحًا وَزِيٌّ لِلْمرائِينَ مَاقِت مَتَى جَاءَ تَحْرِيمُ الهَوَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ *** وَهَلْ مَنْعُهُ فِي مُحْكَمِ الذِّكْرِ ثَابِت,"I have put this all in verse. Men who nothing know of love For thy sake do me reprove Let them scold, or silent be, It is all the same to me. “Shame on thee!”  I hear them say, “To put all reserve away, While men gaze on thee in awe As a zealot for the Law.”  “What you charge”, I say, “to me Is indeed hypocrisy Patent; and, if I may boast, I hate hypocrites the most.  “And yet, when was loving banned? Did Mohammed so command, Or is man forbidden it By the words of Holy Writ?"
خبر وإني لأعرف بعضَ من امتُحن بشيء من هذا فسكن الوجدُ بين جوانحه، فرام جَحْده إلى أن غَلظ الأمر، وعُرف ذلك في شمائله مَن تعرَّض للمعرفة ومن لم يتعرض.,"I know a man who was tried in a very similar way. Passion had lodged itself in his breast, and he strove to deny it; but in the end the matter became so obviously serious that everyone divined it in his behaviour, whether he happened previously to be aware of it or not."
وكان مَن عَرض له بشيء نَجَهَه وقَبَّحه، إلى أن كان مَن أراد الحظوة لديه من إخوانه يُوهمه تصديقَه في إنكاره، وتكذيبَ من ظن به غير ذلك، فسُرَّ بهذا.,"Yet whenever anyone alluded to his trouble, he rounded on him abusively and drove him away; so that if one of his comrades desired to stand in well with him, he let him imagine that he believed his denials, and thought anyone a liar who had a contrary opinion. This would please him mightily."
ولعهدي به يومًا قاعدًا ومعه بعضُ من كان يَعرض له بما في ضميره، وهو ينتفي غاية الانتفاء، إذ اجتاز بهما الشخص الذي كان يُتهم بعلاقته، فما هو إلا أن وقعت عينه على محبوبه حتى اضطرب وفارق هيئته الأولى، واصفر لونه، وتفاوتت معاني كلامه بعد حُسن تثقيف، فقطع كلامَه المتكلمُ معه؛ فلقد استدعى ما كان فيه من ذكره، فقيل له: ما عدا عمَّا بدا.,"Now I recall that one day I happened upon him when he was seated with someone who kept hinting at his inward feelings all these suggestions my friend denied strenuously. Just at that moment, the very person he was suspected of having a crush on chanced to pass by; no sooner did his eyes light on his beloved, than he became all confused; his former sangfroid entirely deserted him; he grew pale, and his well-turned phrases lapsed into incoherency. His interlocutor thereupon broke off the argument, and he invited him to resume the previous discussion. Someone remarked, “Actions speak louder than words!”"
فقال: هو ما تظنون، عذَر من عذَر، وعذَل من عذَل. ففي ذلك أقول شعرًا، منه:  مَا عَاشَ إِلَّا لِأَنَّ المَوْتَ يَرْحَمُهُ *** مِمَّا يَرَى مِن تَبَارِيحَ الضَّنَى فِيهِ,"“Think what you please”, the poor fellow retorted. “Excuse me or blame me as you will, it is all the same.” This is how I have versified the topic. He liveth but by grace of Death, Compassionate to see The fearful pains he suffereth In passion’s agony."
وأنا أقول:  دُمُوعُ الصَّبِّ تَنْسَفِكُ *** وَسِتْرُ الصَّبِّ يَنْهَتِكُ كَأَنَّ القَلْبَ إِذْ يَبْدُو *** قَطَاةٌ ضَمَّهَا شَرَكُ فَيَا أَصْحَابَنَا قُولُوا *** فَإِنَّ الرَّأْيَ مُشْتَركُ إِلَى كَمْ ذَا أُكَاتِمُهُ *** وَمَا لِي عَنْهُ مُتَّرَكُ,"I have another poem on the same subject.  The tears of passion flow And flow again; The veil, of love, I know, Is rent in twain.  My heart, as she floats past, Is fluttering yet Like a poor partridge, fast Trapped in the net.  O my companions true, Come, counsel me So all good comrades do Advice is free.  How long, how long must I This secret hide Which I cannot deny, Nor lay aside?"
وهذا إنما يَعرض عند مُقاومة طبع الكتمان والتصاون لطبع المُحب وغلبته، فيكون صاحبه متحيِّرًا بين نارين محرقتين.,"This however only happens when the instinct for concealment and self-protection conflicts with and overcomes the lover’s natural disposition; the victim, caught between two raging fires, feels utterly bewildered."
وربما كان سبب الكتمان إبقاء المحب على محبوبه، وإن هذا لمن دلائل الوفاء وكرم الطبع.,"Sometimes the reason for concealment is- that the lover wishes to spare his beloved; then it is a proof of loyalty, a mark of true nobility of character."
تَلَذُّ بِفَحْوَاهُ أَسْمَاعُنَا *** وَمَعْنَاهُ مُسْتَعْجِمٌ لَمْ يَبِن يَقُولُونَ بِالله سَمِّ الَّذِي *** نَفَى حُبَّهُ عَنْكَ طِيب الوَسَن وَهَيْهَاتَ دُونَ الَّذِي حَاوَلُوا *** ذَهَابُ العُقُولِ وَخَوْضُ الفِتَن فَهُمْ أَبَدًا فِي اخْتِلَاجِ الشُّكُوكِ *** بِظَنٍّ كَقَطْعٍ وقَطْعٍ كَظَن,"We listen spellbound and intent To his delightful argument; But though the melody is clear, Its meaning quite escapes the ear.  “For Allah’s sake”, they plead with me, “Name thou her name to us, that we May we apprised what passion deep, For whom, has robbed thee of thy sleep.”  No, no; before I tamely yield The secret they would have revealed I’d sooner see my reason go, And plunge into the depths of woe.  So they are buffeted about By wild conjecture, wilder doubt, Not knowing whether what they know, Or what they think they think is so."
وفي ذلك أقول:  دَرَى النَّاسُ أَنِّي فَتًى عَاشِقٌ *** كَئِيبٌ مُعَنًّى وَلَكِنْ بِمَنْ إِذَا عَايَنُوا حَالَتِي أَيْقَنُوا *** وَإِنْ فَتَّشُوا رَجَعُوا فِي الظِّنَن كَخَطٍّ يُرى رَسْمُهُ ظَاهِرًا *** وَإِنْ طَلَبُوا شَرْحَهُ لَمْ يُبِن كَصَوْتِ حَمَامٍ عَلَى أَيْكَةٍ *** يُرَجِّعُ بِالصَّوْتِ فِي كُلِّ فَن,"I have put this point in verse.  All they that know me, know in truth I am a poor and lovelorn youth, Cast down and weary, full of care For whom? Ah, none can this declare.  When they behold me face to face, They feel quite certain of my case, Which when they would more clearly state They can no more than speculate.  My love is like a written screed; The characters seem plain, indeed, But when the reader seeks to know What they portend, that does not show.  Or like the cooing of a dove Within the thicket is my love He modulates with perfect art The sweet outpourings of his heart."
وهذا عندي من حديث النفس وأضغاثها، وداخل في باب التمني وتخيل الفكر. وفي ذلك أقول شعرًا، منه:  يَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِيَ مَنْ كَانَتْ وَكَيْفَ سَرَتْ *** أَطَلْعَةَ الشَّمْسِ كَانَتْ أَمْ هِيَ القَمَرُ؟ أَظنَّهُ العَقْلُ أَبْدَاهُ تَدَبُّرُهُ *** أَوْ صُورَةُ الرُّوحِ أَبْدَتْهَا لِيَ الفِكَرُ أَوْ صُورَة مثلت في النَّفْسِ مِنْ أَمَلِي *** فَقَدْ تَخَيَّلَ فِي إِدْرَاكِهَا البَصَرُ أَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ كُل هَذَا فَهْي حَادِثَةٌ *** أَتَى بِهَا سَبَبًا فِي حَتْفِيَ القَدَرُ,"Now my opinion is that his case is to be explained as a pure fantasy of the mind, a nightmare illusion, and falls into the category of wishful thinking and mental hallucination. I have expressed this situation actually in verse.  Ah, would I knew who she might be, And how she walked by night! Was she the moon that shone on me, The sun’s uprising light?  A mere conjecture of the mind By cogitation wrought? An image that the soul designed, Revealed to me by thought?  A picture that my spirit drew, My hopes to realize, And that my sight imagined to Perceive in fleshly guise?  Or was she nothing of all these, But just an accident Contrived for me by Fate’s decrees With murderous intent?"
وفي كتمان السر أقول قطعةً، منها:  لِلسِّرِّ عِنْدِي مَكَانٌ لَوْ يَحلُّ بِهِ *** حَيٌّ إِذًا لَا اهْتَدَى رَيْبُ المَنُونِ لَهُ أُمِيتُهُ وَحَيَاةُ السِّرِّ مِيتَتُهُ *** كَمَا سُرُورُ المُعَنَّى فِي الهَوَى الوَله,"I have another little poem on concealing the secret.  There is a place wherein I hide My secret; ‘ there if living man Will shelter, Fate may be defied, Death dared, “Come catch me, if you can!”  I slay my secret: ask you why? A secret that would live must die Precisely as the love-sick boy Finds in his grief his greatest joy."
وربما كان سببُ الكتمان توقِّيَ المحب على نفسه من إظهار سره، لجلالة قدر المحبوب.,"Sometimes, again, the reason for discretion is that the lover would protect himself against the consequences of his secret’s disclosure, on account of the illustrious rank of his beloved."
خبر ولقد قال بعض الشعراء بقُرطبة شعرًا تغزل فيه بصبح أُم المُؤيَّد — رحمه الله — فغنَّت به جارية أُدخلت على المنصور محمد بن أبي عامر ليبتاعَها، فأمَر بقتلِها.,"A certain poet in Cordova composed a love-poem in which he celebrated’ the charms of Subh, the mother of al-Mu’aiyad (God have mercy on his soul!). A slave-E brought before al-Mansur Muhammad Ibn Abi `Amin with a view to his purchasing her, chose this very song to sing to him: he promptly ordered her to be executed."
خبر وعلى مثل هذا قُتل أحمد بن مُغيث، واستئصالُ آل مُغيث والتَّسجيل عليهم ألَّا يُستخدَم بواحد منهم أبدًا، حتى كان سببًا لهلاكهم وانقراض بيتهم، فلم يبق منهم إلا الشريد الضال.,"It was for the same reason that Ahmad Ibn Mughith was put to death, the Mughith clan exterminated, and proclamation issued that not one of their numbers should ever be taken into the royal service-a decree which resulted in their utter destruction, and the entire wiping out of the house, none surviving but a wretched handful of outcaste fugitives."
وكان سببُ ذلك تغزُّلَه بإحدى بنات الخُلفاء.,This was all because Ahmad Ibn Mughith composed a love lyric in honour of a Caliph’s daughter.
ومثل هذا كثير.,Such instances are numerous.
ويُحكى عن الحَسن بن هانئ أنه كان مُغرمًا بحُب محمد بن هارون، المعروف بابن زُبيدة، وأحسَّ منه ببعض ذلك فانتهره على إدامة النظر إليه، فذُكر عنه أنه كان لا يقدر أن يُديم النظر إليه إلا مع غلبة السُّكر على محمد.,"It is related of al-Hasan Ibn Hani’ that he was deeply smitten by Muhammad Ibn Harun, better known as Ibn Zubaida. The latter had an inkling of the situation, and upbraided the poet for gazing at him so intently. It is reported that al-Hasan remarked, that he would never have ventured to concentrate his gaze on Muhammad so long, if it had not been for the fact that the latter was overcome by his potations."
وربما كان سبب الكتمان ألَّا يَنْفِر المحبوبُ أو يُنْفَر به.,"Sometimes the reason for concealment is so that the beloved may not take fright, or be made off with."
فإني أدري مَن كان محبوبه له سكنًا وجليسًا، لو باح بأقل سبب من أنه يهواه لكان منه مناط الثريا قد تعلَّت نجومها.,"I know of a man whose beloved was completely friendly and at ease with him; but if he had disclosed by the least gesture that he was in love, the beloved would have become as remote from him as the Pleiades, whose stars hang so high in heaven."
وهذا ضرب من السياسة، ولقد كان يبلُغ من انبساط هذا المذكور مع محبوبه إلى فوق الغاية وأبعد النهاية، فما هو إلا أن باح إليه بما يجد؛ فصار لا يصل إلى التافه اليسير مع التيه ودالَّة الحب وتمنع الثقة بملك الفؤاد، وذهب ذلك الانبساط، ووقع التصنُّع والتجنِّي، فكان أخًا فصار عبدًا، ونظيرًا فعاد أسيرًا، ولو زاد في بَوحه شيئًا إلى أن يعلم خاصَّة المحبوب ذلك لما رآه إلا في الطيف، ولانقطع القليل والكثير، ولعاد ذلك عليه بالضرر.,"It is a sort of statesmanship that is required in such cases; the party concerned was enjoying the pleasure of his loved one’s company intensely and to the last degree, but if he had so much as hinted at his inner feelings he would have attained but a miserable fraction of the beloved’s favour, and endured into the bargain all the arrogance and caprice of which love is capable. He would have been denied that confidence of the heart’s mastery; all the joy would have gone out of his romance; his little idyll would have given place to affectation and unjust accusation. Where formerly he was treated as a brother and an equal, now he would have been regarded as a slave and a prisoner. And had he divulged his sentiments further, to such a point that the beloved’s circle of intimates came to know of it, he would never have seen the object of his affection again, save perchance in a dream; everything would have been over between them; the final result would have been his own great discomfiture."
وربما كان من أسباب الكِتمان الحَياء الغالب على الإنسان، وربما كان من أسباب الكتمان أن يرى المحب من مَحبوبه انحرافًا وصدًّا، ويكون ذا نفس أبيَّة، فيستتر بما يجد لئلا يَشمت به عدو، أو يريهم ومَن يُحب هوانَ ذلك عليه.,"Finally, sometimes the reason for concealment is an overpowering shyness from which some men suffer; or because the lover observes that his beloved is turning away from his and shunning his advances, and being of a proud spirit he hides his feelings so that no enemy may gloat over him, and so as to show them, and his beloved, how lightly he regards the whole business."
باب الإذاعة وقد تَعْرِض في الحُب الإذاعة، وهو من مُنكر ما يحدُث من أعراضه، ولها أسباب، منها:,OF DIVULGING THE SECRET SOMETIMES it happens in Love that the secret is divulged. This is one of the most deplorable accidents that can befall a romance: its causes are various.
أن يُريد صاحبُ هذا الفعل أن يتزيَّا بزيِّ المحبين، ويدخل في عِدادهم، وهذه خلافة لا تُرضى، وتخليج بغيض، ودعوى في الحب زائفة.,"It may be that a man resorts to this action merely because he is ambitious to dress himself up in the lover’s guise, and so be enrolled in their ranks. This is a contemptible deceit, a disgusting effrontery, a most counter feit pretence to love."
وربما كان من أسباب الكَشف غلبةُ الحب، وتسوُّر الجهر على الحياء، فلا يملك الإنسان حينئذٍ لنفسه صرفًا ولا عَدْلًا.,Disclosure is sometimes due to loves overpowering mastery; publicity prevails over modesty. In such a case a man is quite unable to control himself or regulate his actions.
وهذا من أبعد غايات العشق وأقوى تحكُّمه على العقل، حتى يمثل الحسن في تمثال القبيح، والقبيح في هيئة الحسن، وهنالك يرى الخير شرًّا، والشر خيرًا.,"This is one of the furthest extremes which passionate love can reach; it then so strictly dominates the reason, that the mind represents beauty in the shape of ugliness, and ugliness in the form of beauty good is thought to be evil, and evil good."
وكم من مَصون الستر، مُسبل القناع، مَسدول الغِطاء، قد كَشف الحبُّ ستْره، وأباح حريمه، وأهمل حِماه!,"How many a man of the severest respectability, veiled as it were in the closest veil and shrouded in the most impenetrable curtains, has seen his robe of modesty ripped off by love, his heart’s shrine violated, his holy of holies desecrated,"
ولعهدي بفتًى من سَرَوات الرجال وعِلْية إخواني قد دُهِي بمحبَّة جاريةٍ مقصورة هام بها، وقطعه حُبُّها عن كثير من مصالحه، وظهرت آيات هواه لكل ذي بصر، إلى أن كانت هي تعذله على ما ظهر منه مما يقوده إليه هواه.,"I once knew a youth, the scion of a noble house and one of my most aristocratic friends, who was smitten with love for a cloistered girl. He became quite crazy for her, and his love of her cut him off from many of his most virtuous pursuits; the signs of his infatuation were evident to all having eyes to see. In the end she felt constrained to chide him for the manifest follies into which passion was leading him."
خبر وحدَّثني موسى بن عاصم بن عمرو قال:,Musa Ibn ‘Asim Ibn `Amr told me the following story.
كنت بين يدي أبي الفتح والدي — رحمه الله — وقد أمرني بكتابٍ أكتبه، إذ لمحتْ عيني جارية كنت أكلَف بها، فلم أملك نفسي ورميتُ الكتاب عن يدي وبادرتُ نحوها، وبُهت أبي وظن أنه عرَض لي عارض، ثم راجعني عقلي فمسحتُ وجهي ثم عُدت واعتذرت بأنه غَلبني الرُّعاف.,"“I was once with my father Abu ‘l-Path (God have mercy upon him!), writing a letter for him at his behest. Suddenly my eyes caught a glimpse of a slave girl with whom I was infatuated; unable to master myself, I threw the letter away and started after her. My father was dumbstruck, and thought that something serious had happened to me. Then my reason returned to me; wiping my face, I came back and begged pardon, saying that I had been overcome by a haemorrhage of the nose!’"
واعلم أن هذا داعيةُ نِفار المحبوب، وفساد في التدبير، وضعف في السياسة، وما شيء من الأشياء إلا وللمأخذ فيه سُنة وطريقة، متى تعدَّاها الطالب أو خَرِق في سلوكها انعكس عمله عليه، وكان كَدُّه عناءً، وتعبه هباءً، وبحثه وباءً، وكلما زاد عن وجه السِّيرة انحرافًا، وفي تجنُّبها إغراقًا، وفي غير الطريق إيغالًا، ازداد عن بلوغ مراده بُعدًا.,"You should know that this kind of behaviour is enough to scare the beloved away; it is a poor way of managing things, and betrays incompetent statesmanship. In every enterprise there is a proper way to begin, and an appropriate course to follow after; the venturer who transgresses the norm or strays from the right path brings all his labours back on his own head; his toil is to no purpose, his weariness is in vain, his searching’s are superfluous. The more he swerves from the straight course, the futher he deviates from it and perseveres along the wrong turning, the more remote will he become from the object of his quest."
وأقول أيضًا في مخالفة الحقيقة لظنِّ المحبوب عند وقوع الرؤية:  وَصَفُوكَ لِي حَتَّى إِذَا أَبْصَرْتُ مَا *** وَصَفُوا علمتُ بِأَنَّهُ هَذَيَانُ فَالطَّبْلُ جِلْدٌ فَارِغٌ وَطَنِينُهُ *** يَرْتَاعُ مِنْهُ وَيَفْرَقُ الإِنْسَانُ  وفي ضد هذا أقول:  لَقَدْ وَصَفُوكَ لِي حَتَّى الْتَقَيْنَا *** فَصَارَ الظَّنُّ حَقًّا فِي العِيَانِ فَأَوْصَافُ الجِنَانِ مُقَصِّرَاتٌ *** عَلَى التَّحْقِيقِ عَنْ قَدرِ الجِنَانِ,"In the lines which follow I describe the situation of truth belying conjecture, when the lover actually claps eyes on his beloved.  They spoke in glowing terms of thee, But when at last I chanced to see That they described, at once I knew Their words were nonsense and untrue.  Such is the drum: in origin ‘Tis nothing but an empty skin, But when the drummer beats its hide A man is scared, and terrified!  I have also stated the converse case.  So, too, the stories men recite To picture the supreme delight Of Paradise, fall short by far Of those its actual pleasures are."
خبر وإني لأعرف من أهل قُرطبة من أبناء الكتاب وجلة الخدَمة من اسمه أحمد بن فَتْح، كنت أعهده كثير التصاون، من بُغاة العلم وطُلاب الأدب، يبزُّ أصحابه في الانقباض، ويفُوتهم في الدَّعة، لا ينظر إلا في حَلْقة فضل، ولا يُرى إلا في محفل مرضَّى، محمود المذاهب، جميل الطريقة، بائنًا بنفسه ذاهبًا بها، ثم أبعدت الأقدارُ داري من داره، فأول خبر طرأ عليَّ بعد نزولي شاطبة أنه خلَع عذاره في حُب فتًى من أبناء الفتَّانين يُسمَّى إبراهيم بن أحمد؛,"I was once acquainted with a man of Cordova, the son of one of the principal clerks in the civil service his name was Ahmad Ibn Fath-and I had always known him as most circumspect, a keen student of science and letters; in reserve he excelled all his companions, in quiet dignity he was supreme. He was never to be seen anywhere but in the most virtuous circles, and the parties he attended were always strictly respectable; in short; his behaviour was most praiseworthy, his conduct beyond reproach; he went his own way, and kept himself to himself. Then the fates decreed that we should be far sundered. The first news that came to me, after I had taken up residence in Jativa, was that he had cast off all restraint on falling in love with a certain goldsmith’s son called Ibrahim Ibn Ahmad."
وكان غنيًّا عن ذلك وبمندوحةٍ ومعزلٍ رحبٍ عنه، ولو طوى مكنون سره وأخفى بليَّات ضميره لاستدام لباس العافية، ولم يُنهج بُرد الصيانة، ولكان له في لِقاء من بُلي به ومحادثته ومجالسته أملٌ من الآمال، وتعلُّلٌ كافٍ، وإنَّ حَبل العذر ليقطع به، والحُجة عليه قائمة، إلا أن يكون مُختلطًا في تمييزه، أو مصابًا في عقله بجليل ما فدحه، فربما آل ذلك لعذر صحيح، وأما إن كانت له بقية من عقل أو ثبتت مُسكه، فهو ظالم في تعرُّضه ما يعلم أن محبوبه يكرهه ويتأذَّى به.,"Yet he might well have spared himself these troubles; he could easily have escaped, and kept far away from it all. If indeed he had only concealed his deep secret and hidden his heart’s afflictions, he might have continued to wear the robe of well-being, and the garment of his respectability would never have become threadbare; he could still have nourished his hopes, and found ample consolation in meeting and conversing and sitting with the one for whom he was so badly smitten. But alas, the cord of his excuses was snapped; the evidence against him was overwhelming, and the only argument that might be urged in his favour was that his judgment was deranged, his reason affected by his shattering experience. That would certainly have been a valid excuse. But if only a fraction of his understanding remained intact, if the merest fragment of his mind was still unimpaired, then he was gravely at fault in acting in a manner which he was well aware would grievously affront and distress his well-beloved."
هذا غير صفة أهل الحب، وسيأتي هذا مفسرًا في باب الطاعة إن شاء الله تعالى.,"That is not how true lovers behave, as we shall explain fully in the chapter on Compliance, God willing."
ومن أسباب الكشف وجه ثالث: وهو عند أهل العقول وجه مرذول وفعل ساقط؛ وذلك أن يرى المُحب مِن محبوبه غدرًا أو مللًا أو كراهةً، فلا يجد طريقَ الانتصاف منه إلا بما ضرره عليه أعود منه على المقصود من الكشف والاشتهار.,"There remains yet a third reason for disclosing the secret: this is condemned by all right-minded men as a despicable motive and a base manner of conduct. The lover sees that his beloved has betrayed him, or grown tired of him, or dislikes him; and the only way he can find to get even with him is to disclose everything and make the affair notorious-a shift which indeed harms him far more than the person he seeks to injure."
وهذا أشدُّ العار وأقبح الشنار، وأقوى بشواهد عدم العقل ووجود السخف.,"This is a most shocking disgrace and a most foul shame; it is the strongest possible proof that the one so behaving is entirely bereft of reason, and no more in his right mind."
وربما كان الكشف من حديث يَنتشر وأقاويل تفشو توافق قلة مبالاةٍ من المحب بذلك، ورضًى بظهور سره؛ إما لإعجاب أو لاستظهار على بعض ما يُؤمِّله.,"Sometimes disclosure occurs as the result of gossip and rumours to which the lover pays insufficient heed; he is quite content for his secret to be discovered, either out of conceit, or because he thinks in that way to attain some part of his ambition."
وقد رأيت هذا الفعل لبعض إخواني من أبناء القوَّاد، وقرأت في بعض أخبار الأعراب أن نساءهم لا يقنعن ولا يصدقن عشق عاشق لهن حتى يُشتهر ويكشف حُبه ويجاهر ويعلن وينوِّه بذكرهن.,"I actually saw this trick done by a friend of mine, a general’s son. I have read in some Bedouin tale that their womenfolk do not feel satisfied and convinced that a man is really in love with them, until his romantic feelings become public-knowledge and are completely divulged; he must advertise and broadcast his attachment, and sing their praises for all to hear."
باب الطاعة ومن عجيب ما يَقع في الحُب طاعةُ المحب لمحبوبه، وصرفُه طباعَه قسرًا إلى طباع من يُحبه، وربما يكون المرء شَرِسَ الخُلُق، صعب الشكيمة، جموح القياد، ماضي العزيمة، حميَّ الأنف، أبيَّ الخَسف، فما هو إلا أن يتنسم نسيمَ الحب، ويتورَّط غمره، ويعوم في بحره، فتعود الشراسة لِيانًا، والصعوبة سهلةً، والمضاء كلالةً، والحمية استسلامًا.,"OF COMPLIANCE ONE of the wonderful things that occur in Love is the way the lover submits to the beloved, and adjusts his own character by main force to that of his loved one. Often and often you will see a man stubborn by disposition, intractable, jibbing at all control, determined, arrogant, always ready to take umbrage; yet no sooner let him sniff the soft air of love, plunge into its waves, and swim in its sea, than his stubbornness will have suddenly changed to docility, his intractability’ to gentleness, his determination to easy-going, his arrogance to submission."
وأقول شعرًا، منه:  وَإِنِّي وَإِنْ تَعْتِبْ لَأَهْوَنُ هَالِكٍ *** كَذَائِبِ نُقْرٍ زَلَّ مِنْ يَدِ جهبذِ عَلَى أَنَّ قَتْلِي فِي هَوَاكَ لَذَاذَةٌ *** فَيَا عَجَبًا مِنْ هَالِكٍ مُتَلَذِّذِ  ومنها:  ولَوْ أَبْصَرَتْ أَنْوارَ وجهك فَارِسٌ *** لَأَغْنَاهُمُ عَنْ هرمزان ومَوبذ,"These verses tell the same story.  Though thou scoldest me, yet I Am the cheapest man to die, Slipping swiftly like false gold Through the tester’s fingers rolled.  Yet what joy it is for me To be slain for loving thee! Marvel, then, at one who dies Smiling pleasure from his eyes.  I have still another trifle on this topic.  Were thy features shining fair Viewed by critics Persian, Little would they reck of their Mobedh and their Hormosan!"
وربما كان المحبوب كارهًا لإظهار الشكوى، متبرمًا بسماع الوَجد؛ فترى المُحب حينئذٍ يكتُم حزنه، ويكظِم أسفه، ويَنطوي على علَّته، وإن الحبيب مُتجنٍّ، فعندها يقع الاعتذار عن كل ذنب والإقرار بالجريمة والمرء منها بريء؛ تسليمًا لقوله، وتركًا لمخالفته.,"Sometimes the beloved is unsympathetic to the manifesting of complaints, and is too impatient to listen to tales of suffering. In those circumstances you will see the lover concealing his grief, suppressing his despair, and hiding his sickness. The beloved heaps unjust accusations on his head; and he is full of apologies for every fault he is supposed to have committed, and confesses crimes of which he is wholly innocent, simply to submit to what his loved one says and to avoid resisting the charges."
وإني لأعرف من دُهي بمثل هذا فما كان ينفكُّ من توجيه الذنوب نحوه ولا ذنب له، وإيقاع العتاب عليه والسخط وهو نقي الجلد.,"I know a man who was afflicted in just this way; his beloved was continually leveling accusations against him, though he was entirely blameless; he was evermore being reproached and scolded, yet he was as pure as driven snow."
وأقول شعرًا إلى بعض إخواني ويقرب مما نحن فيه وإن لم يكن منه:  وَقَدْ كُنْتَ تَلْقَانِي بِوَجْهٍ لِقُرْبِه *** تَدَانٍ، وَلِلْهُجْرَانِ عَنْ قُرْبِهِ سخطُ وَمَا تَكْرَهُ العتبَ اليَسِيرَ سَجِيَّتِي *** عَلَى أَنَّهُ قَدْ عِيبَ فِي الشَّعَرِ الوَخْطُ فَقَدْ يُتْعِبُ الإِنْسَانُ فِي الفِكْرِ نَفْسَه *** وَقَدْ يحسنُ الخِيلَانُ فِي الوَجْهِ وَالنَّقْطُ تَزِينُ إِذَا قَلَّتْ ويَفحُشُ أَمْرُها *** إِذَا أَفْرَطَتْ يَوْمًا وَهَلْ يُحْمَدُ الفَرْطُ,"Let me quote here some verses which I addressed once to one of my comrades; though they do not exactly fit this context, still they come very near to the topic under’ discussion.  Once thou wouldst greet me with a smile, Delighted at my near approach, And if I turned from thee awhile Thy features registered reproach.  My nature is not so averse To listen to a little blame White hairs are ugly, but no worse, Yet they are always called a shame.  A man, when looking in the glass, May think himself uncommon plain; But moles and spots for beauty pass, And do not need to give such pain.  They are an ornament, when few, And only count for ugliness When they exceed a measure due And who has ever praised excess?"
ومنه:  أَعِنْهُ فَقَدْ أَضْحَى لِفَرْطِ هُمُومِهِ *** يُبَكَّى له القِرْطَاسُ وَالحِبْرُ وَالخَطُّ,"A little later in the same poem I have the following verse.  O come thou to his succour, then; By so great cares his soul is gripped That lo, he moves to tears the pen, The ink, the paper, and the script!"
ولا يقولنَّ قائل إن صبر المحب على ذلَّة المحبوب دَناءةٌ في النفس؛ فقد أخطأ، وقد علمنا أن المحبوب ليس كفوًا ولا نظيرًا فيُقارض بأذاه، وليس سبُّه وجفاه مما يُعيَّر به الإنسان ويبقى ذكره على الأحقاب، ولا يقع ذلك في مجالس الخلفاء ولا في مقاعد الرؤساء فيكون الصبرُ جارًّا للمذلة، وضراعة قائدة للاستهانة؛ فقد ترى الإنسان لا يكلَف بأَمَته التي يملك رقها، ولا يحول حائل بينه وبين التعدي عليها، فكيف الانتصارُ منها؟,"Let no man say that the patience displayed by the lover when the beloved humiliates him is a sign of pusillanimity: that would be a grave error. We know that the beloved is not to be regarded as a match or an equal to the lover, that the injury inflicted by him on the lover should be repaid in kind. The beloved’s ‘insults and affronts are not such as a man need regard as dishonoring him; the memory of them is not preserved down the ages; neither do they occur in the Courts of Caliphs and the salons of the great, where endurance of an insult would imply humiliation, and submission would lead to utter contempt. Sometimes you will see a man infatuated with his slave-girl, his own legal property, and there is nothing to prevent him from having his way with her if he so desires; what point would there be then in his revenging himself on her?"
وسبل الامتعاض من السبِّ غير هذه، إنما ذلك بين عِلْية الرجال الذين تحصل أنفاسهم وتتبع معاني كلامهم فتوجه لها الوجوه البعيدة، لأنهم لا يُوقعونها سدًى، ولا يُلقونها هملًا.,"No; the real grounds for being angered by insults are entirely different; anger is fully justified when the insults are offered as between men of high rank, whose every breath is studied, whose every word is examined closely for its meaning, and given a most profound significance. For such men do not utter words at random, or let fall remarks negligently;"
خبر وحدثني أبو دلف الورَّاق عن مَسلمة بن أحمد الفيلسوف المعروف بالمَرجيطي أنه قال في المسجد الذي بشرقيِّ مقبرة قريش بقرطبة الموازي لدار الوزير ابن عمرو أحمد بن محمد جدير — رحمه الله:,"Abu Dulaf the stationer told me the following story, which he heard from the philosopher Maslama Ibn Ahmad, better known as al-Majriti. In the mosque which lies to the east of the Quraish cemetery in Cordova, opposite the house of the vizier Abu `Umar Ahmad In’ Muhammad Ibn Hudair -God have mercy upon him!-"
قال أبو دلف: ولقد حدَّثنا مُسلم بهذا الحديث غير مرة بحضرة عجيب عندما كان يَرى من وجاهة مقدم بن الأصفر وعرض جاهه وعافيته، فكانت حال مقدم بن الأصفر هذا قد جلت جدًّا واختص بالمظفر بن أبي عامر اختصاصًا شديدًا واتصل بوالدته وأهله، وجرى على يديه من بنيان المساجد والسقايات وتسهيل وجوه الخير غيرُ قليل، مع تصرُّفه في كل ما يتصرف فيه أصحاب السلطان من العناية بالناس وغير ذلك.,"Abu Dulaf added that he had been, told this story by Maslama several times in the presence of ‘Ajib himself, when observing the high position, influence and prosperity to which Muqaddam Ibn al-Asfar had attained; the latter had indeed become most powerful; he was on extremely intimate terms with al-Muzaffar Ibn Abi `Amin, and enjoyed friendly relations with al-Muzaffar’s mother and family; he built a number of mosques and drinking-fountains, and established not a few charitable foundations; besides all which he busied himself with all the various kinds of benevolent and other activities, with which men in authority like to concern themselves."
خبر وأشنع من هذا أنه كانت لسعيد بن مُنذر بن سعيد — صاحب الصلاة في جامع قرطبة أيام حكم المستنصر بالله رحمه الله — جاريةٌ يحبها حبًّا شديدًا، فعرض عليها أن يُعتقها ويتزوجها، فقالت له ساخرةً به، وكان عظيم اللحية: إن لحيتك أَستبشعُ عِظَمها؛ فإن حذفت منها كان ما تَرغبه.,"Here is an even more outrageous example. Sa’id Ibn Mundhir Ibn Sa’id, who used to lead the prayers in the cathedral mosque of Cordova during the days of al-Hakam al-Mustansir Billah (God be merciful to his soul Q, had a slave-girl with whom he was deeply in love. He, offered to manumit and marry her, to which she scornfully replied -and I should mention that he had a fine long beard- “I think your beard is dreadfully long; trim it up, and then you shall have your wish.”"
فأعمل الجملين فيها حتى لَطُفت، ثم دعا بجماعة شهود وأشهدهم على عتقها، ثم خَطبها إلى نفسه فلم ترضَ به.,"He thereupon laid a pair of scissors to his beard, until it looked somewhat more gallant; then he summoned witnesses, and invited them to testify that he had set the girl free. But when in due course he proposed to her, she would not accept him."
وكان في جملة من حضر أخوه حكم بن منذر، فقال لمن حضر: اعرِضْ عليها أني أخطبها أنا.,"Among those present was his brother Hakam Ibn Mundhir, who promptly said to the assembled company, “Now I am going to propose marriage to her.”"
ففعل، فأجابت إليه، فتزوجها في ذلك المجلس بعينه ورضي بهذا العار الفادح على ورعه ونُسكه واجتهاده.,"He did so, and she consented; and he married her then and there. Sa’id acquiesced in this frightful insult; for all that he was a man known for his abstinence, piety and religious zeal."
فأنا أدركت سعيدًا هذا وقد قَتله البربر يوم دخولهم قرطبة عَنوةً وانتهابهم إياها، وحكم المذكور أخوه هو رأس المعتزلة بالأندلس وكبيرهم وأستاذهم ومتكلمهم وناسكهم، وهو مع ذلك شاعر طيب وفقيه، وكان أخوه عبد الملك بن مُنذر متهمًا بهذا المذهب أيضًا، وَلِيَ خُطبة الرد أيام الحكم — رضي الله عنه — وهو الذي صَلبه المنصور بن أبي عامر إذ اتهمه هو وجماعة من الفقهاء والقضاة بقرطبة أنهم يُبايعون سرًّا لعبد الرحمن بن عبيد الله ابن أمير المؤمنين الناصر — رضي الله عنهم — فقُتل عبد الرحمن، وصُلب عبد الملك بن منذر، وبُدِّد شمل جميع من اتُّهم.,"I myself met this same Sa’id; he was slain by the Berbers, on the day when they stormed and sacked Cordova. His brother Hakam was the head of the Mu’tazilites of Andalusia, their leader, professor and chief schoolman, as well as the most famous among them for his piety; at the same time he was a poet, a physician and a lawyer. His brother `Abd al-Malik Ibn Mundhir was also suspected of belonging to the same sect; in the days of al-Hakam (God be well pleased with him!) he was in charge of the Office for the Defence of the Oppressed, but was crucified by al-Mansur Ibn Abi ‘Amir on the charge, preferred against him, and a whole group of Cordovan lawyers and judges, of secretly swearing allegiance to `Abd al-Rahman Ibn `Ubaid Allah, grandson of Caliph al-Nasir (God be well pleased with them!) as lawful Caliph. `Abd al-Rahman himself was executed, `Abd al-Malik Ibn Mundhir was crucified, and the entire faction accused of the conspiracy were liquidated."
وكان أبوهم قاضي القضاة منذر بن سعيد متهمًا بمذهب الاعتزال أيضًا، وكان أخطب الناس وأعلمهم بكل فن، وأورعهم، وأكثرهم هزلًا ودُعابةً.,"The father of these three brothers, the Lord Chief Justice Mundhir Ibn Sa’id, came under the same suspicion of holding Mu’tazilite opinions; he was a most eloquent preacher, profoundly learned in every branch of knowledge, of the utmost piety, and withal the wittiest and most amusing of men."
وحَكَم المذكور في الحياة في حين كتابتي إليك بهذه الرسالة قد كُف بصره وأسنَّ جدًّا.,"The son Hakam aforementioned is still living at the time of writing this epistle; he is now very advanced in years, and quite blind."
خبر ومن عجيب طاعة المُحب لمحبوبه أني أعرف مَن كان سَهِر اللياليَ الكثيرة، ولقي الجهد الجاهِد، فقطعت قلبَه ضروبُ الوَجْد، ثم ظفر بِمن يُحب وليس به امتناع ولا عنده دفع، فحين رأى منه بعضَ الكراهة لما نَواه تركه وانصرف عنه، لا تعففًا ولا تخوُّفًا، لكن توقُّفًا عند مُوافقته رضاه، ولم يجد من نفسه مُعينًا على إتيان ما لم يَرَ له إليه نشاطًا وهو يَجد ما يجد.,"A wonderful example of how the lover will submit to the beloved is provided by a man I knew who lay awake for many nights, endured extreme suffering, and had his heart tom asunder by the deepest emotions, until he finally overcame his, beloved’s resistance, who thereafter refused him nothing and could no more resist his advances. Yet when the lover observed that the beloved felt a certain antipathy towards his intentions he forthwith discontinued relations, not out of chastity or fear but solely in order to accord with the beloved’s wishes. For all the intensity of his feelings, he could not bring himself to do anything for which he had seen the beloved had no enthusiasm."
وإني لأعرف من فعل هذا الفعل ثم تندَّم لعذر ظهر من المحبوب، فقلت في ذلك:  غَافِصِ الفُرْصَةَ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهَا *** كَمُضِيِّ البَرْقِ تَمْضِي الفُرَصُ كَمْ أُمُور أَمْكَنَتْ أُمْهِلُهَا *** هِيَ عِنْدِي إِذْ تَوَلَّتْ غُصَصُ بَادِرِ الكَنْزَ الَّذِي أَلْفَيْتَهُ *** وَانْتَهِزْ صَيْدًا كَبَازٍ يَقْنصُ,"I have put this situation into verse.  Seize the opportunity As it opens up to thee; Opportunities depart Swiftly as the lightnings dart.  Ah, the many things that I Might; have done, but let slip by, And the intervening years Brought me naught but bitter tears.  Whatsoever treasure thou Findest, pounce upon it now Wait no instant: swoop to day Like a falcon on thy prey."
ولقد عرض مثلُ هذا بعينه لأبي المظفَّر عبد الرحمن بن أحمد بن محمود صديقنا، وأنشدته أبياتًا لي؛ فطار بها كل مطار، وأخذها مني فكانت هجِّيراه.,"This very same thing happened to Abu ‘l-Muzaffar `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Ahmad Ibn Mahmud, our good friend: I quoted to him some verses of mine which he leapt upon with the greatest joy and carried off with him, to be his guiding star ever after."
خبر ولقد سألني يومًا أبو عبد الله محمد بن كُليب، من أهل القيروان، أيام كوني بالمدينة، وكان طويل اللسان جدًّا، مثقفًا للسؤال في كل فن، فقال لي وقد جرى بعض ذكر الحب ومعانيه: إذا كره مَن أحب لقائي وتجنَّب قُربي، فما أصنع؟,"When I was living in the old city at Cordova I one day met Abu `Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Kulaib of Kairouan, a man with an exceedingly long tongue, well sharpened to enquire on every manner of subject. The topic of Love and its various aspects was under discussion, and he put the following question to me “If a person with whom I am in love is averse to meeting me, and avoids me whenever I try to make an approach, what should I do?”"
قلت: أرى أن تسعى في إدخال الرَّوْح على نفسك بلقائه وإن كره.,"I replied, “My opinion is that you should endeavor to bring relief to your own soul by meeting the beloved, even if the beloved is averse to meeting you.”"
فقال: لكني لا أرى ذلك، بل أوثر هواه على هواي، ومُراده على مرادي، وأصبر ولو كان في ذلك الحَتف.,"He retorted, “I do not agree; I prefer that the beloved should have his will and desire, rather than I mine. I would endure and endure, even if it meant death for me.”"
فقلت له: إني إنما أحببتُه لنفسي ولالتذاذها بصورته، فأنا أتبع قياسي وأقود أَصلي وأقفو طريقتي في الرغبة في سرورها.,"“I would only have fallen in love”, I countered, “for my personal satisfaction and aesthetic pleasure. I should therefore follow my own analogy, guide myself by my personal principles, and pursue my habitual path, seeking quite deliberately my own enjoyment.”"
فقال لي: هذا ظلم من القياس، أشد من الموت ما تمني له الموت، وأعز من النفس ما بذلت له النفس.,"“That is a cruel logic”, he exclaimed. “Far worse than death is that for the sake of which you desire death, and far dearer than life is that for the sake of which you would gladly lay down your life.”"
فقلت له: إن بذلت نفسك لم يكن اختيارًا، بل كان اضطرارًا، ولو أمكنك ألَّا تبذلها لما بذلتها، وتركُك لقاءه اختيارًا منك أنت فيه ملوم لإضرارك بنفسك، وإدخالك الحتف عليها.,"“But”, I said, “you would be laying down your life not by choice but under compulsion. If it were possible for you not to lay down your life, you would not have done so. To give up meeting the beloved voluntarily would certainly be most reprehensible, since you would thereby do violence to yourself and bring your own soul to its doom.”"
فقال لي: أنت رجل جدليٌّ، ولا جدل في الحب يلتفت إليه.,"Thereupon he cried out, “You are a born dialectician, and dialectics have no particular relevance to Love."
فقلت له: إذًا كان صاحبه مئوفًا.,"“In that case”, I said, “the lover will certainly be unfortunate.”"
فقال: وأيُّ آفة أعظم من الحب؟!,"“And what misfortune is there”, he ended, “that is greater than Love?”"
باب المخالفة وربما اتبع المحب شهوتَه وركب رأسه فبلغ شِفاءه من محبوبه، وتعمَّد مسرته منه على كل الوجوه سخط أو رضي.,"OF OPPOSITION SOMETIMES the lover follows his own lust, and lets himself go completely. He is cured of his sickness at the hands of the beloved, and is resolved to have his pleasure of the other at all costs, whether the beloved be angry or consent."
ومَن ساعده على الوقت هذا وثبت جنانُه وأُتِيحت له الأقدار، استوفى لذته جميعها، وذهب غمُّه، وانقطع همُّه، ورأى أمله، وبلغ مرغوبه.,"If the lover is assisted in this by circumstance, if his heart remains steadfast and the fates favour him, he will drain the cup of his joy to the last drop; his sorrows will depart, his cares will be at an end: he will see the fulfillment of his hopes, and attain all his desire."
وقد رأيتُ مَن هذه صفتُه، وفي ذلك أقول أبياتًا، منها:  إِذَا أَنَا بَلَّغْتُ نَفْسِي المُنَى *** مِنْ رَشَأٍ مَا زَالَ لِي مُمْرِضا فَمَا أُبَالِي الكُرْهَ مِنْ طَاعَةٍ *** وَلَا أُبَالِي سَخَطًا مِنْ رِضا إِذَا وَجَدْتُ المَاءَ لَا بُدَّ أَنْ *** أُطْفِي بِهِ مُشْعَلَ جَمْرِ الغَضَا,"I have myself seen lovers who comported themselves after this fashion: the following verses of mine describe the situation.  When I have had my will And slaked my soul’s desire Of some sweet fawn, who still Consumed my heart with fire;  I reek not if she be Reluctant to consent, Nor care if she agree But all malevolent.  Where’er the water may Be found, I’ll seize the same And sprinkle with its spray My tamarisk aflame."
باب العاذل وللحب آفات، فأوَّلها العاذل. والعذَّال أقسام، فأصلهم صديقٌ قد أسقطتَ مئونةَ التحفظ بينك وبينه، فعَذْلُه أفضل من كثير المساعدات.,"OF THE REPROACHER LOVE has its various misfortunes: of these the firs is the Reproacher. Of reproachers there are divers kinds. The original sort is a friend, between whom and yourself the burden of cautiousness has been let drop: his reproach is better than many abettings."
وهي من الحظ والنهي، وفي ذلك زاجر للنفس عجيب، وتقوية لطيفة لها عرض، وعمل ودواء تشتد عليه الشهوة، ولا سيما إن كان رفيقًا في قوله، حسن التوصل إلى ما يورد من المعاني بلفظه، عالمًا بالأوقات التي يؤكِّد فيها النهي، وبالأحيان التي يزيد فيها الأمر، والساعات التي يكون فيها واقفًا بين هذين، على قدر ما يرى من تسهل العاشق وتوعُّره، وقَبوله وعصيانه.,"It consists of incitements and prohibitions; therein and thereby the soul is wonderfully stimulated and remarkably strengthened; its properties are at once purposeful and efficacious, and healing to those sore wounded by passionate desire. Especially is this the case if the friend is gentle in his speech, and skilled at matching his words to his intentions; if he is aware of the times when the negative should be emphasized, and the occasions on which it is better to concentrate on positive injunctions; and if he is apprised of the hours wherein both approaches ought to be combined; all according to the degree of tractability or obdurateness, response or rebellion which he observes in the lover."
ولقد رأيت مَن اشتدَّ وَجْده وعَظُم كلفه حتى كان العَذْل أحبَّ شيء إليه، ليُري العاذلَ عصيانَه ويستلذَّ مخالفته، ويحصِّل مقاومته للأئمة وغلبته إياه؛ كالملك الهازم لعدوه، والمجادل الماهر الغالب لخصمه، ويُسَر بما يقع منه في ذلك، وربما كان هو المستجلب لعذل العاذل بأشياء يوردها توجب ابتداء العذل.,"I have seen a lover so violent in his emotions, and so overwhelmingly infatuated, that he loved to be reproached more than anything in the world, in order that he might show his reproacher how stubbornly he could rebel against his scoldings. He took a positive delight in opposing him, in provoking him to resistance and doubled reproof, and then in triumphing over him; his joy was like that of a king who puts his enemies to flight, or a skilled debater who triumphs over his opponent. Sometimes this motive inspires a lover to provoke the reproacher to reprimand him; he will do things, which oblige the censor to begin his faultfinding."
وَأَعْقَبَهُ التَّسَلِّي بَعْدَ هَذَا *** وَصَارَ يَرَى الهَوَى عَارًا وَذَامَا وَصَيَّر دُونَ مَنْ أَهْوَى رَقِيبًا *** لِيُبْعِدَ عَنْهُ صَبًّا مُسْتَهَامَا فَأَيُّ بَلِيَّةٍ صُبت عَلَيْنَا *** وَأَيُّ مُصِيبَةٍ حَلَّتْ لِمَاما؟,"Then, after all his pains, Oblivion attains, Calls passion to its face A shame and a disgrace.  And now, o’er her whom I Adore he’s set to spy, His charge, to keep apart From her my lovesick heart.  Ah, what calamitous Afflictions light on us, And what misfortunes fell Have come with us to dwell!"
ثم عاذل زاجر لا يُفيق أبدًا من الملامة، وذلك خطب شديد وعبء ثقيل.,"The second type of reproacher is the thoroughgoing scolder, who never lets up reprimanding the lover. That is a tough business, and a heavy burden to bear."
وَوقع لي مثلُ هذا، وإن لم يكن من جنس الكتاب ولكنه يُشبهه، وذلك أن أبا السريِّ عمار بن زياد صديقَنا أكثرَ من عذلي على نحو نحوتُه، وأعان عليَّ بعض من لامني في ذلك الوجه أيضًا، وكنت أظن أنه سيكون معي، مُخطئًا كنتُ أو مصيبًا؛ لوَكيد صداقتي وصحيح أُخوَّتي به.,"I myself once had a like experience, very similar to what we are here discussing though not strictly in the same type of situation. Our mutual friend Abu ‘l-Sari ‘Ammar Ibn Ziyad reproached me frequently about a certain course I was pursuing, and seconded the efforts of others who had reprimanded me on the selfsame score; yet I had always thought that he would take my side whatever I did, whether I was acting rightly or wrongly, because of the firm friendship and true brotherhood uniting us."
وفي ذلك أقول أبياتًا، منها:  أَحَبُّ شَيْءٍ إِلَيَّ اللَّوْمُ وَالعَذل *** كَيْ أَسْمَعَ اسْمَ الَّذِي ذِكْرَاهُ لِي أَمَلُ كَأَنَّنِي شَارِبٌ بِالعذلِ صَافِيَةً *** وَبِاسْمِ مَوْلَايَ بَعْدَ الشُّرْبِ أَنْتَقِلُ,"I have some verses on this topic.  To hear myself reproached and blamed Of all things this I love most fair, For then perchance her name is named Whose mention bids me not despair.  I quaff reproach, as though a cup I drain with purest wine replete, And after, having drunk it up, Devour my mistress’ name for sweet."
باب المساعد من الإخوان ومن الأسباب المتمنَّاة في الحُب أن يهب الله عزَّ وجل للإنسان صديقًا مُخلصًا، لطيفَ القول، بسيطَ الطَّول، حسنَ المأخذ، دقيقَ المنفذ، متمكنَ البيان، مُرهف اللسان، جليل الحلم، واسع العلم، قليل المخالفة، عظيم المساعفة، شديد الاحتمال، صابرًا على الإدلال، جم الموافقة، جميل المخالفة، مستوي المطابقة، محمود الخلائق، مكفوف البوائق، محتوم المساعدة، كارهًا للمباعدة، نبيل المدخل، مصروف الغوائل، غامض المعاني، عارفًا بالأماني، طيب الأخلاق، سريَّ الأعراق، مكتوم السر، كثير البر، صحيح الأمانة، مأمون الخيانة، كريم النفس، نافذ الحس، صحيح الحدْس، مضمون العون، كامل الصون، مشهور الوفاء، ظاهر الغَناء، ثابت القريحة، مبذول النصيحة، مستيقن الوداد، سهل الانقياد، حسن الاعتقاد، صادق اللهجة، خفيف المهجة، عفيف الطباع، رحب الذراع، واسع الصدر، متخلقًا بالصبر، يألف الإمحاض، ولا يعرف الإعراض، يستريح إليه ببلابله، ويشاركه في خلوة فكره، ويفاوضه في مكتوماته.,"OF THE HELPFUL BROTHER ONE of the things devoutly to be desired in Love is that Almighty God shall bestow upon a man a sincere friend, one moreover who is agreeable in speech, of amply abundant means, adroit in laying hold of an affair and shrewd in coming through it, masterly in setting forth an argument, sharp of tongue, of splendid magnanimity, widely learned, little apt to contradict, mighty in succour, strong to endure, patient in the face of impudence, broadly complaisant, a grand confederate, evenly matched, of praiseworthy character, innocent of all injustice, determined to be of help, loathing estrangement, noble in all his undertakings, averse to secret wickedness, profound in his conceptions, understanding his friend’s desires, of virtuous habits, high-born, absolutely discreet, abounding in good works, truly trustworthy, incapable of treachery, of a generous spirit, of penetrating sensibility, accurate in intuition, wholly dependable, a perfect shield, renowned for his fidelity, of manifest constancy, steady in temper, ready with good counsel, sure in his affection, easy to lead on, having a lively faith, truthful in all that he utters, of a gay heart, strictly chaste, wide in prowess, endowed with fortitude, accustomed to sincerity, a stranger to revulsion, a haven of rest in times of trouble, ready to share the privacy of his friend’s poverty and to partake of all its most intimate secrets."
وإن فيه للمحب لأعظمَ الراحات، وأين هذا، فإن ظفرتْ به يداك فشُدَّهما عليه شد الضنين، وأمسك بهما إمساك البخيل، وصُنْه بطارفك وتالدك، فمعه يكمل الأنس، وتنجلي الأحزان، ويقصر الزمان، وتطيب الأحوال، ولن يفقد الإنسان من صاحب هذه الصفة عونًا جميلًا، ورأيًا حسنًا؛ ولذلك اتخذ الملوك الوزراء والدخلاء كي يخففوا عنهم بعضَ ما حملوه من شديد الأمورِ، وطُوِّقوه من باهض الأحمال، ولكي يستغنوا بآرائهم، ويستمدوا بكفايتهم، وإلا فليس في قوة الطبيعة أن تقاوم كل ما يَرِد عليها دون استعانة بما يشاكلها وهو من جنسها.,"In such a friend the lover may truly find his greatest repose. But where is such a man to be found? If you are able to lay your hands upon him, grapple him to you as a miser hugs his gold, and grasp him tightly as a niggard grips his silver. Guard him with all that you possess, sparing neither your inheritance nor your hard-earned wealth; for having him, your joy will be complete, your sorrows will be dispersed, the long hours will go by swiftly, and all your affairs will pass agreeably. With such a comrade no man will lack for goodly help and fair counsel. Therefore do kings take unto themselves ministers and courtiers that they may lighten for them somewhat of their heavy burden, and the crushing load they carry on their shoulders; that they may derive riches from their counsels, and reinforcement from their competency. Otherwise it is not within the power of human nature to withstand all the shocks that assail it, except a man seek succour of a kindred spirit, one resembling him in kind."
وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، منها:  سَأبعدُ عَنْ دَوَاعِي الحُبِّ إِنِّي *** رَأَيْتُ الحَزْمَ مِنْ صِفَةِ الرَّشِيدِ رَأَيْتُ الحُبَّ أَوَّلُهُ التَّصَدِّي *** بَعَيْنِكَ فِي أَزَاهِيرِ الخُدُودِ فَبَيْنَا أَنْتَ مُغْتَبِطٌ مُخَلًّى *** إِذَا قَدْ صِرْتَ فِي حَلَقِ القُيُودِ كَمُغْتَرٍّ بِضَحْضَاحٍ قَرِيبٍ *** فَذَلَّ فَغَابَ فِي غمرِ المدودِ,"I have a poem on this subject, and will quote an extract.  I am resolved to keep afar Wherever Love’s attractions are; The man of sense, as I detect, Is ever shrewd and circumspect.  I have observed that love begins When some poor fellow for his sins, Thinks, it is thrilling, ever so, To gaze on cheeks where roses glow.  But while he sports so joyfully With not a care to mar his glee, The links are forging, one by one, And he’s enchained, before he’s done.  So there he is, deluded fool; Stepping benignly in the pool He slips, and ere he can look round He’s swept along the flood, and drowned."
ولقد كان بعض المحبين، لعدمه هذه الصفة من الإخوان، وقلَّة ثقته منهم لما جرَّبه من الناس، وأنه لم يعدم مَن باح إليه بشيء من سرِّه أحد وجهين؛ إما إزراءً على رأيه، وإما إذاعةً لسره، أقام الوحدة مقام الأنس، وكان ينفرد في المكان النازح عن الأنيس، ويناجي الهوى، ويكلم الأرض، ويجد في ذلك راحة كما يجد المريض في التأوُّه، والمحزون في الزفير؛ فإن الهموم إذا ترادفت في القلب ضاق بها، فإن لم يُنْضِ منها شيء باللِّسان، ولم يسترح إلى الشكوى، لم يلبث أن يهلك غمًّا ويموت أسفًا.,"Some lovers there are who, missing this quality in their friends, and having little confidence in them because of their experience of mankind-for the one to whom the lover’s secret is entrusted will generally act in one of two ways: either he will mock his opinion, or he will publish his secret therefore prefer solitude to society, and go apart from their fellows into desolate places, communing with the air and conversing with the earth; in which conduct they discover relief, as the sick man in his sighing, and the sorrowful man in his sobbing. For when cares crowd thickly into the; heart, the heart can no more contain them; and if it gives not vent to them with the tongue, and finds not relief in lamentation, the sufferer perishes of grief and dies of sorrow."
وما رأيت الإسعاد أكثر منه في النساء؛ فعندهن من المحافظة على هذا الشأن، والتواصي بكتمانه، والتواطؤ على طيِّه إذا اطَّلعن عليه ما ليس عند الرجال، وما رأيت امرأة كشفت سرَّ متحابين إلا وهي عند النساء ممقوتة مستثقلة مرمية عن قوس واحدة.,"I have never seen anything to equal the helpfulness of women in this respect. They are far more forward than men in keeping love’s secret, in counseling each other to be discreet, and in co-operating to conceal it whenever they happen to know of any such affair. I have never in my life known a woman to reveal the secret of a loving couple, without that she was hated, loathed and unanimously condemned by all her sisters."
وإنه ليوجد عند العجائز في هذا الشأن ما لا يوجد عند الفتيات؛ لأن الفتيات منهن ربما كشفن ما علمن على سبيل التغاير، وهذا لا يكون إلا في النُّدرة، وأما العجائز فقد يَئِسن من أنفسهن؛ فانصرف الإشفاق محضًا إلى غيرهن.,"Old women excel young girls in this particular the latter sometimes do disclose what they know out of jealousy (though that happens indeed rarely), whereas the former have despaired of further romances, and are therefore now anxious solely for the welfare of others."
خبر وإني لأعلم امرأةً مُوسرةً ذات جوار وخَدَم، فشاع على إحدى جواريها أنها تعشق فتًى من أهلها ويعشقها، وأن بينهما معانيَ مكروهة، وقيل لها: إن جاريتك فلانة تعرف ذلك وعندها جلية أمرها.,"I know of a wealthy woman who possessed many slave-girls and servants. It was rumoured that one of her maids was in love with a young gentleman of the family, and that he reciprocated her sentiments; it was further reported that they were behaving disgracefully. A friend remarked to the mistress, “Your maid so-and-so knows all about the affair, and is intimate with every detail.”"
فأخذتها وكانت غليظة العقوبة فأذاقتها من أنواع الضرب والإيذاء ما لا يَصبر على مثله جُلداء الرجال؛ رجاءَ أن تبوح لها بشيء مما ذُكر لها، فلم تفعل البتة.,"The mistress thereupon laid hold of the maid -and she was very cruel in punishing her servants- and let her sample such a variety of blows and pummeling’s as even the toughest man could not have endured, hoping that the girl would disclose to her something of the matter that had been mentioned to her; but she betrayed nothing whatsoever."
خبر وإني لأعلم امرأةً جليلةً حافظةً لكتاب الله عز وجل ناسكة مقبلة على الخير، وقد ظَفرت بكتابٍ لفتًى إلى جاريةٍ كان يكلَف بها، وكان في غير ملكها، فعرَّفته الأمر، فرام الإنكار فلم يتهيأ له ذلك، فقالت له: ما لك؟ ومن ذا عُصم؟,"I also know of a great lady, able to recite the Koran from end to end, pious, and devoted to good works. She happened to obtain possession of a letter written by a boy to his ladylove; the boy was the property of a different household. The grand lady let the young man know that she was aware of the romance he sought to deny everything, but that was impossible. She then said to him, “What ails you? Who has ever been immune from love?”"
فلا تُبالِ بهذا، فوالله لا أطلعت على سرِّكما أحدًا أبدًا، ولو أمكنتني أن أبتاعها لك من مالي، ولو أحاط به كله، لجعلتها لك في مكان تصل إليها فيه ولا يَشعر بذلك أحد.,"Don’t worry about this; by Allah, I will never apprise anyone of your secret.’ If I could only buy her for you out of my property, even if it took all that I possess, I would gladly place her at your disposal, somewhere that you could come to her without anyone being the wiser.”"
وإنك لترى المرأة الصالحة المُسنَّة المُنقطعة الرجاء من الرجال، وأحبُّ أعمالها إليها وأرجاها للقبول عندها سعيُها في تَزويج يتيمة، وإعارة ثيابها وحَلْيِها لعروس مُقلَّة.,"You will sometimes see a virtuous, elderly lady, having given up all hope of men, whose fondest occupation and she has the greatest confidence that this will prove acceptable to God) is to contrive to marry off an orphan girl; she will lend her clothes and her jewels to an impoverished bride."
وما أعلم علَّة تمكُّن هذا الطبع من النساء إلا أنهن متفرغات البال من كل شيء إلا من الجماع ودواعيه، والغزل وأسبابه، والتآلف ووجوهه، لا شغل لهن غيره، ولا خُلقن لسواه، والرجال مُقتسمون في كسب المال، وصحبة السلطان، وطَلب العلم، وحياطة العيال، ومُكابدة الأسفار، والصيد، وضُروب الصناعات، ومُباشرة الحروب، ومُلاقاة الفِتَن، وتحمُّل المخاوف، وعمارة الأرض.,"As for the reason why this instinct is so deeply rooted in women, I see no other explanation than that they have nothing else to fill their minds, except loving union and what brings it about, flirting and how it is done, intimacy and the various ways of achieving it. This is their sole occupation, and they were created for nothing else. Men on the other hand are divided in their interests; some seek to amass a fortune, some aspire to the company of kings, some pursue knowledge, some look after their families, some venture on arduous journeys, some hunt, some ply divers crafts, some go forth to the wars, some confront armed rebellions, some brave fearful perils, some cultivate the soil."
وهذا كله مُتحيف للفراغ، صارف عن طريق البُطْل.,"All these different occupations diminish leisure, and divert men from the paths of idleness."
وقرأت في سير ملوك السودان أن الملك منهم يوكِّل ثقةً له بنسائه يُلقي عليهنَّ ضريبةً من غزل الصوف يشتغلن بها أبد الدهر؛,"I have read in the biographies of the kings of the negroes, that those monarchs assign their womenfolk to the care of a trusty henchman, who allots to each her task of wool spinning, so that their whole time is fully employed."
لأنهم يقولون: إن المرأة إذا بقيت بغير شغل إنما تشوق إلى الرجال، وتحنُّ إلى النكاح.,"For they say that when a woman remains without any occupation, she hankers after men and yearns for the marriagebed."
ولقد شاهدتُ النساء وعلمتُ من أسرارهن ما لا يكاد يعلمه غيري، لأني رُبيت في حجورهن، ونشأت بين أيديهن، ولم أعرف غيرَهن، ولا جالستُ الرجال إلا وأنا في حدِّ الشباب وحين تفيَّل وجهي، وهن علَّمنني القرآن، وروَّينني كثيرًا من الأشعار، ودرَّبنني في الخط، ولم يكن وُكدي وإعمال ذهني مذ أول فهمي وأنا في سن الطفولة جدًّا إلا تعرُّف أسبابهن، والبحث عن أخبارهن، وتحصيل ذلك.,"I have myself observed women, and got to know their secrets to an extent almost unparalleled; for I was reared in their bosoms, and brought up among them, not knowing any other society. I never sat with men until I was already a youth, and my beard had begun to sprout. Women taught me the Koran, they recited to me much poetry, they trained me in calligraphy; my only care and mental exercise, since first I began to understand anything, even from the days of earliest childhood, has been to study the affairs of females, to investigate their histories, and to acquire all the knowledge I could about them."
وأنا لا أنسى شيئًا مما أراه منهن، وأصل ذلك غيرة شديدة طُبعتُ عليها، وسوء ظنٍّ في جهتهن فُطرتُ به، فأشرفتُ من أسبابهن على غير قليل، وسيأتي ذلك مفسرًا في أبوابه، إن شاء الله تعالى.,"I forget nothing of what I have seen them do. This all springs from a profound jealousy innate in me, and a deep instinctive suspicion of women’s ways. I have thus discovered not a little of their habits and motives. All this shall be set forth at length in the appropriate chapters, God willing."
باب الرقيب ومن آفات الحُبِّ الرقيبُ، وإنه لحُمَّى باطنة، وبرسامٌ مُلحٌّ، وفكرٌ مُكِبٌّ.,"OF THE SPY ANOTHER of the misfortunes of Love is the Spy: he is truly an inward fever, a persistent delirium, a haunting obsession."
والرقباء أقسام، فأولهم مُثْقِل بالجلوس غير متعمِّد في مكانٍ اجتمع فيه المرء مع محبوبه، وعزما على إظهار شيءٍ من سرهما والبوح بوَجْدهما والانفراد بالحديث.,"Spies are of various kinds. The first type of spy is the bore who squats himself down without malice prepense in a spot where a man is apt to meet with his beloved, and where the two intend to disclose something of their secret and to reveal their passion, amiably conversing alone."
ولقد يعرض للمُحب من القلق بهذه الصفة ما لا يعرض له مما هو أشد منها. وهذا وإن كان يزول سريعًا، فهو عائق حالَ دون المُراد، وقطع متوفر الرجاء.,"Such a kind of spy will occasion the lover more disquiet than a more serious type: even though he may take himself off quickly enough, all the same he is an obstacle preventing the realization of desire, and frustrating the most ample hopes."
خبر ولقد شاهدت يومًا مُحبين في مكانٍ قد ظنَّا أنهما انفردا فيه، وتأهَّبا للشكوى، فاستحليا ما هما فيه من الخلوة، ولم يكن الموضع حمًى، فلم يلبثا أن طلع عليهما من كانا يَستثقلانِه، فرَأى فَعَدل إليَّ وأطال الجلوس معي، فلو رأيتَ الفتى المحب وقد تمازج الأسفُ البادي على وجهه مع الغضب لرأيت عجبًا.,"One day I saw a pair of lovers in a place where they supposed themselves to be alone; they addressed themselves to their tender protests, and made ready to exploit their sweet solitude. But the spot which they had chosen for their interview was not a private sanctuary, and it was not long before the tiresome intruder appeared on the scene. Observing me, he at once turned aside and sat down next to me, remaining with me a long time. If you could only have seen the young lover, and the mixture of evident despair and anger on his face, you would have witnessed a truly wonderful spectacle."
وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، منها:  يُطِيلُ جُلُوسًا وَهْوَ أَثْقَلُ جَالِسٍ *** ويُبْدِي حَدِيثًا لَسْتُ أَرْضَى فُنُونَهُ شَمَام ورَضْوَى وَاللُّكَام وَيَذْبُل *** ولُبْنَان والصمَّان وَالحرب دُونَه,"I have commemorated the scene in some verses, of which the following is an extract.  He sits, the while the hours go by, A boring presence at the best, And drools on matters wherein I Have not the slightest interest.  Ridwa, and Yadhbul, and Shamam, Samman, and mighty Lebanon, The mount of Hazn, and of Lukam He far outweighs them, every one."
ثم رقيب قد أحس من أمرهما بطَرف، وتوجَّس من مذهبهما شيئًا، فهو يريد أن يستبين حقيقة ذلك، فيُدمن الجلوس، ويطيل القعود، ويتخفى بالحركات، ويرمُق الوُجوه، ويحصِّل الأنفاس.,"Then there is the spy who has discovered an inkling of what the loving pair are about, and has some suspicion of what is going on; he desires to ferret out the whole truth of the case, and therefore hangs about and squats for hours on end, watching their movements, eyeing their expressions, counting their very breaths."
وإني لأعرف مَن هَمَّ أن يُباطش رقيبًا هذه صفتُه.,I know of a young fellow who had every intention of manhandling a spy of this sort.
ثم رقيب على المحبوب، فذلك لا حيلةَ فيه إلا بترضية، وإذا أُرضِي فذلك غاية اللذة، وهذا الرقيب هو الذي ذكرتْه الشعراء في أشعارها.,"Next there is the spy who watches over the beloved. There is no other way of dealing with him, but to conciliate him; if he can be won over, then that is the very acme of delight. This is the spy commonly mentioned by the poets in their verses."
ولقد شاهدتُ من تلطَّف في استرضاء رقيبٍ حتى صار الرقيبُ عليه رقيبًا له، ومتغافلًا في وقت التغافل، ودافعًا عنه، وساعيًا له.,"I have observed a man who was so adroit in his efforts to conciliate a spy, that in the end the spy spied on his behalf; he feigned inattention when inattention was called for, he defended him from all danger, and in every way exerted himself in his interests."
وأقول قطعةً، منها:  صَارَ حَيَاةً وَكَانَ سَهْمَ رَدًى *** وَكَانَ سُمًّا فَصَارَ دِرْيَاقا,"Here is a stanza from another poem on the same subject.  He was an arrow poised for death, But now he is my life and breath; He was rank poison in my throat, But now my only antidote."
وإني لأعرف مَن رقَّب على بعض مَن كان يُشفق عليه رقيبًا وَثِق به عند نفسه، فكان أعظمَ الآفة عليه، وأصلَ البلاء فيه.,"I know of a man who set a spy to watch over a person about whom he was anxious, and had every confidence in the spy’s loyalty; as things turned out he proved his greatest bane and the source of all his calamity."
وأما إذا لم يكن في الرقيب حيلة، ولا وُجد إلى ترضِّيه سبيل؛ فلا طمع إلا بالإشارة بالعين همسًا وبالحاجب أحيانًا، والتعريض اللطيف بالقول، وفي ذلك مُتعة وبلاغ إلى حين يقنع به المُشتاق.,"If there proves to be no strategem whereby the spy may be overcome, no way in which he can be con ciliated, then the only hope that remains is to be able now and again to signal surreptitiously with the eyes or the eyebrows and to make subtle allusions in speaking: that is enjoyment of a kind, and secures for the passionate lover some temporary satisfaction."
وفي ذلك أقول:  كَذبَ المُدَّعِي هَوَى اثْنَيْنِ حَتْمًا *** مِثْلَمَا فِي الأُصُولِ أُكْذِب مَانِي لَيْسَ فِي القَلْبِ مَوْضِعٌ لَحَبِيبَيْـ *** ـنِ وَلَا أَحْدَثُ الأُمُورِ بِثَانِي فَكَمَا العَقْلُ وَاحِدٌ لَيْسَ يَدْرِي *** خَالِقًا غَيْرَ وَاحِدٍ رَحْمَنِ فَكَذَا القَلْبُ وَاحِدٌ لَيْسَ يَهْوَى *** غَيْرَ فَرْدٍ مُبَاعِدٍ أَوْ مُدَانِ هو في شِرْعَة المَوَدَّةِ ذُو شَكٍّ *** بَعِيدٍ مِنْ صِحَّةِ الإِيمَانِ وَكَذَا الدِّيْنُ وَاحِدٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ *** وَكَفُورٌ مِنْ عندهِ دِينَانِ,"I have put this point into verse.  He lies, and perjures all that’s true; Who swears he is in love with two He shares in falsehood equally With that damned miscreant, Manichee.  The heart has not sufficient place To hold two sweets in one embrace, Nor may the second love affair Claim with the first an equal share.  For as the Reason is unique It cannot know, though it may seek, Another Power to create Besides the All Compassionate.  And so the Heart, that’s likewise one, Is constituted to love none Except that single darling dear, Be he afar or be he near.  The man who claims a dual love Is thus, as these examples prove, A doubtful follower of Love’s laws, A traitor to Religion’s cause.  And by that selfsame reasoning True Faith is too a single thing; He who a second serves as well Condemns himself an infidel."
وأشنع ما يكون الرقيب إذا كان ممن امتُحن بالعشق قديمًا، ودُهي به، وطالت مدته فيه ثم عُري عنه بعد إحكامه لمعانيه، فكان راغبًا في صيانة مَن رُقِّب عليه، فتبارك الله أي رقبة تأتي منه؟! وأي بلاء مصبوب يحلُّ على أهل الهوى من جهته؟!,"The most disgusting kind of spy is the man who has been tried in love long ago, and suffered its misfortunes over many years, and then, after having known its manifestations very fully, has now detached himself from it: he is therefore desirous in the extreme to protect the person over whom he is watching from the calamities of love. God be praised, what a splendid spy he makes, and what mischief stands poised to fall upon lovers through his instrumentality!"
ومن طريف معاني الرقباء أني أعرف محبَّين مذهبُهما واحد في حُب محبوب واحد بعينه، فلعهدي بهما كُل واحد منهما رقيب على صاحبه. وفي ذلك أقول:  صَبَّانِ هَيْمَانَانِ فِي وَاحِدٍ *** كِلَاهُمَا عَنْ خِدْنِهِ مُنْحَرِف كَالكَلْبِ فِي الآرِي لَا يَعْتَلِف *** وَلَا يُخَلِّي الغَيْرَ أَنْ يَعْتَلِف,"One of the most curious examples of spying I ever recall is the following. I know two lovers who are both in love with the same person, and conduct themselves in identical fashion; each of them, as I have observed, spies upon the other. On this subject I have also composed a short poem. Two lovers madly smitten, And by the same love bitten; Each turns against the other, Each wrestles with his brother.  The dog beside the manger Comports himself no stranger Too sick to eat, too greedy To entertain the needy."
باب الواشي ومن آفات الحُب الواشي، وهو على ضربين؛ أحدهما واشٍ يريد القَطع بين المتحابين فقط، وإن هذا لأفترهما سوأةً، على أنه السم الذُّعاف، والصاب المُمقر، والحتف القاصد، والبلاء الوارد. وربما لم يَنجع ترقيشه.,"OF THE SLANDERER ANOTHER of the misfortunes of Love is the Slanderer he is of two kinds. The first sort of slanderer desires simply to part the loving couple. He is the less mischievous of the two; but for all that he is a deadly poison, a bitter colocynth, an imminent doom and an impending calamity. Sometimes his embroideries are ineffective."
وأكثر ما يكون الواشي فإلى المحبوب، وأما المحب فهيهات؛ حال الجريض دون القريض، ومنع الحَرَب من الطرَب؛ شغله بما هو مانع له من استماع الواشي.,"Generally the slanderer addresses himself to the beloved; the lover, poor fellow- “the choking throat can’t sing a note”, and “whom rage destroys knows little joys” he is far too occupied with his own troubles to listen to what the slanderer has to say."
وقد علم الوُشاة ذلك، وإنما يقصدون إلى الخليِّ البال، الصائل بحوزة الملك، المتعتب عند أقل سبب.,"Slanderers are well aware of this, and therefore direct their efforts only towards those whose minds are free of other cares, and who are therefore ready to pounce with the fury of a mighty *potentate, prepared to find fault at the least provocation."
وإن للوُشاة ضروبًا من التَّنقيل، فمنها أن يذكر للمحبوب عمن يحب أنه غير كاتم للسر.,"Slanderers have various methods of tale bearing. For instance, they will inform the beloved that the lover is not concealing the secret."
وهذا مكان صعب المُعاناة، بطيء البُرء إلا أن يوافق معارضًا للمُحب في محبته، وهذا أمر يوجب النِّفار، فلا فرج للمحبوب إلا بأن تُساعده الأقدار بالاطلاع على بعض أسرار من يُحب، بعد أن يكون المحبوب ذا عقل، وله حظ من تمييز، ثم يَدعه والمُطاولة، فإذا تكذَّب عنده نَقْل الواشي مع ما أظهر من الجفاء والتحفظ ولم يسمع لسره إذاعة؛ علم أنه إنما زور له الباطل، واضمحل ما قام في نفسه.,"That is a difficult situation to deal with, and slow to remedy unless it so happens by coincidence that the beloved resists the lover’s advances-a circumstance which in any case makes aversion inevitable. There is no relief for the beloved when such rumours are about, unless the fates take a hand by acquainting her of something of the lover’s secret feelings, and then only if the beloved is intelligent and has a modicum of discretion; she will in that case defer judgment on the lover. When the beloved discovers, after behaving with due aloofness and reserve, that the slanderer’s story’ was a lie, and that the lover has in fact not divulged the secret at all, she of course realises that the tale was a fabrication from beginning to end, and all her dark doubts vanish."
ولقد شاهدت هذا بعينه لبعض المُحبين مع بعض من كان يحب، وكان المحبوب شديدَ المراقبة عظيم الكتمان، وكثر الوشاة بينهما حتى ظهرت أعلام ذلك في وجهه، وحدَث في حُب لم يكن، وركبته وجمة، وأظلته فكرة، ودهمته حيرة، إلى أن ضاق صدره وباح بما نُقل إليه.,"I once saw this very drama enacted between a pair of lovers. The beloved was very watchful, and excessively discreet; but many slanderous tales were carried about, and in the end the marks of these were evident in the beloved’s countenance. He spoke of “a love that never was in truth”; he became a prey to conjectures and, ugly thoughts, and was so dumbfounded and distraught that, he could no longer bottle up his feelings; finally he disclosed what had been reported to him."
فلو شاهدت مقام المحب في اعتذاره، لعلمت أن الهوى سلطان مُطاع، وبناء مشدود الأواخي، وسنان نافذ، وكان اعتذاره بين الاستسلام والاعتراف، والإنكار والتوبة والرمي بالمقاليد، فبعد لأيٍ ما صلح الأمر بينهما.,"If you could have been present at the scene when the lover offered his excuses, you would have realized that passion is indeed a tyrant who must be obeyed, an edifice most strongly bound together, a lance exceeding sharp and penetrating. His apologies were a pretty mixture of groveling, confession, denial, penitence, and unconditional surrender. So after a certain amount of pother all was well once more between the happy pair."
وربما ذكر الواشي أن ما يُظهر المحب من المحبة ليست بصحيحة، وأن مذهبه في ذلك شِفاء نفسه وبلوغ وَطره.,"Sometimes the slanderer alleges that the love which the lover is protesting is not true, and that his real purpose is to relieve himself and gratify his sensual impulses."
وهذا فصل وإن كان شديدًا في النقل فهو أيسر مُعاناة مما قبله، فحالة المحب غير حالة المتلذذ، وشواهد الوجد متفرقة بينهما. وقد وقع من هذا نُبذ كافية في باب الطاعة.,"This is a kind of slander which, while serious enough when whispered abroad, is nevertheless easier to deal with than the preceding variety. The state of the lover is quite different from that of the mere pleasure-seeker; the evidences of emotion are wholly at variance in the two cases. This topic has however been discussed amply enough in the chapter on Compliance."
وربما نقل الواشي أن هوى العاشق مشترك، وهذه النار المُحرقة، والوَجع الفاشي في الأعضاء، وإذا وافق الناقل لهذه المقالة أن يكون المُحب فتًى حسنَ الوجه، حُلو الحركات، مرغوبًا فيه، مائلًا إلى اللذات، دُنياوي الطبع، والمحبوب امرأة جليلة القدر سرية المنصب، فأقرب الأشياء سَعْيها في إهلاكه، وتصدِّيها لحتفه.,"Sometimes the slanderer reports that the lover is divided in his affections: this is a consuming fire, and an ache pervading all the members. When the purveyor of such a story happens to be dealing with a youthful lover who is handsome, graceful, desirable, inclined to sensual pleasures, and of a worldly disposition, while the beloved is a lady of illustrious position and high rank, the likeliest thing imaginable is that she will endeavour to destroy her suitor, and to be the instrument of his death."
فكم صريع على هذا السبب! وكم مَن سُقي السم فقَطع أمعاءه لهذا الوجه!,"How many a fair young lover has been struck down on this account, or been given poison to drink, or had his belly ripped up, all for a like cause!"
وهذه كانت ميتة مروان بن أحمد بن حدير، والد أحمد المتنسك، وموسى وعبد الرحمن، المعروفَين بابنَي لبنى، من قِبل قَطْر الندى جاريته. وفي ذلك أقول محذِّرًا لبعض إخواني قطعةً، منها:  وَهَلْ يَأْمَنُ النِّسْوَانَ غَيْرُ مُغَفَّلٍ *** جَهُولٍ لِأَسْبَابِ الرَّدَى مُتَأَرِّض وَكَمْ وَارِدٍ حَوْضًا مِنَ المَوْتِ أَسْوَد *** تَرَشَّفَهُ مِنْ طيِّبِ الطَّعْمِ أَبْيَض,"Such was the end of Marwan Ibn Ahmad Ibn Hudair, the father of Ahmad the ascetic and of Musa and `Abd al-Rahman, better known as the sons of Lubna: he met his doom at the hands of his slave-girl Qatr al-Nada. This was my motive in writing a cautionary poem for a comrade of mine, from which I will quote.  Will a man, except he’s blind, Put his trust in womankind? What a stupid he must be So to court catastrophe!  Ah, how many fools have come To the murky pool of doom, Thought it clean, and wholesome too, And sucked up the deadly brew!"
والثاني واشٍ يَسعَى للقَطْع بين المُحبين لينفرد بالمحبوب ويستأثر به. وهذا أشد شيء وأقطعه، وأجزم لاجتهاد الواشي واستفادة جُهده.,"The second sort of slanderer labours to part the lovers in order that he may enjoy unique possession of the beloved, and have her for himself. This is the most difficult, deadly and decisive kind of all, because of the strenuous efforts the slanderer will make in view of the personal advantage he looks to gain."
ومن الوُشاة جنس ثالث، وهو واشٍ يَسعى بهما جميعًا، ويكشف سرَّهما، وهذا لا يُلتفت إليه إذا كان المحب مساعدًا. وفي ذلك أقول:  عَجِبْتُ لِوَاشٍ ظَلَّ يَكْشِفُ أَمْرَنَا *** وَمَا بِسِوَى أَخْبَارِنَا يَتَنَفَّسُ وَمَاذَا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ عَنَائِي وَلَوْعَتِي *** أَنَا آكُلُ الرُّمَّانَ وَالوُلْد تَضْرس,"There is yet a third class of slanderer: the man who traduces lover and beloved alike, and so reveals the secrets of both. Such a type may be disregarded, if the lover is co-operative. I have put this matter into a poem.  I marvel at the slanderer Who seeks to worm our secret out: He only has our news to bear, And nothing else to blab about.  Why should he worry at my gloom, Or trouble if I faint and fret? Myself the pomegranate consume The children’s teeth on edge are set!"
ولا بد أن أورد ما يُشبه ما نحن فيه، وإن كان خارجًا منه، وهو شيء في بيان التنقيل والنمائم؛ فالكلام يدعو بعضُه بعضًا كما شرطنا في أول الرسالة، وما في جميع الناس شر من الوُشاة، وهم النمامون، وإن النميمة لطَبْعٌ يدُل على نتن الأصل، ورداءة الفَرع، وفساد الطبع، وخُبث النشأة، ولا بد لصاحبه من الكذب.,"Here I find myself obliged to set down some observations closely analogous to the subject now under discussion, even though they may be slightly off the point. I would like to say a few words of explanation about tale bearing and backbiting. In talking, one thing always leads on to another, as we envisaged at the beginning of this essay. There are no people on earth worse than slanderers and backbiters. Backbiting is a characteristic proving’ the tree to be rotten, and the branch diseased; it shows that the nature itself is corrupt, and that the upbringing is also depraved. The born backbiter must needs lie;"
والنميمة فرع من فروع الكذب، ونوع من أنواعه، وكل نمَّام كذَّاب، وما أحببت كذابًا قط، وإني لأسامح في إخاء كل ذي عَيب وإن كان عظيمًا، وأكِلُ أمره إلى خالقه عزَّ وجل، وآخذ ما ظَهر من أخلاقه حاشا مَن أعلمه يكذب؛ فهو عندي ماحٍ لكل محاسنه، ومُعَفٍّ على جميع خِصاله، ومُذهِبٌ كلَّ ما فيه، فما أرجو عنده خيرًا أصلًا؛ وذلك لأن كل ذنب فهو يتوب عنه صاحبه، وكل ذامٍّ فقد يمكن الاستتار به والتوبة منه حاشا الكذب؛ فلا سبيلَ إلى الرجعة عنه، ولا إلى كتمانه حيث كان.,"for backbiting is one of the branches, one of the authentic species of lying. Every backbiter is a liar. I have never loved a liar. Though I am ready to be indulgent, and to be friendly with every man whatever his fault, even if it be a grave fault, committing his case to the tender mercy of his Creator and liking him for his good points, I cannot stomach anyone whom I know to be in the habit of lying: that for me wipes out all his virtues, destroys his merits, and discounts any worth there may be in him. I look for no good in such a man whatsoever. Of every other sin a man may repent every other vice can be concealed and abandoned; but as for telling a lie, there is no turning back from that, and that can never be hidden, wherever it may be."
وما رأيت قط ولا أخبرني مَن رأى كذَّابًا ترك الكذب ولم يعد إليه، ولا بدأت قط بقطيعة ذي معرفة إلا أن أطلع له على الكذب، فحينئذٍ أكون أنا القاصد إلى مجانبته، والمتعرِّض لمتاركته، وهي سِمة ما رأيتُها قط في أحد إلا وهو مَزْنون في نفسه إليه بشق، مغموز عليه لعاهة سوءٍ في ذاته. نعوذ بالله من الخذلان.,"I have not seen in all my life, neither have I heard from any man, a case of a liar who eschewed lying and did not return to the habit again. I have never taken the initiative in breaking off relations with an acquaintance, except when I have detected him in a lie; in such a case it is I who take the first step, and go out of my way to avoid and to forsake him. Lying is a mark which I have never seen on any man, without his being suspected of having some dark fissure in his soul, and diagnosed as suffering from some frightful spiritual deformity. I pray that God may never abandon us, nor deny us the protection of His grace!"
وقد قال بعض الحكماء: آخِ من شئت واجتنب ثلاثة: الأحمق؛ فإنه يريد أن ينفعك فيضرك، والمَلُول؛ فإنه أوثق ما تكون به لطول الصحبة وتأكُّدها يخذلك، والكذاب؛ فإنه يجني عليك آمنَ ما كنت فيه من حيثُ لا تشعر.,"A wise man of old has said, “Make friends with whom you will, but avoid three sorts of men-the fool, who desiring’ to help you only harms you; the weary, because in the hour when you rely upon him most, on account of the long and firm friendship between you, in that very hour he lets you down; and the liar, since the more you believe in him the more surely he will do you a dirty trick when you least expect it.”"
وحديث عن رسول الله ﷺ: حُسن العهد من الإيمان. وعنه عليه السلام: لا يُؤمِن الرجلُ بالإيمان كله حتى يدع الكذب في المُزاح.,"The Prophet of Allah is reported to have said, “To keep one’s covenant is a part of faith”; and again,”No man is a believer in the complete sense of the word, so long as he had not given up lying even in jest.”"
حدثنا بهما أبو عمر أحمد بن محمد، عن محمد بن عليِّ بن رِفاعة، عن عليِّ بن عبد العزيز، عن أبي عُبيد القاسم بن سلَّام عن شيوخه، والآخر منهما مُسند إلى عمر بن الخطاب وابنه عبد الله — رضي الله عنهما.,"I received these two Traditions from Abu `Umar Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Ibn `Ali Ibn Rifa’a, who had them from `Ali Ibn `Abd al-`Aziz, from Abu ‘Ubaid al-Qasim Ibn Sallam, from his teachers. The second of them has the ultimate authority of `Umar Ibn al-Khattab, and of his son `Abd Allah (God be well pleased with them both)."
والله عز وجل يقول: {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ * كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ}.,"Allah says, “O ye who believe, why say ye that which ye do not? Hateful it is to God, that ye should say that which ye do not” (Koran LXI 3)."
وعن رسول الله ﷺ أنه سُئل: هل يكون المؤمن بَخيلًا؟ فقال: نعم. قيل: فهل يكون المُؤمن جَبانًا؟ فقال: نعم. قيل: فهل يكون المؤمن كَذَّابًا؟ قال: لا.,"The Prophet of Allah was once asked, “May a believer be a miser?” He replied, “Yes.” “And may a believer be a coward?” “Yes.” “And may a believer be a liar?” “No.”"
حدَّثناه أحمد بن محمد بن أحمد، عن أحمد بن سَعيد، عن عُبيد الله بن يحيى، عن أبيه، عن مالك بن أنس، عن صَفوان بن سليم.,"I received this Tradition from Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Sa’id, who had it from ‘Ubaid Allah Ibn Yahya, from his father, from Malik Ibn Anas, from Safwan Ibn Sulaim."
وبهذا الإسناد أن رسول الله ﷺ قال: لا خيرَ في الكذب. في حديثٍ سُئل فيه.,"By the same chain of authorities I am informed that the Prophet of Allah also said, “There is no good in lying “: this dictum was likewise issued in answer to a question."
وبهذا الإسناد عن مالك أنه بلغه عن ابن مسعود أنه كان يقول: لا يزال العَبد يكْذِب ويُنكَت في قلبه نُكتة سوداء حتى يَسودَّ القلب؛ فيُكتب عند الله من الكذابين.,"Another Tradition, which I have on the same chain up to Malik, reporting in this case from Ibn Masud, quotes the Prophet of Allah as saying, “A man will go on lying, and making one black spot after another on his heart, until his heart is wholly black, and his name will be inscribed in God’s book as one of the liars.”"
وبهذا الإسناد عن ابن مسعود — رضي الله عنه — أنه قال: عليكم بالصِّدق؛ فإنه يهدي إلى البر، والبر يهدي إلى الجنة، وإياكم والكذب؛ فإنه يهدي إلى الفجور، والفجور يهدي إلى النار.,"This chain, depending upon Ibn Masud, quotes the Prophet of Allah further as saying, “Practise truthfulness; for truthfulness leads on to piety, and piety leads on to Paradise. And beware of lying; for lying leads on to sinfulness, and sinfulness leads on to Hell.”"
وروي أنه أتاه ﷺ رجلٌ فقال: يا رسول الله، إني أستتر بثلاث: الخمر والزنا والكذب؛ فمُرني أيهما أترك. قال: اترك الكذب.,"It is said that a man came to the Prophet of Allah and said to him, “O Prophet of Allah, I have three besetting sins-drink, fornication, and lying. Command me which of these I should give up.” The Prophet of Allah said, “Give up lying.”"
فذهب عنه، ثم أراد الزنا ففكَّر فقال: آتي رسول الله ﷺ فيسألني: أزنيت؟ فإن قلت: نعم، حدَّني، وإن قلت: لا، نقضت العهد. فتركه،,"The man departed from him, and then desired to commit fornication; but he thought a while and then said to himself, “I will come to the Prophet of Allah, and he will say to me, `Hast thou fornicated?’ And if I admit it, he will punish me as the law requires; but if I deny it, I shall break my pledge. I will therefore give up this sin.”"
ثم كذلك في الخمر، فعاد إلى رسول الله ﷺ فقال: يا رسول الله، إني تركت الجميع.,"Thereafter he was tempted in the same way to drink, and reasoned after the same manner. Finally he returned to the Prophet of Allah and said, “O Prophet of Allah, I have given up all three sins.”"
فالكذب أصل كل فاحشة، وجامع كل سوء، وجالبٌ لمقت الله عز وجل.,"Lying is thus seen to be the root of every abomination, and to comprise all evil; it attracts the hatred of Almighty God."
وعن أبي بكر الصديق — رضي الله عنه — أنه قال: لا إيمان لمن لا أمانة له.,"We have Abu Bakr al-Siddiq’s authority for the statement that the Prophet of Allah said, “That man is without faith, in whom faith cannot be placed.”"
وعن ابن مسعود — رضي الله عنه — أنه قال: كل الخلال يُطبع عليها المؤمن إلا الخيانة والكذب.,"Ilm Masudd is the ultimate source of the Prophet of Allah’s saying, “The believer is liable to all innate dispositions, except treachery and lying.”"
وعن رسول الله ﷺ أنه قال: ثلاث من كُنَّ فيه كان منافقًا: من إذا وعد أخلف، وإذا حدث كذب، وإذا اؤتمن خان.,"The Prophet of Allah further declared, “Three qualities there are which, if they dwell with a man, that man is a hypocrite: to promise and not to fulfill, to lie when speaking, and to betray when trust is placed in him.”"
وهل الكُفر إلا كذب على الله عز وجل؟,"What is unbelief, if it is not lying against Almighty God?"
والله الحق، وهو يحب الحق، وبالحق قامت السموات والأرض.,"Truth belongs to God, and God loves truth; by truth the heavens and the earth stand fast."
وما رأيت أخزى من كذَّاب، وما هلكت الدول، ولا هلكت الممالك، ولا سُفكت الدماء ظلمًا، ولا هُتكت الأستار بغير النمائم والكذب، ولا أُكِّدت البغضاء والإحَن المُردية إلا بنمائم لا يَحْظى صاحبها إلا بالمَقت والخزي والذل، وأن ينظر منه الذي ينقل إليه، فضلًا عن غيره، بالعين التي ينظر بها من الكلب.,"I have never seen any man more shameful than a liar. Empires do not perish, kingdoms are not destroyed, blood is not shed unjustly, honour is not violated, except through backbiting and lying. It is backbiting, which exacerbates hatred and deadly rancour. The lot of the back-biter is nothing but hatred and shame and humiliation; he deserves to be looked down upon by the person to whom he carries his filth-and all the more by others-as one looks down upon a cur."
والله عزَّ وجل يقول: {وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ}،,"Almighty God says, “Woe unto every slanderous defamer!” (Koran CIV I)."
ويقول جلَّ من قائل: {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَأٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا} — فسمى النقل باسم الفسوق،,"Again Allah says, “O ye who believe, if there cometh unto you a sinful man bearing tidings, do ye make the matter clear” (Koran XLIX 6). Here God calls the talebearer a sinful man."
ويقول: {وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ * هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ * مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ * عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ زَنِيمٍ}.,"Allah also says, “Obey thou not the contemptible, back-biting perjurer, who goeth about with slander, and is a hinderer of good, being a transgressor, a criminal, a low-born churl withal” (Koran LXVIII 10-13)"
يعني المنقِّل والمنقول إليه والمنقول عنه.,"By this last saying he meant the talebearer, the man who receives tales, and the man who issues them."
والأحنف يقول: الثقة لا يبلِّغ، وحق لذي الوَجهين ألَّا يكون عند الله وجيهًا.,"Al-Ahnaf said, “The trustworthy man does not carry reports about, and the double-faced man deserves to be held in no regard by God.”"
وهو ما يَجعله من أخس الطبائع وأرذلها.,Such is the burden of vileness and depravity with which he is loaded.
ولي إلى أبي إسحاق إبراهيم بن عيسى الثَّقفي الشاعر — رحمه الله — وقد نقَل إليه رجل من إخواني عني كذبًا على جهة الهزل، وكان هذا الشاعر كثيرَ الوهم فأغضبه وصدَّقه، وكلاهما كان لي صديقًا، وما كان الناقل إليه من أهل هذه الصفة، ولكنه كان كثير المُزاح جمَّ الدعابة، فكتبت إلى أبي إسحاق، وكان يقول بالخبر، شعرًا، منه:  وَلَا تَتَبَدَّلْ قَالَةً قَدْ سَمِعْتَهَا *** تُقَالُ وَلَا تَدْرِي الصَّحيحَ بِمَا تَدْرِي كَمَنْ قَدْ أَرَاقَ المَاءَ لِلآلِ إِنْ بَدَا *** فَلَاقَى الرَّدَى فِي الأَفيحِ المَهْمَهِ القَفْر,"A comrade once carried a lying report about me to Abu Ishaq Ibrahim Ibn `Isa al-Thaqafi, the well-known poet (God have mercy on his soul!), just as a joke. But the poet, being very imaginative, believed the story, which enraged him. I should add that both the talebearer and the poet were good friends of mine; the former was not really a backbiter at all, but he was a great jester and loved practical jokes. I therefore sent to Abu Ishaq, who was much troubled by the report, an epistle in verse, which included the following lines.  Take not as substitute for truth A story thou hast heard men tell, When thou canst not determine well By what thou knowest where is Booth.  So might a man in too great haste, Beholding a mirage, pour out The precious drops he totes about, And perish in the howling waste."
وكتبتُ إلى الذي نَقل عني شعرًا، منه:  وَلَا تُدْغِمَنْ فِي الجِدِّ مَزْحًا كمُولِج *** فَسَاد عِلَاج النَّفْسِ طَي صَلَاحِها وَمَنْ كَان نَقْلُ الزُّورِ أَمْضَى سِلَاحِه *** كَمِثْلِ الحُبَارَى تَتَّقِي بِسِلَاحِها,"I also addressed a poem to my friend the talebearer, containing these stanzas.  Treat not in jest of earnest things, Like some psychologist, who brings Corruption to the very soul He tends, that else is sane and whole.  The man whose sharpest weapon is The hawking of mendacities Is like the bustard, whose defence Is broadly based on excrements."
وكان لي صديق مرةً، وكثر التدخيل بيني وبينه حتى كَدح ذلك فيه واستبان في وجهه وفي لحظه، وطُبعتُ على التأني والتربُّص والمُسالمة ما أمكنت، ووجدت بالانخفاض سبيلًا إلى معاودة المودة، فكتبت إليه شعرًا، منه:  وَلِي فِي الَّذي أُبْدِي مَرَامٍ لَوَ انَّها *** بَدَتْ مَا ادَّعَى حُسْنَ الرِّمَايَةِ وَهْرز,"I once had a friend, but so many lies were carried to him about me that at last the campaign had its effect on him; the marks were apparent in his expression and his glance. Now it is my nature to act with great deliberation, to watch with patience, and to be as conciliatory as is humanly possible. I found in quiet submission a way to restore our friendship, and then sent him a poem, from which I will quote just one stanza.  In marksmanship I have a way Which, had it seen the light of day; Wahriz could scarce have claimed to be The champion of archery."
وأقول مخاطبًا لعُبيد الله بن يحيى الجزيري الذي يحفظ لعمِّه الرسائل البليغة، وكان طبْعُ الكذب قد استولى عليه، واستحوذ على عقله، وألفه ألفة النفس الأمل، ويؤكِّد نقلَه وكذبَه بالأيمان المؤكِّدة المُغلَّظة، مجاهرًا بها أكذب من السراب، مستهترًا بالكذب مشغوفًا به، لا يزال يحدث من قد صحَّ عنده أنه لا يصدقه، فلا يزجره ذلك عن أن يحدث بالكذب:  بَدَا كُلُّ مَا كَتَّمته بَيْنَ مُخْبِر *** وَحَالٍ أَرَتْنِي قُبْحَ عَقْدِكَ بَيِّنا وَكَمْ حَالَةٍ صَارَتْ بَيَانًا بِحَالَةٍ *** كَمَا تُثْبِتُ الأَحْكَامُ بِالحَبَلِ الزِّنا,"‘Ubaid Allah Ibn Yahya al-Jaziri, who transmits by heart his uncle’s famous elegant essays, was a natural liar. The habit has so dominated him and overmastered his reason, that in the end it has become as much his constant companion as hope is to the human breast. He will reinforce his lying tales with the most solemn oaths, which he is ready to shout from the housetops. So he has become more false than a mirage in the desert, being a complete addict to lies, which he seems to love with a passionate devotion; so much so that he will go on telling his stories to people even though he knows quite well that they do not believe him; that little detail does not put him off in the slightest, he still carries on with his falsehoods. This is the man to whom I addressed the following verses.  All thou didst strive to keep concealed Stands now uncovered and revealed Report, and what myself could see, Have proven thy malignity.  So circumstance is often shown By other circumstance alone, And tribunals take pregnancy As witness to adultery."
وفيه أقول قطعةً، منها:  أَنَمُّ مِنَ المِرْآةِ فِي كُلِّ مَا دَرَى *** وَأَقْطَعُ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ مِنْ قصبِ الهِنْدِ أَظُنُّ المَنَايَا وَالزَّمَانَ تَعَلَّمَا *** تَحَيُّلَهُ بِالقَطْعِ بَيْنَ ذَوِي الوُدِّ,"Here is an extract from another short poem I composed in his honour.  He tells more falsehoods, all in all, Than mirror, mirror on the wall: He strikes more swiftly friends apart Than Indian sabres split the heart.  I think that Fate and sundering Time Are his disciples in the crime All practise to one common end Of separating friend from friend."
وفيه أيضًا أقول من قصيدة طويلة:  وَأَكْذَبُ مِنْ حُسْنِ الظُّنُونِ حَدِيثُه *** وَأَقبْحُ مِنْ دَيْنٍ وَفَقْرٍ مُلَازِمِ أَوَامِرُ رَبِّ العَرْشِ أضْيَعُ عِنْدَه *** وَأَهْوَنُ مِنْ شَكْوَى إِلَى غَيْرِ رَاحِم تَجَمَّعَ فِيهِ كُلُّ خِزْيٍ وَفَضْحَةٍ *** فَلَمْ يُبْقِ شَتْمًا فِي المَقَالِ لِشَاتِم وَأَثْقَلُ مِنْ عَذْلٍ عَلَى غَيْرِ قَابِلٍ *** وَأَبْرَد بَرْدًا مِنْ مَدِينَةِ سَالِم وَأَبْغَضُ مِنْ بَيْنٍ وَهَجْرٍ وَرِقْبَةٍ *** جُمِعْنَ عَلَى حَرَّانَ حَيْرَانَ هَائِم,"I honored him with a third effusion, a full-length ballad from which I will here quote no more than five stanzas.  He is more lying than a waste Of good opinion worst misplaced, More hateful than a load of debt And poverty oppressing yet.  The Lord’s Commandments on his ear Fall with less chance that he may hear, And are unlikelier to impress Than protests the compassionless.  In him unite, to grace his fame, All ignominy and all shame, Which leave no room for any worse That men may vilify and curse.  He is more odious than reproof To one who feigns to be aloof From censure, and he strikes the bone More chill than Salim’s frozen stone.  More loathed is he, than to be rent From the beloved, and banishment, And spying eyes, to mind perplexed, And heart athirst, and spirit vexed."
وليس من نَبَّه غافلًا، أو نصح صديقًا، أو حفظ مسلمًا، أو حكى عن فاسق، أو حدَّث عن عدو — ما لم يكن يَكذِب ولا يكذب ولا تعمد الضغائن — متنقِّلًا.,"But he who rouses a heedless brother, or counsels a friend, or protects a fellow Moslem, or lays information concerning a malefactor, or re orts about an enemy, and in doing so does not lie, and is not proved a liar, and intends not to rouse rancour or ill-will, such a man cannot be called a tale-bearer."
وهل هلك الضعفاء وسقط من لا عقل له إلا في قلة المعرفة بالناصح من النمام؟,"Have the weak ever perished, or the feeble-minded ever come to ruin for any other reason than that they were unable to distinguish’ well between the true counselor and the back-biter?"
وهما صفتان متقاربتان في الظاهر، متفاوتتان في الباطن، إحداهما داء والأخرى دواء، والثاقب القريحة لا يخفى عليه أمرهما، لكن الناقل من كان تنقيله غيرَ مرضيٍّ في الديانة، ونوى به التشتيت بين الأولياء، والتضريب بين الإخوان، والتحريش والتوبيش والترقيش.,"For these attributes are very close to each other on the surface, but inwardly lie far apart: the one is a disease, the other a cure. To the sagacious man the distinction between the two will not be hidden. The authentic talebearer is one whose purveying of tales is not approved by the canons of religion, whose purpose is to part friends and provoke strife between comrades, to stir up trouble, to create commotion, to embellish and adorn a tale."
فمن خاف إن سلك طريق النصيحة أن يقع في طريق النميمة، ولم يثق لنفاذ تمييزه ومضاء تقديره فيما يَرِدُه من أمور دنياه ومعاملة أهل زمانه، فليجعل دينه دليلًا له وسراجًا يستضيء به، فحيثما سلك به سلك، وحيثما أوقفه وقف؛ فشارع الشريعة وباعث الرسول عليه السلام ومرتب الأوامر والنواهي أعلم بطريق الحق، وأدرى بعواقب السلامة ومغبَّات النجاة من كل ناظر لنفسه بزعمه، وباحث بقياسه في ظنه.,"If a man fears to embark upon the course of good counsel, lest he fall into the ways of back-biting, and has insufficient confidence in his own perspicacity and the accuracy of his personal judgment when involved in worldly affairs and in commerce with his fellows, then let him take his religion as a guide, and as a lamp to lighten his path, following after it wherever it may lead him on, and halting whenever it bids him halt. The light of his faith will be a sure guarantee that he will see the road ahead, a valid assurance that he will reach his goal, a certain pledge of success and salvation. The Divine Lawgiver, and He Who sent down His Messenger to mankind, He Who dispenseth all commandments and all forbiddings-surely He knows better the path of truth, and is more fully apprised of the happy issue and of deliverance at the end, than any mortal man who boasteth to look into his own soul, and delveth into his mind’s conjectures according to his own imperfect reasoning."
باب الوصل ومن وجوه العِشقِ الوصلُ، وهو حظ رفيع، ومرتبة سريَّة، ودرجة عالية، وسعد طالع، بل هو الحياة المجددة، والعيش السنيُّ، والسرور الدائم، ورحمة من الله عظيمة.,"OF UNION ONE of the significant aspects of Love is Union. This is a lofty fortune, an exalted-rank, a sublime degree, a lucky star; nay more, it is life renewed, pleasure supreme, joy everlasting, and a grand mercy from Allah."
ولولا أن الدنيا دار مَمَرٍّ ومحنة وكدر، والجنة دار جزاء وأمان من المكاره؛ لقلنا إن وصل المحبوب هو الصفاء الذي لا كَدر فيه، والفَرح الذي لا شائبة ولا حزن معه، وكمال الأماني، ومنتهى الأراجي.,"Were it not that this world below is a transitory abode of trial and trouble, and Paradise a home where virtue receives its reward, secure from all annoyances, I would have said that union with the beloved is that pure happiness which is without alloy, and gladness unsullied by sorrow, the perfect realization of hopes and the complete fulfillment of one’s dreams."
ولقد جرَّبت اللذات على تصرُّفها، وأدركت الحظوظ على اختلافها، فما للدنوِّ من السلطان، ولا المال المُستفاد، ولا الوجود بعد العدم، ولا الأوبة بعد طول الغَيبة، ولا الأمن بعد الخوف، ولا التروُّح على المال، من الموقع في النفس، ما للوصل؛ ولا سيما بعد طول الامتناع، وحلول الهجر، حتى يتأجج عليه الجوى، ويتوقد لهيب الشوق، وتنصرم نار الرجاء.,"I have tested all manner of pleasures, and known every variety of joy; and I have found that neither intimacy with princes, nor wealth acquired, nor finding after lacking, nor returning after long absence, nor security after fear and repose in a safe refuge none of these things so powerfully affects the soul as union with the beloved, especially if it come after long denial and continual banishment. For then the flame of passion waxes exceeding hot, and the furnace of yearning blazes up, and the fire of eager hope rages ever more fiercely."
وما أصناف النبات بعد غِبِّ القطر، ولا إشراق الأزاهير بعد إقلاع السحاب الساريات في الزمان السجسج، ولا خرير المياه المتخللة لأفانين النوار، ولا تأنق القصور البيض قد أحدقت بها الرياض الخضر؛ بأحسنَ من وصل حَبيب قد رُضيت أخلاقه، وحُمدت غرائزه، وتقابلت في الحسن أوصافه، وإنه لمُعجز ألسنة البلغاء، ومقصِّر فيه بيان الفصحاء، وعنده تطيش الألباب، وتعزب الأفهام.,"The fresh springing of herbs after the rains, the glitter of flowers when the night clouds have rolled away in the hushed hour between dawn and sunrise, the plashing of waters as they run through the stalks of golden blossoms, the exquisite beauty of white castles encompassed by verdant meadows not lovelier is any of these than union with the well-beloved, whose character is virtuous, and laudable her disposition, whose attributes are evenly matched in perfect beauty. Truly that is a miracle of wonder surpassing the tongues of the eloquent, and far beyond the range of the most cunning speech to describe: the mind reels before it, and the intellect stands abashed."
ومن لذيذ معاني الوصلِ المواعيدُ، وإن للوعد المُنتظر مكانًا لطيفًا من شِغاف القلب، وهو ينقسم قسمين؛ أحدهما:,Assignations and trysts are among the pleasurable phases of union. Realization of a long-awaited promise plucks at the heart’s strings in a most exquisite way. There are two aspects of this situation.
الوعد بزيارة المحب لمحبوبه، وفيه أقول قطعةً، منها:  أُسَامِرُ البَدْرَ لَمَّا أَبْطَأْت وَأَرَى *** فِي نُورِه مِنْ سَنَا إِشْرَاقِهَا عَرَضا فَبِتُّ مُشْتَرِطًا وَالوُدُّ مُخْتَلِطًا *** وَالوَصْلُ مُنْبَسِطًا وَالهَجْرُ مُنْقَبِضا,"I have a short poem on this topic, from which I will quote two stanzas.  I whispered with the moon all night The while she tarried, and it seemed That in the radiance of its light Some glimmer of her beauty gleamed.  And I was faithful to my troth, And love was joined, and life was gay; Sweet union laughed upon us both, And dark estrangement slunk away."
والثاني انتظار الوعد من المحب أن يزور محبوبه.,The second aspect of this situation is when the lover is awaiting the promise that he may visit his beloved.
وإنَّ لمبادي الوصل وأوائل الإسعاف لتَوَلُّجًا على الفؤاد ليس لشيء من الأشياء.,"Indeed, the preludes to union and the first stages of its fulfillment stir the depths of the heart in a manner quite unlike any other experience."
وإني لأعرف من كان مُمتحنًا بهوًى في بعض المنازل المُصاقبة، فكان يصل متى شاء بلا مانع، ولا سبيل إلى غير النظر والمُحادثة زمانًا طويلًا، ليلًا متى أحب ونهارًا، إلى أن ساعدته الأقدار بإجابة، ومكَّنته بإسعادٍ بعد يأسه، لطول المدة.,"I know a man who was sore smitten with desire for a maiden inhabiting a residence close neighboring his own. He could come to her whenever he wished without let or hindrance; but no way was open to him to do more than gaze upon her and converse with her, for hours on end, by night if he liked or by day. At last the fates conspired to secure him some response, and made it possible for him to realize a measure of happiness, and that after he had quite despaired because of the weary time he had been waiting."
ولعهدي به قد كاد أن يختلط عقله فرحًا، وما كاد يتلاحق كلامه سرورًا، فقلت في ذلك:,"I remember well how crazy and wellnigh delirious he was with delight; his speech was barely coherent, so overcome was he by joy. I commemorated the scene in the following poem."
بِرَغْبَةٍ لَوْ إِلَى رَبِّي دَعَوْتُ بِهَا *** لَكَانَ ذَنْبِيَ عِنْدَ اللهِ مَغْفُورا وَلَوْ دَعَوْتُ بِهَا أُسْدَ الفَلَا لَغَدَا *** إِضْرَارُهَا عَنْ جَمِيعِ النَّاسِ مَقْصُورا فَجَادَ بِاللَّثْمِ لِي مِنْ بَعْدِ مَنْعَتِهِ *** فَاهْتَاجَ مِنْ لَوْعَتِي مَا كَانَ مَغْمُورا كَشَارِبِ المَاءِ كَيْ يُطْفِي الغَلِيلَ بِهِ *** فَغُصَّ فَانْصَاعَ فِي الأَجْدَاثِ مَقْبُورا,"Had I wooed half as fervently God’s pardon, as that lovely maid, My Lord would have forgiven me However sore I disobeyed. Prayed I with equal earnestness The desert lion to assuage His wrath, as her my suit to bless, No man need dread his baffled rage. Long she denied my heart’s desire, Then ah! So ardent kisses pressed Upon my lips, that all the fire Of love rekindled in my breast. So might some traveller athirst Discovering waters after dearth Drink, till the great potations burst His lungs, then lifeless sink to earth."
وقلت:  جَرَى الحُبُّ مِنِّيَ مَجْرَى النَّفَس *** وَأعطيتُ عيني عنان الفَرَسْ وَلِي سَيِّدٌ لَمْ يَزَلْ نَافِرًا *** وَرُبَّتَمَا جَادَ لِي فِي الخِلَس فَقَبَّلْتُه طَالِبًا رَاحَةً *** فَزَادَ أَلِيلًا بِقَلْبي اليَبس وَكَان فُؤَادِي كَنَبْتٍ هَشِيمٍ *** يَبِيسٍ رَمَى فِيهِ رَامٍ قَبَس,"I also wrote a second poem on the same subject, beginning in this fashion.  Love fluttered and was gone Like breath within my bone: I pricked my eyes to view Like horse to the hulloo.  I had a mistress fair: She fled me everywhere, Yet sometimes stealthily She gave her lips to me.  I laid my lips on those, And thought to find repose, But felt within my breast New pain and more unrest.  My heart did withered lie Like herbage parched and dry Whereon some casual hand Will toss a flaming brand."
ومنها:  وَيَا جَوْهَرَ الصِّينِ سُحْقًا فَقَدْ *** غَنِيت بَيَاقُوتَةِ الأَنْدَلُس,"Later in this effusion the following stanza occurs.  Ha, thou has had thy day, Proud jewel of Cathay! My ruby I acclaim, My Andalusian flame."
خبر وإني لأعرف جاريةً اشتد وَجْدها بفتًى من أبناء الرؤساء، وهو لا علم عنده، وكثر غمُّها وطال أسفها إلى أن ضَنِيتْ بحُبه، وهو بغرارة الصِّبَا لا يشعر، ويَمنعُها من إبداء أمرها إليه الحياءُ منه؛ لأنها كانت بكرًا بخاتَمها، مع الإجلال له عن الهجوم عليه بما لا تدري لعله لا يوافقه؛ فلما تمادى الأمر وكانا إلفين في النشأة، شكَت ذلك إلى امرأة جزلة الرأي كانت تثق بها لتَولِّيها تربيتَها، فقالت لها: عرِّضي له بالشعر.,"I know of a young slave-girl who was ardently passionate for a certain youth, the son of a noble household, but he was ignorant of her sentiments. Great was her sorrow, and long her despair, so that she pined and wasted away for the love of him. He in all the pride of youthful indifference was quite unconscious of her suffering, which she was prevented from revealing to him by maidenly modesty; for she was a virgin unspotted, and moreover respected him too highly to surprise him with a declaration which for all she knew he might not find to his liking. As time went on, however, and the girl felt more and more certain of the state of her heart, she at last complained of her plight to a sagacious woman who enjoyed her confidence, for she was her old nurse. The latter said to her, “Hint at your feelings to him in verse.”"
ففعلت المرَّة بعد المرَّة وهو لا يأبه في كل هذا، ولقد كان لَقِنًا ذكيًّا لم يظن ذلك فيميل إلى تنتيش الكلام بوهمه، إلى أن عِيل صبرُها، وضاق صدرها، ولم تُمسك نفسها في قَعدة كانت لها معه في بعض الليالي منفردَيْن، ولقد كان يعلم الله عفيفًا مُتصاونًا بعيدًا عن المعاصي، فلما حان قيامها عنه بَدرت إليه فقبَّلته في فمه، ثم ولت في ذلك الحين ولم تكلمه بكلمة، وهي تتهادى في مشيها، كما أقول في أبيات لي:  كَأَنَّهَا حِينَ تَخْطُو فِي تَأوُّدِهَا *** قَضِيبُ نَرْجسَةٍ فِي الرَّوْضِ مَيَّاسُ كَأَنَّمَا خُلْدُهَا فِي قَلْبِ عَاشِقِهَا *** فَفِيهِ مِنْ وَقْعِهَا خَطْرٌ وَوَسْوَاس كَأَنَّمَا مَشْيُهَا مَشْيُ الحَمَامَةِ لَا *** كَدٌّ يُعَابُ وَلَا بُطْءٌ بِهِ بَاس,"The girl did as she was advised, and that time after time; but the youth paid no attention whatsoever. It was not that he lacked intelligence and wit; quite the contrary; but he had no suspicion of her intention, that his imagination should be alert to look for hidden meanings in her words. Finally the girl’s endurance was at an end; her emotions were insupportable. One night she w seated with him Me-a-tete; and God knows that he was most chaste and self-disciplined, very far indeed from committing any impropriety. Finding that she could no longer control her feelings, when she stood up to leave him she suddenly turned and kissed him on the mouth, then, without uttering a single word, coquettishly swaying she withdrew. I have tried to picture the scene in a poem.  As she withdrew, the lissom maid, This way and that she gently swayed As a narcissus ‘neath the trees Swings on its stem before the breeze.  Deep in his heart the lover hears The pendants hanging from her ears Ring out a tender melody “I love thee dearly: lov’st thou me?”  I pictured in her poise and grace A dove that goes with perfect pace; Not over slow he seems to move, Nor undue hasty, to reprove."
فبُهتَ وسُقط في يده وفُت في عضده، ووَجد في كبده، وعلَتْه وجمة، فما هو إلا أن غابت عنه ووقع في شَرَك الرَّدى، واشتعلت في قلبه النار، وتصعدت أنفاسه، وترادفت أوجاله، وكثر قلقه، وطال أرقه، فما غمض تلك الليلة عينًا، وكان هذا بدء الحب بينهما دهرًا، إلى أن جَذَّت جملتها يدُ النوى.,"The young man was stupefied, confused, quite overcome; his heart was deeply stirred; his spirit was overwhelmed by conflicting emotions. Hardly was she out of his sight when he found himself caught in the toils of destruction; his breast was all afire; he sighed and sighed. A multitude of fears assailed him; he was a prey to every apprehension; sleep deserted him, and all through the long night he tossed and turned unable to close his eyes. Such was the beginning of a love between them, which continued many moons, until the cruel hand of separation broke the cords of their perfect union."
وإن هذا لمن مصائد إبليس، ودواعي الهوى التي لا يقف لها أحد إلا من عصمه الله عز وجل.,"There you may say was a very Devil’s trick, an incitement to passion no man could have withstood, unless he were under the protection of Allah the All-Powerful."
ومن الناس من يقول: إن دوام الوصل يُودي بالحب.,Some say that union too long enjoyed is fatal to love.
وهذا هجين من القول، إنما ذلك لأهل المَلَل، بل كلما زاد وصلًا زاد اتصالًا.,"That is a vile doctrine, advanced only by those who quickly tire of a sweet romance. On the contrary, the longer the union lasts the firmer the attachment becomes."
وعني أخبرك أني ما روِيتُ قط من ماء الوصل ولا زادني إلا ظمأً. وهذا حكم مَن تداوى برأيه وإنْ رَبَّهُ عنه سريعًا.,"Speaking for myself, I have never drunk deep of the waters of amorous union without my thirst raging all the more fiercely: such is the predicament of one who seeks to cure himself by applying as remedy the very sickness from which he is suffering the respite is immediate, but soon gone."
ولقد بلغتُ من التمكُّن بمن أُحب أبعد الغايات التي لا يجد الإنسان وراءها مرمًى، فما وجدتُني إلا مستزيدًا، ولقد طال بي ذلك فما أحسست بسآمةٍ ولا رهقتني فترة.,"I have reached, in mastery of those I have loved, the furthest attainable goals, beyond which no man may aim to achieve, and yet I have ever found myself desirous for more. I have enjoyed such exquisite pleasure a long while, and never experienced weariness nor been overtaken by lassitude."
وقد ضمَّني مجلس مع بعض من كنتُ أحب، فلم أُجل خاطري في فن من فنون الوصل إلا وجدته مقصرًا عن مرادي، وغير شافٍ وَجْدي، ولا قاضٍ أقلَّ لُبانة من لباناتي، ووجدتُني كلما ازددتُ دنوًّا ازددتُ ولوعًا، وقدحت زناد الشوق نار الوجد بين ضلوعي، فقلت في ذلك المجلس:  وَدِدْتُ بأَنَّ القَلْبَ شُقَّ بِمُدْيَةٍ *** وَأُدْخلتِ فِيهِ ثُمَّ أُطْبِقَ فِي صَدْرِي فَأَصْبَحْتِ فِيهِ لَا تَحُلِّينَ غَيْرَهُ *** إِلَى مُقْتَضَى يَوْمِ القِيَامَةِ وَالحَشْرِ تَعِيشِينَ فِيهِ مِا حَيِيتُ فَإِنْ أَمُتْ *** سَكَنْتِ شِغَافَ القَلْبِ فِي ظُلَمِ القَبْرِ,"One day I was seated in close company with a certain person I loved, and wherever I turned my thoughts, speculating on the many varieties of union, I found none that fell not short of my desire; all failed to satisfy my passion; not any accorded me fulfillment of even the least of my dreams. The nearer I approached my goal, the further my goal eluded me: the flintstone of yearning passion kindled the fire of anguish within my breast. I immortalized that interview in the following stanzas.  Come, bring a knife and cleave apart This solitude within my heart, Then lay my love within the tear, And stitch it up with tender care.  And with the morn I pray she shall Look for no other place to dwell, But fondly keep this little room Her own, until the Day of Doom.  Here let her live, so long as I Draw breath, and when I come to die My heart for comfort may she crave In the dark silence of the grave."
وما في الدنيا حالة تَعدل محبَّين إذا عُدما الرقباء، وأمنا الوشاة، وسلما من البَيْن، ورغبا عن الهجر، وبَعُدا عن الملل، وفقدا العُذَّال، وتوافقا في الأخلاق، وتكافيا في المحبة، وأتاح الله لهما رزقًا دارًّا، وعيشًا قارًّا، وزمانًا هاديًا، وكان اجتماعُهما على ما يُرضي الرب من الحال، وطالت صُحبتهما واتصلت إلى وقت حُلول الحِمامِ الذي لا مردَّ له ولا بد منه.,"There is no situation in all the world that can compare with the happy state in which a pair o lovers find themselves, when they have none to spy upon them, when they are secure from slanderers and safe from separation, when they have no desire to turn away one from the other, and are far indeed from growing weary, when they are spared the attentions of reprovers, when their natures are perfectly attuned and they love each other with equal ardour, when Allah has bestowed on them abundant subsistence, complete tranquillity, and a season of peace, when their union is lawful, and blessed by Allah’s approval, and when their association endures long and unbroken even to the day of death, which day none can thrust away nor escape."
هذا عطاء لم يحصُل عليه أحد، وحاجة لم تُقْض لكل طالب، ولولا أن مع هذه الحال الإشفاق من بَغتات المقادير المحكمة في غيب الله عز وجل، من حُلول فراق لم يكتسب، واخترام منية في حال الشباب أو ما أشبه ذلك، لقلت إنها حال بعيدة من كل آفة، وسليمة من كل داخلة.,"But that is a grace none has ever fully enjoyed, a need of the soul not granted to all who seek it. Were it not for the fact that this state is ever accompanied by the dread of sudden destined calamities, ordained in the hidden pandects of Allah, such as parting unpremeditated, or death ravishing the one or the other while yet in the flower of youth-were it not for these and like circumstances I would have said that union such as I have described is a state remote from all misfortune, secure against the intrusion of any catastrophe."
ولقد رأيت مَن اجتمع له هذا كُله، إلا أنه كان دُهي فيمن كان يحبه بشَراسة الأخلاق، ودالَّة على المحبة، فكانا لا يتهنَّيان العيش، ولا تطلع الشمس في يوم إلا وكان بينهما خلاف فيه، وكلاهما كان مطبوعًا بهذا الخُلق؛ لثقة كل واحد منهما بمحبة صاحبه، إلى أن دنت النَّوى بينهما، فتفرَّقا بالموت المرتَّب لهذا العالم، وفي ذلك أقول:  كَيْفَ أَذُمُّ النَّوَى وَأَظْلِمُهَا *** وَكُلُّ أَخْلَاقِ مَنْ أُحِبُّ نَوى قَدْ كَانَ يَكْفِي هَوًى أَضِيقُ بِهِ *** فَكَيْفَ إِذْ حَلَّ بِي نَوًى وَهَوى,"I have known men who have enjoyed all the aforementioned advantages in full, save that they had the single misfortune to find that the object of their affection was of a froward disposition, and coquettish in the consciousness that she was adored. Their life together was therefore never truly happy; not a day dawned without some dispute flaring up between them. Moreover both partners (as I have observed) suffered from the same defect of character, because each was confident of the other’s love: and so they continued, until separation drew nigh to them and they were parted by death, that is the invariable rule of this transient world. I have expressed this matter in verse.  How can I thus unjustly blame The mischief separation wreaks? My loved one’s ways are all the same She ever separation seeks.  It would have been sufficient woe Passion inflicted on my like How shall I bear this double blow Passion and separation strike?"
ورُويَ عن زِياد بن أبي سفيان — رحمه الله — أنه قال لجُلسائه: من أنعمُ الناس عيشةً؟ قالوا: أمير المؤمنين. فقال: وأين ما يلقى من قريش؟ قيل: فأنت. قال: أين ما ألقى من الخوارج والثغور؟ قيل: فمَن أيها الأمير؟ قال: رجل مُسلم له زوجة مسلمة، لهما كفاف من العيش، قد رضيت به ورضي بها، لا يَعرفنا ولا نعرفه.,"It is related that Ziyad Ibn Abi Sufyan said one day to his courtiers, “What man enjoys the most blissful life?” “The Prince of the Faithful”, they replied. “But what of the trouble he suffers at the hands of the Quraish?” “Then thou”, the courtiers suggested. “But what”, said Ziyad, “of the troubles I suffer at the hands of the Kharijis and at the outposts of the empire?” They said, “Then who is that man, O Prince?” He answered, “A good Moslem, married to a good Moslem wife, with sufficient means to provide for the two of them, satisfied with her and she with him, not knowing me, and I not knowing him.”"
وهل فيما وافق إعجاب المخلوقين، وجلا القلوب، واستمال الحواس، واستهوى النفوس، واستولى على الأهواء، واقتطع الألباب، واختلس العقول؛ مستحسن يعدل إشفاق مُحب على محبوب؟,"Is there any lovely thing provoking the admiration of all creatures, that gladdens the heart, captivates the senses, charms the soul, dominates the passion, ravishes the reason, and snatches away the mind, comparable with the anxiety of the lover over the beloved?"
ولقد شاهدت مِن هذا المعنى كثيرًا، وإنه لمن المَناظر العجيبة الباعثة على الرقَّة الرائقة المعنى، لا سيما إن كان هوًى يتكتم به.,"I have witnessed many situations of this sort; and indeed it is a wonderful spectacle, evoking the most tender compassion, especially if the romance be clandestine."
فلو رأيت المحبوب حين يعرض بالسؤال عن سبب تَغضُّبه بمُحبِّه، وخجلته في الخروج مما وقع فيه بالاعتذار، وتوجيهه إلى غير وجهه، وتحيُّله في استنباط معنًى يُقيمه عند جلسائه، لرأيت عجبًا ولذة مخفية لا تقاومها لذة.,"If you could see the beloved subtly alluding when she is questioned as to the cause of her being angry with the lover, and his perplexity as he tries to extricate himself from his mishap by offering excuses, and how she willfully misinterprets him, and he contrives to invent some meaning in her words which he can offer to the bystanders-if you could be present at such a scene, you would truly behold a marvel, and a secret delight all other pleasures surpassing."
وما رأيت أجلب للقلوب، ولا أغوص على حياتها، ولا أنفذ للمقاتل من هذا الفعل.,"I personally have never witnessed anything that so powerfully stirs the heart, so deeply plunges into its very life, and so subtly penetrates its vital spots."
وإن للمُحبين في الوصل من الاعتذار ما أعجزَ أهلَ الأذهان الذكية والأفكار القوية، ولقد رأيت في بعض المرات هذا فقلت:  إِذَا مَزَجْتَ الحَقَّ بِالبَاطِلِ *** جَوَّزْتَ مَا شِئْتَ عَلَى الغَافِلِ وَفِيهِمَا فَرقٌ صَحِيحٌ لَه *** عَلَامَةٌ تَبْدُو إِلَى العَاقِل كَالتِّبْرِ إِنْ تَمزجْ بِهِ فِضَّةً *** جَازَتْ عَلَى كُلِّ فَتًى جَاهِل وَإِنْ تُصَادِفْ صَائِغًا مَاهِرًا *** مَيَّزَ بَيْنَ المَحْضِ وَالحَائِل,"I have seen this on a number of occasions, and composed this poem to illustrate the point.  If one really tries Truth to mix with lies, With the fool the two Pass for one, and true.  Yet between the twain Is distinction plain, And the man of sense Notes their difference.  Silver fused with gold Readily is sold “Pure, without alloy” To the foolish boy.  But if you prefer, Try the jeweller He will tell for sure Counterfeit from pure."
وإني لأعلم فتًى وجاريةً، كان يكلف كلُّ واحد منهما بصاحبه، فكانا يَضطجعان إذا حضرهما أحد وبينهما المسند العظيم من المساند الموضوعة عند ظهور الرؤساء على الفرش، ويلتقي رأساهما وراء المسند، ويُقَبِّل كل واحد منهما صاحبه ولا يُرَيان، وكأنهما إنما يتمدَّدان من الكلل.,"I know a boy and a girl who were extremely fond of each other. When intruders were present, they would recline together with one of those large cushions between them against which important personages are invited to rest their backs on the divan. Their heads would meet behind the cushion, and each would be kissing the other without being seen. To all appearances they would be stretched out in this way simply because they were weary."
ولقد حدَّثتني امرأة أثق بها أنها شاهدت فتًى وجاريةً كان يَجد كل واحد منهما بصاحبه فضل وَجْد، قد اجتمعا في مكان على طَرب، وفي يد الفتى سِكِّين يقطع بها بعض الفواكه، فجرَّها جرًّا زائدًا فقطع إبهامه قطعًا لطيفًا ظهر فيه دم، وكان على الجارية غلالة قصب خَزائنية لها قيمة، فصرفت يدها وخرقتها وأخرجت منها فضلة شدَّ بها إبهامه.,"I have been told by a woman in whom I have every confidence that she once saw a youth and a maiden, each excessively passionate for the other, who were come together joyously in a certain spot. The youth had in his hand a knife, with which he was cutting some fruit; he pressed with it too hard, and inflicted a light wound on his thumb, which began to bleed. Now the girl was wearing a silk jacket of gold tissue, very costly; she with a quick turn of her hand tore off a strip of the precious material, and bound up the boy’s thumb with it."
وأما هذا الفعل للمُحب فقليل فيما يجب عليه، وفرض لازم وشريعة مؤداة، وكيف لا وقد بذل نفسه ووهب روحه، فما يمنع بعدها؟!,"For a lover to act like this is a small matter, compared with his proper obligations; it is a bounden duty, a law requiring his obedience. And indeed how should it be otherwise, seeing that he has devoted his life and bestowed his soul as an offering to the beloved, and how can he refuse anything after yielding these?"
خبر وأنا أدركت بنت زكريا بن يحيى التَّميمي المعروف بابن برطال، وعمُّها كان قاضي الجماعة بقُرطبة محمد بن يحيى، وأخوه الوزير القائد الذي كان قتله غالبٌ وقائدين له في الوقعة المشهورة بالثغور، وهما: مروان بن أحمد بن شهيد، ويوسف بن سعيد العكي؛,"I once knew the daughter of Zakariya’ Ibn Yahya al-Taminu, better known as Ibn Bartal; she was the niece of the Chief Justice of Cordova, Muhammad Ibn Yahya, whose brother, the vizier-general, was killed by Ghalib together with two other commanders in the celebrated Battle of the Border (the names of these commanders were Marwan Ibn Ahmad Ibn Shahid, and Yusuf Ibn Sa’id al-‘Akki)."
وكانت متزوجة بيحيى بن محمد ابن الوزير يحيى بن إسحاق، فعاجلته المنية وهو في أغض عيشه وأنضر سرورهما، فبلغ من أسفها عليه أن باتت معه في دِثار واحد ليلة مات، وجعلته آخر العهد به وبوصله، ثم لم يفارقها الأسف بعده إلى حين موتها.,"Now this lady was married to Yahya Ibn Muhammad, whose grandfather was the vizier Yahya Ibn Ishaq; her husband was surprised by death while the couple were still in the bloom of their joy and the flower of their happiness. She was so overcome by grief, that on the night he died she slept with him under a single blanket; so she took her last fond’; farewell of him, and of the union which had brought her so much gladness. Her sorrow did not depart from her thereafter, even up to the day of her death."
وإن للوصل المختلس الذي يُخاتل به الرقباء ويتحفظ به من الحُضَّر، مثل الضحك المستور، والنحنحة، وجَوَلان الأيدي، والضغط بالأجناب، والقرص باليد والرجل، لموقعًا من النفس شهيًّا.,"Union surreptitiously snatched, hoodwinking the spies, in which precautions are taken against intruders, such as smothered laughter, admonitory coughing, gesturing with the hands, pressing against one another’s sides, touching hands and feet-all this affects the soul most deliciously."
وفي ذلك أقول:  إِنَّ لِلْوَصْلِ الخَفِيِّ مَحلًّا *** لَيْسَ لِلْوَصْلِ المَكِينِ الجَلِيِّ لَذَّةٌ أَمْرُها بِارْتِقَابٍ *** كَمسيرٍ فِي خِلَالِ النقيِّ,"I have these verses on the matter.  Secret union yields a pleasure Far beyond the common measure From a steady match extracted, Union openly enacted.  Mingled with its joy delightful Is a caution truly frightful, Such as his whose march embraces Solid rock and sandy places."
خبر ولقد حدثني ثقة من إخواني جليل من أهل البيوتات أنه كان علق في صباه جارية كانت في بعض دور آله، وكان ممنوعًا منها، فهام عقلُه بها.,"I was told by a comrade, a most trustworthy man who comes from one of the best families, that he was smitten when a boy with a violent passion for a slave-girl attached to a house belonging to his people. He was strictly barred from coming to her, and was at the same time quite crazy for her."
قال لي: فتنزهنا يومًا إلى بعض ضياعنا بالسهلة غربيَّ قرطبة مع بعض أعمامي، فتمشَّينا في البساتين، وأُبعدنا عن المنازل، وانبسطنا على الأنهار، إلى أن غيَّمت السماء وأقبل الغيث، فلم يكن بالحضرة من الغطاء ما يكفي الجميع.,"“One day”, he told me, “we went on an excursion to one of our estates in the plain to the west of Cordova; one of my uncles was accompanying us. We sauntered through the orchards until we were far away from human habitation, and stretched at our ease by the banks of streams. Suddenly the sky clouded over, and rain began to fall. We had not sufficient coverings with us to protect the whole party;"
قال: فأمر عمي ببعض الأغطية فأُلقي عليَّ، وأمرها بالاكتنان معي، فظن بما شئت من التمكُّن على أعين الملأ وهم لا يشعرون، ويا لك من جمع كخَلاء، واحتفال كانفراد!,"and so my uncle ordered a servant to bring a wrap, threw it over me, and then told the girl to cover herself up with me. Picture me, as you will, enjoying full possession under the very eyes of the multitude, and they entirely unaware! Blissful reunion that was virtually a privacy, happy party that was indistinguishable from a tete-a-fete!"
قال لي: فوالله لا نسيت ذلك اليوم أبدًا، ولعهدي به وهو يحدثني بهذا الحديث وأعضاؤه كلها تضحك، وهو يهتز فرحًا على بُعد العهد وامتداد الزمان. ففي ذلك أقول شعرًا، منه:  يَضْحَكُ الرَّوْضُ وَالسَّحَائِبُ تَبْكِي *** كَحَبِيبٍ رَآهُ صَبٌّ مُعَنَّى,"By Allah, I have never forgotten that day.” I can still see him as he told me the story, laughing in every limb and positively quivering with merriment, despite the long interval, which had passed since the adventure took place. I wrote this stanza to sum up the escapade.  The meadows laughed for joy, The clouds wept many a tear, As when a lovesick boy Beholds his darling near."
خبر ومن بديع الوصل ما حدَّثني به بعض إخواني أنه كان في بعض المنازل المُصاقبة له هوًى، وكان في المنزلين موضع مطلع من أحدهما على الآخر، فكانت تقف له في ذلك الموضع، وكان فيه بعضُ البُعد، فتسلم عليه ويدها ملفوفة في قميصها، فخاطبها مستخبرًا لها عن ذلك، فأجابته: إنه ربما أُحِسَّ من أمرنا شيء فوقف لك غيري فسلَّم عليك فرددتَ عليه، فصح الظن، فهذه علامة بيني وبينك؛ فإذا رأيت يدًا مكشوفة تشير نحوك بالسلام فليست يدي، فلا تُجاوب.,"A novel instance of union is well illustrated by a story I was told by one of my friends. He had a passion for a certain girl living in a nearby apartment; between his apartment and hers there was a vantage point from which the one could look out on the other. She used to stand and wait for him in that place, there being some little distance between them, and greet him with her hand wrapped in her blouse. He asked her one-day why she did this, and she replied, “Possibly an inkling may be gained of what we are about, and then some other person may wait for you here instead of me and wave to you; and you might return the greeting, and so our friend’s suspicions would be confirmed. So let this be the token between us; if you see a bare hand signalling a greeting in your direction, be sure that it is not my hand, and do not reply.”"
وربما استُحلي الوصال واتفقت القلوب حتى يقع التخلج في الوصال، فلا يُلتفت إلى لائم، ولا يُستتر من حافظ، ولا يُبالَى بناقل، بل العذل حينئذٍ يُغري. وفي صفة الوصل أقول شعرًا، منه:  كَمْ دُرْتُ حَوْلَ الحُبِّ حَتَّى لَقَدْ *** حَصلتُ فِيهِ كَحُصُولِ الفَرَاشِ,"Sometimes union is found to be so pleasurable, and the lovers’ hearts are in such perfect concord, that they act quite recklessly, paying no heed to any who may reprove them, taking no care to conceal their attachment from any guardian, and troubling not at all if the talebearer be at work. Indeed in such circumstances a reproach act as a positive incitement. I will conclude this chapter by quoting a few verses, which I have composed on the subject of union.  How often I have fluttered round Love’s flame, And what all moths discover, found The same!"
ومنه:  تَعْشُو إِلَى الوَصْلِ دَوَاعِي الهَوَى *** كَمَا سَرَى نَحْوَ سَنَا النَّارِ عَاشِ,"Again:  The sweet incitements of desire Would unto Union go, As nightbound wayfarers aspire Towards the campfire’s glow."
ومنه:  عَلَّلَنِي بِالوَصْلِ من سَيِّدِي *** كَمِثْلِ تَعْلِيلِ الظِّمَاءِ العِطَاشِ,"Again:  Oft union with my love assuaged Love’s flames that in my bowels raged, As dying men by drought accursed In living waters slake their thirst."
ومنه:  لَا تُوقِفِ العَيْنَ عَلَى غَايَةٍ *** فَالحُسْنُ فِيهِ مُسْتَزِيدٌ وَبَاشِ,"Again:  Fix not thy glance, nor gaze agape For ever on one lovely shape, For Beauty is unlimited Through all the world her boundaries spread."
وأقول من قصيدة لي:  هَلْ لِقَتِيلِ الحُبِّ مِنْ وَادِي *** أَمْ هَلْ لِعَانِي الحُبِّ مِنْ فَادِي أَمْ هَلْ لِدَهْرِي عَوْدَةٌ نَحْوَهَا *** كَمِثْلِ يَوْمٍ مَرَّ فِي الوَادِي ظَلِلْتُ فِيهِ سَابِحًا صَادِيًا *** يَا عَجَبًا لِلسَّابِحِ الصَّادِي ضَنيتُ يَا مَوْلَايَ وَجْدًا فَمَا *** تُبْصِرُنِي أَلْحَاظُ عُوَّادِي كَيْفَ اهْتَدَى الوَجْدُ إِلَى غَائِبٍ *** عَنْ أَعْيُنِ الحَاضِرِ وَالبَادِي مَلَّ مُدَاوَاتِي طَبِيبِي فَقَدْ *** يَرْحَمُنِي لِلسُّقْمِ حُسَّادِي,"Finally I quote an extract from a longer poem.  O is there any who will pay Blood-wit for him that Love doth slay, Or their redeeming ransom bring Whom passion is imprisoning.  Or has my destiny in store That I may come to her once more, And live again the day we spent Beside the stream in merriment?  All day those waters sweet at will I swam, and yet I thirsted still: O passing strange, my limbs to drench Yet not my raging thirst to quench!  Dear mistress, I am wasted so By Love’s consuming pains, that lo, My sick-bed visitors descry No sign at all where I may lie.  How then, where others failed indeed To see a way, did Love succeed This anguished sufferer to find Invisible to all mankind?  My doctor, who would cure my ails, Grows weary of the task, and fails, While even those who envied me Feel pity for my malady."
باب الهجر ومن آفات الحُبِّ أيضًا الهجرُ، وهو على ضروب؛ فأولها هجر يُوجبه تحفُّظ من رقيب حاضر، وإنه لأحلى من كل وصل، ولولا أن ظاهر اللفظ وحكم التسمية يُوجب إدخاله في هذا الباب لرجعت به عنه، ولأجْللته عن تسطيره فيه؛ فحينئذٍ ترى الحبيب مُنحرفًا عن مُحبه، مقبلًا بالحديث على غيره، مُعرضًا بمعرض لئلا تلحق ظنته أو تسبق استرابته، وترى المحب أيضًا كذلك، ولكنَّ طبعه له جاذب، ونفسه له صارفة بالرغم؛ فتراه حينئذٍ مُنحرفًا كمُقبِل، وساكتًا كناطق، وناظرًا إلى جهة نفسه في غيرها.,"OF BREAKING OFF AMONG the misfortunes of Love there is also to be counted Breaking Off. This is of various sorts. The first variety is that breaking off which common caution requires when a spy is present: this is indeed more delicious than any union, and were it not for the fact that the outward meaning of the expression, and the rules of nomenclature, oblige me to introduce it in the present chapter I would have put it off to elsewhere, feeling it to be too sublime to be inscribed here. In the circumstances now under discussion you will see the beloved drawing away from the lover, addressing her observations to another person, and employing the most refined allusions, lest her purpose be already suspected and her intentions gravely doubted. You will also see the lover acting in the same way, except that he is more under the influence of his natural instincts, more drawn on by his passion despite himself; and so he appears even while drawing away to be advancing, speaking though ostensibly silent, his eyes turned in one direction and his heart in another."
والحاذق الفطن إذا كشف بوهمه عن باطن حديثهما عَلِمَ أن الخافي غير البادي، وما جَهَر به غير نفس الخَبر.,"The shrewd and intelligent man discovers the inward meaning of the lovers’ talk through the exercise of his imaginative faculty, and is therefore aware that the secret intention of their conversation is quite different from its apparent purport, advertisement being not at all the same thing as sober fact."
وإنه لمن المَشاهد الجالبة للفتن، والمناظر المحركة للسواكن، الباعثة للخواطر، المهيجة للضمائر، الجاذبة للفتوة.,"This then makes a Most exciting spectacle, a scene at once stirring and inspiring, arousing the deepest emotions and evoking all the instincts of chivalry."
ولي أبيات في شيء من هذا أوردتها، وإن كان فيها غير هذا المعنى على ما شرطنا، منها:  يَلُومُ أَبُو العَبَّاسِ جَهْلًا بِطَبْعِهِ *** كَمَا عَيَّرَ الحُوتُ النَّعَامَةَ بِالصَّدَى,"Here I should like to quote some verses of mine, which touch on these things a little, even though the actual topics with which they deal are sometimes beside the present point; but I have already bargained with you over this kind of irrelevancy.  Abu ‘l-`Abbas insults his name, But of his nature does not wot: So might the fish the ostrich blame For having thirst, which he has not."
ومنها:  وَكَمْ صَاحِبٍ أَكْرَمْتُهُ غَيْرَ طَائِعٍ *** وَلَا مُكْرَهٍ إِلَّا لِأَمْرٍ تَعَمَّدَا وَمَا كَانَ ذَاكَ البِرُّ إِلَّا لِغَيْرِهِ *** كَمَا نَصَبُوا لِلطَّيْرِ بِالحبِّ مِصْيَدا,"Again:  How oft have I obliged a friend, Not over willing to that end Nor yet reluctant so to do, But having other aims in view."
وأقول من قصيدة محتوية على ضروب من الحِكَم وفنون من الآداب الطبيعية:  وَسَرَّاءُ أَحْشَائِي لِمَنْ أَنَا مُؤْثِرٌ *** وَسَرَّاءُ أَبْنَائِي لِمَنْ أَتَحَبَّبُ فَقَدْ يُشْرَبُ الصَّابُ الكَرِيهُ لِعِلَّةٍ *** وَيُتْرَكُ صَفوُ الشهْدِ وهو مُحَبَّبُ وَأَعدلُ فِي إِجْهَادِ نَفْسِيَ فِي الَّذِي *** أُرِيدُ وَإِنِّي فِيهِ أَشْقَى وَأَتْعَبُ هَلِ اللُّؤْلُؤ المَكْنُون وَالدُّر كُلهُ *** رَأَيْتَ بِغَيْرِ الغَوْصِ فِي البَحْرِ يُطْلَبُ,"Here is an extract from a long poem of mine, which comprises a variety of wise aphorisms and rules of natural behaviour.  I keep the joy within my heart For those I count my friends apart, And bare my fangs to smile on those I reckon my especial foes.  The colocynth’s disgusting juice Is taken for its healing use, And honey pure, although endued With sweeter properties, eschewed.  So in like case, when need dictates The very thing my spirit hates I make it do, and turn my lust From what I would to what I must.  The jewels hidden in the deeps, And all the pearls that ocean keeps In its dark dungeon, none may gain Except he dive, and dive again."
وَأَصْرِفُ نَفْسِي عَنْ وُجُوهِ طِبَاعِهَا *** إِذَا فِي سِوَاهَا صَحَّ مَا أَنَا أَرْغَبُ كَمَا نَسَخَ الله الشَّرَائِعَ قَبْلَنَا *** بِمَا هُوَ أَدْنَى لِلصَّلَاحِ وَأَقْرَبُ وَأَلْقَى سَجَايَا كُلِّ خَلْقٍ بِمِثْلِهَا *** ونَعتُ سَجَايَايَ الصَّحِيحُ المُهذب كَمَا صَارَ لَوْنُ المَاءِ لَوْنَ إِنَائِهِ *** وَفِي الأَصْلِ لَوْنُ المَاءِ أَبْيَضُ مُعْجبُ,"I strive to drag my soul away From where its natural instincts lay, When I am sure another route Would sooner lead to my pursuit.  So Allah abrogated laws That served our forefathers, because His newer revelation brought Men nearer to the good He sought.  I suit my manners to the crowd And do the things by them allowed, While keeping still intact and whole The pristine virtue of my soul.  So water changes colour to Accord it with the vessel’s hue, Although its element for sure Is wonderfully white and pure."
ومنها:  أَقمتُ ذَوِي وُدِّي مُقَامَ طَبَائِعِي *** حَيَاتِي بِهَا وَالمَوْتُ مِنْهُنَّ يَرْهَبُ,"The following stanza also comes from the same composition.  They fit together, hand in glove, My faculties, and those I love By these and those alike live I, Because of both I fear to die."
ومنها:  وَمَا أَنَا مِمَّنْ تطَّبِيهِ بَشَاشَةٌ *** وَلَا يَقْتَضِي مَا فِي ضَمِيرِي التَّجَنُّبُ أَزِيدُ نِفَارًا عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ بَاطِنًا *** وَفِي ظَاهِرِي أَهْلٌ وَسَهْلٌ وَمَرْحَبُ فَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُ الحَرْبَ يَعْلُو اشْتِعَالُهَا *** وَمَبْدَؤُهَا فِي أَوَّلِ الأَمْرِ مَلْعَب وَلِلْحَيَّةِ الرَّقْشَاءِ وَشْيٌ وَلَوْنُهَا *** عَجِيبٌ وَتَحْتَ الوَشْيِ سُمٌّ مُرَكَّب,"Later in the ballad these verses occur.  I am not one whom cheerfulness And affability impress, And neither cold aloofness aught Determines what is in my thought.  Within my soul I purpose then To keep my distance from such men, But outwardly I smile, and bow, And cry, “Thrice welcome to you now!”  I have observed the fire of war, That spreads destruction wide and far, When first its tinder bursts aflame Seems nothing but a jest, a game.  The speckled serpent looks to be A beautiful embroidery, But underneath the woven thread Dire poison lurks, to strike men dead."
وَإِنَّ فِرنْدَ السَّيْفِ أَعْجَبُ مَنْظَرًا *** وَفِيهِ إِذَا هُزَّ الحِمَامُ المُذَرَّبُ وَأَجْعَلُ ذُلَّ النَّفْسِ عِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَا *** إِذَا هِيَ نَالَتْ مَا لهَا فِيهِ مَذهبُ فَقَدْ يَضَعُ الإِنْسَانُ فِي التُّرْبِ وَجْهَهُ *** لِيَأْتِي غَدًا وَهْوَ المَصُونُ المُقَرَّبُ فَذُلٌّ يَسُوقُ العِزَّ أَجْوَدُ لِلْفَتَى *** مِنَ العِزِّ يَتْلُوهُ مِنَ الذُّلِّ مَرْكَب,"The scimitar’s refulgent blade Is most attractively arrayed, Yet, flourished by a cunning arm, Its steel inflicteth mortal harm.  And so I count humility Renown pre-eminent to be, When it procureth for a man Complete fulfillment of his, plan.  The proudest warrior, when he must, Will rub his forehead in the dust, That on the morrow he may rise High-honoured in the sultan’s eyes.  Submission leading on to fame I reckon this a nobler aim Than too quick glory to attain With mean abasement in its train."
وَكَمْ مَأْكَلٍ أَرَبتْ عَوَاقِبُ غَيِّهِ *** وَرُبَّ طَوًى بِالخِصْبِ آتٍ وَمُعْقِب وَمَا ذَاقَ عِزَّ النَّفْسِ مَنْ لَا يُذِلُّهَا *** وَلَا الْتَذَّ طَعْمَ الرَّوحِ مَنْ لَيْسَ يَنْصَبُ وُرُودُكَ نَهْلَ المَاءِ مِنْ بَعْدِ ظَمْأَةٍ *** أَلَذُّ مِنَ العَلِّ المَكِينِ وَأَعْذَبُ,"To oft the overladen board Has won starvation as reward, And self-denial sometimes brings Abundance of delicious things.  No spirit ever tasted fame That thought humility a shame, Nor that sweet savour of repose Which only he who labours knows.  To win to waters far away When thirsting through the livelong day Is more delightful and more sweet Than sitting lazily replete."
ومنها:  وَفِي كُلِّ مَخْلُوقٍ تَرَاهُ تَفَاضُلٌ *** فَرِدْ طَيِّبًا إِنْ لَمْ يُتَحْ لَكَ أَطْيَب وَلَا تَرْضَ وِرْدَ الرِّيقِ إِلَّا ضَرُورَةً *** إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي الأرْضِ حَاشَاهُ مَشْرَب وَلَا تَقْربَنْ مِلْحَ المِيَاهِ فَإِنَّهَا *** شَجًى وَالصَّدى بِالحَرِّ أَوْلَى وَأَوْجَب,"Later still I proceed thus.  All things created, when well viewed, Some portion manifest of good; So if the best should be denied, With what is well be satisfied.  Yet drink not of the muddy stream Save in extremity extreme, And when the whole round world contains No other reservoir but drains.  And never let those lips of thine, Though parched, approach the brackish brine; Salt chokes the throat; far seemlier then Is thirst endured to honest men."
ومنها:  فَخُذْ مِنْ جَرَاهَا مَا تَيَسَّرَ وَاقتنِعْ *** وَلَا تَكُ مَشْغُولًا بِمَنْ هُوَ يَغْلِب فَمَا لَكَ شَرْطٌ عِنْدَهَا لَا وَلَا يَدٌ *** وَلَا هِيَ إِنْ حَصَّلْتَ أمٌّ وَلَا أَب,"These two stanzas from the same poem are quotable.  Take of her favours what may be With ease enjoyed, contenting thee Thereat, nor striving to attain What only violence can-gain.  She is not bound to thee by bill Of sale, to serve thee at thy will, Nor, if thou win her, shall she prove Possessed of a fond parent’s love."
ومنها:  وَلَا تَيْأَسَنْ مِمَّا يُنَالُ بِحِيلَةٍ *** وَإِنْ بَعُدَتْ فَالأَمْرُ يَنْأَى وَيَصْعُب وَلَا تَأْمَنِ الإِظْلَامَ فَالفَجْرُ طَالِعٌ *** وَلَا تَلْتَبِسْ بِالضَّوْءِ فَالشَّمْسُ تَغْرُب,"Here are another two stanzas.  Despair not ever to arrive Where far-fetched cunning may contrive To bring thee: much before thee lies To win the hard and distant prize.  Trust not the darkness of the night, For dawn shall soon be breaking bright; And be not dazzled by the sun Its orb goes down on everyone."
ومنها:  أَلِحَّ فَإِنَّ المَاءَ يَكْدَحُ فِي الصَّفَا *** إِذَا طَالَ مَا يَأْتِي عَلَيْهِ وَيَذْهَب وَكَثِّرْ وَلَا تَفْشَلْ وَقَلِّلْ كَثِيرَ مَا *** فَعلْتَ فَمَاءُ المُزْنِ جَمٌّ وَيَنْضُب فَلَوْ يَتَغَذَّى المَرْءُ بِالسُّمِّ قَاتَهُ *** وَقَامَ لَهُ مِنْهُ غِذَاءٌ مُجَرَّب,"Finally I will cite three more stanzas from this same masterpiece.  So persevere with steady force, For waters flowing on their course By sheer persistency alone Wear down at last the granite stone.  Strive on, strive ever; slacken not, And reckon little all the lot Thou hast accomplished; drizzle rates No deluge, yet it penetrates.  The man who trains himself to sup On poison, finds it fills him up, And in the end it does him good As much as any well-tried food."
ثم هَجْر يُوجبه التذلُّل، وهو ألذُّ من كثير الوصال؛ ولذلك لا يكون إلا عن ثِقة كُل واحد من المتحابِّين بصاحبه، واستحكام البصيرة في صحة عَقده؛ فحينئذٍ يُظهر المحبوب هجرانًا ليرى صبر مُحبه؛ وذلك لئلا يصفوَ الدهرَ البتة، وليأسف المحب إن كان مفرط العشق عند ذلك لا لما حلَّ، لكن مخافة أن يترقَّى الأمر إلى ما هو أجلُّ. يكون ذلك الهجر سببًا إلى غيره، أو خوفًا من آفة حادث ملل.,"Then there is the breaking off which is provoked by coquettishness; it is more delicious than many a union. Consequently it never occurs except when both lovers have complete confidence in one another, and each is firmly convinced of the other’s sincere loyalty. It is then that the beloved feigns to shun the lover, in order to prove the lover’s patience, and that the sun may not be uninterruptedly shining on their romance. At such a time the lover despairs, if he is the victim of a grand passion, not so much on account of what has already happened, but because he fears that matters may develop and assume graver proportions, the break between himself and his beloved leading on to other ruptures; or he may also be afraid of that other great catastrophe, the beloved’s growing weary of the attachment."
ولقد عرض لي في الصبا هجر مع بعض من كنت آلف، على هذه الصفة، وهو لا يلبث أن يضمحل ثم يعود، فلما كثر ذلك قلت على سبيل المزاح شعرًا بديهيًّا ختمتُ كل بيت منه بقسم من أول قصيدة طرفة بن العبد المُعلَّقة، وهي التي قرأناها مشروحةً على أبي سعيد الفتى الجعفري، عن أبي بكر المقرئ، عن أبي جعفر النحاس — رحمهم الله — في المسجد الجامع بقرطبة، وهي:  تَذَكَّرْتُ وُدًّا لِلْحَبِيبِ كَأَنَّهُ *** لِخَوْلَةَ أَطْلَالٌ بِبُرْقَة ثَهْمَدِ وَعَهْدِي بِعَهْدٍ كَانَ لِي مِنْهُ ثَابِتٍ *** يَلُوحُ كَبَاقِي الوَشْمِ فِي ظَاهِرِ اليَدِ وَقَفْتُ بِهِ لَا مُوقِنًا بِرُجُوعِهِ *** وَلَا آيِسًا أَبْكِي وَأَبْكِي إِلَى الغَدِ إِلَى أَنْ أَطَالَ النَّاسُ عَذْلِي وَأَكْثَرُوا *** يَقُولُونَ لَا تَهْلِكْ أَسًى وَتَجَلَّدِ,"I myself experienced in my youth a breaking off of this kind, in my relations with a very intimate friend. The rupture soon healed, but then it returned. When this happened frequently, I extemporised a poem as a sort of joke, inserting after each couplet of my original composition a couplet taken from the beginning stanzas of the Suspended Ode of Tarafa Ibn al-‘Abd, which I had studied with commentary at the feet of Abu Sa’id al-Fata al Ja`fari, transmitting from Abu Bakr al-Muqri’, from Abu Jafar al-Nahhas (God have mercy on their souls!), in the Cathedral Mosque of Cordova.  I called to mind the love I bore For her, my heart’s adored of yore, That seems like Khaula’s traces now Wind-swept on Thahmad’s rocky brow.  My memory of that firm bond She pledged with me (and I so fond) Still lasts as clear as the blue band Tattooed upon an Arab’s hand.  And there I paused, not knowing true If she would come to me anew, Yet not despairing, and I wept Until the morn, nor ever slept.  Then long my kinsfolk chided me And made reproach abundantly; “Nay, perish not of grief”, they cried,” But be with courage fortified.”"
كَأَنَّ فُنُونَ السُّخْطِ مِمَّنْ أُحِبُّهُ *** خَلَايَا سَفينٍ بِالنَّوَاصِفِ مِنْ دَد كَأَنَّ انْقِلَابَ الهَجْرِ وَالوَصْلِ مَرْكَبٌ *** يَجُورُ بِهِ المَلَّاحُ طَوْرًا وَيَهْتَدِي فَوَقْتُ رِضًى يَتْلُوهُ وَقْتُ تَسَخُّطٍ *** كَمَا قَسَمَ التُّرْبَ المُفَايِلُ بِاليَدِ وَيَبْسِمُ نَحْوِي وهو غَضْبَانُ مُعْرِضٌ *** مُظَاهِرُ سِمْطَيْ لُؤْلُؤٍ وَزَبَرْجَدِ,"The divers moods and rages of That fickle lady whom I love Are like the wrecks of schooners spread Along Dad’s rocky torrent-bed.  Those alternations of repulse And union, which my heart convulse, Are as a ship some helmsman veers To catch the wind, then forward steers.  First she was pleased a little while, Then turned away in anger vile; So children playing in the sands Divide the parcels with their hands.  Her lips were smiling graciously, But in her heart she raged at me A double necklace, fashioned with Gay pearls, and sombre chrysolith."
ثم هَجْر يُوجبه العِتاب لذنب يقع من المحب، وهذا فيه بعضُ الشدة، لكن فرحة الرجعة وسُرور الرضى يعدل ما مضى؛ فإن لرضى المَحبوب بعد سخطه لذةً في القلب لا تعدلها لذة، وموقفًا من الروح لا يفوقه شيء من أسباب الدنيا.,"Next comes the breaking off which is occasioned by reproach on account of some fault committed by the lover. This situation involves a certain hardship; but the happiness engendered by a restoration of relations, and the joy, which the beloved’s renewed approval evokes, counterbalances everything that has passed. The beloved’s approval, following upon her anger, affords a delight unequalled by any other pleasure, and moves the spirit to an ecstasy of gladness far exceeding anything that mundane circumstances can occasion."
وهل شاهد مُشاهد أو رأت عين أو قام في فكرٍ ألذُّ وأشهى من مقام قد قام عنه كل رقيب، وبَعُد عنه كل بغيض، وغاب عنه كل واشٍ، واجتمع فيه مُحبَّان قد تصارما لذنب وقع من المحب منهما وطال ذلك قليلًا، وبدأ بعض الهجر ولم يكن ثَمَّ مانع من الإطالة للحديث، فابتدأ المُحب في الاعتذار والخضوع والتذلُّل والأدلة بحجته الواضحة من الإدلال والإذلال والتذمم بما سلف، فطورًا يُدلي ببراءته، وطورًا يردُّ بالعفو ويستدعي المغفرة ويُقر بالذَّنب ولا ذنب له،,"Has any spectator ever witnessed, or any eye beheld, or has it entered into, the thoughts of man to conceive a more delicious and exciting situation than this? The spies have departed; all hateful influences are far away; the slanderers have vanished from the scene. The lover and the beloved are met together again; they have been parted for a time because of some fault committed by the lover, and that breaking off which ensued has lasted a little while; but now there is nothing to prevent them from enjoying a long talk. The lover begins by apologizing humbly, submitting with all diffidence his clear proofs and arguments-either boldly, or with self abasement, professing a shame over what he has done. Now he declares his innocence; now he asks for pardon and begs to be forgiven, confessing to all the faults of which he is accused even though he be entirely faultless."
وختما أمرهما بالوصل الممكن، وسُقوط العتاب، والإسعاد، وتفرقا على هذا.,They conclude the whole proceedings with union more firmly joined than ever; reproaches are done with; everything is happiness again; and on this charming note they disperse.
هذا مكان تَتقاصر دونه الصفات، وتتلكَّن بتحديده الألسنة.,Such a scene defies description; the tongue is too halting adequately to do justice to the topic.
ولقد وطئتُ بساط الخلفاء وشاهدتُ محاضر الملوك فما رأيتُ هيبةً تعدل هيبة محب لمحبوبه، ورأيت تمكُّن المتغلبين على الرؤساء وتحكُّم الوزراء وانبساط مدبري الدول، فما رأيت أشد تبجُّحًا ولا أعظم سرورًا بما هو فيه من محب أيقن أن قلب محبوبه عنده، ووثق بميله إليه، وصحة مودته له.,"I have trodden the carpets of caliphs, and attended the courts of kings, and yet never have I seen reverential awe equal to that which the lover manifests to his beloved. I have observed conquerors triumphing over vanquished princes, viziers exulting in their authority, statesmen rejoicing in their power, and in all this I have beheld nothing to exceed the happiness and hilarity of the lover when he is sure that the beloved’s heart is in his keeping, and is confident that she is drawn towards him and loves him truly."
وحضرت مقام المعتذرين بين أيدي السلاطين، ومواقف المتهمين بعظيم الذنوب مع المتمردين الطاغين، فما رأيت أذل من موقف مُحب هَيمان بين يدي محبوب غضبان قد غَمره السخط، وغلب عليه الجفاء.,"I have been present when subjects are excusing themselves before their sovereign, and witnessed how men charged with grave offences comport themselves in the presence of arrogant tyrants, but I have not seen anything more abject than the distracted lover confronting the enraged beloved, transported with anger and mastered by uncompromising fury."
ولقد امتحنت الأمرين، وكنت في الحالة الأولى أشدَّ من الحديد، وأنفذ من السيف، لا أجيب إلى الدنية، ولا أساعد على الخضوع، وفي الثانية أذل من الرداء، وألين من القطن، أبادر إلى أقصى غايات التذلُّل، وأغتنم فُرصة الخضوع لو نجع، وأتحلَّل بلساني، وأغوص على دقائق المعاني ببياني، وأفنن القول فنونًا، وأتصدى لكل ما يوجب الترضِّي.,"I have myself experienced both situations. In the first I was; harder than steel, more trenchant than sword, unresponsive to abject humility, unconceding to self-abasement. In the second I was more yielding than a garment, and softer than cotton cloth, making haste to submit myself to the last degree of humiliation if it should profit me, eager to seize every opportunity of prostrating myself if that should be of avail, caressing with my tongue, plunging into every manner of deep and subtle fancy in my exposition, contriving all the tricks of eloquence, in short attempting every means of winning the beloved’s favour again."
والتجنِّي بعضُ عوارض الهجران، وهو يقع في أول الحب وآخره، فهو في أوله علامة لصحَّة المحبة، وفي آخره علامة لفتورها وباب للسلو.,"False accusation is one of the familiar features of breaking off, and this may occur both at the beginning and at the end of a love affair. In the former case it is a sign of true affection, whereas in the latter it indicates that the passion has cooled off, and is the gateway to forgetting."
خبر وأذكر في مثل هذا أني كنت مجتازًا في بعض الأيام بقرطبة في مقبرة باب عامر، في لَمَّة من الطلاب وأصحاب الحديث، ونحن نريد مجلس الشيخ أبي القاسم عبد الرحمن بن أبي يزيد المصري بالرصافة أستاذي — رضي الله عنه — ومعنا أبو بكر عبد الرحمن بن سليمان البلوي من أهل سِبتة، وكان شاعرًا مفلقًا، وهو ينشد لنفسه في صفة متجنٍّ معهود أبياتًا له، منها:  سَرِيعٌ إِلَى ظَهْرِ الطَّرِيقِ وَإِنَّهُ *** إِلَى نَقْضِ أَسْبَابِ المَوَدَّةِ يُسْرِعُ يَطُولُ عَلَيْنَا أَنْ نُرِقِّعَ وُدَّهُ *** إِذَا كَانَ فِي تَرْقِيعِهِ يَتَقَطَّعُ,"In this connexion I recall that one day I was passing by the cemetery of Bab `Amir in Cordova, with a crowd of students and Traditionists; we were on our way to the class of Shaikh, Abu ‘l-Qasim `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Abi Yazid al-Misri my revered teacher, in Rusafa, and with us was Abu Bakr `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Sulaiman al-Balawi of Ceuta, a most talented poet. He was reciting some verses of his own composition, describing a certain known person given to making false accusations. This was what he was saying.  He hastens down his primrose way, Regardless what ahead may lie; He hurries swiftly to unfray Love’s cords that took so long to tie.  A weary labour it will be To patch affection’s cloak anew, If, fast as I am patching, he Makes speed to rip the cloth in two."
فوافق إنشاد البيت الأول من هذين البيتين خطور أبي الحسين بن علي الفاسي — رحمه الله تعالى — وهو يؤم أيضًا مجلس ابن أبي يزيد، فسمعه فتبسم — رحمه الله — نحونا، وطوانا ماشيًا وهو يقول: بل إلى عقد المودة إن شاء الله؛ فهو أولى.,"The recitation of the first of these two stanzas coincided with the arrival on the scene of Abu `Ali al-Husain Ibn `Ali al-Fasi (God have mercy upon him!), who was also on his way to Ibn Abi Yazid’s lecture. Hearing the verses, he smiled in our direction and joined us as he went along, remarking, “Nay, rather to knot Love’s cords, God willing, for that would be more becoming!”"
هذا على جِد أبي الحسين — رحمه الله — وفضله وتقرُّبه وبراءته ونسكه وزهده وعلمه، فقلت في ذلك:  دَعْ عَنْكَ نَقْضَ مَوَدَّتِي مُتَعَمِّدًا *** وَاعْقِدْ حِبَالَ وِصَالِنَا يَا ظَالِمُ وَلَتَرْجِعَنَّ أَرَدْتَهُ أَوْ لَمْ تُرِد *** كُرْهًا لِمَا قَالَ الفَقِيهُ العَالِمُ  ويقع فيه الهجر والعتاب.,"This Abu l-Husain said despite his gravity, his virtue, his saintliness, his innocence, his piety, his self-denial and his learning. Thereupon I composed the following lines.  Give up thy purposeful intent The cords of my fond love to rend, O cruel tyrant, and relent, Our union’s broken threads to mend.  Thou shalt assuredly return, Whether thou wishest it or no; Spite thy unwillingness to learn, The prudent lawyer tells us so.  Sometimes breaking off is accompanied by reproaches;"
ولعمري إن فيه إذا كان قليلًا للذة، وأما إذا تفاقم فهو فأل غير محمود، وأمارة وبيئة المصدر، وعلامة سوء، وهي بجملة الأمر مطية الهجران، ورائد الصريمة، ونتيجة التجنِّي، وعنوان الثقل، ورسول الانفصال، وداعية القلى، ومقدِّمة الصد، وإنما يُستحسن إذا لَطُف وكان أصله الإشفاق. وفي ذلك أقول:  لَعَلَّكَ بَعْدَ عَتبِكَ أَنْ تَجُودَا *** بِمَا مِنْهُ عَتَبْتَ وَأَنْ تَزِيدَا فَكَمْ يَوْمٍ رَأَيْنَا فِيهِ صَحْوًا *** وَأَسْمَعَنَا بِآخِرِهِ الرُّعُودَا وَعَادَ الصَّحْوُ بَعْدُ كَمَا عَلِمْنَا *** وَأَنْتَ كَذَاكَ نَرْجُو أَنْ تَعُودَا,"and by my life, that is a delicious situation provided it does not go too far. But if it assumes momentous proportions, then the omens are far from happy; it is a most unhealthy symptom, presaging evil to follow. In brief, it is the carrier of separation, the forerunner of severance, the consequence of false accusations, the prelude to troublesomeness, the messenger of dismissal, the provoker of hatred, and the vanguard of aversion. It is only to be approved when it comes in a gentle form, and springs out of tender anxiety. I have these verses on the subject.  When thou hast blamed me, it may be Thou wilt be generous to me, Forgiving all that thou didst, blame, And adding blessings on my name.  How often has a day begun (As we have seen) with shining sun, Yet, ere the afternoon was o’er, We heard the dreadful thunders roar.  And then again the weather cleared, The clouds dispersed, the sun appeared; And so, by that analogy, I hope once more to look on thee!"
وكان سبب قولي هذه الأبيات عِتاب وقع في يومٍ هذه صفتُه من أيام الربيع، فقلتُها في ذلك الوقت، وكان لي في بعض الزمن صديقان، وكانا أخوين، فغابا في سفر ثم قَدِما وقد أصابني رَمَدٌ فتأخَّرا عن عيادتي، فكتبتُ إليهما — والمخاطبة للأكبر منهما — شعرًا، منه:  وَكُنْتُ أُعَدِّدُ أُيْضًا عَلَى *** أَخِيكَ بِمُؤْلِمَةِ السَّامِعِ وَلَكِنْ إِذَا الدَّجْنُ غَطَّى ذُكَاءً *** فَمَا الظَّنُّ بِالقَمَرِ الطَّالِعِ؟,"I was inspired to compose- the above poem by some reproaches of which I was the target, upon just such a spring day as I have described; I wrote them that very time. Once I had two friends who were brothers. The went away on a journey, and when they returned was suffering from ophthalmia. They were remiss in visiting me, and so I wrote to them in rhyme, my communication being addressed to the elder. Permit me to quote from this letter.  And I was telling to Thy brother o’er and o’er Things whose recitals do Distress the hearer sore.  But if the clouds outspread Obscure the sun at noon, What is there to be said About the rising moon?"
ثم هجر يُوجبه الوُشاة. وقد تقدم القول فيهم وفيما يتولد من دبيب عقاربهم، وربما كان سببًا للمقاطعة البتة. ثم هجر الملل.,"Then there is the breaking off which is the result of the slanderers’ activities. I have already spoken about these gentry earlier in this essay, and the foul infection spread by their poisonous tongues. This may often lead to a final rupture. Next I must speak of that breaking off which is caused by weariness."
والملل من الأخلاق المطبوعة في الإنسان، وأحرى لمن دُهي به ألا يصفوَ له صديق، ولا يَصحَّ له إخاء، ولا يثبت على عهد، ولا يصبر على إلف، ولا تطول مُساعدته لمُحب، ولا يُعتقد منه وُدٌّ ولا بغض.,"To grow tired of a thing is an inborn human characteristic: a man afflicted by this failing deserves all the more not to receive the sincere and undiluted affection of any friend, and that none should engage himself to him in true brotherhood. For he is not constant in any covenant; he perseveres in no association; the succour he may render to the lover is of but brief duration; neither his love nor his hatred is to be trusted."
وأولى الأمور بالناس ألَّا يغروه منهم، وأن يفروا عن صحبته ولقائه؛ فلن يظفروا منه بطائل؛ ولذلك أبعدنا هذه الصفة عن المُحبين، وجعلناها في المحبوبين، فهم بالجملة أهل التجنِّي والتظنِّي والتعرض للمقاطعة.,"The best way with such a man is not to attach him to oneself, and rather to flee from his company and his society, for one will never derive any advantage from his friendship. It is for this reason that we have excluded this quality from our analysis of lovers, and put it in the category of the beloved’s attributes; for the latter are in general apt to level false accusations, to entertain dark suspicions, o address themselves to rupturing relations."
وأما من تزيَّا باسم الحُبِّ وهو مَلُولٌ فليس منهم، وحقُّه ألا يتجرع مذاقه، ويُنفى عن أهل هذه الصفة ولا يدخل في جملتهم.,"The person who decks himself out with the name of love, and is easily wearied, is no true lover at all: it is right that the very taste of him should be shunned, and that he be banished from the roll of lovers, and never admitted into their society."
وما رأيت قط هذه الصفة أشد تغلبًا منها على أبي عامر محمد بن عامر — رحمه الله — فلو وصف لي واصف بعضَ ما علمتُه منه لما صدقتُه.,"I never saw any man so completely dominated by this quality as Abu ‘Amir Muhammad Ibn ‘Amir (God-have mercy upon him’!). If anyone had described to me a fraction of what I knew of him, I would never have believed him."
وأهل هذا الطبع أسرع الخلق محبةً، وأقلُّهم صبرًا على المحبوب، وعلى المكروه والصد، وانقلابهم عن الودِّ على قدر تسرُّعهم إليه؛ فلا تثِق بملول، ولا تَشغل به نفسك، ولا تُعنِّها بالرجاء في وفائه، فإن دُفعت إلى محبته ضرورةً فَعُدَّه ابنَ ساعته، واستأنفه كل حين من أحيانه بحسب ما تراه من تلوُّنه، وقابله بما يشاكله.,"People of such a temperament are the quickest of beings to fall in love, and the least patient with those they love, also with those they detest vice versa. They change as rapidly from adoration as they gallop into it. So never put your trust in anyone who is given to weariness, neither occupy your thoughts with him; entertain no false hopes that he will be faithful to you, and if you are constrained by necessity to love him, know him for what he is, a creature of passing fancies, and adapt yourself to suit his varying moods as you observe him to change from moment to moment, conforming in general with all his fickle whims."
ولقد كان أبو عامر المُحدَّث عنه يرى الجاريةَ فلا يَصبر عنها، ويُحيق به من الاغتمام والهم ما يكاد أن يأتيَ عليه حتى يملكها، ولو حال دون ذلك شوكُ القتاد، فإذا أيقن بتصيُّرها إليه عادت المحبة نفارًا، وذلك الأنس شُرودًا، والقلق إليها قلقًا منها، ونزاعه نحوها نزاعًا عنها، فيبيعها بأوكس الأثمان.,"Abu ‘Amir, whose name I have just mentioned, whenever he clapped his eyes on a slave-girl could scarcely restrain his impatience; he was so overcome by anxiety and trepidation that he wellnigh expired, until at last he possessed her, even if a veritable forest of tragacanth bushes stood between him and his object. Yet as soon as he was certain that she was his for the having, love turned to revulsion, intimacy to aversion, agitation to be with her into agitation to be without her, longing to have her into longing to be rid of her. So he would sell her at the most ridiculous price."
هذا كان دأبه حتى أتلف فيما ذكرنا من عشرات ألوف الدنانير عددًا عظيمًا.,"Such was his wont, so that he squandered in this way many tens of thousands of gold dinars."
وكان — رحمه الله — مع هذا من أهل الأدب والحذق والذكاء والنبل والحلاوة والتوقُّد مع الشرف العظيم والمنصب الفخم والجاه العريض.,"Yet for all that, God bless him, he was a man of culture, intelligent, sagacious, noble and sweet in his ways; he had a penetrating wit, and was withal a great aristocrat, of highly exalted rank, and enjoyed a position of vast prestige."
وأما حسن وجهه وكمال صُورته فشيء تَقف الحدود عنه، وتَكِلُّ الأوهام عن وصف أقله، ولا يتعاطى أحد وصفه.,"His handsome features and perfect physique were beyond all definition; the imagination boggles to describe even the least part of his manly beauty, and none could adequately accomplish the task of picturing him as he was."
ولقد كانت الشوارع تخلو من السيَّارة ويتعمدون الخُطور على باب داره في الشارع الآخذ من النهر الصغير على باب دارنا في الجانب الشرقي بقُرطبة إلى الدرب المتصل بقصر الزاهرة — وفي هذا الدرب كانت داره، رحمه الله، ملاصقةً لنا — لا لشيء إلا للنظر منه.,"The boulevards of the city were all deserted of promenaders, the whole population being intent to pass the door of his house, which stood in the street running up from the little river, by the gate of my own residence on the eastern side of Cordova, and leading to the avenue adjoining the palace of al-Zahira; his house was in this avenue, quite close to mine. All, as I have said, thronged his door, for no other reason than simply to catch a glimpse of him."
ولقد مات من محبَّته جَوارٍ كُنَّ علَّقْن أوهامهن به، ورثَينَ له فخانَهنَّ مما أمَّلْنه منه، فصِرْنَ رهائنَ البِلَى وقتلتهنَّ الوحدة.,"Many a slave-girl died of a broken heart on his account; infatuated by his charm, they would deck themselves out in all their finery to attract his fancy; but he betrayed their hopes, so that they became the victims b of wasting passion, and were slain by solitude."
وأنا أعرف جاريةً منهن كانت تُسمى عفراء، عهدي بها لا تتستر بمحبته حيثما جلست، ولا تجف دموعها، وكانت قد تصيرت من داره إلى البركات الخيَّال صاحب الفتيان.,"I knew one of these girls, whose name was `Afra’; she did not trouble to conceal her love for him, in whatever company she found herself, and the tears never dried on her cheeks. She passed from his household to Abu ‘l-Barakat al-Khaiyali, the prefect of the royal buildings."
ولقد كان — رحمه الله — يُخبرني عن نفسه أنه يملُّ اسمَه فضلًا عن غير ذلك.,"Abu ‘Amir told me much about himself, including the fact that he was weary among other things of his own name!"
وأما إخوانه فإنه تبدَّل بهم في عُمره على قِصَره مرارًا، وكان لا يثبُتُ على زي واحد كأبي بَراقش؛ حينًا يكون في ملابس الملوك، وحينًا في ملابس الفتَّاك.,"As for his friends, he changed them frequently during his brief lifetime. Like the finch, he never remained constant to the same fashion long; sometimes he would dress in the robes of a king, tunes he got himself up like an assassin"
وفي ذلك أقول:  لَا تَرْجُوَنَّ مَلُولًا *** لَيْسَ المَلُولُ بِعُدَّهْ وُدَّ المَلُولِ فَدَعْهُ *** عَارِيَة مُسْتَرَدَّهْ,"I have summed up this counsel in a little poem.  Put not thy hopes in him Whose love grows quickly dim; The friend who wearies soon, His love’s a worthless boon.  Then have thou nothing of A so inconstant love It is a loan to lack That must be rendered back."
ومن الهَجْر ضَربٌ يكون متولِّيه المحب، وذلك عندما يرى من جَفاء محبوبه والميل عنه إلى غيره، أو لثقيل يلازمه، فيرى الموت ويتجرَّع غُصص الأسى، والعض على نقيف الحنظل أهون من رؤية ما يكره، فينقطع وكبده تتقطع. وفي ذلك أقول:  هَجَرْتُ مَنْ أَهْوَاهُ لَا عَنْ قِلًى *** يَا عَجَبًا لِلعَاشِقِ الهَاجِرِ لَكِنَّ عَيْنِي لَمْ تُطِقْ نَظْرَةً *** إِلَى مُحَيَّا الرَّشَأ الغَادِرِ فَالمَوْتُ أَحْلَى مَطْمَعًا مِنْ هَوًى *** يُبَاحُ لِلْوَارِدِ وَالصَّادِرِ وَفِي الفُؤَادِ النَّارُ مَذْكِيَّةٌ *** فَاعجبْ لِصَبٍّ جَزِعٍ صَابِرِ وَقَدْ أَبَاحَ الله فِي دِينِهِ *** تَقِيَّةَ المَأْسُورِ لِلآسِرِ وَقَدْ أَحَلَّ الكُفْرَ خَوْفُ الرَّدَى *** حَتَّى تَرَى المُؤْمِنَ كَالكَافِرِ,"Then again there is a variety of breaking off where the initiative is taken by the lover. This happens when the lover observes that the beloved has begun to treat him harshly, and is inclining away from him in favour of another fancy; or when some tedious intruder is always sticking to his side. In such a case the lover sees death standing before him; he gulps the choking draughts of despair; to bite the acid pulp of the colocynth would discomfort him less than to; look upon so hateful a spectacle. So he withdraws from his suit, though his heart is breaking. I have rendered this tragic situation very touchingly in verse.  I shunned the one I love, Yet not because I hate O wondrous shunning of The lover passionate!  But that I cannot bear To gaze (though I love well) Upon her features fair, My traitorous gazelle.  Death is a sweeter prize Then vainly to desire Her heart that opens lies To all who may aspire.  The flames within my breast Their fiery lances dart; O strange, the vast unrest Of my enduring heart!  Yet Allah has allowed The captive, by His laws, His secret thoughts to shroud When in the captor’s claws.  This merciful decree Permits, in mortal fear, Avowed apostasy To faithful hearts sincere."
خبر ومن عجيب ما يكون فيها وشنيعه أني أعرف مَن هام قلبُه بمتناءٍ عنه نافرٍ منه، فقاسى الوجد زمنًا طويلًا، ثم سَنحت له الأيام بسانحة عجيبة من الوصل أشرف بها على بلوغ أمله، فحين لم يكن بينه وبين غاية رجائه إلا كهؤلاء عاد الهَجر والبُعد إلى أكثر ما كان قبلُ، فقلت في ذلك:  كَانَتْ إِلَى دَهْرِيَ لِي حَاجَةٌ *** مَقْرُونَةٌ فِي البُعْدِ بِالمُشْتَرِي فَسَاقَهَا بِاللُّطْفِ حَتَّى إِذَا *** كَانَتْ مِنَ القُرْبِ عَلَى مَحْجر أَبْعَدَهَا عَنِّي فَعَادَتْ كَأَنْ *** لَمْ تَبْدُ لِلْعَيْنِ وَلَمْ تَظْهَرِ,"I will relate an instance of breaking off in its most extraordinary and frightful form. I knew a man whose heart was distraught for one who kept far away from him, fleeing before his passionate advances. My poor friend suffered agonies of his unrequited love for a considerable time then fortune vouchsafed him a remarkable opportunity of attaining union, so that he was within; sight of realizing all his fond hopes. In the moment when he was separated by but a hair’s-breadth from the goal of his ambition, the beloved broke off relations once more, and withdrew further than even before from his reach. On that subject I composed the following verses.  I had a pressing need For Fortune to concede, That seemed as if it were Remote as Jupiter.  Dame Fortune so far went Her rigours to relent As to display my prize Before my very eyes.  Then she removed anew My target out of view, As if my heart’s delight Had never been in sight."
وقلت:  دَنَا أَمَلِي حَتَّى مَدَدْتُ لِأَخْذِهِ *** يَدًا فَانْثَنَى نَحْوَ المَجَرَّةِ رَاحِلَا فَأَصْبَحْتُ لَا أَرْجُو وَقَدْ كُنْتُ مُوقِنًا *** وَأُضْحي مَعَ الشِّعْرَى وَقَدْ كَانَ حَاصِلا وَقَدْ كُنْتُ مَحْسُودًا فَأَصْبَحْتُ حَاسِدًا *** وَقَدْ كُنْتُ مَأْمُولًا فَأَصْبَحْتُ آمِلا كَذَا الدَّهْرُ فِي كَرَّاتِهِ وَانْتِقَالِهِ *** فَلَا يَأْمَنَنَّ الدَّهْرَ مَنْ كَانَ عَاقِلا,"I invented a second poem on the same theme.  My hope drew near, till I stretched out My hand, upon, my hope to lay; But then my object swerved about And vanished to the Milky Way.  So suddenly I, who was thus So certain, fell into despair; My hope was swept to Sirius That seemed within my grasping there.  All men had envied my good chance, And now I envied in my turn; Desire had cast on me its glance, Yet I was only left to yearn.  So Fate delights eternally To vary good with ill surprise None puts his trust in Destiny Who is ambitious to be wise."
ثم هَجْر القِلَى، وهنا ضلت الأساطير، ونفدت الحِيل، وعظم البلاء؛ وهو الذي خلَّى العقولَ ذواهلَ، فمن دُهي بهذه الداهية فليتصدَّ لمحبوب محبوبه، وليتعمَّد ما يعرف أنه يستحسنه، ويجب أن يجتنب ما يدري أنه يكرهه، فربما عطَّفه ذلك عليه إن كان المحبوب ممن يدري قدر الموافقة والرغبة فيه، وأما من لم يعلم قدر هذا فلا طَمع في استصرافه، بل حسناتك عنده ذنوب؛ فإن لم يقدر المرء على استصرافه؛ فليتعمَّد السُّلوان، وليحاسب نفسه بما هو فيه من البلاء والحرمان، ويسعى في نيل رغبته على أي وجه أمكنه.,"Finally there is the breaking off which is the consequence of hatred. Here all fictions go astray, all ruses come to an end; it is the great and final catastrophe. This is the disaster which leaves the reason utterly bewildered. He who is smitten by this calamity, let him apply himself to discover what may be his beloved’s wishes, and let him endeavour to find out what his darling will approve; he must at all costs avoid whatever he may be aware that the object of his passion abhors. If he conducts himself in this manner, it may be that this will incline her sympathies again towards him, always provided that the beloved knows the value of concord and of striving to attain it. But if she does not know the value of this, then there is no hope of turning her from her hateful attitude; all your good deeds will be crimes in her eyes. If the lover is unable to convert the beloved, then let him resolve upon oblivion; let him examine his soul, and consider the misery and privation it is suffering, and forthwith labour to gratify his desire in whatever manner he can."
ولقد رأيت مَن هذه صفته، وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، أوَّلها:  دُهِيتُ بِمَنْ لَوْ أَدْفَعُ المَوْتَ دُونَهُ *** لَقَالَ إِذًا يا لَيْتَنِي فِي المَقَابِرِ  ومنها:  وَلَا ذَنْبَ لِي إِذْ صِرْتُ أَحْدُو رَكَائِبِي *** إِلَى الورْدِ وَالدُّنْيَا تُسِيءُ مَصَادِرِي وَمَاذَا عَلَى الشَّمْسِ المُنِيرَةِ بِالضُّحَى *** إِذَا قَصُرَتْ عَنْهَا ضِعَافُ البَصَائِرِ,"I have seen a man in these straits, and wrote a ballad to illustrate his case, beginning as follows.  ‘Twas my misfortune to adore One who, if I had chanced to save Him from sure death that loomed before, Would cry, “O were I in the grave!”  Later in the poem these stanzas occur.  ‘Tis not my fault if, when I drive My camels to the bubbling spring, The world’s vicissitudes contrive To vitiate my homecoming.  What just complaint is there to find Against the sun at noon ablaze, If feeble eyes are stricken blind And cannot look upon its rays?"
وأقول:  مَا أَقْبَحَ الهَجْرَ بَعْدَ وَصْلٍ *** وَأَحْسَنَ الوَصْلَ بَعْدَ هَجْرِ كَالوَفْرِ تَحْوِيهِ بَعْدَ فَقْرٍ *** وَالفَقْرِ يَأْتِيكَ بَعْدَ وَفْرِ,"I also have this trifle.  It is most hateful to avoid When union has been enjoyed; But union seems O! divine After avoidance has been thine.  The one is wealth that visits thee When thou hast dwelt with poverty, The other poverty, that on Great wealth ensues, when it is gone."
وأقول:  مَعْهُود أَخْلَاقك قِسْمانِ *** وَالدَّهْرُ فِيكَ اليَوْمَ صِنْفان فَإِنَّكَ النُّعْمانُ فِيما مَضَى *** وَكَانَ لِلنُّعْمَانِ يَوْمَان يَوْمُ نَعِيمٍ فِيهِ سَعْدُ الوَرَى *** وَيَوْمُ بَأْسَاء وَعُدْوَانِ فَيَوْم نُعْمَاكَ لِغَيْرِي وَيَوْ *** مِي مِنْكَ ذُو بُؤْسٍ وَهجْرَانِ أَلَيْسَ حُبِّي لَكَ مُسْتَاهِلًا *** لِأَنْ تُجَازِيهِ بِإِحْسَانِ,"I can quote a longer poem.  They character, I know, Into two parts doth go, And Fate through thee doth play Two separate roles today  Thou art as Nu’man was In days of old, because As Arab legend says He, Nu’man, had two days.  One day was bliss for men, And all were happy then; But one was full of hate And malice desperate.  Thy day of grace and glee On others dawns, not me; My day with woe is sent And bitter banishment.  This troth I love thee by Does it not qualify To win, for recompense, Some slight beneficence?"
وأقول قطعةً، منها:  يَا مَنْ جَمِيعُ الحُسْنِ مُنْتَظِمٌ *** فِيهِ كَنَظْمِ الدُّرِّ فِي العِقْدِ مَا بَالُ حَتْفِي مِنْكَ يَطْرُقُنِي *** قَصْدًا وَوَجْهُكَ طَالِعُ السَّعْدِ,"Here is a fragment.  O thou in whom, most sweet, All loveliness doth meet, Like pearls in order strung And on a necklace hung:  How comes it, death from thee Assaults me brutally By night, when in thy face Shines forth my star of grace?"
وأقول قصيدة، أولها:  أَسَاعَةُ تَوْدِيعِكَ أَمْ سَاعَةُ الحَشْرِ *** وَلَيْلَةُ بَيْنِي مِنْكَ أَمْ لَيْلَةُ النَّشْرِ وَهَجْرُكَ تَعْذِيبُ المُوَحِّدِ يَنْقَضِي *** وَيَرْجُو التَّلَاقِي أَمْ عَذَابُ ذَوِي الكُفْرِ,"I have a formal ode which begins thus.  Is this sad hour of fond farewell The Judgment Hour whereof men tell, This night of parting and of gloom The vigil of the Day of Doom?  My banishment, is it that woe Believers for a season know Who hope to meet their Lord again, Or infidels’ eternal pain?"
ومنها:  سَقَى الله أَيَّامًا مَضَتْ وَلَيَالِيًا *** تُحَاكِي لَنَا النَّيْلُوفَرَ الغَضَّ فِي النَّشْرِ فَأَوْرَاقُهُ الأَيَّامُ حُسْنًا وَبَهْجَةً *** وَأَوْسَطُهُ اللَّيْلُ المُقَصِّرُ لِلْعُمْرِ لَهَوْنَا بِهَا فِي غَمْرَةٍ وَتَآلُفٍ *** تَمُرُّ فَلَا نَدْرِي وَتَأتِي فَلَا نَدْرِي فَأَعْقَبَنَا مِنْهُ زَمَانٌ كَأَنَّهُ *** وَلَا شَكَّ حُسْنُ العقْدِ أعقب بِالغَدْرِ,"Later I proceed as follows.  God ever bless those days gone by, Those nights we joyed in, thou and I, Memories that still fragrant are And fresh as the sweet nenuphar.  The lily’s petals are ablaze With glittering beauty, like our days; Its center is the night, whose knife Cuts short our slender thread of life.  We passed our days and nights away In heedless joy and folly gay, And so they came, and so they fled, And we knew not the way they sped.  But presently another time Succeeded to that age sublime, Fair promise of fidelity Belied, alas! by perfidy."
ومنها:  فَلَا تَيْأَسِي يَا نَفْسُ عَلَّ زَمَانَنَا *** يَعُودُ بِوَجْهٍ مُقْبِلٍ غَيْرِ مُدْبِرِ كَمَا صَرفَ الرَّحْمَنُ مُلْكَ أُمَيَّة *** إِلَيْهِمْ، وَلُوذِيَ بِالتَّجَمُّلِ وَالصَّبْرِ,"Further on in the same poem I have these stanzas.  Yet, O my soul, do not despair: Perchance the times will yet be fair, And Fortune, who has turned her face Too long, renew her former grace.  For Allah, the All-Merciful, Hath given the Omayyads rule, And I, like them, may therefore wait In fortitude for better fate."
وفي هذه القصيدة أمدح أبا بكر هشام بن محمد، أخا أمير المؤمنين عبد الرحمن المرتضى — رحمه الله — فأقول:  أَلَيْسَ يُحِيطُ الرُّوحَ فِينَا بِكُلِّ مَا *** دَنَا وَتَنَاءَى وَهْوَ فِي حُجُبِ الصَّدْرِ كَذَا الدَّهْرُ جِسْمٌ وهو فِي الدَّهْرِ رُوحُهُ *** مُحِيطٌ بِمَا فِيهِ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَاسْتقْرِ,"The foregoing verses are extracted from a panegyric which I composed in honour of Abu Bakr Hisham Ibn Muhammad, the brother of the Caliph `Abd al-Rahman al-Murtada, God have mercy on his soul! Allow me to quote further from this masterpiece.  Does not the soul that in us lies Within its consciousness comprise Things near and far, although compressed In the dark dungeon of the breast?  So Time a body is, and he Time’s spirit and vitality, Comprising in his knowledge all (Prove this, and see!) that may befall."
وفي ذلك أقول قطعة، منها:  وَلَا تَسْعَ فِي الأَمْرِ الجَسِيمِ تَهَازُؤًا *** وَلَا تَسْعَ جَهْرًا فِي اليَسِيرِ تُرِيدُهُ وَقَابِلْ أَفَانِينَ الزَّمَانِ مَتَى يَرِدْ *** عَلَيْكَ فَإِنَّ الدَّهْرَ جَمٌّ وُرُودُهُ فَأَشْكَالُهَا مِنْ حُسْنِ سَعْيِكَ يَكْفِكَ الـ *** ـيَسِير بِغَيْرٍ وَالشَّرِيد شَرِيدهُ أَلَمْ تُبْصِرِ المِصْبَاحَ أَوَّلَ وَقْدِهِ *** وِإِشْعَالِهِ بِالنَّفْخِ يُطْفَا وَقُودُهُ وَإِنْ يَتَصَرَّمْ لَفْحه وَلَهِيبُه *** فَنَفْخُكَ يُذْكِيهِ وَتَبْدُو مُدُودُهُ,"I have a piece of poetry on this, from which I will venture to quote.  When difficulties challenge thee Confront them not too jestingly, Nor, when upon an easy quest, Let all thy effort be expressed.  Time has a wide variety Of knavish tricks, and Destiny A thousand oscillating moods And infinite vicissitudes.  However Fate may play his game, Adjust thy style to suit the same; Against a little little strive, Match much with much, to keep alive  Hast thou not seen, and learned by it, How, when a: lamp is freshly lit, The flame burns feebly, and one puff To put it out is quite enough?  But when the wick is well alight And blazing broadly through the night, To puff and puff will only go To fan it into fiercer glow."
ومنها:  إِتَاوَتُهَا تُهْدى إِلَيْهِ وَمِنَّةٌ *** تَقبُّلُهَا مِنْهُمْ يُقَاوَمُ بِالشُّكْرِ كَذَا كُلُّ نَهْرٍ فِي البِلَادِ وَإِنْ طَمَتْ *** غَزَارَتُهُ يَنْصَبُّ فِي لُجَجِ البَحْرِ,"Lastly I will cite these two remarkable stanzas.  The nations all their tribute bring Which he accepts, their gracious King? And in accepting proves renewed Regard, requiring gratitude.  So every river in the realm, Although its waters overwhelm Its narrow banks, impetuously Debouches in the boundless sea"
باب الوفاء ومن حميد الغرائز وكريم الشِّيم وفاضل الأخلاق في الحُبِّ وغيرِه الوفاءُ، وإنه لمن أقوى الدلائل وأوضح البراهين على طِيب الأصل، وشَرف العُنصر، وهو يتفاضل بالتفاضل اللازم للمخلوقات.,"OF FIDELITY AMONG the laudable instincts, noble characteristics and virtuous habits by which men may be adorned, whether they are engaged in lovemaking or any other activity, Fidelity ranks high. It is one of the strongest proofs and clearest demonstrations of sound stock and pure breed; it differs in degree of excellence according to that variability which is inherent in all created beings."
وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، منها:  أَفْعَالُ كُلِّ امْرِئٍ تُنْبِي بِعُنْصُرِهِ *** وَالعَيْنُ تُغْنِيكَ عَنْ أَنْ تَطْلُبَ الأَثَرَا  ومنها:  وَهَلْ تَرَى قَطُّ دِفْلى أَنْبَتَتْ عِنَبًا *** أَوْ تَذْخرُ النَّحْل فِي أَوْكَارِهَا الصَّبِرَا,"I have a short poem on this subject from which I will quote two separate stanzas: here is the first.  The deeds of every man advise What element within him lies The visual evidence is true Thou needst not seek another clue.  And this is the second.  And has the oleander’s root E’er yielded raisins for its fruit, Or do the bees so bravely strive To treasure aloes in their hive?"
وأول مراتب الوفاء أن يفيَ الإنسان لمن يفي له.,The first degree of fidelity is for a man to be faithful to one who is faithful to him.
وهذا فرض لازم، وحق واجب على المحب والمحبوب، لا يحول عنه إلا خبيث المحتد لا خَلاقَ له ولا خير عنده.,"This indeed is an absolute duty, an obligation binding upon lover and beloved alike: no man deviates from it, unless he be of mean extraction and devoid of every grace and virtue."
ولولا أن رسالتنا هذه لم نقصد بها الكلام في أخلاق الإنسان وصفاته المطبوعة والتطبُّع بها، وما يزيد من المطبوع بالتطبع وما يضمحل من التطبُّع بعدم الطبع، لزدتُ في هذا المكان ما يجب أن يوضع في مثله، ولكنا إنما قصدنا التكلُّم فيما رغبته من أمر الحب فقط. وهذا أمر كان يطول جدًّا؛ إذ الكلام فيه يتفنن كثيرًا.,"Were it not for the fact that it was not my intention in this essay to discourse upon the human character in general, and the inborn and acquired qualities of man, how the innate characteristics may be increased by cultivation, and the acquired attributes disappear for want of natural aptitude, I would have added here the observations necessary to be set down upon such a subject. But it was only my purpose to speak upon this matter of Love, as you expressly desired of me; to develop the matter in its extremely manifold aspects would have taken an extremely long time indeed."
خبر ومن أرفع ما شاهدته من الوفاء في هذا المعنى وأهوله شأنًا قصَّة رأيتها عِيانًا، وهو أني أعرف مَن رَضِي بقطيعة محبوبه وأعزِّ الناس عليه، ومن كان الموت عنده أحلى من هجر ساعة في جَنب طيِّه لسرٍّ أودعه، والتزم محبوبه يمينًا غليظةً ألَّا يكلمه أبدًا، ولا يكون بينهما خبرٌ أو يفضح إليه ذلك السر.,"The most frightful instance of this order of fidelity that I have ever witnessed, and the most terrible in its consequences, concerns a drama which I actually saw enacted before my own eyes. A certain man of my acquaintance consented to break off relations with a person whom he loved dearly and cherished more fondly than anyone else in the world, so that he would have preferred to die rather than be parted from him a single-hour. He agreed to this appalling deprivation in order to guard a secret which had been entrusted to him. His loved one had sworn a solemn oath never to speak to him again, and to have no further commerce with him, unless he divulged that secret to him."
على أن صاحب ذلك السرِّ كان غائبًا، فأبى من ذلك، وتمادى هو على كتمانه، والثاني على هجرانه إلى أن فرَّقت بينهما الأيام.,"Although the person who had committed the secret to his charge was far away, yet the lover refused to betray his trust; he continued to conceal the secret, and his loved one persisted in holding aloof from him, until time parted them forever."
ثم مرتبة ثانية، وهو الوفاء لمن غَدر، وهي للمُحب دون المحبوب، وليس للمحبوب ها هنا طريق ولا يلزمه ذلك، وهي خُطة لا يُطيقها إلا جَلْد قويٌّ واسع الصدر، حرُّ النفس، عظيم الحِلْم، جليل الصبر، حَصِيف العقل، ماجد الخُلُق، سالم النية.,"The second degree of fidelity is for a man to be faithful towards one who has betrayed him. This trait appertains to the lover alone, and not to the beloved. The latter has no way here, neither is he under any such obligation; for fidelity is a course of action which can only be attempted by men who are tough, strong, broad shouldered, magnanimous, of great forbearance and infinite patience, firm in judgment, of noble character and pure intentions."
ومن قابل الغدر بمثله فليس بمُستأهل للملامة، ولكن الحال التي قدمنا تفوقها جدًّا وتفوتها بُعدًا.,"The man who rewards treachery with treachery by no means deserves blame; but the conduct which we have adumbrated excels this latter procedure exceeding, and surpasses it by far."
وغاية الوفاء في هذه الحال تركُ مكافأة الأذى بمثله، والكف عن سيئ المعارضة بالفعل والقول، والتأني في جرِّ حَبل الصحبة ما أمكن، ورُجيت الألفة، وطُمع في الرجعة، ولاحت للعودة أدنى مخيلة، وشيمت منها أقل بارقة، أو توجس منها أيسر علامة.,"In this case the object of fidelity is to refrain from paying back injury with injury, and to abstain from matching evil against evil whether in deeds or words; to delay the fatal step of severing the cords of friendship as long as possible, while hope still remains that intimacy may be resumed and the smallest expectation may yet be cherished that relations can be restored, while the least sign of a resumption is still visible, the faintest glimmer thereof may be perceived, and its slightest symptom diagnosed."
فإذا وقع اليأس واستحكم الغيظ حينئذٍ والسلامة من غرك، والأمن من ضرك، والنجاة من أذاك، وأن يكون ذكر ما سلف مانعًا من شفاء الغيظ فيما وقع، فرَعْي الأذمة حق وَكِيد على أهل العقول، والحنين إلى ما مضى، وألا ينسى ما قد فرغ منه وفنيت مدته أثبت الدلائل على صحة الوفاء.,"Once despair however has gripped your heart, and resentment dominates your emotions, then you should strive your utmost to ensure that the perfidious friend may for all that be safe from your petty fury, secure from your malice, delivered from the danger of your mischief; let the recollection of what is gone before prevent you from giving vent to your wrath over what has now transpired. To be faithful to old obligations is the assured duty of all intelligent men; and to yearn affectionately for the past, and not to forget the times that are finished and done with, is the surest proof of true fidelity."
وهذه الصفة حسنة جدًّا، وواجب استعمالها في كل وجهٍ من وجوه معاملات الناس فيما بينهم على أي حالٍ كانت.,"This is a fine quality indeed, and one which ought to be employed in all human transactions, of whatever kind and in whatever circumstances."
خبر ولعهدي برجل من صَفوة إخواني قد علق بجاريةٍ فتأكد الود بينهما، ثم غدرت بعهده، ونقَضت وُدَّه، وشاع خبرهما، فوجد لذلك وجدًا شديدًا.,"I call to mind a man I once knew, one of my dearest friends, who formed an attachment for a young slave girl. Their love waxed very strong; then she betrayed his trust, and broke the bonds of their affection. The story was noised widely abroad, and he suffered the most acute distress in consequence."
خبر وكان لي مرةً صديق، ففسدت نيَّتُه بعد وَكِيد مودة لا يُكفر بمثلها، وكان علم كل واحد منا سرَّ صاحبه، وسقطت المئونة، فلما تغير عليَّ أفشى كل ما اطَّلع لي عليه مما كنت اطلعت منه على أضعافه، ثم اتَّصل به أن قوله فيَّ قد بلغني؛ فجزع لذلك وخشي أن أُقارضه على قبيح فعلته، وبلغني ذلك فكتبتُ إليه شعرًا أؤنسه فيه وأعلمه أني لا أقارضه.,"I once had a friend whose intentions towards me became ignoble, after we had been united in a firm affection the like of which ought not to be gainsaid. This he allowed to happen, despite the fact that each of us knew all the other’s secrets, and all formalities had been dropped between us. When his feelings towards me changed, he divulged all that he had got to know about me, though I knew many times as much to his disadvantage. Then he learned that I had become aware of what he had said concerning me; he was much disturbed, and feared that I would requite him in kind for his base conduct. Hearing of this, I wrote some verses to him to comfort him, assuring him that I did not intend to take reprisals against him."
خبر ومما يدخل في هذا الدرج، وإن كان ليس منه ولا هذا الفصل المتقدم من جنس الرسالة والباب، ولكنه شبيه له على ما قد ذكرنا وشرطنا، وذلك أن محمد بن وليد بن مكسير الكاتب كان مُتصلًا بي ومُنقطعًا إليَّ أيام وزارة أبي — رحمة الله عليه — فلما وقع بقُرطبة ما وقع وتغيرت أحوالٌ خرج إلى بعض النواحي فاتَّصل بصاحبها، فعرض جاهُه وحدثت له وَجاهة وحالٌ حسنة، فحللتُ أنا تلك الناحية في بعض رحلتي فلم يُوَفِّني حقي، بل ثَقُل عليه مكاني وأساء معاملتي وصُحْبتي، وكلَّفته في خلال ذلك حاجةً لم يقُم فيها ولا قعَد، واشتغل عنها بما ليس في مثله شُغل، فكتبتُ إليه شعرًا أعاتبه فيه، فجاوبني مستعتبًا على ذلك، فما كلَّفته حاجةً بعدها.,"Here is another reminiscence which belongs to the same category, although in truth neither this nor the preceding paragraph is strictly relevant to the essay and the chapter now being written; all the same it is roughly parallel, in accordance with the general conditions of the discourse which I have laid down. Muhammad Ibn Walid Ibn Maksir the Civil Secretary was on friendly and indeed devoted terms with me during the viziership of my late father; but when those events took place in Cordova which do not need to be further specified, and circumstances changed, he removed to another district. There he became connected with the local ruler, and attained in due course to a position of affluence, importance and agreeable distinction. I happened to stay in that district on one of my travels, but my friend of other days did not do his duty by me; my presence was unwelcome to him, and he treated me very evilly. During that time I requested him to do me a certain service, but he did not stir a finger to help me, pretending to be otherwise occupied, although the matter on which he claimed to be engaged was nothing urgent at all. I wrote him a poem of reproach, and he replied endeavoring to appease me; but for all that I did not trouble him with any further request."
ومما لي في هذا المعنى، وليس من جنس الباب ولكنه يشبهه، أبيات قلتها، منها:  وَلَيْسَ يُحْمَدُ كِتْمَانٌ لِمُكْتَتِمٍ *** لَكِنَّ كَتْمَكَ مَا أَفْشَاهُ مُفْشِيهِ كَالجُودِ بِالوَفْرِ أَسْنَى مَا يَكُونُ إِذَا *** قَلَّ الوُجُودُ لَهُ أَوْ ضَنَّ مُعْطِيهِ,"On this topic, though still outside the scope of the present chapter and yet cognate with it, I wrote some verses from which I will now quote. To hide a secret guarded well Is no great merit, truth to tell, But rather to conceal a thing Which other men are whispering.  So generosity is best And noblest, when the thing possessed Is rare, and he who makes the gift Is famous for his stingy thrift."
ثم مَرتبة ثالثة؛ وهي الوفاء مع اليأس الباتِّ، وبعد حلول المنايا وفجاءات المنون.,"The third order of` fidelity is when a man is faithful for all that he has despaired completely and finally, death having intervened and sudden decease having unexpectedly removed all hope of further relations."
وإن الوفاء في هذه الحالة لأجلُّ وأحسن منه في الحياة، ومع رجاء اللقاء.,"Fidelity under these circumstances is even nobler and finer than during the lifetime of the beloved, when there is still the expectation of another meeting."
خبر ولقد حدَّثتني امرأة أثق بها أنها رأت في دار محمد بن أحمد بن وهب، المعروف بابن الركيزة، من وَلد بدر الداخل مع الإمام عبد الرحمن بن معاوية — رضي الله عنه — جاريةً رائعةً جميلةً كان لها مولًى فجاءته المنيَّة، فبيعت في تركته، فأبت أن ترضى بالرجال بعده، وما جامَعها رجل إلى أن لقيت الله عز وجل، وكانت تُحسنُ الغناء فأنكرت علمَها به، ورضيت بالخدمة والخروج عن جملة المتخذات للنَّسل واللذة والحال الحسنة وفاءً منها لمن دثر ووارته الأرض والْتأمت عليه الصفائح.,"A woman in whom I have every confidence once told me that she had seen, in the house of Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Wahb, better known as Ibn al-Rakiza, a descendant of Badr who entered Andalusia with the Imam `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Mu’awiya (God be well satisfied with him!), a slave-girl of striking beauty. She had had a master who had died, and was sold with his estate; but she refused to have anything to do with men after him, and no man enjoyed her charms until she met Allah the Omnipotent. She had been a fine singer, but denied all knowledge of the art and was content to be an ordinary servant, and to be excluded from those ladies who are taken for procreation, pleasure and a life of comfort. This she did out of fidelity to the departed, long since committed to earth and with the tombstones cemented above him."
ولا أدري ما معنى هذا، على أنه يُذكر عنهن العفاف، وأي عفاف مع امرأة أقصى مُناها وسرورها الشهرة في هذا المعنى؟!,"I know not what to make of that, considering they have such a reputation for chastity: what chastity does a woman in fact possess, if her greatest desire and joy is to be notorious after this fashion?"
ولقد رامها سيدُها المذكورُ أن يضمَّها إلى فراشه مع سائر جواريه ويُخرجها مما هي فيه فأبتْ، فضربها غير مرةٍ وأوقع بها الأدب، فصبرت على ذلك كله، فأقامت على امتناعها.,"Her afore-mentioned lord desired to take her to his bed, along with the rest of his concubines, and to bring her out of her position of menial servitude, but she refused. He beat her more than once, and administered corporal correction; but she bore it all with fortitude, persisting in her honourable refusal."
وإن هذا من الوفاء غريب جدًّا.,This is an extremely rare instance of fidelity.
واعلم أن الوفاء على المحب أوجب منه على المحبوب، وشرطه له ألزم؛ لأن المحب هو البادي باللُّصوق والتعرُّض لعقد الأذمة، والقاصد لتأكيد المودة، والمستدعي صحة العشرة، والأول في عدد طلاب الأصفياء، والسابق في ابتغاء اللذة باكتساب الخلة، والمقيد نفسه بزمام المحبة قد عقلها بأوثق عقال، وخطمها بأشد خطام، فمن قسره على هذا كله إن لم يُرد إتمامه؟ ومن أجبره على استجلاب المِقة إن لم يَنْوِ ختمها بالوفاء لمن أراده عليها؟,"You must know that the duty of fidelity is incumbent upon the lover more than upon the beloved, and applies to him far more strictly. This is because it is the lover who initiated the attachment, and is the one who proposes the formation of the engagement; he seeks to confirm the bond of affection, and petitions for true intimacy. He is the first to stake his claim to preferment, and takes the lead in seeking for enjoyment by striving to acquire the friendship. He it is who fetters himself with the reins of love, binding his soul with the stoutest shackles and bridling it with the strongest muzzle. Who was there to compel him to do all this if he did not wish to complete his part of the bargain, or to oblige him to attract so fond affection if he had not the intention to seal it with fidelity to the one whose love he desired?"
وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، منها:  فَهَلْ لِلْوِصَالِ إِلَيْنَا مَعَاد *** وَهَلْ لِتَصَارِيفِ ذَا الدَّهْرِ حَد فَقَدْ أَصْبَحَ السَّيْفُ عَبْدَ القَضِيبِ *** وَأَضْحَى الغَزَالُ الأَسِيرُ أَسَد,"I have some verses on this.  Shall I be granted, friend, To come once more to thee, Or will there be an end Of changeful destiny?  The sword (O strange to tell!) Is now the baton’s page, The captive, tame gazelle A lion full of rage"
والمحبوب إنما هو مجلوب إليه، ومقصود نحوه، ومُخيَّر في القبول أو الترك، فإن قبل فغاية الرجاء، وإن أبى فغير مستحقٍّ للذم.,"The beloved, on the other hand, is a person to whom the lover feels drawn and whose affection he seeks; she is free to accept or reject his advances. If she accepts, then that is the fulfillment of all the lover’s hopes; if she refuses, she deserves not to be blamed on that account."
وليس التعرُّض للوصل والإلحاح فيه والتأني لكل ما يُستجلب به من الموافقة وتصفية الحضرة والمغيب من الوفاء في شيء؛ فحظ نفسه أراد الطالب، وفي سُروره سَعى، وله احتطب، والحب يدعوه ويَحْدوه على ذلك شاء أو أبَى، وإنما يُحمد الوفاء ممن يقدر على تركه.,"To propose union, to persist in one’s suit, to dispose oneself for anything that may attract the beloved’s sympathy, such as readiness to fall in with all her wishes, and a willingness to make all things clear and straight between himself and her, whether present or absent-all this has nothing to do with fidelity. In seeking her hand it is his own pleasure that he is pursuing, his own happiness he is laboring for; love calls and drives him to this, W ether he will or no. Fidelity is only praiseworthy when a man is in a position to be unfaithful."
وللوفاء شُروط على المحبين لازمة؛ فأولها أن يحفظ عهدَ محبوبه ويرعى غيبته، وتستوي علانيته وسريرته، ويطوي شره وينشر خيره، ويغطي على عيوبه، ويحسن أفعاله، ويتغافل عما يقع منه على سبيل الهفوة، ويرضى بما حمله، ولا يكثر عليه بما ينفر منه، وألا يكون طُلعةً ثئُوبًا ولا مَلَّةً طَروقًا.,"Fidelity imposes certain conditions upon the lover. The first is that he should keep his troth with the beloved, and protect her secrets; her public and private transactions should be alike sacred to him; he should conceal her evil aspects, advertise her good points, cover up her faults, put her actions in the best light, and overlook her slips; he should acquiesce in whatever the beloved imposes upon him, and for his part not thrust himself upon her so immoderately as to provoke her aversion; when she is eager he should not be languid, neither in her weariness should he be impetuous."
وعلى المحبوب إن ساواه في المحبَّة مثلُ ذلك، وإن كان دونه فيها فليس للمحب أن يكلفه الصعود إلى مرتبته، ولا له الاستشاطة عليه بأن يسومه الاستواء معه في درجته، وبحسبه منه حينئذٍ كتمان خبره، وألا يقابله بما يكره ولا يُخيفه به، وإن كانت الثالثة؛ وهي السلامة مما يلقى بالجملة، فَلْيَقنع بما وجد، وليأخذ من الأمر ما استدف، ولا يطلب شرطًا ولا يقترح حقًّا، وإنما له ما سنح بجده أو ما حان بكده.,"The beloved for her part is bound by the same rules, if she fully reciprocates his affection; but if her love is less than his, he must not press her to come up to his level, nor be cross with her in an endeavour to induce her by these means to love him with the same degree of intensity. In that case it is enough for him to keep their relations secret, and not to requite her with unpleasantness or threats. If a third situation should exist, namely- that she has no corresponding feelings for him whatsoever, let him be content with what he finds, and take whatever he can readily get; let him not demand any conditions, or be importunate for any rights. He can only expect what windfalls his luck may bring, or what fruits his labours may ripen."
واعلم أنه لا يستبين قُبح الفعل لأهله؛ ولذلك يتضاعف قُبحه عند من ليس من ذويه، ولا أقول قولي هذا مُمتدحًا، ولكن آخذًا بأدب الله عز وجل: {وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ}.,"You must know that uncomely acts never appear as such to those who perform them, and therefore their repulsiveness is doubly disgusting to others innocent of them. I do not say what I am about to say in order to boast, but simply relying upon the precept of Allah the Omnipotent, Who says, “And as for the bounty of thy Lord, proclaim it abroad” (Koran XCIII II)."
لقد مَنحني الله عز وجل من الوفاء لكُل من يَمُتُّ إليَّ بلقية واحدة، ووهبني من المحافظة لمن يتذمَّم مني ولو بمُحادثته ساعة حظًّا، أنا له شاكر وحامد، ومنه مُستمد ومستزيد.,"Now Allah has vouchsafed to me the blessing of fidelity towards every man with whom I have had any connection, even if it be only in a single meeting; He has bestowed on me the gift of protecting any man with whom I have ever entered into an engagement, be it in the conversation of but a solitary hour. For this great boon I thank God and praise Him, petitioning Him to continue and augment His beneficence towards me. There is nothing that I loathe more than treachery."
وما شيء أثقل عليَّ من الغدر، ولعمري ما سمحت نفسي قط في الفِكرة في إضرار مَن بيني وبينه أقل ذمام، وإن عظمت جريرته، وكثرت إليَّ ذنوبه.,"By my life, I have never allowed myself to meditate harming any person with whom I have had the slightest engagement, however great may be his crimes, and however numerous his sins against me."
ولقد دهمني من هذا غيرُ قليل، فما جزيت على السُّوأَى إلا بالحُسنى، والحمد لله على ذلك كثيرًا.,"I have suffered not a few grievous blows in this way, but I have ever repaid evil with good: Allah be praised for that!"
وبالوفاء أفتخر في كلمة طويلة ذكرت فيها ما مضَّنَا من النكبات، ودهمنا من الحل والترحال والتحول في الآفاق، أوَّلها:  وَلَّى فَوَلَّى جَمِيلُ الصَّبْرِ يَتْبَعُهُ *** وَصَرَّحَ الدَّمْعُ مَا تُخْفِيهِ أَضْلُعُهُ جِسْمٌ مَلُولٌ وَقَلْبٌ آلِفٌ فَإِذَا *** حَلَّ الفِرَاقُ عَلَيْهِ فَهْوَ مُوجِعُهُ لَمْ تَسْتَقرَّ بِهِ دَارٌ وَلَا وَطَنٌ *** وَلَا تَدَفَّأَ مِنْهُ قَطُّ مَضْجعُهُ,"I take pride in my fidelity in a long poem, in which I have mentioned the calamities which have stricken me, and the sufferings I have had to endure in a life of constant alighting and departing, as I shifted my tent from one encampment to another throughout all the lands. This poem opens as follows:  He went away, and was pursued By all my noble fortitude The tears o’erflowing from his eyes Betrayed what in his bosom lies.  A weary body, and a heart Affectionate; which, when to part Irrevocably doomed, was full Of sorrow inexpressible.  No home thereafter he possessed, And in no country found he rest; The couch whereon he nightly lay Was warmed not, ere he was away."
كَأَنَّمَا صِيغَ مِنْ رَهْوِ السَّحَابِ فَمَا *** تَزَالُ رِيحٌ إِلَى الآفَاقِ تَدْفَعُهُ كَأَنَّمَا هُوَ تَوْحِيدٌ تَضِيقُ بِهِ *** نَفْسُ الكَفُورِ فَتَأْبَى حِينَ تُودعُهُ أُوْ كَوْكَبٌ قَاطِعٌ فِي الأُفْقِ مُنْتَقِلٌ *** فَالسَّيْرُ يُغْرِبُهُ حِينًا وَيُطْلِعُهُ أَظُنُّهُ لَوْ جزته أَوْ تُسَاعِدُهُ *** أَلْقَتْ عَلَيْهِ انْهِمَالَ الدَّمْعِ يَتْبَعُهُ,"Methinks his spirit wears for shroud The fleecy tissue of a cloud, By some erratic wind of heaven To new horizons ever driven.  Or he is like the credo brief Of unitarian belief Which infidels so much detest, They spew it from their miscreant breast.  Of else he is an errant star Migrating through the heavens far, Now setting in the west extreme, Now rising with an orient beam.  Did she reward him (I suppose) Or lend him succour in his woes, The flooding tears that she would shed Should follow him wher’er he fled."
وبالوفاء أيضًا أفتخر في قصيدة لي طويلة أوردتها، وإن كان أكثرها ليس من جنس الكتاب، فكان سبب قولي لها أن قومًا من مُخالفيَّ شرقوا بي فأساءوا العتب في وجهي، وقذفوني بأني أعضدُ الباطل بحُجتي، عجزًا منهم عن مُقاومة ما أوردته من نَصر الحق وأهله، وحسدًا لي، فقلت وخاطبت بقصيدتي بعض إخواني، وكان ذا فهم، منها:  وَخُذْنِي عَصَا مُوسَى وَهَاتِ جَمِيعَهُمْ *** وَلَو أَنَّهُمْ حَيَّاتُ ضَالٍ نَضَانِضُ  ومنها:  يُرِيغُونَ فِي عيني عَجَائِب جَمَّة *** وَقَدْ يَتَمَنَّى اللَّيْثُ وَاللَّيْثُ رَابِضُ,"I pride myself on my fidelity in another long ballad, which I have reproduced here, although the most of it is not relevant to the subject of this essay. The reason for my composing these verses was that certain of my antagonists, being choked in intellectual debate with me, cast foul reproaches in my face, and accused me of espousing the cause of untruth; this they did because they were unable to refute my arguments in defence of truth and its champions, and were jealous of my debating prowess. So I invented this spirited poem, and addressed it to an intelligent friend. I will quote a few selections.  Then take me for thy Moses’ rod, And bring them, one and all, by God! Be every one a snake, among The lote-trees flicking his forked tongue.  Again:  Their wondrous lies they bravely shout When they perceive me not about The lion is a cowering thing Aye, but he bides his time to spring!"
ومنها:  وَيَرْجُونَ مَا لَا يَبْلُغُونَ كَمِثْلِ مَا *** يُرَجِّي مُحَالًا فِي الإِمَامِ الرَّوَافِضُ  ومنها:  وَلَوْ جَلَدِي فِي كُلِّ قَلْبٍ وَمُهْجَةٍ *** لَمَا أَثَّرَتْ فِيهَا العُيُونُ المَرَائِضُ أَبَتْ عَنْ دَنِيءِ الوَصْفِ ضَرْبَةُ لَازِبٍ *** كَمَا أَبَتِ الفِعْلَ الحُرُوفُ الخَوَافِضُ  ومنها:  وَرَأْيِي لَهُ فِي كُلِّ مَا غَابَ مَسْلَكٌ *** كَمَا تَسْلُكُ الجِسْمَ العُرُوقُ النَّوَابِضُ يَبِينُ مَدَبُّ النَّمْلِ فِي غَيْرِ مُشْكَلٍ *** ويُسترُ عَنْهُمْ لِلْفُيُولِ المَرَابِضُ,"Again:  The wildest hopes they entertain For what they surely will not gain ; Their master, think the Rafidis, Can do impossibilities.  Again:  If my resolve and self-control Inhabited each timorous soul, The eyes of beauties languishing Would little influence on them bring  Scorning, as verbs intransitive, In mean dependency to live, Like prepositions, that refuse Their verbs to govern as they choose.  Again:  My judgment pioneers its way Through all things hidden from the day, As pulsing arteries do all Traverse the body physical  Detecting with a simple glance The labyrinthine track of ants, While it is hidden from their sight Where elephants do crouch at night!"
باب الغدر وكما أنَّ الوفاء من سريِّ النعوت ونَبيل الصفات، فكذلك الغدر من ذَميمها ومكروهها، وإنما يُسمى غدرًا من البادي.,"OF BETRAYAL As Fidelity is a most lofty attribute and a truly noble quality, so Betrayal is base and detestable in the extreme. The term is only to be applied to those who take the initiative in treachery;"
وأما المُقارض بالغدر على مثله، وإن استوى معه في حقيقة الفعل، فليس بغدرٍ ولا هو مَعيبًا بذلك، والله عز وجل يقول: {وَجَزَاءُ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِّثْلُهَا}.,"to repay betrayal with like betrayal, though it be equal as regards the action itself, is not true treachery, and the man who so acts is not deserving of blame, for Allah Himself says, “And the recompense of an evil act is an evil act like unto it” (Koran XLII 38)."
وقد علمنا أنَّ الثانية ليست بسيِّئة، ولكن لما جانست الأولى في الشبه أُوقع عليها مثل اسمها.,Now we know of course that the second act is not evil; it is only because it appears to be of the same order as the first that the name “evil” is given to it.
ولكثرة وجود الغدر في المحبوب استُغرب الوفاء منه، فصار قليله الواقع منهم يقاوم الكثيرَ الموجود في سواهم. وفي ذلك أقول:  قَلِيلُ وَفَاءِ مَنْ يُهْوَى يَجِلُّ *** وَعُظْمُ وَفَاءِ مَنْ يَهْوَى يَقِلُّ فَنَادِرَةُ الجَبَانِ أَجَلُّ مِمَّا *** يَجِيءُ بِهِ الشُّجَاعُ المُسْتَقِلُّ,"Because betrayal is so common a characteristic of the beloved, fidelity’ on her part has come to be regarded as extraordinary; therefore its rare occurrence in persons loved is thought to counterbalance its frequency among lovers. I have a little poem on this subject.  Small faithfulness in the beloved Is most exceedingly approved, While lovers’ great fidelity Is taken unremarkably.  So cowards, rarely brave in war, Are more applauded when they are Than heroes, who sustain all day The heat and’ fury of the fray."
ومن قبيح الغدر أن يكون للمحب سفير إلى محبوبه يستريح إليه بأسراره، فيسعى حتى يقلبه إلى نفسه ويستأثر به دونه. وفيه أقول:  أَقَمْتُ سَفِيرًا قَاصِدًا فِي مَطَالِبِي *** وَثِقْتُ بِهِ جَهْلًا فَضَرَّبَ بَيْنَنَا وَحَلَّ عُرَى وُدِّي وَأَثْبَتَ وُدَّهُ *** وَأَبْعَدَ عَنِّي كُلَّ مَا كَانَ مُمْكِنَا فَصِرْتُ شَهِيدًا بَعْدَمَا كُنْتُ مُشْهِدًا *** وَأَصْبَحْتُ ضَيْفًا بَعْدَمَا كَانَ ضَيْفَنَا,"A particularly base type of betrayal is when the lover sends an emissary to the beloved, entrusting all his secrets to his keeping, and then the messenger strives and contrives to convert the beloved’s interest to himself, and captures her affection to the exclusion of his principal. I put this situation in rhyme as follows.  I sent an envoy unto thee, Intending so my hopes to gain; I trusted him too foolishly; Now he has come between us twain.  He loosed the cords of my true love, Then neatly tied his own instead; He drove me out of all whereof I might have well been tenanted.  I, who had called him to the stand, Am now a witness to his case I fed him at my table, and Now hang myself upon his grace."
وأما المحبوب فصمدة ثابتة، وقضيب مُنآد، يجفو ويرضى متى شاء لا لمعنًى.,"but as for the beloved, she is at one time an unbending lance, at another a pliant twig, now cruel, now complaisant, just as the mood takes her and for no valid reason."
وفي ذلك أقول:  لَيْسَ التَّذَلُّلُ فِي الهَوَى يُسْتَنْكَرُ *** فَالحُبُّ فِيهِ يَخضَعُ المُسْتَكْبِرُ لَا تَعْجَبُوا مِنْ ذِلَّتِي فِي حَالَةٍ *** قَدْ ذَلَّ فِيهَا قَبْلِيَ المُسْتَبْصِرُ لَيْسَ الحَبِيبُ مُمَاثلًا وُمكَافِيًا *** فَيَكُونَ صَبْرُكَ ذِلَّةً إِذْ تَصْبِرُ تُفَّاحَةٌ وَقَعَتْ فَآلَمَ وَقْعُهَا *** هَلْ قَطْعُهَا مِنْكَ انْتِصَارٌ يُذْكَرُ,"On this theme I can quote an apposite poem of mine.  It is not just to disapprove A meek servility in love For Love the proudest men abase Themselves, and feel it no disgrace.  Then do not marvel so at me And my profound humility; Ere I was overthrown, this state Proud Caliphs did humiliate.  No peer is the beloved one, No parfit knight, no champion, That it should shame to thee procure, Her hateful insults to endure:  An apple falling from the tree Struck and a trifle injured thee Would it be triumph worth thy pain To cut the apple into twain?"
خبر ولقد حدَّثني القاضي يونس بن عبد الله قال: أذكر في الصِّبَا جاريةً في بعض السدد يَهواها فتًى من أهل الأدب من أبناء الملوك وتَهواه ويَتراسلان، وكان السفير بينهما والرسول بكتبهما فتًى من أترابه كان يصل إليها، فلما عُرضت الجارية للبيع أراد الذي كان يُحبها ابتياعها، فبدر الذي كان رسولًا فاشتراها، فدخل عليها يومًا فوجدها قد فتحت دُرجًا لها تطلب فيه بعض حوائجها، فأتى إليها وجعل يُفتِّش الدرج، فخرج إليه كتاب من ذلك الفتى الذي كان يَهواها مُضمَّخًا بالغالية مَصونًا مُكرمًا،,"The cadi Yunus Ibn `Abd Allah told me once the following story. “I remember in my youth a certain slave-girl belonging to one of the great houses, who was passionately loved by a young man of high culture and princely blood. She reciprocated his feelings, and the two corresponded together, their messenger and postman being one of his companions of a like age, who had ready access to her. In due course the girl was offered for sale, and her royal lover desired to purchase her; but he was beaten to the bargain by the youth who had been his envoy. One day he entered her apartment, and found her opening a casket belonging to her, and searching for some personal effect. He came up and began turning out the box with her; and a letter fell out which was written in the hand of the youth who had been in love with her, all daubed with ambergris and treasured with tender care."
فغضب وقال: من أين هذا يا فاسقة؟,"He cried angrily, “Where did this come from, strumpet?”"
قالت: أنت سُقتَه إليَّ.,"“You yourself conveyed it to me”, she answered."
فقال: لعله مُحدَث بعد ذاك الحين.,"“Perhaps this has arrived newly, since that time”, he said."
فقالت: ما هو إلا من قديم تلك التي تعرف.,"“Oh no”, she replied. “It is one of those old letters, which you know all about.”"
قال: فكأنما ألقمتْه حجرًا، فسُقِط في يديه وسكت.,"“It was just as though she had popped a stone in his mouth. He was utterly confounded, and could not utter another word.”"
باب البَيْن وقد علمنا أنه لا بد لكل مُجتمِع من افتراق، ولكل دانٍ من تَناء، وتلك عادة الله في العباد والبلاد حتى يرث الله الأرض ومَن عليها وهو خير الوارثين، وما شيء من دواهي الدنيا يَعدل الافتراق، ولو سالت الأرواحُ به فضلًا عن الدموع كان قليلًا.,"OF SEPARATION WE know well that every union must in the end disperse, and all things near some time draw apart. Such is God’s wont with men as with lands, until such time as Allah inherits the earth and all that dwells thereon; and Allah is the best of inheritors. No calamity is there in the world equal to separation: if the souls of men should flow out of their bodies by reason of it-and much more the tears out of their eyes-it were but little to wonder at."
وسمع بعضُ الحكماء قائلًا يقول: الفِراق أخو الموت. فقال: بل الموت أخو الفراق.,"A certain philosopher, on hearing a man remark that separation was the brother of death, said, “Nay, but death is the brother of separation”."
والبين ينقسم أقسامًا؛ فأولها مُدة يُوقَن بانصرامِها وبالعودة عن قريب، وإنه لشَجًى في القلب، وغُصَّة في الحلق لا تبرأ إلا بالرَّجعة.,"Parting is divided into various kinds. The first is for a period of time which one can be sure will end, so that presently there will be a returning. Such parting is a load oppressing the heart, a lump obstructing the throat, that will not be mended save by a coming back."
وأنا أعلم من كان يَغيب من يُحب عن بصره يومًا واحدًا فيعتريه من الهلَع والجزَع وشُغل البال وتُرادُف الكُرَب ما يكاد يأتي عليه.,"I know a man whose beloved was absent from his sight just one day, and he was so overcome by anxiety, fretfulness, preoccupation and successive paroxysms of anguish that he almost expired."
ثم بَيْنٌ مَنْعٌ من اللِّقاء، وتَحظيرٌ على المحبوب من أن يراه مُحبُّه، فهذا — ولو كان مَن تُحبُّه معك في دارٍ واحدة — فهو بَينٌ؛ لأنه بائنٌ عنك. وإن هذا ليولِّد من الحزن والأسفِ غير قليل، ولقد جرَّبناه فكان مُرًّا،,"Next there is the separation that is due to a deliberate prevention of any meeting, a confining of the beloved so that she may not be seen by the lover. When this happens, though the person whom you love may be with you under the same roof it is still a separation, because the beloved is parted from you; and that engenders not .a little grief and regret. I have tried it myself, and found it bitter indeed."
وفي ذلك أقول:  أَرَى دَارَهَا فِي كُلِّ حِينٍ وَسَاعَةٍ *** وَلَكِنَّ مَنْ فِي الدَّارِ عَنِّي مُغَيَّبُ وَهَلْ نَافِعِي قُرْبُ الدِّيَارِ وَأَهْلِهَا *** عَلَى وَصْلِهِمْ مِنِّي رَقِيبٌ مُرَاقِبُ فَيَا لَك جار الجَنْبِ أَسمَعُ حِسَّهُ *** وَأَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الصِّينَ أَدْنَى وَأَقْرَبُ كَصَادٍ يَرَى مَاءَ الطَّوِيِّ بِعَيْنِهِ *** وَلَيْسَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ سَبِيلٍ يُسَبِّبُ كَذِلَكَ مَنْ فِي اللَّحْدِ عَنْكَ مُغَيَّبٌ *** وَمَا دُونَهُ إِلَّا الصَّفِيحُ المُنَصَّبُ,"The following verses reflect my experience.  In every minute of each hour To view her house is in my power, But she who in the house resides Eternally unseen abides.  What does this close propinquity Of residences profit me, Since spies are posted to forestall My drawing nigh to her at all?  Alas, sweet neighbor dwelling near Whose every footstep I can hear, And yet am conscious that Cathay Itself is not so far away!  So might a thirsty man espy Deep in some well sweet waters lie, But in his raging fever hit Upon no way to come to it.  So too the dead within the tomb Are hidden from us in their gloom, With nothing else to intervene But the cold slabs set up between."
وأقول من قصيدة مُطوَّلة:  مَتَى تَشْتَفِي نَفْسٌ أَضَرَّ بِهَا الوَجْدُ *** وَتَصْقَبُ دَارٌ قَدْ طَوَى أَهْلَهَا البُعْدُ وَعَهْدِي بِهِنْدٍ وَهْيَ جَارَةُ بَيْتِنَا *** وَأَقْرَبُ مِنْ هِنْدٍ لِطَالِبِهَا الهِنْدُ بَلَى إِنَّ فِي قُرْبِ الدِّيَارِ لَرَاحَةً *** كَمَا يُمْسِكُ الظَّمْآنُ أَنْ يَدْنُوَ الوِرْدُ,"In a long ballad of mine these stanzas occur.  When shall a soul, by grievous pain Of passion wracked, be healed again? When shall a house, whose inmates lie Unseen afar, draw near and nigh?  Ah, happy days of memory When Hind was neighbor close to me, Yet India were a nearer goal Then Hind, to the adventurous soul  Yea, but propinquity bestows On neighboring lovers some repose, As men athirst their pangs withstand Knowing the fountain is at hand."
ثم بَيْنٌ يتعمَّده المحبُّ بُعْدًا عن قول الوُشاة، وخوفًا أن يكون بقاؤه سببًا إلى منع اللقاء، وذريعةً إلى أن يَفشوَ الكلام فَيقَع الحجابُ الغليظ.,"Then there is the separation which the lover deliberately seeks, so as to remove himself beyond the reach of slanderers, and because he fears that his continuing with the beloved may be a cause of further meetings being prevented, and an occasion for the spreading of malicious talk, thus leading to the strict seclusion of his loved one."
ثم بَيْنٌ يولِّده المُحبُّ لبعض ما يدعوه إلى ذلك من آفات الزمان، وعُذره مقبول أو مُطرح على قدر الحافز له إلى الرحيل.,"Separation may also be initiated by the lover because of some dreadful mischance which overtakes him. In this case his excuse is to be accepted or rejected, according to the urgency of the motive impelling him to take his departure."
خبر ولعهدي بصديق لي دارُه المريَّة، فعَنَّتْ له حوائجُ إلى شاطِبة فقصدها، وكان نازلًا بها في منزلي مدةَ إقامته بها، وكان له بالمريَّة علاقة هي أكبر همِّه، وأدهى غَمِّه، وكان يُؤمِّلُ بَتَّها وفراغ أسبابه، وأن يُوشك الرَّجعة ويُسرع الأوبة، فلم يكن إلا حِينٌ لطيف بعد احتلاله عندي حتى جَيَّشَ الموفَّق أبو الحسن مجاهد، صاحب الجزائر، الجيوش وقَرَّب العساكر، ونابذ خَيران صاحب المريَّة، وعزم على استئصاله، فانقطعت الطرق بسبب هذه الحرب، وتُحوميت السُّبل، واحتُرس البحر بالأساطيل، فتضاعف كَرْبه إذ لم يجد إلى الانصراف سبيلًا البتة، وكاد يَطفَأ أسفًا، وصار لا يأنس بغير الوحدة، ولا يلجأ إلا إلى الزفير والوُجوم، ولعمري لقد كان ممن لم أقدُر قط فيه أنَّ قلبه يُذعن للود، ولا شراسةَ طَبعِه تجيب إلى الهوى.,"I call to mind a friend of mine whose residence was in Almeria, but who was obliged by reasons of business to travel to Jativa. He lodged there in my house for the whole of his stay. Now he had an amorous attachment in Almeria which was the greatest worry and most pressing concern to him; and he was looking forward all the time to complete his arrangements and have done with his affairs, so that he could soon be on his way back and hurry home. But he had only been staying with me a trifling while, when al-Muwaffaq Abu ‘l-Jaish Mujahid, the master of the Balearics, mobilized his forces, moved forward his battalions, and opened hostilities against Khairan, the ruler of Almeria, intending to extirpate him. As a consequence of this war the roads were cut, all land-routes were patrolled, and the sea passages were blockaded by the fleets. My friend’s anguish was thus redoubled, for he could not find any way whatever of departing; he was almost snuffed out by despair; he was unable to discover any comfort but in solitude, and took refuge in prodigious sighs and sullen grief. And upon my life, he was the kind of man I would never have supposed likely to yield his heart submissively to love; I could scarcely believe that his unsociable nature would respond to the tender call of passion."
وأذكر أني دخلتُ قرطبة بعد رحيلي عنها، ثم خرجتُ منصرفًا عنها، فضمَّني الطريق مع رجل من الكُتَّاب قد رحل لأمر مُهمٍّ وتَخلَّف سَكْنٌ له، فكان يَرتمض لذلك.,"I remember coming back to Cordova after being away on a journey, and then leaving the city once more; and on the road I was thrown together with a civil servant who had also set forth from Cordova upon important business, leaving behind him a little sweetheart. He was most exceedingly distressed about it."
وإني لأعلم مَن عَلِق بهوًى له، وكان في حال شَظف، وكانت له في الأرض مذاهبُ واسعة، ومناديح رَحْبة، ووُجوه متصرف كثيرة، فهان عليه ذلك وآثر الإقامة مع من يحب. وفي ذلك أقول شعرًا، منه:  لَكَ فِي البِلَادِ مَنَادِحٌ مَعْلُومَةٌ *** وَالسَّيْفُ غُفْلٌ أَوْ يَبِينُ قِرَابه,"I know a man who formed a passionate attachment, and lived in miserable squalor, although he had vast prospects, boundless opportunities and innumerable avenues to worldly success. Yet all that meant nothing to him; he preferred to stay with his beloved. I wrote this little poem to commemorate the situation.  Vast prospects circle thy abode, With signposts all along the road The sword is little worth to wear, Until it be unsheathed and bare."
ثم بَيْنُ رحيلٍ وتباعدِ ديار، ولا يكون من الأوبة فيه على يقين خبر، ولا يَحدُث تلاقٍ، وهو الخَطب المُوجع، والهم المُفظع، والحادث الأشنع، والداء الدويُّ. وأكثر ما يكون الهلَع فيه إذا كان النائي هو المحبوب، وهو الذي قالت فيه الشعراء كثيرًا.,"Separation can be caused by a journey and a far removal of dwellings, when there is little certainty of a return, and the lovers cannot be sure of ever meeting again. That is a grievous catastrophe, a shocking anxiety, a most frightful eventuality, a stubborn sickness: greatest indeed is the ensuing fretfulness, when it is the beloved who goes away."
وفي ذلك أقول قصيدةً، منها:  وَذِي عِلَّةٍ أَعْيَا الطَّبِيبَ عِلَاجُهَا *** سَتُورِدُنِي لَا شَكَّ مَنْهَلَ مَصْرَعِي رَضِيتُ بِأَنْ أُضْحِي قَتِيلَ وِدَادِهِ *** كَجَارِعِ سُمٍّ فِي رَحِيقٍ مُشَعْشعِ فَمَا لِلَّيَالِي، مَا أَقلَّ حَيَاءَهَا *** وَأَوْلَعَهَا بِالنَّفْسِ مِنْ كُلِّ مُولَع كَأَنَّ زَمَانَي عَبْشَمِيٌّ يَخَالُنِي *** أَعَنْتُ عَلَى عُثْمَانَ أَهْلَ التَّشَيُّعِ,"I have a long poem on this topic, in which the following verses occur.  Ah me, the languor of her eyes, The sickness baffling doctors’ skill, That leads me, as no doubt it will, To waters where the drinker dies.  I am contented to be slain, A ready victim to her love, As one who swallows poison of The sparkling wine he yearns to drain.  Alas, how little was their shame, Those endless nights I sleepless lay, Eager to steal my soul away, Poor plaything of their ruthless game.  Some ‘Abshami my fate must be, ‘Uthman’s revengeful kinsman, who, Supposing me to `Ali true, Would slay me for complicity."
وأقول من قصيدة:  أَظُنُّكَ تِمْثَال الجِنَانِ أَبَاحَهُ *** لِمُجْتَهِدِ النُّسَّاكِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَائِهِ  وأقول من قصيدة:  لأبْرد بِاللُّقْيَا غَلِيلًا مِنَ الهَوَى *** تَوَقَّع نِيرَان الغَضَى هَيمَانه  وأقول شعرًا، منه:  خَفِيت عن الأَبْصَارِ وَالوَجْدُ ظَاهِرٌ *** فَاعْجبْ بِأَعْرَاضٍ تَبِينُ وَلَا شَخْص غَدَا الفَلَكُ الدَّوَّارُ حَلْقَةَ خَاتَمٍ *** مُحِيطٍ بِمَا فِيهِ وَأَنْتِ لَهُ فَص,"In another poem I say  I think thou art a likeness true Of Paradise, that rich reward Assigned by loving Allah to His saints, who labour for their Lord.  Elsewhere I say  That I may slake, in meeting thee, This passion’s thirst that burns in me, This conflagration of desire Inflamed like tamarisk afire.  And elsewhere  I vanished out of human ken, My passion patent yet to men O strange, apparent accidents Whose body is remote from sense!  The heavens all-encompassing Spin ever like some giant ring Thou, centred at the circle’s heart, Its coruscating bezel art."
وأقول من قصيدة:  غَنِيت عَن التَّشْبِيهِ حُسْنًا وَبَهْجَةً *** كَمَا غَنِيت شَمْسُ السَّمَاءِ عَنِ الحَلْي عَجِبْتُ لِنَفْسِي بَعْدَهُ كَيْفَ لَمْ تَمُتْ *** وهجْرَانُهُ دَفْنِي وَفُقْدَانُهُ نَعيي وَلِلْجَسَدِ الغَضِّ المُنَعَّمِ كَيْفَ لَمْ *** تُذِبْهُ يَدٌ خَشْنَاء … …,"Elsewhere again I have these stanzas.  Thou, with such loveliness endued, Transcendest all similitude The sun, resplendent in the skies, Upon no ornament relies.  (I marvel how my soul lives on, And did not die when he was gone His parting meant the tomb for me, His loss was my obituary.  I wonder at my body, yet So tender and so delicate, Such shocks still able to withstand, Unwithered by Fate’s cruel hand)."
وإنَّ للأوبة من البَيْن الذي تُشفق منه النفس لِطُول مسافته، وتكاد تيأس من العودة فيه لروعةً تبلغ ما لا حدَّ وراءه، وربما قتلت. وفي ذلك أقول:  لِلتَّلَاقِي بَعْدَ الفِرَاقِ سُرُورٌ *** كَسُرُورِ المُفِيقِ حَانَتْ وَفَاتُهْ فَرْحَةٌ تُبْهِجُ النُّفُوسَ وَتُحْيي *** مَنْ دَنَا مِنْهُ بِالفرَاقِ مَمَاتُه رُبمَا قَدْ تَكُونُ دَاهِيَةُ المَوْ *** تِ وَتُودِي بِأَهلِهِ هَجَمَاتُه كم رأينا مَن عَبَّ في الماء عطشا *** نَ فزارَ الحِمام وهو حَياتُه!,"But to return after a separation so prolonged that the soul is filled with disquietude, and wellnigh despairs of ever coming back again-that is a joyous surprise surpassing all bounds; indeed its impact is sometimes fatal. This is how I have described it in verse.  After parting to unite Is a wonder of delight, Such as his, who issueth From the very jaws of death.  This rejoices the poor heart Languishing so long apart, Brings to life the lover, nigh (In his loneliness) to die.  Yet such ecstasy of joy, When too sudden, can destroy, And its onslaught prove his doom, Lay the lover in the tomb.  Sometimes travellers athirst Gulp the waters till they burst, And the liquid that should save From expiring, is their grave."
وإني لأعلم مَن نأت دارُ محبوبه زمنًا ثم تيسَّرت له أوبة، فلم يكن إلا بقَدْر التسليم واستيفائه، حتى دعتْه نوًى ثانية فكاد أن يَهلِك. وفي ذلك أقول:  أَطَلْتُ زَمَانَ البُعْدِ حَتَّى إِذَا انْقَضَى *** زَمَانُ النَّوَى بِالقُرْبِ عُدْتَ إِلَى البُعْدِ فَلَمْ يَكُ إِلَّا كَرَّة الطَّرْفِ قُرْبَكُمْ *** وَعَاوَدَكُمْ بَعْدِي وَعَاوَدَنِي وَجْدِي كَذَا حَائِرٌ فِي اللَّيْلِ ضَاقَتْ وُجُوهُهُ *** رَأَى البَرْقَ فِي دَاجٍ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مُسْوَدِّ فَأَخلَفهُ مِنهُ رَجاءُ دَوامِه *** وبَعضُ الأرَاجِي لا تُفيدُ ولا تُجدِي,"I put this drama into rhyme.  A weary while afar I spent Till, when my time of banishment Was done, and I stood nigh to you, I must perforce remove anew.  For but the twinkling of an eye My happiness, and you, were nigh, Then I deserted you again, To be revisited by pain.  So, when the traveller, astray And sorely vexed to find his way, Beholds the levin’s sudden light Illuminate the inky night  He hopes for its perpetual gleam, But he is cheated of his dream; And many hopes do but deceive, And dreams exhilarate, to grieve."
وفي الأوبة بعد الفراق أقول قطعةً، منها:  لَقَدْ قَرَّتِ العَيْنَانِ بِالقُرْبِ مِنْكُمُ *** كَمَا سَخُنَتْ أَيَّام يَطْوِيكُمُ البُعْدُ فَلله فِيمَا قد مَضَى الصَّبْرُ وَالرِّضَى *** وَلله فِيمَا قَدْ قَضَى الشُّكْرُ وَالحَمْدُ,"On the theme of returning after separation I have these lines.  My eyes were cooled with gladness, when I came to dwell with you again But while you were afar, ah then My eyes were hot with burning pain.  I offer God for what is gone A spirit patient and resigned, As too, for what ensued thereon, The praises of a grateful mind."
خبر ولقد نُعي إليَّ بعضُ مَن كنتُ أحبُّ من بلدة نازحة، فقمتُ فارًّا بنفسي نحو المقابر وجعلتُ أمشي بينها وأقول:  وَدِدْتُ بِأَنَّ ظَهْرَ الأَرْضِ بَطْنٌ *** وَأَنَّ البَطْنَ مِنْهَا صَارَ ظَهْرَا وَأَنِّي مِتُّ قَبْلَ وُرُودِ خَطْبٍ *** أَتَى فَأَثَارَ فِي الأَكْبَادِ جَمْرا وَأَنَّ دَمِي لِمَنْ قَدْ بَانَ غُسْلٌ *** وَأَنَّ ضُلُوعَ صَدْرِي كُنَّ قبرا,"News was brought to me of the death in a distant city of one I loved. I arose and fled to the cemetery, where I paced up and down among the graves, reciting the following verses.  I would this earth without Were wholly turned about, And that which lies below Were mine wherein to go.  Would Death had ravished me, Ere this calamity Upon my spirit came, And set my heart aflame.  Would all my blood were shed To lave my dearest dead, And in my hollow breast His body lay at rest."
ثم اتصل بعد حينٍ تكذيبُ ذلك الخبرِ، فقلت:  بُشْرى أَتَتْ وَاليَأْسُ مُسْتَحْكم *** وَالقَلْبُ فِي سَبْعٍ طِبَاقٍ شِدَادِ كَسَتْ فُؤَادِي خُضْرَة بَعْدَمَا *** كَانَ فُؤَادِي لَابِسًا لِلحِدَادِ جَلَّى سَوَادَ الغَمِّ عَنِّي كَمَا *** يُجْلَى بِلَوْنِ الشَّمْسِ لَوْنُ السَّوَاد هَذَا وَمَا آمُلُ وَصْلًا سِوَى *** صِدْقِ وَفَاءٍ بِقَدِيمِ الوِدَادِ فَالمُزْنُ قَدْ تُطْلَبُ لَا لِلْحَيَا *** لَكِنْ لِظِلٍّ بَارِدٍ ذِي امْتِدَادِ,"A little while later I learned that those tidings were false; and in joy I set pen to paper again and fashioned this poem.  Joy came, when desperate woe Was now established well; My heart was clapt below The seven tiers of hell.  Joy clothed in living green The heart within my breast, This heart that long had been In garb of mourning dressed.  The black of sullen gloom Removed, as when the bright Sun floods a shuttered room And fills it all with light.  And yet I dare not look For other union, save The ancient oath I took, The plight of love you gave.  So men will pray for cloud, Not hoping for sweet rain, But that in its spread shroud Cool shelter they may gain."
ويقع في هذين الصنفين من البَينِ الوداعُ؛ أعني رحِيلَ المُحب أو رحيل المحبوب.,"In these two sorts of separation the leave-taking occurs, that is to say when the lover or the beloved sets forth upon a journey."
وإنه لمن المناظر الهائلة والمواقف الصعبة التي تَفتضح فيها عزيمة كل ماضي العزائم، وتذهب قوة كل ذي بصيرة، وتَسكب كلُّ عينٍ جمود، ويَظهر مكنون الجوى.,"That is a most moving spectacle, a very painful scene which tests to breaking-point the resolution of even the strongest will ; the power of the most perspicacious vanishes ; the driest eye is bathed in tears ; the deepest-hidden passion is exposed to the light of day."
ولعمري لو أن ظريفًا يموت في ساعة الوداع لكان معذورًا إذا تفكَّر فيما يَحُلُّ به بعد ساعة من انقطاع الآمال، وحلول الأوجال، وتبدُّل السرور بالحزن.,"By my life, if a sensitive man should expire in the hour of leave-taking he might well be excused, when he reflects upon the situation in which he will find himself after all his hopes are shattered, and terrors grip his soul, and joy is turned to sorrow."
وإنها ساعة تُرِقُّ القلوب القاسية، وتُلين الأفئدة الغلاظ.,"It is an hour to soften the hardest heart, to melt the most unfeeling breast."
وإن حركة الرأس وإدمان النظر والزَّفرة بعد الوداع لهاتكةٌ حجابَ القلب، ومُوصلة إليه من الجزع بمقدار ما تفعل حركةُ الوجه في ضد هذا. والإشارة بالعين والتبسُّم في مواطن المُوافقة والوداع ينقسم قسمين؛ أحدهما لا يتمكَّن فيه إلا بالنظر والإشارة، والثاني يتمكن فيه بالعناق والملازمة، وربما لعلَّه كان لا يُمكن قبل ذلك البتة مع تجاور المحال وإمكان التلاقي؛ ولهذا تمنَّى بعضُ الشعراء البَيْنَ ومدَحوا يوم النَّوَى، وما ذاك بحَسن ولا بصواب ولا بالأصيل من الرأي؛ فما يفي سرورُ ساعة بحزن ساعات، فكيف إذا كان البين أيامًا وشهورًا وربما أعوامًا!,"The shaking of the head, the long unwavering stare, the sighs that follow after farewell tear aside the veil of the heart, and admit into its sanctuary disquietude as great as the agitation provoked in the contrary case by the animated countenance, the winks, the smiles, and all the other manifestations of loving harmony. There are two kinds of leave-taking. In the first, there is no other possibility of demonstrating the emotions but by means of glances and signs; in the second, embracing and hugging are possible, which for some reason or other may not have been the case before, despite the propinquity of dwellings and the feasibility of the lovers meeting. Therefore some poets have wished for separation, and have praised the day of parting; but that is neither beautiful, right, nor well founded. The joy of one hour does not compensate for the sorrow of several; how then will it be if the separation should continue for days, months, perhaps years?"
وهذا سوء من النظر ومعْوجٌّ من القياس، وإنما أثنيتُ على النوى في شعري تمنِّيًا لرجوع يومها، فيكون في كل يوم لقاء ووداع.,"That is indeed an evil speculation and a -crooked- logic. Where I have praised parting myself in my poetry, it has only been because I yearned for the day of parting to return, so that upon everyday there might be a reunion and a farewell."
على أن تَحمُّل مضض هذا الاسم الكريه، وذلك عندما يمضي من الأيام التي لا التقاء فيها، يرغِّب المحب عن يوم الفراق لو أمكنه في كل يوم. وفي الصنف الأول من الوداع أقول شعرًا، منه:  تَنُوبُ عَنْ بَهْجَةِ الأَنْوَارِ بَهْجَتُهُ *** كَمَا تَنُوبُ عَن النِّيرَانِ أَنْفَاسِي,"The pain occasioned by this hateful name can be endured, especially if several days have elapsed in which no meeting has taken place; for then the lover actually longs for the day of separation, and wishes it might happen every day. On the first type of leave-taking I have this stanza.  Her loveliness is deputy For the sweet loveliness of light, As substitute the sighs in me For flaming embers burning bright."
وفي الصنف الثاني من الوداع أقول شعرًا، منه:  وَجْهٌ تَخِرُّ لَهُ الأَنْوَارُ سَاجِدَةً *** وَالوَجْهُ تِمٌّ فَلَمْ يَنْقُصْ وَلَمْ يَزِدِ دِفْءٌ وَشَمْسُ الضُّحَى بِالجَدْيِ نَازِلَةٌ *** وَبَارِدٌ نَاعِمٌ وَالشَّمْسُ فِي الأَسَدِ,"I describe the second sort of leave-taking thus.  Before her face resplendent all The lights of heaven prostrate fall, A face of perfect loveliness Augmenting not, nor growing less.  A grateful warmth, as when at morn The sun is lodged in Capricorn, A gentle coolness, when the sun In Leo has his journey run."
ومنه:  يَوْمُ الفِرَاقِ لَعَمْرِي لَسْتُ أَكْرَهُهُ *** أَصْلًا وَإِنْ شَتَّ شَمْلُ الرُّوحِ عَنْ جَسَدِي فَفِيهِ عَانَقْتُ مَنْ أَهْوَى بِلَا جَزَعٍ *** وَكَانَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ إِنْ سِيلَ لَمْ يَجُدِ أَلَيْسَ مِنْ عَجَبٍ دَمْعِي وَعَبْرَتِهَا *** يَوْمُ الوِصَالِ لِيَوْمِ البَيْنِ ذُو حَسَدِ,"Later in the same poem I have these stanzas.  Upon my life, I do not hate The day when lovers separate, Not fundamentally, although My soul doth from my body go.  On such a day I took my leave Of her I love, yet did not grieve, Since she embraced me, which before She would not, though I might implore.  Is it not strange and marvelous, The lesson this can teach to us? The hour of separation may Be envied well by union’s day!"
وهل هجس في الأفكار أو قام في الظنون أشنعُ وأوجع من هَجر عِتاب وقع بين مُحبَّين، ثم فجأتْهما النوى قبل حلول الصُّلح وانحلال عُقدة الهجران، فقاما إلى الوداع وقد نُسي العِتاب، وجاء ما طَمَّ على القُوى وأطار الكرى. وفيه أقول شعرًا، منه:  وَقَدْ سَقَطَ العَتبُ المُقَدَّمُ وَامَّحَى *** وَجَاءَتْ جُيُوشُ البَيْنِ تَجْرِي وَتُسْرِعُ وَقَدْ ذَعَرَ البَيْنُ الصُّدُودَ فَرَاعَهُ *** فَوَلَّى فَمَا يُدْرَى لَهُ اليَوْمَ مَوْضِعُ كَذِئْبٍ خَلَا بِالصَّيْدِ حَتَّى أَضَلَّهُ *** هِزَبْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ جَانِبِ الغِيلِ مَطْلعُ لَئِنْ سَرَّنِي فِي طَرْدِهِ الهَجْرَ إِنَّنِي *** لإِبْعَادِهِ عَنِّي الحَبِيبَ لَمُوجَع وَلَا بُدَّ عِنْدَ المَوْتِ مِنْ بَعْضِ رَاحَةٍ *** وَفِي غَيِّهَا المَوْتُ الوَحِيِّ المُصَرِّعُ,"Could anything more frightful be conceived, or could aught more painful enter into the thoughts of man, than that two lovers should break off their relations with reproaches, and then be overtaken by a sudden parting before reconciliation can be effected and the tangled knot of desertion be resolved? Imagine their feelings as they stand to bid adieu to one another: all reproaches are forgotten in the face of this catastrophe, which has overwhelmed their faculties and banished sleep from their eyes. I have been inspired to put, this situation into a poem.  Now silenced is the voice of blame, All blotted out the old reproach Lo, separation’s troops approach With speedy and unflinching aim.  Estrangement, scared and terrified By separation, flees away, And none can tell, this dreadful day, Where it may find a place to hide.  So might some wolf, in lone delight Stalking its prey, all suddenly A lion in the offing see Beside the copse, and take to flight.  If separation makes me glad Because estrangement’s at an end, Yet it removes me from my friend, And leaves me desolate and sad.  So, in the fearful hour of death, The dying man wins some repose; But then death’s angel, ere he knows, Assaults, and takes away his breath."
وأعرف من أتى ليُودِّع محبوبَه يوم الفِراق فوجده قد فات، فوقف على آثاره ساعةً وتردَّد في الموضع الذي كان فيه ثم انصرف كئيبًا متغيِّر اللون كاسف البال، فما كان بعد أيام قلائل حتى اعتلَّ ومات — رحمه الله.,"I know a man who came to bid farewell to his beloved upon the day of parting, and found that she was already gone. He paused in her tracks a full hour, passing to and fro over the spot where she had been; then he departed crestfallen, pale, dejected. Within a few days he fell sick and died, God rest his soul!"
وإن للبين في إظهار السرائر المطوية عملًا عجبًا، ولقد رأيتُ من كان حبُّه مكتومًا، وبما يَجِد فيه مستترًا حتى وقع حادث الفراق فباح المكنون وظهر الخفي. وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، منها:  بَذَلْتَ مِنَ الوُدِّ مَا كُنْتَ قَبْلُ *** مَنَعْتَ وَأَعْطَيْتَنِيهِ جُزَافَا وَمَا لِي بِهِ حَاجَةٌ عِنْدَ ذَاكَ *** وَلَوْ جُدْتَ قَبْلُ بَلَغْتَ الشِّغَافَا وَمَا يَنْفَعُ الطِّبُّ عِنْدَ الحِمَامِ *** وَيَنْفَعُ قَبْلَ الرَّدَى مِنْ تِلَافَا,"Separation discloses deep-hidden secrets in a most marvelous way. I once saw a man whose love was strictly concealed, and who took every pains to keep his feelings out of sight, until the event of separation occurred; then that which was hidden became apparent, and that which was secret stood forth revealed. I wrote a poem on this, from which I will cite three stanzas.  Thou gayest me the love Thou hadst denied to me Ere then, and didst thereof Bestow abundantly.  I had no longer need Of what thou then didst pour, But had rejoiced indeed To taste of it before.  Drugs may have some avail Before the hour of doom: The best specifics fail To penetrate the tomb."
وأقول:  الآنَ إِذْ حَلَّ الفِرَاقُ جُدْتَ لِي *** بِخَفِيِّ حُبٍّ كُنْتَ تُبْدِي بُخْلَهُ فَزِدْتَنِي فِي حَسْرَتِي أَضْعَافَهَا *** ويحي فَهَلَّا كَانَ هَذَا قَبْلَهُ,"I have these verses also.  In this hour, when we must part, Thou bestowest, full and free, All the lode thy miser heart Treasured, but refused to me.  This thy sudden kindness yet Swells my sorrow more and more O the pity and regret! Why wast thou not kind before?"
ولقد أذكرني هذا أني حَظيتُ في بعض الأزمان بمودة رجل من وزراء السلطان أيام جاهه، فأظهر بعض الامتساك، فتركته حتى ذهبت أيامه وانقضت دولته، فأبدى لي من المودة والأُخوَّة غير قليل، فقلت:  بَذَلْتَ لِيَ الإِعْرَاضَ وَالدَّهْرُ مُقْبِلٌ *** وَتَبْذُلُ لِي الإِقْبَالَ وَالدَّهْرُ مُعْرِضُ وَتَبْسُطُني إِذْ لَيِسَ يَنْفَعُ بَسْطُكُمْ *** فَهَلَّا أَبَحْتَ البَسْطَ إِذْ كُنْتَ تَقْبِضُ,"Now this has-reminded me that at a certain time I enjoyed the affection of one of the sovereign’s viziers, during the days of his greatest glory. Then he manifested a certain reserve, and I kept away from him. In the hour when his triumph departed and his authority was at an end, he showed me not a little affection and comradeship; I countered his advances with the following well-chosen words.  When Dame Fortune smiled on thee Thou wast good enough to frown, But art gracious now to me, Seeing Fate has let thee down.  Thou wouldst be my friend again Now thy friendship has no use Why didst thou not give me then When it pleased thee to refuse?"
ثم بَينُ الموت؛ وهو الفوت، وهو الذي لا يُرجى له إياب، وهو المصيبة الحالَّة، وهو قاصمة الظهر، وداهية الدهر، وهو الويل، وهو المُغَطِّي على ظلمة الليل، وهو قاطع كل رجاء، وماحي كل طمع، والمؤيس من اللقاء.,"Finally there is the separation which is caused by death, that final parting from which there is no hope of a return. This is indeed a shattering and backbreaking blow, a fateful catastrophe; it is a lamentable woe, overshadowing the blackness of night itself; it cuts off every hope, erases all ambition, and causes the most sanguine to despair ‘of further meeting."
وهنا حادت الألسن، وانجذم حبل العلاج، فلا حيلة إلا الصبر طوعًا أو كرهًا.,"Here all tongues are baffled; the cord of every remedy is severed; no other course remains open but patient fortitude, willing or perforce."
وهو أجلُّ ما يُبتلى به المحبون، فما لمن دُهي به إلا النوح والبكاء إلى أن يتلَف أو يَملَّ، فهي القرحة التي لا تُنكى، والوجع الذي لا يفنى، وهو الغمُّ الذي يتجدَّد على قدر بلاء من اعتمدته، وفيه أقول:  كُل بَيْنٍ وَاقِعٍ *** فَمُرَجًّى لَمْ يَفُتْ لَا تعجل قَنطًا *** لَمْ يَفُتْ مَنْ لَمْ يَمُتْ وَالَّذِي قَدْ مَاتَ فَالْـ *** ـيَأْسُ عَنْهُ قَدْ ثَبتْ,"It is the greatest affliction that can assail true -lovers; and he who is struck down by it has nothing left but to lament and weep, until either he perishes himself or wearies of his lamentations. It is the wound, which cannot heal, the anguish which never passes, the sorrow which is constantly renewed, as ever his poor body crumbles that thou hast committed to the dust. On this matter I have the following to say.  What things soe’er May come to pass, Cry not alas While hope is there.  Haste not thy heart To gloom to yield All is not sealed Till life depart.  But when the veil Of death descends, Then all hope ends, All comforts fail."
وقد رأينا مَن عَرض له هذا كثيرًا، وعنِّي أخبرك أني أحدُ من دُهي بهذه الفادحة، وتعجَّلت له هذه المصيبة، وذلك أني كنتُ أشدَّ الناس كلفًا وأعظمهم حُبًّا بجاريةٍ لي، كانت فيما خلا اسمها نُعْم، وكانت أمنيةَ المتمنِّي وغايةَ الحسن خَلْقًا وخُلُقًا ومُوافَقةً لي، وكنت أنا عذرها، وكنا قد تكافأنا المودة، ففجعتْني بها الأقدار، واخترمتها الليالي ومرُّ النهار، وصارت ثالثةَ التراب والأحجار، وسنِّي حين وفاتها دون العشرين سنة، وكانت هي دوني في السن، فلقد أقمتُ بعدها سبعةَ أشهر لا أتجرَّد عن ثيابي، ولا تَفتر لي دمعة على جُمود عيني وقلة إسعادها.,"I have seen this happen to many people, and can relate to you a personal experience of the same order; for I am also one who has been afflicted by this calamity, and surprised by this misfortune. I was deeply in love with, and passionately enamoured of, a certain, slave-girl once in my possession, whose name was Nu`m: she was a dream of desire, a paragon of physical and moral beauty, and we were in perfect harmony. She had known no other man before me, and our love for each other was mutual and perfectly satisfying. Then the fates ravished her from me, and the nights and passing days carried her away; she became one with the dust and stones. At the time of her death I was not yet twenty, and she younger than I. For seven months thereafter I never once put off my garments; my tears ceased not to flow, though I am a man not given to weeping, nor discovering relief in lamentation."
وعلى ذلك فوالله ما سلوتُ حتى الآن، ولو قُبل فداء لفديتها بكل ما أملك من تالد وطارف، وببعض أعضاء جسمي العزيزة عليَّ مسارعًا طائعًا، وما طاب لي عيش بعدها، ولا نسيتُ ذِكرها، ولا أنِسْتُ بسواها.,"And by Allah, I have not found consolation for her loss even to this day. If ransoms could have been of avail, I would have ransomed her with everything of which I stand possessed, my inheritance and all my earnings, aye, and with the most precious limb of my body, swiftly and willingly. Since her death life has never seemed sweet to me; I have never forgotten her memory, nor been intimate with any other woman."
ولقد عَفَّى حُبي لها على كل ما قبله، وحرَّم ما كان بعده. ومما قلتُ فيها:  مُهَذَّبَةٌ بَيْضَاءُ كَالشَّمْسِ إِنْ بَدَتْ *** وَسَائِرُ رَبَّاتِ الحِجَالِ نُجُومُ أَطَارَ هَوَاهَا القَلْبَ عَنْ مُسْتَقَرِّهِ *** فَبَعْدَ وُقُوعٍ ظَلَّ وهو يحومُ,"My love for her blotted out all that went before, and made anathema to me all that came after it. Here are some of the poems which I composed about her:  She was a spotless maiden, bright And lovely as the sun’s first light; Like stars all other maidens were And faintly shone, compared with her.  Her love sent soaring from my breast My heart, that was till then at rest, And, like some bird upon the wing, It swooped, and then hung hovering."
ومن مراثيَّ فيها قصيدة، منها:  كَأَنِّيَ لَمْ آنَسْ بِأَلْفَاظِكِ الَّتِي *** عَلَى عُقَدِ الأَلْبَابِ هُنَّ نَوَافِثُ وَلَمْ أَتَحَكَّمْ فِي الأَمَانِي كَأَنَّنِي *** لإِفْرَاطِ مَا حُكِّمتُ فيهِنَّ عَابِثُ  ومنها:  وَيُبْدِينَ إِعْرَاضًا وَهُنَّ أَوَالِفٌ *** وَيُقْسِمنَ فِي هَجْرِي وَهُنَّ حَوَانِثُ,"Among the elegies I wrote on her death is a poem in which the following curious lines occur.  Methinks my heart found little ease To hear the words thy lips designed, That blew like weird enchantresses Upon the knots within my mind.  With such abundant hopes to choose’ Between, such chance to stake my claim, I fear I made too little use, And trifled with the hope that came.  This stanza comes in the same elegy.  They manifest antipathy, Yet in their hearts fond love they bear; They swear they will keep far from me, But they are false in what they swear."
وأقول أيضًا في قصيدةٍ أخاطب فيها ابن عمي أبا المُغيرة عبدَ الوهاب بن أحمد بن عبد الرحمن بن حَزم بن غالب وأقرضه، فأقول:  قِفَا فَاسْأَلَا الأَطْلَالَ أَيْنَ قَطِينُهَا *** أَمَرَّتْ عَلَيْهَا بِالبِلَى المَلوَانِ عَلَى دَارِسَاتٍ مُقْفِرَاتٍ عَوَاطِلٍ *** كَأَنَّ المَغَانِي فِي الخَفَاءِ مَعَانِي,"In another formal panegyric addressed to my cousin Abu ‘l-Mughira `Abd al-Wahhab Ahmad Ibn `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Hazm Ibn Ghalib I have the following verses.  Halt, friends, and to yon ruins cry “Where is your habitant to-day? Has Time untimely passed you by, Bequeathing nothing but decay?”  Ah me, how desolate and drear, How naked stand they and apart! Were ever people dwelling here, Or dwell they only in my heart?"
واختلف الناسُ في أي الأمرين أشد؛ البينُ أم الهجر؟,"Men are divided in their opinions, which of those two disasters-separation, and breaking off-is the more cruel."
وكلاهما مُرتقًى صعبٌ، وموت أحمر، وبليَّة سوداء، وسنة شَهباء. وكُلٌّ يَستبشع من هذين ما ضادَّ طبعه، فأما ذو النفس الأبية الألوف الحنانة، الثابتة على العهد، فلا شيء يعدل عنده مُصيبة البَين؛ لأنه أتى قصدًا، وتعمدتْه النوائب عمدًا، فلا يجد شيئًا يُسلِّي نفسه ولا يصرف فكرته في معنًى من المعاني إلا وجد باعثًا على صبابته، ومحركًا لأشجانه، وعليه لا له، وحجَّة لوجده، وحاضًّا على البكاء على إلفه.,"Each of them is a hard ascent, a bloody death, a black calamity, a year of drought; in each there is something repellent and hostile to the instincts of us all. To the proud, noble, tender, affectionate, loyal soul nothing seems so calamitous as separation; for this comes upon a man as if of set purpose, these misfortunes seek him out deliberately and personally. And when the blow of separation falls, he cannot find any solace for his soul; he is unable to divert his thoughts in any direction, without discovering something to re-awaken his tragic passion and stimulate his grief, some new cause of pain, some new argument to emotion, some new encouragement to weep for his dear friend."
وأما الهجر فهو داعية السلو، ورائد الإقلاع.,"Breaking off on the other hand is an invitation to oblivion, the forerunner of the pulling up of tent pegs."
وأما ذو النفس التوَّاقة الكثيرة النزوع والتطلع، القلوق العزوف، فالهجر داؤه، وجالبُ حتفه، والبَين له مَسلاة ومنساة.,"To the yearning, susceptible, sentimental, excitable, inconstant soul breaking off is a great sickness, and very liable to prove fatal; whereas separation is a consolation, and brings a blessed forgetfulness."
وأما أنا فالموت عندي أسهل من الفراق، وما الهجر إلا جالب للكمد فقط، ويوشك إن دام أن يُحدث إضرارًا، وفي ذلك أقول:  وَقالُوا ارْتَحِلْ، فَلَعَلَّ السُّلُوَّ *** يَكُونُ وَتَرْغَبُ أَنْ تَرْغَبَهْ فَقُلْتُ الرَّدَى لِيَ قَبْلَ السُّلُوِّ *** وَمَنْ يَشْرَب السُّمَّ عَنْ تَجْربَهْ,"For my own part death itself would be easier for me to face, than parting from my beloved; and breaking off only brings me sadness and, if it continue, may well provoke me to frenzy. On this point I have the following to offer.  “Depart!” they cried. “Begone!” Perchance oblivion Will come, and thou’lt be glad To wish not to be sad.”  “Oblivion?” I said, “I would be rather dead What fool takes arsenic To see if he is sick?"
وأقول:  سَبَى مُهْجَتِي هَوَاهُ *** وَأَوْدَتْ بِهَا نَوَاهُ كَأَنَّ الغَرَامَ ضَيْفٌ *** وَرُوحِي غَدَا قِرَاهُ,"I also say this.  Love ravished me Her slave to be She chose to part, And slew my heart.  Love came a guest Within my breast; My soul was spread; Love banqueted."
ولقد رأيت مَن يستعمل هجر محبوبه ويتعمده خوفًا من مرارة يوم البَيْن وما يَحدُث به من لوعة الأسف عند التفرُّق.,"I have seen a man deliberately employ the device of breaking off relations with his beloved, because he dreaded the bitterness of the day of separation, and the excruciating sadness that would accompany the final rupture."
وهذا وإن لم يكن عندي من المذاهب المرضية، فهو حجة قاطعة على أن البين أصعب من الهجر، وكيف لا وفي الناس من يلوذ بالهجر خوفًا من البين!,"Now although I do not myself approve of such a manner of conduct, nevertheless it is a convincing proof that separation is harder to bear than breaking off; how indeed should it be otherwise, seeing that some men take refuge in breaking relations for fear of separation?"
ولم أجد أحدًا في الدنيا يلوذ بالبين خوفًا من الهجر، وإنما يأخذ الناسُ أبدًا الأسهل ويتكلَّفون الأهون.,"Yet I have never discovered anyone in the world who resorted to separation because he dreaded breaking off; and men always choose the easier course, and charge themselves with the lighter burden if they can."
وإنما قلنا إنه ليس من المذاهب المحمودة لأن أصحابه قد استعجلوا البلاء قبل نزوله، وتجرعوا غصة الصبر قبل وقتها، ولعل ما تخوَّفوه لا يكون، وليس من يتعجل المكروه، وهو على غير يقين مما يتعجل، بحكيم. وفيه أقول شعرًا، منه:  لَبِسَ الصَّبُّ لِلصَّبَابَةِ بَيْنًا *** لَيْسَ مَنْ جَانَبَ الأَحِبَّةَ مِنَّا كَغَنِيٍّ يَعِيشُ عَيْشَ فَقِيرٍ *** خَوْفَ فَقْرٍ وَفَقْرُهُ قَدْ أَبَنَّا,"My reason for remarking that this is not a praiseworthy manner of conduct is as follows. Those who act so, precipitate the calamity before it actually descends, and gulp the choking draught of suffering fortitude prematurely; and it may be that what they so much fear will not happen at all, and that the man who precipitates unpleasantness without being sure what it is that he is precipitating will prove not to have been so wise in the issue. On this subject I have the following poem.  The lover in his amorous heart Resolved for passion’s sake to part We count him not as one of us Who will desert his darling thus.  Just like a millionaire is he, Who lives a life of penury That he may be from want secure, And so makes certain to be poor."
وأذكرُ لابن عمي أبي المغيرة في هذا المعنى، من أن البينَ أصعبُ من الصدِّ، أبياتًا من قصيدة خاطبني بها وهو ابن سبعة عشر عامًا أو نحوها، وهي:  أَجَزِعْتَ أَنْ أَزِفَ الرَّحِيلُ *** وَوَلهْتَ أَنْ نُصَّ الذَّمِيلُ كلَّا مُصَابكَ فَادِحٌ *** وَأَجَلْ فرَاقُهُمُ جَلِيلُ كَذَبَ الأُلَى زَعَمُوا بِأَنَّ *** الصَّدَّ مَرْتَعُهُ وَبِيلُ لَمْ يَعْرِفُوا كُنْهَ الغَلِيـ *** ـلِ وَقَدْ تحملتِ الحُمُولُ أَمَّا الفرَاقُ فَإِنَّهُ *** لِلْمَوْتِ إِنْ أَهْوَى دَلِيلُ,"I recall some lines on this theme, namely that separation is harder to endure than shunning, which my cousin Abu ‘I-Mughira wrote in a long poem he addressed to me when he was about seventeen years old.  What, does it trouble thee That I must now be gone, And grievest thou to see The lumbering beasts pricked on?  Ah yes, it is a great Distress, from friends to part; Ah me, to separate Breaks the poor lover’s heart.  ‘Tis a pretension vain To claim, in lying rage, That banning is a bane, A noisome pasturage.  Such men as this assert Know naught of passion’s fire; They have not felt the hurt Of overcharged desire.  To separate: ah, this Fair takes away the breath And, when it chances, is A certain sign of death."
ولي في هذا المعنى قصيدة مطولة، أولها:  لَا مِثْل يَوْمِكَ ضَحْوَةُ التَّنْعِيمِ *** فِي مَنْظَرٍ حَسَنٍ وَفِي تَنْغِيمِ قَدْ كَانَ ذَاكَ اليَوْمُ نُدْرَةَ عَاقِرٍ *** وَصَوَابَ خَاطِئَةٍ وَوُلْدَ عَقِيمِ أَيَّامَ بَرْقُ الوَصْلِ لَيْسَ بِخُلَّبٍ *** عِنْدِي وَلَا رَوْضُ الهَوَى بَهَشِيمِ مِنْ كُلِّ غَانِيَةٍ تَقُولُ ثُديُّهَا *** سِيري أمامك وَالإِزَار أَقِيمِي كُلٌّ يُجَاذِبُهَا فَحُمْرَةُ خَدِّهَا *** خَجَلٌ مِنَ التَّأْخِيرِ وَالتَّقْدِيمِ مَا بِي سِوَى تِلْكَ العُيُونِ وَلَيْسَ فِي *** بُرْئِي سِوَاهَا فِي الوَرَى بِزَعِيمِ مِثْل الأَفَاعِي لَيْسَ فِي شَيْءٍ سِوَى *** أَجْسَادِهَا إِبْرَاءُ لَدْغ سَلِيمِ,"On this same subject I myself have a long ode which begins after this fashion.  The day when pilgrims stand and gaze Afar on Mecca’s holy shrine Outglories not that day of days When I first worshipped, love, at thine.  That day of gladness was as rare In beauty and magnificence As when a barren womb doth bear, Or an adulteress repents.  I do not think the lightning gleam Of union flahes without showers, The garden of young passion’s dream A wilderness of withered flowers  Not when I view each virgin chaste, And seem to hear her bosom say “Come, take me”, but her girdled waist Demurely whisper, “Lover, stay”  Each draws her in a different way, And the red roses in her cheek Her deep perplexity betray, Whether to parry, or to seek.  There is not any other cure, Except her eyes, to heal my hurt; Naught else in all the world is sure My final ruin to avert.  The viper, whose envenomed throat Is mortal malice to a man, Bears in itself the antidote Effecting what no other can."
والبَيْن أبكى الشعراء على المعاهد، فأدرُّوا على الرسوم الدموع، وسقوا الديار ماء الشوق، وتذكروا ما قد سلف لهم فيها فأعولوا وانتحبوا، وأحيت الآثار دفين شوقهم فناحُوا وبكَوْا.,"It is separation that has moved the poets to weep over former trysting-places, so that they shed their tears freely upon the traces of old encampments, and sprinkled the ruined abodes with the water of yearning, as they remembered the happy hours they once passed there. Loud then was their lamentation, and bitter their cries of anguish; the sight of the fading footsteps revived their buried passion, so that they gave themselves up to weeping and ululation."
ولقد أخبرني بعضُ الورَّاد من قرطبة، وقد استخبرتُه عنها، أنه رأى دورنا ببلاط مُغيث، في الجانب الغربي منها، وقد امَّحت رسومها، وطُمست أعلامها، وخفيت معاهدها، وغيَّرها البلى، وصارت صحاريَ مجدبة بعد العمران، وفيافيَ مُوحشة بعد الأنس، وخرائبَ مُنقطعة بعد الحُسن، وشِعابًا مُفزِّعة بعد الأمن، ومأوًى للذئاب، ومعازفَ للغِيلان، وملاعبَ للجان، ومكامنَ للوحوش، بعد رجال كالليوث، وخرائدَ كالدُّمى تفيض لديهم النِّعَم الفاشية.,"A visitor from Cordova informed me, when I asked him for news of that city, that he had seen our mansion in Balat Mughith, on the western side of the metropolis; its traces were wellnigh obliterated, its waymarks effaced; vanished were its spacious patios. All had been changed by decay; the joyous pleasaunces were converted to barren deserts and howling wildernesses; its beauty lay in shattered ruins. Where peace once reigned, fearful chasms yawned; wolves resorted there, ghosts frolicked, demons sported. Wild beasts now lurked where men like lions, abounding in wealth and every luxury, once paid court to statuesque maidens;"
تبدَّد شملهم فصاروا في البلاد أياديَ سبأ، فكأن تلك المحاريب المنمَّقة، والمقاصير المزينة، التي كانت تُشرق إشراق الشمس، ويجلو الهموم حسن منظرها، حين شَمِلها الخرابُ وعمَّها الهَدْم كأفواه السباع فاغرة، تُؤذن بفناء الدنيا، وتُريك عواقب أهلها، وتُخبرك عمَّا يصير إليه كل من تراه قائمًا فيها، وتَزهد في طلبها بعد أن طالما زهدت في تركها.,"who were all now scattered and dispersed to the four corners of the earth. Those gracious halls, those richly ornamented boudoirs, that once shone like the sun, the loveliness of their panorama lifting all cares from the mind, being now entirely overwhelmed by desolation and utter destruction seemed rather like the gaping mouths of savage beasts, proclaiming the end that awaits this mortal world, and revealing visibly the final destiny of those who dwell therein, the ultimate fate of those you now see abiding here below; so that you would be moved, after so long reluctance to abandon the world, henceforth eagerly to renounce it."
وتذكرت أيامي بها ولَذَّاتي فيها، وشُهور صبايَ لديها، مع كواعب إلى مثلهن صبا الحليم، ومثَّلت لنفسي كَونهن تحت الثرى، وفي الآثار النائية، والنواحي البعيدة، وقد فرَّقتهن يدُ الجلاء، ومزقتهن أكفُّ النوى، وخُيل إلى بَصري بقاء تلك النصبة بعدما علمتُهُ من حسنها وغضارتها، والمراتب المحكمة التي نشأت فيها لديها، وخلاء تلك الأفنية بعد تضايقها بأهلها، وأوهمتُ سمعي صوتَ الصدى والهام عليها، بعد حركة تلك الجماعات التي رُبِّيت بينهم فيها، وكان ليلها تبعًا لنهارها في انتشار ساكنها، والتقاء عمارها، فعاد نهارُها تبعًا لليلها في الهدوء والاستيحاش، فأبكى عيني، وأوجع قلبي، وقرع صفاة كبدي، وزاد في بلاء لُبي، فقلت شعرًا، منه:  لَئِنْ كَانَ أَظْمَانَا فَقَدْ طَالَمَا سَقَى *** وَإِنْ سَاءَنَا فِيهَا فَقَدْ طَالَمَا سَرَّا,"Then I remembered the days that I had passed in that fair mansion, the joys I had known there, the months of my ardent youth spent in the company of blooming virgins, very apt to awaken desire in the heart of the most sedate young man. I pictured those maidens now lying beneath the dust, or dispersed to distant parts and far regions, scattered by the hand of exile, torn–to -pieces by the fingers of expatriation. I saw in my mind’s eye the ruin of that noble house, which I had once known so beautiful and thriving, and in the shadow of whose well-ordered establishment I had passed my childhood; empty were those courts once so densely thronged. I seemed to hear the voices of owls hooting and screeching over those passages; astir of old with the busy concourse of people in whose midst I grew to manly estate. Then night followed day with the selfsame bustle, the selfsame coming and going of countless feet; but now day followed night there, and all was forever hushed and desolate. These sad reflections filled my eyes with tears and my heart with anguish; my soul was shattered as if by a jagged rock, and the misery in my mind waxed ever greater. So I took refuge in poetry, and uttered the following stanza.  If now our throats are parched and dry, Yet long its waters slaked our thirst; If evil now has done its worst, Our happiness was slow to die."
والبَيْنُ يَولِّد الحنين والاهتياج والتذكُّر، وفي ذلك أقول:  لَيْتَ الغُرَابَ يُعِيدُ اليَوْمَ لِي فَعَسَى *** يَبِينُ بَيْنَهُمُ عَنِّي فَقَدْ وَقَفَا أَقُولُ وَاللَّيْلُ قَدْ أَرْخَى أَجِلَّتَهُ *** وَقَدْ تَأَلَّى بِأَلَّا يَنْقَضِي فَوَفَى وَالنَّجْمُ قَدْ حَارَ فِي أُفقِ السَّمَاءِ فَمَا *** يَمْضِي وَلَا هوَ لِلتغوِيرِ مُنْصَرِفا تَخَالُهُ مُخْطِئًا أَوْ خَائِفًا وَجِلًا *** أَوْ رَاقِبًا مَوْعِدًا أَوْ عَاشِقًا دَنِفا,"Separation engenders deep regrets, profound emotions, and melancholy recollections, as I have remarked in these verses.  Ah, would the raven but restore To me that inauspicious day, And, as it drove my friends before, Now drive my loneliness away!  I speak; and over all extend Night’s shallows, like a mighty veil; Night swore that she would never end.  Yon star, bewildered, hangs on high Immovable in heaven’s heart; Lost in the desert of the sky; It knows not whither to depart,  It calls to mind a man astray, His spirit fearful and afraid, Or under threat, and in dismay, Some lover lovesick for his maid."
باب القنوع ولا بد للمُحب، إذا حُرم الوصل، من القنوع بما يجد، وإن في ذلك لمتعللًا للنفس، وشغلًا للرجَاء، وتجديدًا للمُنى، وبعضَ الراحة.,"Of Contentment WHEN the lover finds himself barred from attaining union, he must inevitably be content with things as he finds them. To comport oneself thus distracts the soul, occupies one’s hopes, renews one’s aspirations, and provides a certain measure of relief."
وهو مراتب على قدر الإصابة والتمكُّن؛ فأولها الزيارة، وإنها لأمل من الآمال، ومِن سريِّ ما يَسنح في الدهر مع ما تبدَّى من الخَفَر والحياء؛ لما يعلمه كل واحدٍ منهما مما في نفس صاحبه.,"There are various degrees of Contentment, proportionate to the success realized in striving to attain it. The first step is the visit: which is something to look forward to, a pleasurable opportunity given by destiny despite the shyness and embarrassment which accompany it, each of the loving couple being conscious of what is passing in the other’s thoughts."
وهي على وجهين؛ أحدهما أن يزور المحب محبوبه، وهذا الوجه واسع، والوجه الثاني أن يزور المحبوبُ مُحبَّه، ولكن لا سبيل إلى غير النظر والحديث الظاهر. وفي ذلك أقول:  فَإِنْ تَنْأَ عنِّي بِالوِصَالِ فَإِنَّنِي *** سَأَرْضَى بِلَحْظِ العَيْنِ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ وَصْلُ فَحَسْبِيَ أَنْ أَلْقَاكَ فِي اليَوْمِ مَرَّةً *** وَمَا كُنْتُ أَرْضَى ضِعْفَ ذَا مِنْكَ لِي قَبْلُ كَذَا هِمَّةُ الوَالِي تَكُونُ رَفِيعَةً *** وَيَرْضَى خَلَاصَ النَّفْسِ إِنْ وَقَعَ العَزْلُ,"The visit is of two kinds. In the first it is the lover who visits the beloved; this is a very extensive subject. In the second the beloved visits the lover; but then there is no other possibility of intercourse apart from gazing at one another and talking openly, as I have described in this poem.  If we are distant each from each, When meeting in society I’ll be content to gaze on thee, Since union is beyond my reach.  It will suffice me, if I may Once daily join thy company, Though it was not enough for me Ere this, to meet thee twice a day.  Provincial governors aspire To greatest heights, when fortune thrives, Yet are content to save their lives If they are ordered to retire."
وأما رَجع السلام والمخاطبة فأمل من الآمال، وإن كنت أنا أقول في قصيدة لي:  فَهَا أَنَا ذَا أُخْفِي وَأَقْنَعُ رَاضِيًا *** بِرَجْعِ سَلَامٍ إِنْ تَيَسَّرَ فِي الحِينِ,"The return of greetings, and the pleasure of a personal exchange of words, is something well worth hoping for. Certainly I have expressed the following opinion:  I keep my feelings out of view, And feign to be contented to Receive an affable reply When I salute, or say goodbye."
فإنما هذا لمن ينتقل من مَرتبة إلى ما هو أدنى منها، وإنما يتفاضل المخلوقات في جميع الأوصاف على قدر إضافتها إلى ما هو فوقها أو دونها.,"But that in fact only applies when one is being removed to an inferior rung of the ladder of love. Creatures differ from each other in respect of all their attributes according to the relation in which they stand, towards what is above and what is below them."
وأني لأعلم مَن كان يقول لمحبوبه: عِدني واكذب.,"I know a man who used to say to his beloved, “Make me a promise, and lie to me!”"
قُنوعًا بأن يُسلِّيَ نفسه في وعده وإن كان غيرَ صادق، فقلتُ في ذلك:  إِنْ كَانَ وَصْلُكَ لَيْسَ فِيهِ مَطْمَعٌ *** وَالقُرْبُ مَمْنُوعٌ فَعِدْنِي وَاكْذِبِ فَعَسَى التَّعَلُّلُ بِالْتِقَائِكَ مُمْسِكٌ *** لِحَيَاةِ قَلْبٍ بِالصُّدُودِ مُعَذَّبِ فَلَقَدْ يُسَلِّي المُجْدَبِينَ إِذَا رَأَوْا *** فِي الأُفْقِ يَلْمَعُ ضَوْءُ بَرْقٍ خُلَّبِ,"He was quite content to console himself with his dear one’s promise, even though he knew it was not sincere. I made up a poem on this situation.  If union, well-beloved, with thee Is an ambition far too high, And amorous propinquity Denied, yet promise me, and lie!  Perchance the thought of meeting thee, The hope that fortune may relent Will save the dying heart in me, Tormented so by banishment.  For men afflicted long by thirst Find consolation, to espy The bright, deceptive lightnings burst Along the margin of the sky."
ومما يدخل في هذا الباب شيءٌ رأيته ورآه غيري معي، أن رجلًا من إخواني جَرحه من كان يُحبه بمُدية، فلقد رأيته وهو يُقبِّل مكان الجُرح ويندُبه مرة بعد مرة، فقلت في ذلك:  يَقُولُونَ شَجَّكَ مَنْ هِمْتَ فِيهِ *** فَقُلْتُ لَعَمْرِيَ مَا شَجَّنِي وَلَكِنْ أَحسَّ دَمِي قُرْبَهُ *** فَطَارَ إِلَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَنْثَنِ فَيَا قَاتِلِي ظَالِمًا مُحْسِنًا *** فَدَيْتُكَ مِنْ ظَالِمٍ مُحْسِن,"Relevant to this topic is a thing which I myself once witnessed, in company with another. One of my dearest friends was stabbed by his loved one with a dagger; I saw him kissing the place of the wound, and scratching the scar again and again. The scene inspired me to poetry.  They said, “He wounded thee, The one thou lovest so”; But I replied, “Ah no, He never wounded me.  But when my blood observed My love approaching nigh, To him my blood did fly, And not a moment swerved.  “O thou who slayest me, So cruel and so sweet, So fair, so harsh, so meet, Let me thy ransom be!"
وهذا أعدى من الحرب.,Such a man is more pestilential than the mange.
وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، منها:  مُوَاصِلٌ لَا يُغَبُّ قَصْدًا *** أَعْظِمْ بِهَذَا الوِصَالِ غَمًّا صَارَ وَصِرْنَا لِفَرْطِ مَا لَا *** يَزُولُ كَالإِسْمِ وَالمُسَمَّى,"These verses of mine illustrate the type.  He comes, not every other while But constantly, with purpose vile What greater headache can there be Than such unwelcome company?  He perseveres to such excess In leis absurd attentiveness, That we are known throughout the town As Messrs Adjective and Noun!"
ومن القنوع أن يُسر الإنسان ويَرضى ببعض آلات محبوبه، وإنَّ له من النفس لموقعًا حَسنًا وإن لم يكن فيه إلا ما نَص الله تعالى علينا، من ارتداد يعقوب بصيرًا حين شَم قميص يوسف عليهما السلام. وفي ذلك أقول:  لَمَّا مُنِعْتُ القُرْبَ مِنْ سَيِّدِي *** وَلَجَّ فِي هَجْرِي وَلَمْ يُنْصِفِ صِرْتُ بِإِبْصَارِيَ أَثْوَابَهُ *** أَوْ بَعْضَ مَا قَدْ مَسَّهُ أَكْتفِي كَذَاكَ يَعْقُوبُ نَبِيُّ الهُدَى *** إِذْ شَفَّهُ الحُزْنُ عَلَى يُوسُفِ شَمَّ قَمِيصًا جَاءَ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ *** وَكَانَ مَكْفُوفًا فَمِنْهُ شُفِي,"It belongs to contentment that a man will be rejoiced arid- satisfied to possess some little thing belonging to the beloved: this affects the soul in a most delightful way, even if the result be no more than that restoration of his sight to Jacob which transpired, as we are told in Holy Writ, when he smelt the scent of Joseph’s tunic, peace be upon them both! I have some verses on this.  I was forbidden to draw near To my mistress dear; She persevered most cruelly To abandon me.  Some garment wherein she had dressed, Something she caressed To gaze on these, all else denied, I was satisfied.  So likewise Prophet Jacob, who Came with guidance true, And over Joseph many years Shed such bitter tears  Until his sorrow struck him blind, Scenting on the wind His tunic, hailed him with delight And regained his sight."
وما رأيتُ قط متعاشقَين إلَّا وهما يتهاديان خُصل الشعر مُبخَّرةً بالعنبر، مرشوشةً بماء الورد، وقد جُمعت في أصلها بالمُصْطكي وبالشمع الأبيض المصفَّى، ولُفَّت في تطاريف الوشي والخز وما أشبه ذلك؛ لتكون تذكرةً عند البين.,"I never saw any amorous couple who did not exchange locks of hair, perfumed with ambergris and sprinkled with rosewater, done up at the roots with mastica or clarified white wax, and wrapped about in ribbons of embroidered cloth, silk or the like, to serve as a souvenir when they are separated."
وأما تهادي المَساويك بعد مَضغها، والمُصْطكي إثر استعمالها، فكثير بين كُل متحابَّين قد حُظِر عليهما اللقاء. وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، منها:  أَرَى رِيقَهَا مَاءَ الحَيَاةِ تَيَقُّنًا *** عَلَى أَنَّهَا لَمْ تُبْقِ لِي فِي الهَوَى حَشى,"As for exchanging; chewed toothpicks, or mastica after it has been used; that is a frequent practise of lovers who have been barred from meeting. I have a little poem to the point.  Her spittle, as I verily Believe, is Life’s own fount to me, Yet she destroys my heart entire In flames of passionate desire."
خبر وأخبرني بعض إخواني عن سليمان بن أحمد الشاعر أنه رأى ابن سهل الحاجب بجزيرة صِقِلِّية، وذكر أنه كان غايةً في الجمال، فشاهده يومًا في بعض المتنزهات ماشيًا وامرأة خلفه تنظر إليه، فلما أبعد أتت إلى المكان الذي قد أثَّر فيه مشيُه فجعلت تُقَبِّله وتلثم الأرض التي فيها أثرُ رجله.,"A friend informed me that he was told by Sulaiman Ibn Ahmad the poet, that he saw Ibn Sahl al-Hajib a number of times in the island of Sicily; he described; him as a supremely handsome man. One day, he said, he observed him walking in a pleasure garden, followed-I by a woman who watched him all the while. When he was gone afar off; she came to the place where; he had implanted his steps and set herself to kissing, it, embracing with her lips the traces of his feet upon the ground."
وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً أولُها:  يَلُومُونَنِي فِي مَوْطِئٍ خُفُّهُ خَطَا *** وَلَوْ عَلِمُوا عَادَ الَّذِي لَامَ يَحْسُدُ فَيَا أَهْلَ أَرْضٍ لَا تَجُودُ سَحَابُهَا *** خُذُوا بِوصَاتِي تَسْتَقِلُّوا وَتُحْمَدُوا خُذُوا مِنْ تُرَابٍ فِيهِ مَوْضِعُ وَطْئِهِ *** وَأَضْمَنُ أَنَّ المَحْلَ عَنْكُمْ يُبعَّدُ,"I made up some verses on this, beginning as follows.  Men blame me cruelly, because I trampled where his footfall was; Were but the truth known, surely he Who blames me now, would envy me!  O ye who dwell upon this earth Whose clouds rain little on our dearth, Receive the counsel that I give, And free and thankful ye shall live.  Take of the blessed dust whereon His accidental steps have gone I guarantee, beyond all doubt, Ye shall be never plagued with drought."
ففي ذلك أقول:  وَرُبَّ رَقِيبٍ أَرْقَبُوهُ فَلَمْ يَزَل *** عَلَى سَيِّدِي عَمْدًا لِيُبْعِدَنِي عَنْهُ فَمَا زَالَتِ الأَلْطَافُ تَحْكُمُ أَمْرَه *** إِلَى أَنْ غَدَا خَوْفِي لَهُ آمنًا مِنْهُ وَكَانَ حُسَامًا سُلَّ حَتَّى يَهُدني *** فَعَادَ مُحِبًّا مَا لِنِعْمَتِهِ كُنْهُ,"This too I have put into verse.  Many a time and oft a spy Was posted o’er the lady I Aspired to win, by every art Resolved to keep us two apart.  But presently my gentle way So mastered him beneath my sway That soon my worst presentiments Were changed to careless confidence.  He was a sword unsheathed and bare, Ready to slay me then and there; But now he has become my friend, And to his kindness ne’er an end."
فَكُلُّ تُرَابٍ وَاقِع فِيهِ رِجْلهُ *** فَذَاكَ صَعِيدٌ طَيِّبٌ لَيْسَ يُجْحَدُ كَذَلِكَ فِعْلُ السَّامِرِيِّ وَقَدْ بَدَا *** لِعَيْنَيْهِ مِنْ جِبْرِيلَ إِثْر مُمَجَّدُ فَصَيَّرَ جَوْفَ العِجْلِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الثَّرَى *** فَقَامَ لَهُ مِنْهُ خُوَارٌ مُمَدَّدُ,"Wherever in this world at all The impress of his foot may fall, That dust is pure and sanctified, Its wells of goodness never dried.  So did the Samiri indeed; For, as in Holy Writ we read, When he beheld the glorious trace Of Gabriel’s footsteps, of that place  He gathered up the soil, and thrust Into his golden calf that dust, And forthwith, from its hollow throat, Issued a long and lowing note."
وأقول:  لَقَدْ بُورِكَتْ أَرْضٌ بِهَا أَنْتَ قَاطِنٌ *** وَبُورِكَ مَنْ فِيهَا وَحَلَّ بِهَا السَّعْدُ فَأَحْجَارُهَا دُرٌّ وَسَعْدَانُهَا وَرْدٌ *** وَأَمْوَاهُهَا شُهْدٌ وَتُرْبَتُهَا نَدُّ,"Elsewhere in the poem I have these two stanzas.  Wherever thou inhabitest, That earth is wonderfully blest; Blest are all they who there abide, And there good fortune doth reside.  Its rocks are pearls bright-glistening, And of its thistles roses spring; All honey are its running rills, Its soil sweet ambergris distils."
ومن القُنوع الرِّضا بمَزار الطَّيف وتَسليم الخيال.,"To contentment belongs the satisfaction which the lover experiences in the visitation of the nightly phantom, and the salutation of the apparition."
وهذا إنما يحدُث عن ذكر لا يفارق، وعهد لا يحول، وفكر لا ينقضي، فإذا نامت العيون وهدأت الحركات سرَى الطيف. وفي ذلك أقول:  زَارَ الخَيَالُ فَتًى طَالَتْ صَبَابَتُهُ *** عَلَى احْتِفَاظٍ مِنَ الحُرَّاسِ وَالحَفَظَهْ فَبِتُّ فِي لَيْلَتِي جَذْلَانَ مُبْتَهِجًا *** وَلَذَّةُ الطَّيْفِ تُنْسِي لَذَّةَ اليَقَظَهْ,"This happens only as the result of a recollection which never deserts the mind, a faithfulness which changes not, and an unending meditation upon the beloved object. When all eyes are sleeping, and all motions stilled, then the phantom walks abroad; as I have said in this poem.  The phantom visited by night A youth long prisoner to love; No guardian was aware thereof, No watcher spied upon that sight.  To joy supreme and unconfined That night I yielded up my soul; The apparition’s pleasure stole The joy of waking from my mind."
وأقول:  أَتَى طَيْفُ نُعْم مَضْجَعِي بَعْدَ هَدْأَةٍ *** وَلِلَّيْلِ سُلْطَانٌ وَظِلٌّ مُمَدَّدُ وَعَهْدِي بِهَا تَحْتَ التُّرَابِ مُقِيمَةٌ *** وَجَاءَتْ كَمَا قَدْ كُنْتُ مِنْ قَبْلُ أَعْهَدُ فَعُدنَا كَمَا كُنَّا وَعَادَ زَمَانُنَا *** كَمَا قَدْ عَهِدنَا قَبْلُ وَالعَوْدُ أَحْمَدُ,"I also have these stanzas on the same theme.  Nu’m’s phantom came to visit me As on my quiet bed I lay; Night reigned in universal sway, Long shadows slept o’er land and sea.  I know her body, still and cold, Sleeps in the dust this weary while; But on that night I saw her smile In all her beauty, as of old.  We knew again the lovers’ kiss, And we were happy, she and I, As in the days so long gone by; And joy renewed is sweeter bliss."
وفي ذلك أقول شعرًا، أوَّله:  عَلَى سَيِّدِي مِنِّي رَقِيبٌ مُحَافِظٌ *** وَفِيٌّ لِمَنْ وَالَاهُ لَيْسَ بِنَاكِثِ  ومنه:  وَيَقْطَعُ أَسْبَابَ اللُّبَانَةِ فِي الهَوَى *** وَيَفْعَلُ فِيهَا فِعْلَ بَعْضِ الحَوَارِثِ كَأَنَّ لَهُ فِي قَلْبِهِ رِيبَةً تُرَى *** وَفِي كُلِّ عَيْنٍ مُخْبِرٌ بِالأَحَادِثِ  ومنه:  عَلَى كُلِّ مَنْ حَوْلِي رَقِيبَانِ رُتِّبَا *** وَقَدْ خَصَّنِي ذُو العَرْشِ مِنْهُمْ بِثَالِثِ,"I have a poem on this theme, which begins as follows.  There is a spy, who watches o’er My darling mistress evermore; To his employer he is true, And faithful to his compact, too.  Later in the same poem these two stanzas occur.  He cuts my every path that leads To satisfying my heart’s needs, And so a work accomplishes Else wrought by dire calamities.  It is as though a demon lives Within his heart, that all perceives, And in his either eye one dwells Who every least adventure tells.  The following stanza also belongs to the same set of verses.  Two watchful spies appointed be To overlook all men but me God, sitting on His heavenly throne, Assigns a third to me alone."
وللشعراء في علَّة مَزار الطيف أقاويل بديعة بعيدة المرمى، مُخترعة، كلٌّ سبق إلى معنًى من المعاني؛ فأبو إسحاق بن سيَّار النظَّام، رأس المُعتزلة، جعل علة مزار الطَّيف خوفَ الأرواح من الرقيب المرقَّب على بهاء الأبدان، وأبو تمام حبيب بن أوس الطائي جعل علَّته أن نِكاح الطيف لا يُفسد الحُبَّ، ونِكاحَ الحقيقة يفسده، والبُحتري جعل علَّة إقباله استضاءته بنار وَجده، وعلَّة زواله خوف الغرق في دموعه،,"In explanation of the phantom’s visitation the poets offer strange theories, all far-fetched and original; each poet has invented some notion of his own. Abu Ishaq Ibn Saiyar al-Nazzam, the head of the Mu`tazilites, assigned as the cause of this visitation the fear souls have of that watcher who is appointed to watch over bodies grown too familiar. Abu Tammam Habib Ibn Aus al-Ta’i explains that phantom intercourse does not corrupt love, as do carnal relations; while al-Buhturi accounts for the advent of the phantom as due to its desire to be irradiated by the fire of the lover’s passion, and its retreat as provoked by the fear of being drowned in his tears."
وحال المَزور في المنام ينقسم أقسامًا أربعةً؛ أحدها مُحب مهجور قد تطاول غمُّه، ثم رَأى في هجعته أنَّ حبيبه وَصله فسُرَّ بذلك وابتهج، ثم استيقظ فأسِف وتلهَّف، حيث علم أن ما كان فيه أمانيَّ النفس وحديثها. وفي ذلك أقول:  أَنْتَ فِي مَشْرِقِ النَّهَارِ بَخِيلٌ *** وَإِذَا اللَّيْلُ جُنَّ كُنْتَ كَرِيما تَجْعَلُ الشَّمْسَ مِنْكَ لِي عَوَضًا هَيْـ *** ـهَاتَ مَا ذَا الفِعَالُ مِنْكَ قَوِيما زَارَنِي طَيْفُكَ البَعِيدُ فَيَأْتِي *** وَاصِلًا لِي وَعَائدًا وَنَدِيما غَيْرَ أَنِّي مَنَعتني مِنْ تَمَامِ الـ *** ـعَيْشِ لَكِنْ أَبَحْتَ لِي التَّشْمِيما فَكَأَنِّي مِنْ أَهْلِ الَاعْرَافِ لَا الفِرْ *** دَوْسِ دَارِي وَلَا أَخَافُ الجَحِيما,"The situation of the lover visited in a dream is of four different kinds. First there is the jilted lover, who after ‘extended affliction sees in his slumber that his beloved ‘has now come to him; he is rejoiced thereat, and full of gladness; but then he awakes, and falls into despair and sighing, on realizing that he has been merely experiencing the projection of his own wishes and inner suggestions. I have illustrated this in verse.  Thou grudgest me thy grace When daylight shines on us; When night o’erspread all space, Thou wert most generous.  What, choosest thou the sun Thy substitute to be? Ah, this thing to have done Was little just in thee.  Thy distant “phantom came My visitor; I lay Asleep; thy loving aim Fond union, and sweet play.  But ah! thou didst deny Complete accomplishment, Allowing but that I Should breathe joy’s tender scent.  I was as they who roam In Purgatory drear; Not Paradise my home, Nor Hell my horrid fear."
وفي ذلك أقول:  رَقِيبٌ طَالَمَا عَرَفَ الغَرَامَا *** وَقَاسَى الوَجْدَ وَامْتَنَعَ المَنَامَا وَلَاقَى فِي الهَوَى أَلَمًا أَلِيمًا *** وَكَادَ الحُبُّ يُورِدُهُ الحِمَامَا وَأَتْقَنَ حِيلَةَ الصَّبِّ المُعَنَّى *** وَلَمْ يَضَعِ الإِشَارَةَ وَالكَلَامَا,"These verses of mine suit that topic.  A spy that too long knew The mischief love can do He drank of passion deep, And was denied his sleep;  Encountered in desire Sharp pains, and torment dire Love well nigh proved his doom And laid him in the tomb.  All tricks he knew in truth Of love-afflicted youth, Scorned not to try each ruse, Each wink and word to use."
والثاني مُحبٌّ مواصل مُشفق من تغيُّرٍ يقع، قد رأى في وَسَنه أن حبيبه يهجره؛ فاهتم لذلك همًّا شديدًا، ثم هبَّ من نومه فعلم أن ذلك باطل وبعض وساوس الإشفاق.,"The second kind of visitation is to the lover who enjoy. union with his beloved, but is apprehensive that some change may take place in their relations. He has see’, while sleeping that his beloved is breaking off with him and is therefore exceedingly anxious; then he wake up from slumber, and realizes that his vision was quit false, being a mere figment of his fearful imagination."
والثالث مُحب داني الديار يرى أن التنائيَ قد فدَحه، فيكترث ويَوْجَل، ثم ينتبه فيذهب ما به ويعود فَرِحًا، وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، منها:  رَأَيْتُكَ فِي نَوْمِي كَأَنَّكَ رَاحِلٌ *** وَقُمْنَا إِلَى التَّوْدِيعِ وَالدَّمْعُ هَامِل وَزَالَ الكَرَى عَنِّي وَأَنْتَ مُعَانِقِي *** وَغَمِّي إِذَا عَايَنْتُ ذَلِكَ زَائِل فَجَدَّدْتُ تَعْنِيقًا وَضَمًّا كَأَنَّنِي *** عَلَيْك مِنَ البَيْنِ المُفَرِّقِ وَاجِل,"The third situation is when the lover, living in close’ proximity to the beloved, has a vision of being suddenly afflicted by far sundering from her; he is much trouble, and afraid; then he awakes, and all his cares vanish so that he is filled with joy again. I have some verse, on this.  I saw thee in a dream, as though Thou wast about to part from me; We bade each other tenderly Farewell, and fast my tears did flow.  Then slumber left my weeping eyes, And we were locked in fond embrace, And all my fearful grief gave place To joy renewed and glad surprise.  I took thee in my arms again, And held thee closer to my breast, As if by rapture repossessed In lieu of separation’s pain."
والرابع مُحب نائي المزار، يرى أنَّ المزار قد دنا، والمنازل قد تَصاقَبتْ، فيرتاح ويأنس إلى فقد الأسى، ثم يقوم من سِنته فيرى أن ذلك غيرُ صحيح، فيعود إلى أشد ما كان فيه من الغم.,"The fourth and last variety of visitation is experienced; by the lover who dwells at a distance from his beloved, and sees in a vision that the interval between them has converted to proximity, and that their apartments are now near neighbors; he is much relieved, and is feeling at ease for not being sorrowful any more, when he rises from his slumber and sees that his dream is not true; then he returns to even more violent grief than that which afflicted him before."
وقد جعلتُ في بعض قولي علةَ النومِ الطمعَ في طَيف الخيال، فقلت:  طَافَ الخَيَالُ عَلَى مُسْتَهْترٍ كَلِفٍ *** لَوْلَا ارْتِقَابُ مَزَارِ الطَّيْفِ لَمْ يَنَمِ لَا تَعْجَبُوا إِذْ سَرَى وَاللَّيْلُ مُعْتَكرٌ *** فَنُورُه مُوهَبٌ فِي الأَرْضِ لِلظُّلَمِ,"In one of my poems I have given the cause of sleep the lover’s ardent desire to see the phantom image.  The phantom visited of late The lover fond and desperate; Had he not hoped the ghost might keep His tryst, he were not then asleep.  Be not amazed, if visions walk By night, and through the shadows stalk; Their radiance, bright as risen day; Frightens all darkness’s away."
ومن القُنوع أن يَقنع المُحب بالنظر إلى الجدران ورُؤية الحيطان التي تحتوي على من يُحب، وقد رأينا مَن هذه صفتُه. ولقد حدثني أبو الوليد أحمد بن محمد بن إسحاق الخازن — رحمه الله — عن رجل جليل أنه حدث عن نفسه بمثل هذا.,"The lover may enjoy a certain kind of contentment by regarding the walls and viewing the battlements, which encompass the object of his affection. I have myself seen a man of this description; and Abu ‘l-Walid Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ishaq al-Khazin spoke to me of a very respectable man, who informed him that he discovered satisfaction in an identical manner."
ومن القنوع أن يرتاح المُحب إلى أن يرى مَن رأى محبوبه، ويأنس به ومَن أتَى من بلاده. وهذا كثير، وفي ذلك أقول:  تَوَحَّشَ مِنْ سُكَّانِهِ فَكَأَنَّهُمْ *** مَسَاكِنُ عَادٍ أَعْقَبَتْهُ ثَمُودُ,"Another sort of contentment is for the lover to console himself on seeing someone who has seen the beloved, and making friends with him; or on discovering someone body who has come from the beloved’s country. This is very common, and I have expressed the point in verse.  Desert is the place, and base Of those who once resided there, Like, to the habitations rude Of ‘Ad, succeeded by Thamud."
ومما يدخل في هذا الباب أبياتٌ لي مُوجبُها أني تنزَّهت أنا وجماعة من إخواني من أهل الأدب والشرف إلى بستانٍ لرجلٍ من أصحابنا، فجُلْنا ساعةً ثم أفضى بنا القُعود إلى مكانٍ دونه يُتمنَّى، فتمددنا في رياضٍ أريضة، وأرضٍ عريضة، للبصر فيها مُنفسح، وللنفس لديها مسرح، بين جَداول تطَّرد كأباريق اللجين، وأطيارٍ تُغرِّد بألحان تزري بما أبدعه معبد والغريض، وثمار مهدَّلة قد ذُللت للأيدي، ودنتْ للمتناول،,"Here it will be appropriate to quote some stanzas which I was inspired to compose under the following circumstances. I was taking a walk in an orchard, the property of a friend of mine, accompanied by a group of comrades, all men of breeding and nobility. We promenaded for an hour, and then sat us down in a most desirable spot. There we stretched ourselves at our ease in spacious gardens; the broad panorama was a joy to the contemplative eye, a rich pasture to the ruminating spirit. Brooks ran through the meadows like silver ewers; birds chanted melodies that put to shame the inventions of Ma’bad and al-Gharid; hanging fruits leaned down to our reaching fingers, ready and eager to be gathered."
وكان بعضُنا مُطرقًا كأنه يحادث أخرى، وذلك لسرٍّ كان له، فعُرِّض لي بذلك، وتداعبنا حينًا فكَلِفت أن أقول على لسانه شيئًا في ذلك، فقلتُ بديهة، وما كتبوها إلا من تذكرها بعد انصرافنا، وهي:  وَلَمَّا تَرَوَّحْنَا بِأَكْنَافِ رَوْضَةٍ *** مُهَدَّلَةِ الأَفْنَانِ فِي تُرْبِهَا النَّدِي وَقَدْ ضَحِكَتْ أَنْوَارُهَا وَتَضَوَّعَتْ *** أَسَاوِرُهَا فِي ظِلِّ فَيْءٍ مُمَدَّدِ وَأَبْدَتْ لَنَا الأَطْيَارُ حُسْنَ صَرِيفِهَا *** فَمِنْ بَيْنِ شَاكٍ شَجْوَهُ وَمُغَرِّدِ وَلِلمَاءِ فِيمَا بَيْنَنَا مُتَصَرفٌ *** وَلِلْعَيْنِ مُرْتَادٌ هُنَاكَ وَلِلْيَدِ,"One of our numbers all this while sat with downcast eyes, as if he were communing with the earth, on account of some secret he had in his heart. My attention was drawn in his direction, and my comrades and I jested, together a little while; then I was charged to speak a few verses as if by his mouth. I thereupon recited some stanzas extempore, and all that was written down’ was these fragments we chanced to remember after we took our departure.  And when we lay in easeful mirth Along the margin of a mead O’erhung with branches, thickly tree’d And dew -besprinkled was- the earth;  And all about us through the glade Refulgent blossoms laughed for glee, And shook their bracelets fragrantly Perfuming the expansive shade;  And nightingales with throbbing throats Revealed to us their lovely song, And some were mourners in that throng, And some raised high exultant notes;  And waters all among the trees Ran as they listed; sweet delight Awaited the appraising sight, And joy was there for hand to seize"
وَمَا شِئْتَ مِنْ أَخْلَاقِ أَرْوَع مَاجِدٍ *** كَرِيمِ السَّجَايَا لِلْفَخَارِ مُشَيِّدِ تُنَغِّصُ عِنْدِي كُلَّ مَا قَدْ وَصَفْتَهُ *** وَلَمْ يَهْنني إِذْ غَابَ عَنِّيَ سَيِّدِي فَيَا لَيْتَنِي فِي السِّجْنِ وهوَ مُعَانِقِي *** وَأَنْتُمْ مَعًا فِي قَصْرِ دَارِ المُجَددِ فَمَنْ رَامَ مِنَّا أَنْ يُبَدِّلَ حَالَهُ *** بِحَالِ أَخِيهِ أَوْ بِمُلْكٍ مُخَلَّدِ فَلَا عَاشَ إِلَّا فِي شَقَاءٍ وَنَكْبَةٍ *** وَلَا زَالَ فِي بُؤْسى وَخِزْي مُرددِ,"And all the spirit could desire Was given to companion us Friends highly born and chivalrous, Artificers of glory’s spire;  Yet all the grace and beauty rare I have described did little please My soul, or give my spirit ease, My love not being with me there.  O let me lie in some dark cell Close clasped against my darling’s breast, And let you in the loveliest Of palaces together dwell!  Whoever of us then would pray To substitute for that his lot His brother’s portion, which is not, Or rule in everlasting sway,  Thenceforth may he in servitude, In torment, and in misery Live out his days, eternally Damned to disgrace, and shame renewed!"
فقال هو ومن حضر: آمين، آمين.,"Thereupon the downcast one, and all the company assembled, cried out, “Amen, amen!”"
وهذه الوُجوه التي عَدَّدتُ وأوردتُ في حقائق القناعة هي الموجودة في أهل المودة بلا تزيُّد ولا إعياء.,"These aspects which I have here enumerated and set down are the genuine manifestations of contentment, without exaggeration Dor understatement, and are to be found among all true lovers."
وللشعراء فَنٌّ من القُنوع أرادوا فيه إظهارَ غرضهم وإبانة اقتدارهم على المعاني الغامضة والمَرامي البعيدة، وكلٌّ قال على قدر قوة طبعه، إلا أنه تحكَّم باللسان، وتشدَّق في الكلام، واستطال بالبيان، وهو غير صحيح في الأصل.,"The poets however have a sort of contentment by which they desire to manifest their virtuosity and to demonstrate their mastery of obscure ideas and farfetched notions. Every poet has uttered according to the scope of his natural faculty; but it is merely a matter of verbal dexterity, volubility, and fluency of expression; what he says is not fundamentally genuine."
فمنهم من قنع بأن السماء تُظله هو ومحبوبه والأرض تقلُّهما، ومنهم من قَنع باستوائهما في إحاطة الليل والنهار بهما، وأشباه هذا.,"One poet is content that the same heavens should overshadow him and his beloved, and the same earl support them both; another is content that night an day should encompass himself and his loved one on equal terms; and so forth."
وكلٌّ مُبادرٌ إلى احتواء الغاية في الاستقصاء، وإحراز قَصَب السَّبْق في التدقيق، ولي في هذا المعنى قولٌ لا يُمكن لمتعقب أن يجد بعده مُتناولًا، ولا وراءه مكانًا، مع تَبْيِيني علَّة قرب المسافة البعيدة، وهو:  وَقَالُوا بَعِيدٌ قُلْتُ حَسْبِي بِأَنَّهُ *** مَعِي فِي زَمَانٍ لَا يُطِيقُ مَحِيدا تَمُرُّ عَلَيَّ الشَّمْسُ مِثْلَ مُرُورِهَا *** بِهِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ يَسْتَنِيرُ جَدِيدًا فَمَنْ لَيْسَ بَيْنِي فِي المَسِيرِ وَبَيْنَهُ *** سِوَى قَطْعِ يَوْمٍ هَلْ يَكُونُ بَعِيدا وَعِلْمُ إِلَهِ الخَلْقِ يَجْمَعُنَا مَعًا *** كَفَى ذَا التَّدَانِي مَا أُرِيدُ مَزِيدا,"Each poet strains to outstrip fellows in achieving the furthest attainable goal, and carrying off the palm for subtlety and refinement may mention here a poem of my own composition belonging to this category, which no man following after me will ever be able to rival or excel; my theme is the reason for the proximity of remoteness!  They said, “Thy love is far away” “It is enough for me”, I say, “The time we dwell in, he and I, Is one, and thence he cannot fly.  “The selfsame sun that shines on me Irradiates him equally, As every day it passes through The skies in lustre ever new.  “Can he be said to live afar, Seeing the distance that we are Apart exceeds not any way The journey of a single day?  “The One Creator in His mind Comprises both of us combined; I am content, nor seek to be In closer contiguity.”"
فبيَّنتُ — كما ترى — أني قانعٌ بالاجتماع مع مَن أُحبُّ في علم الله، الذي السمواتُ والأفلاك والعوالم كلها وجميع الموجودات لا تنفصل منه، ولا تتجزأ فيه، ولا يشذ عنه منها شيء، ثم اقتصرت مِن علم الله تعالى على أنه في زمان.,"Here, as you will observe, I have expressed myself as content to be combined with my beloved in the Knowledge of God, in which are comprehended the heavens; the spheres, all the worlds, and every single existing thing, yet without affinity and without particularity; nothing whatsoever escapes there from. Then I have further restricted myself, touching the Divine Knowledge, to saying that my love and I dwell within a single time."
وهذا أعمُّ مما قاله غيري في إحاطة الليل والنهار، وإن كان الظاهر واحدًا في البادي إلى السامع؛ لأن كل المخلوقات واقعة تحت الزمان، وإنما الزمان اسم موضوع لمرور الساعات وقَطع الفلك وحركاته وأجرامه، والليل والنهار متولدان عن طُلوع الشمس وغروبها، وهما مُتناهيانِ في بعض العالَم الأعلى، وليس هكذا الزمان، فإنهما بعض الزمان، وإن كان لبعض الفلاسفة قولٌ «إن الظل متمادٍ.»,"(This is even more general than what others have expressed, when they have spoken of being coin prised with the beloved in the same night and day though to be true it may appear to the listener at first caring to amount to the same thing.) For all creatures under the dominion of Time, which is a term devised signify the passing of the hours, the crossing of the firmament, and the movements of the heavenly bodies. Night and day are engendered by the rising and sinking of the sun, and somewhere come to an end in the supernal world; not so Time. Night and day are therefore but part of Time. It is true that certain philosophers have asserted that “shadow extends infinitely”;"
ومن القنوع فصلٌ أُوردُه، وأستعيذُ بالله منه ومن أهله، وأحمَدُه على ما عَرَّف نفوسنا من منافرته؛ وهو أن يضل العقلُ جُملة، ويُفْسِد القريحة، ويُتلف التمييز، ويهون الصعب، ويُذهب الغَيرة، ويُعدم الأنفة، فيرضى الإنسان بالمشاركة فيمن يحب.,"There exists another variety of contentment which I will now set down; and in doing so I take refuge with ‘God from this, and from all those who practise it, and five Him thanks that He has inspired our souls to shun it. This contentment is only experienced when the reason goes totally astray, the intelligence is corrupted, the discretion destroyed; the hardest things then prove easy. Fond jealousy vanishes, and proper pride is lost; h man will acquiesce in sharing his beloved with other."
وقد عرَض هذا لقوم — أعاذنا الله من البلاء — وهذا لا يصح إلا مع كلبيَّة في الطبع، وسُقوط من العقل الذي هو عَيَّار على ما تحته، وضعف حسٍّ، ويؤيد هذا كله حُبٌّ شديد مُعْمٍ، فإذا اجتمعت هذه الأشياء وتلاحقت بمزاج الطبائع ودُخول بعضها في بعض، نتج بينهما هذا الطبع الخسيس، وتولدت هذه الصفة الرذلة، وقام منها هذا الفعل المقذور القبيح، وأما رجلٌ معه أقل همة وأيسر مروءة فهذا منه أبعدُ من الثريَّا، ولو مات وجدًا وتقطع حُبًّا.,"There are people to whom this has actually appended; may God preserve us from such a calamity! But for this in truth to happen, a man must needs have currish nature, and be entirely bereft of reason, the touchstone of all that falls beneath its sway; he must insensitive in the extreme. The situation is further aggravated by a love, which is both violent and blind. When all these factors are combined together, and then fertilized by the mingling and interpenetration of the natural temperaments, the resulting issue is that vile nature of which I have spoken; this base quality is duly born, to reveal itself in such ignoble and gusting conduct. To a man possessing the least spark of honour and chivalry, all this is more remote than t Pleiades; though he should die of passion, and be torn to pieces by love."
وفي ذلك أقول زاريًا على بعض المُسامحين في هذا الفصل:  رَأَيْتُكَ رَحْبَ الصَّدْرِ تَرْضَى بِمَا أَتَى *** وَأَفْضَلُ شَيْءٍ أَنْ تَلِينَ وَتَسْمَحَا فَحَظُّكَ مِنْ بَعْضِ السَّوَانِي مُفَضَّلٌ *** عَلَى أَنْ يَحُوَز الملكُ مِنْ أَصْلِهَا الرَّحَى وَعُضْوُ بَعِيرٍ فِيهِ فِي الوَزْنِ ضِعْفُ مَا *** تُقَدِّرُهُ فِي الجَدْيِ، فَاعْصِ الَّذِي لَحَا وَلعْبُ الَّذِي تَهْوَى بِسَيْفَيْنِ مُعْجِب *** فَكُنْ نَاحِيًا فِي نَحْوِهِ كَيْفَمَا نَحَا,"I have given voice to this sentiment in some verses in which I expressed my contempt foal man who practiced that kind of “tolerance”.  I see that thou art tolerant, And well content with what is thine Complaisance is the thing to want Indulgence is a virtue fine!  To call a water-wheel thy own: This makes thee richly satisfied, Though it is in the mill alone That true possession doth reside.  The camel’s member doth outweigh, Thou calculates, and by far, The kid entire: then disobey Thy critics, who so captious are.  The object of thy so fond love With his two swords adroitly plays; Where’er he turneth, do thou move, And follow him in all his ways!"
باب الضنى ولا بد لكل مُحب صادق المودَّة ممنوع الوصل، إمَّا بِبَيْن وإمَّا بهَجر وإما بكتمان واقعٍ لمعنًى، من أن يئول إلى حد السقام والضنى والنُّحول، وربما أضجعه ذلك. وهذا الأمر كثير جدًّا موجود أبدًا.,"OF WASTING AWAY EVERY lover who is sincere in his affection, if he be barred from union with his beloved either through separation, or as the result of a breaking off, or because or some reason or another he has to conceal his attachment, must necessarily fall in consequence into sickness, wasting away, and emaciation; not infrequently he, is obliged to take to his bed. This is a thing exceedingly prevalent; it is happening all the time."
والأعراض الواقعة من المَحبة غير العلل الواقعة من هَجمات العِلل، ويميزها الطبيبُ الحاذق والمتفرِّس الناقد. وفي ذلك أقول:  يَقُولُ لِيَ الطَّبِيبُ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ *** تَدَاوَ فَأَنْتَ يَا هَذَا عَلِيلُ وَدَائِي لَيْسَ يَدْرِيهِ سَوَائِي *** وَرَبٌّ قَادِرٌ مَلِكٌ جَلِيل أَأَكْتُمُهُ وَيَكْشِفُهُ شَهِيقٌ *** يُلَازِمُنِي وَإِطْرَاقٌ طَوِيل وَوَجْهٌ شَاهِدَاتُ الحُزْنِ فِيهِ *** وَجِسْمٌ كَالخَيَالِ ضَنٍ نَحِيل,"The accidents that befall on account of love are quite different from those maladies, which result from the sudden attack of an illness, and are readily diagnosed by the shrewd physician and the observant physiognomist. I have the following poem on this subject.  The doctor says to me (But he does nothing know), “Take drugs, dear So-and-so Thou ailest grievously!”  Yea, no man knows this thing I suffer from, but I Do know, and God Most High, One Lord, Almighty King.  Can I conceal my woe? That is made all too plain By my deep groans of pain, My throbbing head bent low?  My face grief’s signs are seen Most clearly there, in faith; My body-that poor wraith, So wasted and so lean."
وَأَثْبَتُ مَا يَكُونُ الأَمْرُ يَوْمًا *** بِلَا شَكٍّ إِذَا صَحَّ الدَّلِيل فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَبِنْ عَنِّي قَلِيلًا *** فَلَا وَالله تَعْرِفُ مَا تَقُول فَقَالَ أَرَى نُحُولًا زَادَ جِدًّا *** وَعِلَّتُكَ الَّتِي تَشْكُو ذُبُول فَقُلْتُ لَهُ الذُّبُولُ تَعِلُّ مِنْهُ الـ *** ـجَوَارِحُ وَهْيَ حُمَّى تَسْتَحِيل,"And naught can ever be More sure, more free of doubt, Than when signs point it out Incontrovertibly.  I said, “Explain me what The trouble is, I pray; For all that thou dost say Thou truly knowest not.”  He said, “See, I have traced A leanness most extreme; Thy sickness, it would seem, Is a consuming waste.”  “The waste”, I cried, “thou fool, Affects the members all; Its sign is what they call A fever variable."
وَمَا أَشْكُو لَعَمْرُ الله حُمَّى *** وَإِنَّ الحَرَّ فِي جِسْمِي قَلِيل فَقَالَ أَرَى الْتِفَاتًا وَارْتِقَابًا *** وَأَفْكَارًا وَصَمْتًا لَا يَزُول وَأَحْسَبُ أَنَّهَا السَّوْدَاءُ فَانْظُرْ *** لِنَفْسِكَ إِنَّهَا عَرَضٌ ثَقِيل فَقُلْتُ لَهُ كَلَامُكَ ذَا مُحَالٌ *** فَمَا لِلدَّمْعِ مِنْ عَيْنِي يَسِيل,"“By Allah’s life, I swear No fever is in me; Come; touch my flesh, and see; The heat is little there.”  He said, “Ha, I discern Thy nerves are overwrought; All jumpy, deep in thought Thou art, and taciturn.  I therefore speculate ‘Tis melancholia; Be careful! It is a Most grave and serious state.”  “That speech, if I may so Remark, absurd appears”, I said. “What of these tears That from my eyelids flow?”"
فَأَطْرَقَ بَاهِتًا مِمَّا رَآهُ *** أَلَا فِي مِثْلِ ذَا بُهِتَ النَّبِيل فَقُلْتُ لَهُ دَوَائِي مِنْهُ دَائِي *** أَلَا فِي مِثْلِ ذَا ضَلَّتْ عُقُول وَشَاهِدْ مَا أَقُولُ يُرَى عِيَانًا *** فُرُوعُ النَّبْتِ إِنْ عُكِسَتْ أُصُول وَتِرْيَاقُ الأَفَاعِي لَيْسَ شَيْءٌ *** سِوَاهُ بِبُرْءِ مَا لَدَغَتْ كَفِيل,"He lowered then his eyes, Perplexed by what he viewed; And of a certitude ‘Twould baffle the most wise.  “My sickness”, I did say, “Itself provides my cure; Aye, such a case, for sure, Leads mightiest brains astray.  “My proof may be discerned At once, and visibly:  “The viper’s antidote Its poison will extract Naught else can counteract The mischief of its throat.”"
وحدثني أبو بكر محمد بن بقيٍّ الحجريُّ، وكان حكيم الطبع عاقلًا فهيمًا، عن رجل من شيوخنا لا يمكن ذكره، أنه كان ببغداد في خانٍ من خاناتها، فرأى ابنة لوكيلة الخان فأحبَّها وتزوَّجها، فلما خلا بها نظرتْ إليه وكانتْ بِكرًا، وهو قد تكشف لبعض حاجته، فراعَها كِبَر أيْرِه، ففرَّت إلى أمها وتفادت منه،,"I was told the following story by Abu Bakr Ibn Muhammad Ibn Baqi al-Hajari, a man naturally wise, intelligent and understanding. A certain shaikh of ours, whose name I cannot mention, was lodging in a caravanserai in Baghdad. There he saw a daughter of the manageress of the inn; he fell in love with her, and married her. When he was privily with her, he covered himself for a certain purpose. Her eyes fell upon him and, being a virgin, she took fright at his virility; she fled to her mother, and would have nothing more to do with him."
وقد تقدَّم في أشعاري المذكورة في هذه الرسالة من صفة النُّحُول مُفرَّقًا ما استغنيتُ به عن أن أذكر هنا مِن سواها شيئًا خوفَ الإطالة. والله المعين والمستعان. وربما تَرقَّت إلى أن يُغلَب المرء على عقله ويُحال بينه وبين ذهنه فيوسوس.,"The detailed description of emaciation which I have already given in my verses quoted above exempts me from the necessity of citing anything further on the subject here; for I fear to make my discourse too prolonged. God is my help, and to Him I pray for succour. Sometimes indeed the condition progresses to such a point that the victim is no longer in possession of his senses; he is deprived of all his reason, and becomes the prey of insane fancies."
خبر وإني لأعرف جاريةً من ذوات المَناصب والجمال والشرف من بنات القوَّاد، وقد بلغ بها حُب فتًى من إخواني جدًّا، من أبناء الكُتَّاب، مبلغَ هيجان المرار الأسود، وكادت تختلط، واشتُهر الأمر وشاع جدًّا حتى علمناه وعلمه الأباعد، إلى أن تُدورِكتْ بالعلاج.,"I know a young lady of rank, beauty and nobility, a general’s daughter, who fell most violently in love with a youthful friend of mine; he happened to be the son of a high civil servant. Her passion was so extreme that she became most melancholic, and wellnigh lost her mind entirely. The affair became notorious, an was bruited far and wide, so that it came even to my, ears, and total strangers were familiar with the details; At last she responded to treatment, and made a good recovery."
وهذا إنما يتولَّد عن إدمان الفكر، فإذا غلبت الفكرة وتمكن الخَلط التداوي خرج الأمر عن حدِّ الحُب إلى حد الوَلَهِ والجنون، وإذا أُغفل التداوي في الأول إلى المُعاناة قوي جدًّا ولم يوجد له دواء سوى الوصال.,"All this happens only as the result of mental obsession. When an idée fixe gets the upper hand of a person, and the melancholy humour is in full control, the affair passes beyond the bounds of love, and enters the confine of folly and madness. If at the beginning of the disorder the proper treatment is neglected, the lover’s condition becomes exceedingly serious; the derangement gets deep-seated, and cannot be cured except by’ union with the beloved."
ومن بعض ما كتبتُ إليه قطعةً، منها:  قَدْ سَلَبْتَ الفُؤَادَ مِنْهَا اخْتِلَاسًا *** أَيُّ خَلْقٍ يَعِيشُ دُونَ فُؤَادِ فَأَغِثْهَا بِالوَصْلِ تَحْيَ شَرِيفًا *** وَتَفُزْ بِالثَّوَابِ يَوْمَ المَعَادِ وَأَرَاهَا تَعْتَاضُ إِنْ دَامَ هَذَا *** مِنْ خَلَاخِيلِهَا حُلَى الأَقْيَاد أَنْتَ حَقًّا مُتَيِّمُ الشَّمْسِ حَتَّى *** عِشْقُهَا بَيْنَ ذَا الوَرَى لَكَ بَادِي,"I will quote one of the many’ poems which I have written in illustration of this topic  Thou hast robbed her of her heart Using all deceitful art; And can any creature thrive Having not a heart alive?  Succour her with loving ways, And live honoured all thy days; Thou shalt win a rich reward At the Judgment of the Lord.  I believe, if she obtains No relief from present pains, She’ll exchange, for anklets sweet, Chains of steel upon her feet.  Verily, thou hast the sun For thy slavish lover won, And in every human breast Is that love made manifest."
خبر وحدَّثني جعفر مولى أحمد بن محمد بن جدير، المعروف بالبلبيني، أن سبب اختلاط مروان بن يحيى بن أحمد بن جدير وذهاب عقله اعتلاقُه بجاريةٍ لأخيه، فمنعها منه وباعها لغيره، وما كان في إخوته مثله ولا أتم أدبًا منه.,"Ja’far, the freedman of Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Hudair, better known as al-Balansi, informed me that he reason why Marwan Ibn Yahya Ibn Ahmad Ibn Hudair became deranged and lost his reason was that he fell hopelessly in love with a slave-girl belonging to; his brother; he refused to let him have her, and sold her to another; yet there was none among his brothers who could hold a candle to him, he was a man of such perfect culture."
وأخبرني أبو العافية مولى محمد بن عباس بن أبي عبدة، أن سبب جنون يحيى بن أحمد بن عبَّاس بن أبي عبدة بَيْع جاريةٍ له كان يَجِد بها وَجدًا شديدًا، كانت أمه أباعتها وذهبت إلى إنكاحه من بعض العامريَّات.,"Abu ‘l-`Afiya, the freedman of Muhammad Ibn `Abbas Ibn Abi ‘Abda, told me that the reason why Yahya Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn `Abbas Ibn Abi ‘Abda went mad was that a slave-girl to whom he was passionately attached was sold by his mother’s instructions, she having in mind to marry her son to a daughter of the ‘Amirid family."
فهذان رجلان جليلان مشهوران فَقدَا عقولهما واختلطا وصارا في القيود والأغلال، فأما مروان فأصابته ضربة مُخطئة يوم دخول البَربر قُرطبة وانتهائهم إليها، فتُوفِّي رحمه الله.,"There you have two most respectable and eminent gentlemen who lost their reasons and became deranged, so that they found themselves in chains and fetters. As for Marwan, he was struck by a stray shot on the day the Berbers entered and sacked Cordova so he died, God have mercy on his soul."
وأما يحيى بن محمد فهو حيٌّ على حالته المذكورة في حين كِتابتي لرسالتي هذه، وقد رأيته أنا مرارًا وجالسته في القصر قبل أن يُمتحن بهذه المحنة.,"Yahya Ibn Muhammad for his part is living yet, still languishing in the condition I have described, at the time of writing this essay; I have seen him on many occasions, and before he was tried with this terrible affliction I often sat with him in the Palace."
وكان أستاذي وأستاذه الفقيه أبو الخيار اللُّغوي، وكان يحيى — لَعَمْري — حُلوًا من الفتيانِ نبيلًا.,"We shared the same teacher, the eminent jurist Abu ‘l-Khiyar al-Lughawi; and by my life, Yahya was at that time entirely free of metal disturbance, a most distinguished young man."
وأما من دون هذه الطبقة فقد رأينا منهم كثيرًا، ولكن لم نُسمِّهم لخفائهم، وهذه درجة إذا بلغ المشغوف إليها فقد انبتَّ الرجاء وانصرم الطمع، فلا دواء له بالوصل ولا بغيره، إذ قد استحكم الفساد في الدماغ، وتَلِفت المعرفة، وتغلبت الآفة.,"Persons of a lower social order than these I have seen in plenty, but forbear to name them because of their obscurity. When the infatuated lover comes to this pass, all hope is cut off, and all expectation of a recovery must be abandoned; there is no remedy for him any more, neither in union with the beloved nor any other way. The corruption is firmly established in his brain; his consciousness is completely destroyed; the mischief has got the upper hand of him."
أعاذنا الله من البلاء بطَوْله، وكفانا النِّقَم بمَنِّه.,"May Allah in His almighty power defend us from such a calamity, and of His bounty protect us from such chastisement!"
باب السلو وقد علمنا أن كلَّ ما له أول فلا بُد له من آخر، حاشا نَعيم الله عزَّ وجل، الجنة لأوليائه، وعذابه بالنار لأعدائه.,"OF FORGETTING WE know well that everything which has a beginning must also have an end, save for those delights of Paradise which Allah has reserved for those He loves, and the torments of Hell that await His enemies."
وأما أعراض الدنيا فنافدة فانية، وزائلة مضمحلة، وعاقبة كل حُب إلى أحد أمرين؛ إمَّا اخترام منية، وإما سلوٍّ حادث.,"As for mundane accidents, these all pass away and perish; they are annihilated, and cease to be. Every love comes finally to one or other conclusion: either it is cut off by death, or ends in oblivion."
وقد نجد النفس تَغلب عليها بعضُ القُوى المصرِّفة معها في الجسد، فكما نجد نَفسًا ترفض الراحات والملاذَّ للعمل في طاعة الله تعالى وللرياء في الدنيا، حتى تُشتهر بالزهد، فكذلك نجد نفسًا تنصرف عن الرغبة في لقاء شكلها للأنفة المستحكمة المنافرة للغدر، أو استمرار سوء المكافأة في الضمير.,"We find from time to time that the soul is dominated by one or other of the faculties, which with it control the body. Similarly we may observe a soul refusing all comforts and pleasures, being dedicated to obedience to the will of Allah, or hypocritically seeking a reputation in this world for holy abstinence. In like manner we will come upon a soul that turns away from the desire to meet its kind, on account of a deeply-seated pride that shuns betrayal, or the bitter, ineradicable memory of an evil requital of its love."
وهذا أصح السلوِّ، وما كان من غير هذين الشيئين فليس إلا مذمومًا. والسلوُّ المتولِّد من الهجر وطوله إنما هو كاليأس يدخل على النفس من بُلوغها إلى أملها، فيفتر نزاعها ولا تقوى رغبتها. ولي في ذم السلو قصيدة، منها:  إِذَا مَا رَنَتْ فَالحَيُّ مَيْتٌ بِلَحْظِهَا *** وَإِنْ نَطَقَتْ قُلْت السَّلَامَ رِطَاب كَأَنَّ الهَوَى ضَيْفٌ أَلَمَّ بِمُهْجَتِي *** فَلَحْمِي طَعَامٌ وَالنَّجِيعُ شَرَاب,"This is the truer sort of forgetting; whatever oblivion arises from other motives than these two, merits the utmost condemnation. Forgetting engendered by long-continued spurning of the lover’s advances is merely the despair that enters into the soul, when it realizes that it can never attain its cherished hope; this has the effect of weakening the ardour, not of strengthening the desire. I have a long poem in condemnation of forgetting, from which the following stanzas are extracted.  Her glance, where’er she turns her head, Strikes every living creature dead; Her words, when she addresses me, Are dates upon a thorny tree.  It seems that passion is a guest Installed in my receptive breast, And takes my flesh to be its food, And for refreshment drinks my blood."
ومنها:  صَبُورٌ عَلَى الأَزْمِ الَّذِي العِزُّ خَلفَهُ *** وَلَوْ أَمْطَرَتْهُ بِالحَرِيقِ سَحَاب جَزُوعًا مِنَ الرَّاحَاتِ إِنْ أَنْتَجَتْ لَهُ *** خُمُولًا وَفِي بَعْضِ النَّعِيمِ عَذَاب,"Later in the ballad these verses occur.  He suffers rigour patiently For sake of glory yet to be, Nor flinches in his high desire Though heaven rain on him with fire.  He spurns all comforts as a shame That bring diminishment of fame; And there are blessings, well I know, That lead to torment and to woe."
والسلو في التجربة الجميلة ينقسم قسمين: سلو طبيعي، وهو المسمى بالنسيان، يخلو به القلب، ويفَرغ به البال، ويكون الإنسان كأنه لم يحب قط.,"In a general analysis, oblivion may be divided into two kinds. The first is natural, being what is commonly called forgetting. In this state the heart is completely free, and the mind exempt of all preoccupation; it is as though one had never been in love at all."
وهذا القسم ربما لحِق صاحبَه الذمُّ لأنه حادث عن أخلاق مذمومة، وعن أسباب غير مُوجبة استحقاق النسيان — وستأتي مُبيَّنة إن شاء الله تعالى — وربما لم تَلْحقه اللائمة لعذر صحيح.,"It may be that a man who behaves in this way will be liable to reproach, because such a manner of oblivion springs out of reprehensible qualities of character, and is engendered by causes that by no means justify the act of forgetting; we shall expound these causes at length elsewhere, God willing. Sometimes however blame does not attach to a man in such a case, since he has a good and sufficient excuse."
والثاني سلو تطبُّعي، قهر النفس، وهو المسمى بالتصبُّر، فترى المرء يُظهر التجلُّد وفي قلبه أشد لدغًا من وخز الإشْفَى، ولكنه يرى بعضَ الشر أهونَ من بعض، أو يحاسب نفسه بحُجة لا تُصرف ولا تُكْسر.,"The second kind of oblivion is artificial; in this the soul is constrained to forget. This is what is generally known as conscious fortitude. You will see a man displaying the most resolute impassivity, though in his heart there is a pricking anguish more painful than the stab of a stiletto; but he reckons some evils to be more bearable than others, and in accounting with his soul uses arguments which can neither be deflected nor shattered."
وهذا قسم لا يُذمُّ آتِيه، ولا يُلام فاعله؛ لأنه لا يحدُث إلا عن عظيمة، ولا يقع إلا عن فادحة؛ إما لسبب لا يَصبر على مثله الأحرار، وإما لخطب لا مردَّ له تجري به الأقدار.,"This sort of forgetting involves a man so comporting himself in no reproach or blame, because it does not arise save as the result of a terrible calamity, nor happens except in consequence of a shocking blow, having as its cause either some circumstance which no self-respecting man could stomach, or some catastrophe, some turn of destiny against which resistance is vain."
وكفاك من الموصوف به أنه ليس بناسٍ لكنه ذاكر، وذو حنين واقف على العهد، ومتجرِّع مرارات الصبر، والفرق العامي بين المتصبر والناسي أنك ترى المتصبر وإن أبدَى غاية الجَلَد، وأظهر سَبَّ محبوبه والتحمُّل عليه، يَحتمِلُ ذلك من غيره. وفي ذلك أقول قطعة، منها:  دَعُونِي وَسَبِّي لِلْحَبِيبِ فَإِنني *** وَإِنْ كُنْتُ أُبْدِي الهَجْرَ لَسْتُ مُعَادِيَا وَلَكِنَّ سَبِّي لِلْحَبِيبِ كَقَوْلِهِمْ *** أَجَادَ فَلَقَّاهُ الإِلَهُ الدَّوَاهِيَا,"It is enough to reflect that such a man as I have here described does not in fact forget; on the contrary, he remembers everything, and is full of fond yearning; he remains faithful to his covenant, as he gulps down the bitter draughts of patient endurance. The universal difference between the man who endures consciously, and the one who forgets, is that the former, although he manifests the last degree of impassivity, and makes a great show of reviling and attacking his beloved, will not tolerate such conduct in any other. I have put this in rhyme.  Now leave me to revile my love; For truly, though I seek to prove She shall have nothing more of me, I harbour no hostility.  Know rather, that if I revile My darling, it is all the while As when men say, “He did his best God sent him ill, his love to test.”"
والناسي ضدُّ هذا، وكلُّ هذا فعلى قدر طبيعة الإنسان وإجابتها وامتناعها، وقُوة تمكُّن الحب من القلب أو ضعفه، وفي ذلك أقول، وسمَّيتُ الساليَ فيه المُتصبِّر، قطعةً، منها:  نَاسِي الأَحِبَّةِ غَيْرُ مَنْ يَسْلُوهُمُ *** حُكْمُ المُقَصِّرِ غَيْرُ حُكْمِ المُقْصِرِ مَا قَاصِرٌ لِلنَّفْسِ غَيْرَ مُجِيبِهَا *** مَا الصَّابِرُ المَطْبُوعُ كَالمُتَصَبِّرِ,"The man who actually forgets is entirely opposite. All this of course depends upon the individual temperament, and the degree to which it submits or refuses, as well as upon the extent to which love has the mastery of the lover’s heart, or is still but feebly established there. This also I have illustrated in some verses, in which I have spoken of forgetfulness as conscious fortitude.  To will forgetting friends is not The same as having friends forgot; “I can, but I decline to do” Is not” I am unable to.”  The man submissive to his soul Ranks not with him who keeps control; A nature patiently endued Is not like conscious fortitude."
والأسباب الموجبة للسلو المنقسم هذين القسمين كثيرة، وعلى حسبها وبمقدار الواقع منها يُعذر السالي ويُذم.,"The causes producing these two kinds of oblivion are numerous; it is according to the nature of those causes, and the extent of their impact, that the lover who forgets is to be excused or condemned."
فمنها المَلل، وقد قدَّمنا الكلام عليه، وإن من كان سُلوُّه عن مَلل فليس حُبُّه حقيقة، والمُتَّسم به صاحبُ دعوى زائفة، وإنما هو طالب لذَّة ومُبادر شهوة.,"First there is weariness: we have already spoken of this. The lover who forgets through becoming weary is no true lover at all, and one stamped with this mark is rather to be counted as a false pretender: all that he is seeking is pleasure, and the gratification of carnal lust."
والسالي من هذا الوجه ناسٍ مذموم.,Oblivion of this type is reprehensible forgetfulness.
ومنها الاستبدال، وهو وإن كان يُشبه الملل ففيه معنًى زائدٌ، وهو بذلك المعنى أقبح من الأول، وصاحبه أحقُّ بالذم.,"Then there is the desire for change: though this bears a certain resemblance to weariness, there is an additional motive involved which renders it still more disgusting than the other, and the man so acting is more richly deserving of blame."
ومنها حَياء مركَّب يكون في المُحبِّ يَحولُ بينه وبين التعريض بما يجد، فيتطاول الأمر، وتتراخى المدة، ويبلى جديد المودة، ويحدُث السلو.,"Thirdly, there is that constitutional modesty which will prevent a lover from making any allusion to his feelings; consequently the affair drags on far a prodigious time, the first fresh bloom of affection fades, and oblivion ensues."
وهذا وجه إن كان السالي عنه ناسيًا فليس بمُنصفٍ؛ إذ منه جاء سببُ الحرمان، وإن كان متصبرًا فليس بملوم؛ إذ آثر الحياء على لذة نفسه.,"In such a case if the lover seeking oblivion does in fact forget, he acts unjustly in that he was himself the cause of his own deprivation; but if he comports himself with what we have called conscious fortitude, then he is not to be condemned, since he has promoted modesty above personal enjoyment."
وقد ورد عن رسول الله ﷺ أنه قال: «الحَياء من الإيمان، والبذاء من النفاق.»,"It has been reported of the Prophet of Allah that he said, “Modesty belongs to faith, and shamelessness belongs to hypocrisy.”"
وحدثنا أحمد بن محمد، عن أحمد بن مطرف، عن عبد الله بن يحيى، عن أبيه، عن مالك، عن سلمة بن صَفوان الزرقي، عن زيد بن طلحة بن رُكانة يرفعه إلى رسول الله ﷺ أنه قال: «لكل دين خُلقٌ، وخُلقُ الإسلام الحياءُ.»,"Ahmad Ibn Muhammad informed me, on the authority of Ahmad Ibn Mutarrif, who quoted from `Abd Allah Ibn Yahya, from the latter’s father, from Malik, from Salama Ibn Safwan al-Zargi, from Zaid Ibn Talha Ibn Rakana, by direct transmission, that the Prophet of Allah said, “Every religion has its characteristic, and the characteristic of Islam is modesty.”"
فهذه الأسباب الثلاثة أصلها من المُحب، وابتداؤها من قِبَله، والدم لاصق به في نسيانه لمن يُحب.,"The foregoing three causes have their root and origin in the lover; blame attaches to him if, and only if, he in fact forgets the object of his affection."
ثم منها أسباب أربعة هُن من قِبل المحبوب، وأصلها عنده، فمنها:,"Then there are four causes of oblivion, which derive from and have their origin in the beloved."
الهجر، وقد مرَّ تفسير وجوهه، ولا بد لنا أن نورد منه شيئًا في هذا الباب يوافقه، والهجر إذا تطاول وكثُر العتاب واتصلت المفارقة يكون بابًا إلى السلو.,"The first is breaking off: we have already expounded the various aspects of this, but must nevertheless set down some account of it in this chapter, as suits the present context. When breaking off is prolonged, and accompanied by numerous reproaches and continued separation, it proves to be the gateway to forgetting."
وليس مَن وصلك ثم قَطعك لغيرك من باب الهَجر في شيء؛ لأنه الغدر الصحيح، ولا مَن مَال إلى غيرك دون أن يتقدَّم لك معه صِلةٌ من الهَجر أيضًا في شيء، إنما ذاك هو النِّفار — وسيقع الكلامُ في هذين الفصلين بعد هذا إن شاء الله تعالى — لكن الهجر ممن وَصَلك ثم قطَعك لتنقيل واشٍ، أو لذنب واقع، أو لشيء قام في النفس، ولم يَمِل إلى سواك، ولا أقام أحدًا غيرك مقامك.,"But if a person who formerly kept your company ends the association in order to resort with another that does not come under the heading of breaking off at all; it is plain perfidy. Similarly if a person inclines in his affections towards someone else, without there having been any previous link between you and him, that is also not an instance of breaking off; it is simple aversion. I shall discourse on these two subjects later, if Allah wills. True breaking off occurs when someone keeps company with you and then ends the association, either because of some tale brought by a slanderer, or owing to some fault that has been committed, or as the result of some conviction on the other’s part that it is so; in every case without the person concerned inclining towards another, or putting someone else in your place."
والناسي في هذا الفصل من المُحبين ملوم دون سائر الأسباب الواقعة من المحبوب؛ لأنه لا تقع حالة تُقيم العذر في نسيانه، وإنما هو راغب عن وَصلك، وهو شيء لا يلزمه.,"In this situation the lover who forgets is certainly to be blamed–contrary to what is true in the other instances where the causes for oblivion derive from the beloved’s initiative. For here no valid grounds for excuse exist, if the lover forgets the beloved; the beloved simply no longer has any desire for your company, and he is certainly under no obligation in the matter."
وقد تقدم من أذمَّة الوصال وحق أيامه ما يلزم التذكر، ويوجب عهد الألفة، ولكن الساليَ على جهة التصبر والتجلُّد ها هنا معذور، إذا رأى الهجر متماديًا، ولم يرَ للوصال علامة، ولا للمراجعة دلالة.,"The bonds of former association, and the loyalty due to those happy days of yore, require the lover to remember, and oblige him to respect the memory of their ancient comradeship. If however the lover forgets by way of conscious fortitude and deliberate impassivity, then he is indeed to be excused; for he sees that the break is continuing indefinitely, and observes no sign of renewed union, no indication of restored relationship."
وقد استجاز كثير من الناس أن يُسمُّوا هذا المعنى عذرًا؛ إذ ظاهرهما واحد، ولكن علَّتيهما مختلفتان؛ فلذلك فرَّقنا بينهما في الحقيقة. وأقول في ذلك شعرًا، منه:  فَكُونُوا كَمَنْ لَمْ أَدْرِ قَطُّ فَإِنَّنِي *** كَآخَرَ لَمْ تَدْرُوا وَلَمْ تَصِلُوهُ أَنَا كَالصَّدَى مَا قَالَ كُل أُجِيبُهُ *** فَمَا شِئْتُمُوهُ اليَوْمَ فَاعْتَمِدُوهُ,"It is true that many men have thought fit to apply the term treason to this sort of behaviour, because outwardly the two manifestations appear to be the same; but their causes are quite different, and it is for this reason that we have distinguished between them as regards their actual nature. I have a poem on this, from which I will allow myself to quote two stanzas.  So henceforth be as men whom I Have never known at all; and why? Because I am as one whom you Have never known, nor wanted to.  I am Sir Echo, answering What any man may say or sing; Whatever then you wish to day, Deliberate it every way!"
وأقول أيضًا قطعةً، ثلاثة أبيات قلتُها وأنا نائم، واستيقظت فأضفت إليها البيت الرابع:  أَلَا لله دَهْرٌ كُنْتُ فِيهِ *** أَعَزُّ عَلَيَّ مِنْ رُوحِي وَأَهْلِي فَمَا بَرحَتْ يَدُ الهجْرَانِ حَتَّى *** طَوَاكَ بَنَانُهَا طَيَّ السِّجِلِّ سَقَانِي الصَّبْرَ هجرُكُمُ كَمَا قَدْ *** سَقَانِي الحُبَّ وَصْلُكُمُ بِسَجْلِ وَجَدْتُ الوَصْلَ أَصْلَ الوَجْدِ حَقًّا *** وَطُولَ الهَجْرِ أَصْلًا لِلتَّسَلِّي,"Here is a curious little poem of four stanzas: I composed the first three while I was asleep, and added the fourth on waking.  O happy days of yore, The time when you were more Than life and family, And dearer far to me  The hand of banishment Would after not relent Until its fingers roll You from me like a scroll.  Your banning filled right up With patience my heart’s cup, As union once poured love To slake my thirst thereof.  In union then I knew The source of passion true, As now long banishing Doth consolation bring."
وأقول أيضًا قطعةً:  لَوْ قِيلَ لِي مِنْ قَبْل ذَا *** أَنْ سَوْفَ تَسْلُو مَنْ تَوَد فَحَلَفْتُ أَلْفَ قَسَامَةٍ *** لَا كَانَ ذَا أَبَد الأَبَد وَإِذَا طَوِيلُ الهَجْرِ مَا *** مَعَهُ مِنَ السُّلْوَانِ بُد لله هجرُك إِنَّهُ *** سَاعٍ لِبُرْئِي مُجْتَهِد فَالآنَ أَعْجَبُ لِلسلُوِّ *** وَكُنْتُ أَعْجَبُ لِلْجَلَد وَأَرَى هَوَاك كَجَمْرَةٍ *** تَحْتَ الرَّمَادِ لَهَا مَدَد  وأقول:  كَانَتْ جَهَنَّمُ فِي الحَشَا مِنْ حُبِّكُمْ *** فَلَقَدْ أَرَاهَا نَارَ إِبْرَاهِيمَا,"In another poem I say this.  If any man should say Ere this occurred, “Thou wilt forget one day Thy heart’s preferred”  A thousand oaths I would Have sworn, would I “Ah no, I never could, Not though I die!”  But to! Long banishment Has brought perforce Forgetfulness: love went Its destined course.  Ah, banishment! How kind, How sweet thou art, Who labourest to bind And heal my heart.  I used to marvel how I suffered yet Love’s pains: I wonder now That I forget.  And I suppose desire Is like a coal, That feeds upon the fire Still in my soul.  I also have the following stanza.  My bowels raged with your desire As if engulfed in hellish fire Now I discover that I am Immune to flames as Abraham."
ثم الأسباب الثلاثة الباقية التي هي من قِبَل المحبوب، فالمتصبر من الناس فيها غير مذموم؛ لما سنُورده — إن شاء الله — في كل فصلٍ منها.,"Let us now consider the three remaining causes o oblivion in which the beloved furnishes the occasion, and where the lover who behaves with conscious fortitude is not in the least blameworthy, for reasons which I hope to set forth in each several instance, God willing."
فمنها نِفارٌ يكون في المحبوب وانزواء قاطع للأطماع.,"There is (as the second of this group of four) the case of aversion on the part of the beloved, when she retires from the scene, and in doing so puts an end to all the lover’s fond hopes."
خبر وإني لأخبر عنِّي أني ألفت في أيام صباي ألفةَ المحبة جاريةً نشأت في دارنا، وكانت في ذلك الوقت بنتَ ستة عشرَ عامًا، وكانت غايةً في حُسن وجهها وعقلها وعفافها وطهارتها وخَفَرها ودَماثتها، عديمة الهزل، منيعة البَذل، بديعة البِشْر، مُسْبلة الستر؛ فقيدةَ الذام، قليلة الكلام، مغضوضة البصر، شديدة الحذر، نقية من العيوب، دائمة القطوب، حلوة الإعراض، مطبوعة الانقباض، مليحة الصدود، رزينة العقود، كثيرة الوقار، مستلذة النفار،,"I can tell you with regard to myself, that in my youth I enjoyed the loving friendship of a certain slave-girl who grew up in our house, and who at the time of my story was sixteen years of age. She had an extremely pretty face, and was moreover intelligent, chaste, pure, shy, and of the sweetest disposition; she was not given to jesting, and most sparing of her favours; She had a wonderful complexion, which she always kept closely veiled; innocent of every vice, and of very few words, she kept her eyes modestly cast down. Moreover she was extremely cautious, and guiltless of all faults, ever maintaining a serious mien; charming in her withdrawal, she was naturally reserved, and most graceful in repelling unwelcome advances. She seated herself with becoming dignity, and was most sedate in her behaviour; the way she fled from masculine attentions like a startled bird was delightful to behold."
فجنحتُ إليها وأحببتها حبًّا مفرطًا شديدًا، فسعيت عامين أو نحوهما أن تجيبني بكلمة، وأسمع مِن فيها لفظةً غير ما يقع في الحديث الظاهر إلى كل سامع بأبلغ السَّعي؛ فما وصلت من ذلك إلى شيء البتة.,"I found myself irresistibly drawn towards her, and loved her with all the violent passion of my youthful heart. For two years or thereabouts I laboured to the utmost of my powers to win one syllable of response from her, to hear from her lips a single word, other than the usual kind of banalities that may be heard by everyone; but all my efforts proved in vain."
فلعهدي بمُصطنع كان في دارنا لبعض ما يصطنع له في دُور الرؤساء، تجمَّعتْ فيه دخلتُنا ودخلة أخي — رحمه الله — من النساء ونساء فتياننا ومن لاثَ بنا مِن خَدَمنا، ممن يخفُّ موضعه ويلطفُ محله، فلبثن صدرًا من النهار ثم تنقَّلنَ إلى قصة كانت في دارنا مشرفة على بستان الدار، ويطلع منها على جميع قرطبة وفُحوصها، مفتحة الأبواب.,"Now I remember a party that was held in our residence, on one of those occasions that are commonly made the excuse for such festivities in the houses of persons, of rank. The ladies of our household and of my brother’s also (God have mercy on his soul!) were assembled together, as well as the womenfolk of our retainers and faithful servants, all thoroughly nice and jolly folk. The ladies remained in the house for the earlier part of the day, and then betook themselves to a belvedere that was attached to our mansion, overlooking the garden and giving a magnificent view of the whole of Cordova; the bays were constructed with large open windows."
فصرن ينظرن من خلال الشراجيب وأنا بينهن، فإني لأذكر أني كنت أقصد نحو الباب الذي هي فيه أُنسًا بقربها، مُتعرِّضًا للدنو منها، فما هو إلا أن تراني في جوارها فتترك ذلك الباب وتقصد غيره في لُطف الحركة، فأتعمد أنا القصد إلى الباب الذي صارت إليه، فتعود إلى مثل ذلك الفعل مِن الزوال إلى غيره.,"They passed their time enjoying the panorama through the lattice openings, myself being among them. I recall that I was endeavoring to reach the bay where she was standing; to enjoy her proximity and to sidle up close to her. But no sooner did she observe me in the offing, than she left that bay and sought another, moving with consummate grace. I endeavored to come to the bay to which she had departed, and she repeated her performance and passed on to another."
وكانت قد علمتْ كَلَفي بها، ولم يشعر سائر النسوان بما نحن فيه لأنهن كن عددًا كثيرًا، وإذ كلهن يتنقَّلن من باب إلى باب لسبب الاطِّلاع من بعض الأبواب على جهات لا يُطَّلع من غيرها عليها — واعلم أن قيافة النساء فيمن يميل إليهن أنفذ من قيافة مُدلج في الآثار — ثم نزلن إلى البستان، فرغب عجائزنا وكرائمنا إلى سيدتها في سماع غنائها، فأمرتها، فأخذت العود وسوَّته بخَفَر وخَجَل لا عهدَ لي بمثله، وإن الشيء يتضاعف حُسنُه في عين مُستحسنه، ثم اندفعت تغني بأبيات العباس بن الأحنف حيث يقول:,"She was well aware of my infatuation, while the other ladies were entirely unconscious of what was passing between us; for there was a large company of them, and they were all the time moving from one alcove to another to enjoy the variety of prospects, each bay affording a different view from the rest. You must realize, my friend, that women have keener eyes to detect admiration in a man’s heart, than any benighted traveller has to discover a track in the desert. Well, at last the ladies went down into the garden; and the dowagers and duchesses among them entreated the mistress of the girl to let them hear her sing. She commanded her to do so; and she thereupon took up her lute, and tuned it with a pretty shyness and modesty the like of which I had never seen; though it is true of course that things are doubly beautiful in the eyes of their admirers. Then she began to sing those famous verses of al-‘Abbas Ibn al-Ahnaf:"
إِنِّي طَرِبْتُ إِلَى شَمْسٍ إِذَا غَرَبَتْ *** كَانَتْ مَغَارِبُهَا جَوْفَ المَقَاصِيرِ شَمْسٌ مُمَثَّلَةٌ فِي خُلْقِ جَارِيَةٍ *** كَأَنَّ أَعْطَافَهَا طَيُّ الطَّوَامِيرِ لَيْسَتْ مِنَ الإِنْسِ إِلَّا فِي مُنَاسَبَةٍ *** وَلَا مِنَ الجِنِّ إِلَّا فِي التَّصَاوِيرِ فَالوَجْهُ جَوْهَرَةٌ، وَالجِسْمُ عَبْهَرَةٌ *** وَالرِّيحُ عَنْبَرَةٌ، وَالكُلُّ مِنْ نُورِ كَأَنَّهَا حِينَ تَخْطُو فِي مَجَاسِدِهَا *** تَخْطُو عَلَى البِيضِ أَوْ حَدِّ القَوَارِيرِ,"My heart leapt up, when I espied A sun sinks slowly in the west, Its beauty in that bower to hide Where lovely ladies lie at rest  A sun embodied in the guise Of a sweet maiden of delight, The ripple of her rounded thighs A scroll of parchment, soft and white.  No creature she of human kind, Though human fair and beautiful, And neither sprite, although designed In faery grace ineffable.  Her body was a jasmine rare, Her perfume sweet as amber scent, Her face a pearl beyond compare, Her all, pure light’s embodiment.  All shrouded in her pettigown I watched her delicately pass, Stepping as light as thistledown That dances on a crystal glass."
فلعمري لكأن المِضراب إنما يقع على قلبي، وما نسيت ذلك اليوم ولا أنساه إلى يوم مفارقتي الدنيا.,"And by my life, it was as though her plectrum: was ‘plucking at the strings of my heart. I have never forgotten that day, nor shall forget it until the time comes for me to leave this transient world."
وهذا أكثر ما وصلت إليه من التمكُّن من رؤيتها وسماع كلامها، وفي ذلك أقول:  لَا تَلُمْهَا عَلَى النِّفَار وَمَنْعِ الـ *** ـوَصْلِ مَا هَذَا لَهَا بِنَكِيرِ هَلْ يَكُونُ الهِلَالُ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ *** أَوْ يَكُونُ الغَزَالُ غَيْرَ نَفُورِ,"That was the most I was ever given to see her, or to hear her voice. On this I have the following verses.  Nay, blame her not, if she Shuns thy approach And will not yield to thee ‘Tis no reproach.  Does crescent moon not well To ride so high? Was ever-sweet gazelle Aught else but shy?"
وأقول:  مَنَعْتِ جَمَالَ وَجْهِكِ مُقْلَتَيَّا *** وَلَفْظُكِ قَدْ ضَنَنْتِ بِهِ عَليَّا أَرَاكِ نَذَرْتِ لِلرَّحْمَنِ صَوْمًا *** فَلَسْتِ تُكَلِّمِينَ اليَوْمَ حَيَّا وَقَدْ غَنَّيْتِ لِلعَبَّاسِ شِعْرًا *** هَنِيئًا ذَا لِعَبَّاسٍ هَنِيَّا فَلَوْ يَلْقَاكِ عَبَّاس لَأَضْحَى *** لِفَوْزٍ قَانِيًا، وَبِكُمْ شَجِيَّا,"I may also quote these stanzas.  Thou grudgest me the grace To see thy lovely face; Thou wilt not let me hear Thy voice, so soft and clear.  I think that, fasting, thou Hast made with God a vow, And therefore all this day Refusest aught to say.  Yet thou hast deigned to sing Of ‘Abbas’ fashioning A song: I wish thee joy, Friend `Abbas, lucky boy.  Did `Abbas have the chance To meet thy magic-glance, Poor Fauz his hate had won, With thee to dote upon!"
ثم انتقل أبي — رحمه الله — من دُورنا المحدثة بالجانب الشرقي من قرطبة في ربض الزاهرة إلى دورنا القديمة في الجانب الغربي من قرطبة ببلاط مغيث في اليوم الثالث من قيام أمير المؤمنين محمد المهدي بالخلافة، وانتقلت أنا بانتقاله، وذلك في جمادى الآخرة سنة تسع وتسعين وثلاثمائة، ولم تنتقل هي بانتقالنا لأمور أوجبت ذلك، ثم شُغلنا بعدَ قيام أمير المؤمنين هشام المؤيد بالنكبات وباعتداء أرباب دولته، وامتُحنَّا بالاعتقال والترقيب والإغرام الفادح والاستتار، وأرْزَمَت الفتنة وألقت باعها وعمَّت الناس، وخَصَّتنا إلى أن تُوفِّي أبي الوزير — رحمه الله — ونحن في هذه الأحوال بعد العصر يومَ السبت لليلتين بقيتا من ذي القعدة عام اثنين وأربعمائة.,"Then my father the vizier (God rest his soul) moved from our new mansion in Rabad al-Zahira on the” eastern side of Cordova, to our old residence on the western side, in the quarter of Balat Mughith; this was on the third day of the accession of Muhammad al-Mahdi to the Caliphate. I followed him in February 1009; but the girl did not come with us, for reason that obliged her to remain behind. Thereafter, when Hisham al-Mu’aiyad succeeded to the throne, we were, sufficiently preoccupied with the misfortunes which came upon us, thanks to the hostility of his ministers, we were sorely tried by imprisonment, surveillance and crushing fines,’ and were finally obliged to go into hiding. Civil war raged far and wide; all classes suffered from its dire effects, and ourselves in particular. At last my father the vizier died (God have mercy on his soul!), our situation being still as I have described, on the afternoon of Saturday, 22 June 1012."
واتصلت بنا تلك الحال بعده إلى أن كانت عندنا جنازة لبعض أهلنا فرأيتها، وقد ارتفعت الواعية، قائمةً في المأتم وسط النساء في جملة البواكي والنوادب.,"Things remained unchanged with us thereafter, until presently the day came when we again had a funeral in the house, one of our relatives having deceased. I saw her standing there amid the clamour of mourning, all among the weeping and wailing women."
فلقد أثارت وَجدًا دفينًا، وحرَّكت ساكنًا، وذكرتني عهدًا قديمًا، وحُبًّا تليدًا، ودهرًا ماضيًا، وزمنًا عافيًا، وشهورًا خوالي، وأخبارًا بوالي، ودهورًا فواني، وأيامًا قد ذهبت، وآثارًا قد دثرت، وجدَّدت أحزاني، وهيَّجت بلابلي، على أني كنت في ذلك النهار مُرزأً مُصابًا من وجوه، وما كنت نسيت ولكن زاد الشجا، وتوقَّدت اللوعة، وتأكد الحزن، وتضاعف الأسف، واستجلب الوجد ما كان منه كامنًا فلبَّاه مجيبًا، فقلت قطعةً، منها:  يُبَكِّي لِمَيتٍ مَاتَ وَهْوَ مُكَرَّمٌ *** وَلَلْحَيُّ أَوْلَى بِالدُّمُوعِ الذَّوَارِفِ فَيَا عَجَبًا مِنْ آسِفٍ لِامْرِئٍ ثَوَى *** وَمَا هَوُ لِلْمَقْتُولِ ظُلْمًا بِآسِفِ,"She revived that passion long buried in my heart, and, stirred my now still ardour, reminding me of an ancient troth, an old love, an epoch gone by, a vanished time, departed months, faded memories, periods perished,’ days forever past, obliterated traces. She renewed my griefs, and reawakened my sorrows; and though upon that day I was afflicted and cast down for many reasons, yet I had indeed not forgotten her; only my anguish was intensified, the fire smouldering in my heart blazed into flame, my unhappiness was exacerbated, my despair was multiplied. Passion drew forth from my breast all that lay hidden within it; soul answered the call, and I broke out into plaintive rhyme.  They weep for one now dead, High honoured in his tomb; Those tears were better shed For him who lives in gloom.  O wonder that they sigh For him who is at rest, Yet mourn not me, who die Most cruelly oppressed."
ثم ضرب الدهرُ ضربانَه وأُجلينا عن منازلنا وتغَلَّب علينا جند البربر، فخرجتُ عن قرطبة أول المحرم سنة أربعٍ وأربعمائة، وغابت عن بصري بعد تلك الرؤية الواحدة ستة أعوام وأكثر، ثم دخلت قرطبة في شوال سنة تسع وأربعمائة، فنزلت على بعض نسائنا فرأيتها هنالك، وما كدت أن أميزها حتى قيل لي هذه فلانة.,"Then destiny struck its heaviest blows, and we were banished from our loved abodes; the armies of the Berbers triumphed over us. I set forth from Cordova on 13 July 1013, and after that one glimpse of her she vanished from my sight for six long years and more. Then I came again into Cordova in February 1019 and lodged with one of our womenfolk; and there I saw her. I could scarcely recognize her, until someone said to me, “This is So-and-so”;"
وقد تغير أكثر محاسنها، وذهبت نَضارتها، وفنيت تلك البهجة، وغاض ذلك الماء الذي كان يُرى كالسيف الصقيل والمرآة الهندية، وذبُل ذلك النوار الذي كان البصر يقصد نحوه متنورًا، ويرتاد فيه متخيرًا، وينصرف عنه متحيرًا.,"her charms were so greatly changed. Gone was her radiant beauty, vanished her wondrous loveliness; faded now was that lustrous completion which once gleamed like a polished sword or an Indian mirror; withered was the bloom on which the eye once gazed transfixed seeking avidly to feast upon its dazzling splendor only to turn away bewildered."
فلم يبقَ إلا البعض المُنبئ عن الكل، والخبر المخبر عن الجميع، وذلك لقلة اهتبالها بنفسها، وعدمها الصيانة التي كانت غُذيت بها أيام دولتنا وامتداد ظلنا، ولتبذلها في الخروج فيما لا بُد لها منه مما كانت تُصان وتُرفع عنه قبل ذلك.,"Only a fragment of the whole remained, to tell the tale and testify to what the complete picture had been. All this had come to pass because she took too little case of herself, and lacked the guardian hand which had nourished her during the days of our prosperity, when our shadow was long in the land; as also because she had been obliged to besmirch herself in those inevitable excursions to which her circumstances had driven her, and from which she had formerly been sheltered and exempted."
وإنما النساء رياحين متى لم تُتعاهد نقصت، وبنية متى لم يُهتبل بها استُهدمت؛ ولذلك قال من قال: إن حسن الرجال أصدق صدقًا، وأثبت أصلًا، وأعتق جودةً؛ لصبره على ما لو لقي بعضَه وجوهُ النساء لتغيَّرت أشد التغير، مثل الهجير والسموم والرياح واختلاف الهواء وعدم الكنِّ.,"For women are as aromatic herbs, which if not I tended soon lose their fragrance; they are as edifices, which, if not constantly cared for, quickly fall into ruin. Therefore it has been said that manly beauty is the truer, the more solidly established, and of higher excellence, since it can endure, and that without shelter, onslaughts the merest fraction of which would transform the loveliness of a woman’s face beyond recognition: such enemies as the burning heat of noonday, the scorching wind of the desert, every air of heaven, and ‘all the changing moods of the seasons."
وإني لو نِلْتُ منها أقل وصل، وأنستْ لي بعض الأنس لخُولطتُ طربًا، أو لمُتُّ فرحًا، ولكن هذا النفار الذي صبَّرني وأسلاني.,"If I had enjoyed the least degree of intimacy with her, if she had been only a little kind to me, I would have been beside myself with happiness; I verily believe that I would have died for joy. But it was her unremitting aloofness which schooled me patience, and taught me to find consolation."
وهذا الوجه من أسباب السلو صاحبه في كلا الوجهين مَعذور وغير ملوم؛ إذ لم يقع تثبُّت يوجب الوفاء، ولا عهد يقتضي المُحافظة، ولا سلَف ذمام، ولا فرط تصادف يُلام على تضييعه ونسيانه.,"This then was one of those cases in which both parties may excusably forget, and not be blamed for doing so: there has been no firm engagement that should require their loyalty, no covenant has been entered into obliging them to keep faith, no ancient compact exists no solemn plighting of troths, the breaking and from getting of which should expose them to justified reproach."
ومنها جفاء يكون من المحبوب، فإذا أفرط فيه وأسرف وصادف من المحب نفسًا لها بعض الألفة والعزة تسلَّى، وإذا كان الجفاء يسيرًا منقطعًا، أو دائمًا، أو كبيرًا منقطعًا؛ احتمل وأغضى عليه، حتى إذا كثر ودام فلا بقاء عليه، ولا يُلام الناسي لمَن يُحبُّ في مثل هذا.,"The third cause of oblivion, in this second category is cruelty on the part of the beloved. When this is: excessive and extravagant, and encounters in the lover a soul that has some pride and dignity, the lover will find consolation in oblivion. But if the beloved’s cruelty is slight and occasional or continuous; or if it is severe but only occasional, then it can be endured and overlooked; only if the time comes when the cruelty is both intense and perpetual, in that eventuality it may no longer be supported, and the lover who forgets under those circumstances is not deserving of reproach."
ومنها الغدر، وهو الذي لا يحتمله أحد، ولا يُغضي عليه كريم، وهو المسلاة حقًّا، ولا يلام السالي عنه على أي وجه كان، ناسيًا أو متصبِّرًا، بل اللائمة لاحقة لمن صبر عليه.,"Fourthly there is treason: this none can endure, and no man of honour will overlook. Treason is true justification for forgetting; and the lover who seeks oblivion then is not to be blamed on any count, whether it be that he actually forgets, or practices conscious fortitude. On the contrary, reproach rather attaches to the lover who endures such treatment at the hands of the beloved."
ولولا أن القلوب بيد مُقلِّبها لا إله إلا هو، ولا يكلَّف المرءُ صرفَ قلبه، ولا إحاطة استحسانه، لولا ذاك لقلت إن المُتصبِّر في سلوِّه مع الغدر يكاد أن يستحق الملامة والتعنيف.,"Moreover were it not for the fact that all hearts are in the hand of Him. Who disposes and governs them-and He only is God so that no man is responsible for the management of his heart, or for changing its likes and dislikes, were it not for this I would have said that even the lover who acts with conscious fortitude in seeking oblivion when betrayed by his beloved is almost deserving of reproach and harsh reproval."
ولا أدْعَى إلى السلُوِّ عند الحُرِّ النفسِ وذوي الحفيظة والسريِّ السجايا من الغدر، فما يصبر عليه إلا دنيء المروءة، خسيس النفس، نَذْل الهمة، ساقط الأنفة، وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، منها:  هَوَاكِ فَلَسْتُ أَقْرَبُهُ غرُورٌ *** وَأَنْتِ لِكُلِّ مَنْ يَأْتِي سَرِير وَمَا إِنْ تَصْبِرِينَ عَلَى حَبِيبٍ *** فَحَوْلَكِ مِنْهُمُ عَدَدٌ كَثِير فَلَوْ كُنْت الأَمِير لَمَا تَعَاطَى *** لِقَاءَكَ خَوْفَ جَمْعِهِمُ الأَمِيرُ رَأَيْتُكِ كَالأَمَانِي مَا عَلَى مَنْ *** يُلِمُّ بِهَا وَلَوْ كَثرُوا غُرُور وَلَا عَنْهَا لِمَنْ يَأْتِي دِفَاعٌ *** وَلَوْ حُشِدَ الأَنَامُ لَهُم نَفِير,"But with men of high spirits and noble parts, who are jealous to defend their honour, nothing justifies the act of forgetting so much as treason; which is tolerated only by those whose manhood is debased, whose spirits are ignoble, and who lack all proper pride, all sense of decency and honour. I have a poem on this topic, which it will be appropriate to quote here  Thy love’s a cheat, and I Would sooner far have none: Thou art a bed, whereon Whoever comes may lie.  To be by one pursued, To have one lover true, No, that would never do Hence all thy multitude.  Did thrones to me belong, I would not dare draw near To pay thee court, for fear Of thy attendant throng.  Methinks like hopes thou art However many share, None needeth to despair That he shall have his part  Though Heaven’s trumpet sound To summon all mankind, None shall be pushed behind Or cheated of his round."
ثم سبب ثامن، وهو لا من المُحب ولا من المحبوب، ولكنه من الله تعالى؛ وهو اليأس، وفروعه ثلاثة: إما موت، وإما بَينٌ لا يُرجَى معه أوبة، وإما عارض يدخل على المتحابَّين بعلة المحب التي من أجلها وَثِق المحبوبُ فيغيرها.,"There is an eighth cause of forgetting, in addition to the seven already enumerated, which has its origin not in the lover or the beloved, but in God Himself this is despair, whereof there are three varieties. Either it is death, or a separation from which there is no hope of returning, or some accident, which befalls the devoted couple, effecting a fatal change in the lover’s circumstances on account of which the beloved had first confided in him."
وكل هذه الوجوه من أسباب السلو والتصبُّر، وعلى المحب الناسي في هذا الوجه المُنقسم إلى هذه الأقسام الثلاثة من الغَضاضة والذم واستحقاق اسم اللوم والغدر غيرُ قليل، وإن لليأس لعملًا في النفوس عجيبًا، وثلجًا لحرِّ الأكباد كبيرًا.,"In all these cases a good and sufficient reason exists for seeking oblivion and practising conscious fortitude. But the lover who actually forgets the beloved in such a situation, to whichever of the three divisions it may belong, is deserving of the utmost scorn and condemnation; he fully merits the name of villain and traitor. Despair has a truly astonishing effect on the soul: it chills the heart’s ardour in a remarkable way."
وكل هذه الوجوه المذكورة أولًا وآخرًا فالتأني فيها واجب، والتربُّص على أهلها حسن، فيما يمكن فيه التأني ويصح لديه التربص، فإذا انقطعت الأطماع، وانحسمت الآمال، فحينئذٍ يقوم العذر.,"In all three cases, which we have mentioned, the prime requisite is to procrastinate, and to watch and wait with all patience; that is, if procrastination is possible, and watching and waiting is a proper course. When all hopes are finally shattered, and all expectations at an end, then there is a completely valid excuse for seeking to forget."
وللشعراء فنٌّ من الشعر يذمُّون فيه الباكيَ على الدِّمن، ويُثنون على المثابر على اللذات.,"The poets have a style of composition in which they reproach those who weep over the traces of abandoned encampments, and applaud the man who gives himself up to the earnest pursuit of enjoyment."
وهذا يدخل في باب السلو.,This topic also comes under the heading of oblivion.
ولقد أكثر الحسن بن هانئ في هذا الباب وافتخر به، وهو كثيرًا ما يَصف نفسه بالغدر الصريح في أشعاره تحكمًا بلسانه، واقتدارًا على القول. وفي مثل هذا أقول شعرًا، منه:  خَلِّ هَذَا وَبَادِرِ الدَّهْرَ وَارْحَلْ *** فِي رِيَاضِ الرُّبَى مَطِيَّ القِفَارِ وَاحْدُهَا بِالبَدِيعِ مِنْ نَغَمَاتِ الـ *** ـعُودِ كَيْمَا تُحِثُّ بِالمِزْمَارِ إِنَّ خَيْرًا مِنَ الوُقُوفِ عَلَى الدَّا *** رِ وُقُوفُ البَنَانِ بِالأَوْتَارِ وَبَدَا النَّرْجِسُ البَدِيعُ كَصَبٍّ *** حَائِر الطَّرْفِ مَائِلًا كَالمَدَارِ لَوْنُهُ لَوْنُ عَاشِقٍ مُسْتَهَامٍ *** وَهْوَ لَا شَكَّ هَائِمٌ بِالبَهَارِ,"Al-Hasan Ibn Hani’ wrote much on this theme, and boasted of so acting; he frequently describes himself in his poetry as an avowed traitor, exhibiting a wonderful mastery of language and a superb power of self-expression. I also have a poem of this sort.  Have done with dumps and dull despair Come, race with fortune, and repair To grassy hillocks, there to line The stepping mules with jars of wine.  Attune, to hasten the pursuit, New melodies upon the lute, And let the pace enlivened be With dulcet pipe and psaltery.  Far better, than to sit and mope At home, with little joy or hope, That we should give ambition wings With fingers plucking at the strings.  Behold, the sweet narcissus’ bloom, A lover in delirium, Looks on with wide, bewildered glance And sways as in a drunken dance.  How faint, how pallid is his hue! Ah yes, he is a lover too, Distraught and passionate to hold The tender tulip’s cup of gold."
ومَعاذ الله أن يكون نسيان ما درس لنا طَبعًا، ومعصية الله بشرب الرَّاح لنا خلقًا، وكساد الهمة لنا صفة، ولكن حسبنا قول الله تعالى — ومن أصدقُ من الله قيلًا — في الشعراء: {أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّهُمْ فِي كُلِّ وَادٍ يَهِيمُونَ * وَأَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ مَا لَا يَفْعَلُونَ}.,"God forbid that it should be in our nature to forget what time has effaced, or that it should be our habit to disobey Allah, by drinking wine, or that dullness and want of zeal should be our constant attributes. But we have taken into account the words of Allah and who speaks more truly than He? where He says concerning poets, “Seest thou not how they wander distraught in every valley, and how they say that which they do not?” (Koran XXVI 225-6)."
فهذه شهادة الله العزيز الجبَّار لهم، ولكنَّ شذوذ القائل للشعر عن مرتبة الشعر خطأ.,This is Almighty God’s testimony concerning them but it is an error for one who composes rhyme to depart from the customary usages of poetry.
وكان سبب هذه الأبيات أن حفنَى العامرية، إحدى كرائم المظفَّر عبد الملك بن أبي عامر، كَلفتْنِي صَنعَتها فأَجبْتُها، وكنتُ أجلُّها، ولها فيها صنعة في طريقة النشيد والبسيط رائقة جدًّا.,"Let me’ therefore explain the circumstances under which I invented the stanzas just quoted. I was commissioned’ to write them by Dana al-‘Amiriya, one of the royal daughters of al-Muzaffar `Abd al-Malik Ibn Abi `Amin I obeyed her command, for I had a high regard for her ladyship. She composed a most charming melody for my lines, a sweet and simple air."
ولقد أنشدتها بعض إخواني من أهل الأدب فقال سرورًا بها: يجب أن توضع هذه في جملة عجائب الدنيا.,"When I recited the stanzas to one of my very cultured companions, he was so delighted with them that he exclaimed, “These ought to be reckoned among the wonders of the world!”"
فجميع فصول هذا الباب كما ترى ثمانية؛ منها ثلاثة هي من المحب، اثنان منها يذم السالي فيهما على كل وجه؛ وهما الملل والاستبدال، وواحد منها يذم السالي فيه ولا يذم المُتصبِّر؛ وهو الحياء، كما قدمنا، وأربعة من المحبوب، منها واحد يذم الناسي فيه ولا يذم المُتصبِّر؛ وهو الهجر الدائم، وثلاثة لا يذم السالي فيها على أي وجه كان، ناسيًا أو متصبرًا؛ وهي النفار والجفاء والغدر، ووجه ثامن، وهو من قِبَل الله عز وجل؛ وهو اليأس إما بموت أو بَينٍ أو آفةٍ تزمن. والمتصبر في هذه معذور.,"The total number of sections in the present chapter, as you will observe, is eight; Three have to do with those instances where the initiative rests with the lover; in two of these, namely weariness and the desire for a change, the forgetful lover is to be condemned on all counts, while in the third, modesty, if he in fact forgets he is certainly blameworthy, whereas if he acts with conscious fortitude he is not to be reproached, as we have already explained. There are four cases in which it is the beloved who is the motivating cause; in one, continued breaking off, the lover who forgets is to be condemned but not the lover who acts with conscious fortitude, while in the other three-aversion, cruelty and treason-the lover is not to be blamed under any circumstances, whether he actually forgets or acts with conscious fortitude. The eighth occasion is despair, deriving from Almighty God, and arising out of either death, separation or chronic misfortune; in all these the lover who acts with conscious fortitude is to be excused."
وعني أخبرك أني جُبِلتُ على طبيعتين لا يهنئني معهما عيش أبدًا، وإني لأبرم بحياتي باجتماعهما، وأودُّ التثبُّت من نفسي أحيانًا لأفقد ما أنا بسببه من النكد من أجلهما، وهما: وفاء لا يشوبه تلوُّن قد استوت فيه الحضرة والمغيب، والباطن والظاهر، تولده الألفة التي لم تَعزف بها نفسي عمَّا دريتُه، ولا تتطلع إلى عدم من صحبته، وعزة نفس لا تَقرُّ على الضيم، مهتمَّة لأقل ما يرد عليها من تغير المعارف، مؤثرة للموت عليه.,"I may tell you with regard to myself, that I have been endowed with two conflicting dispositions, which conspire to allow me no joy in life whatsoever; their combination in me disgusts me with living entirely. Sometimes I wish that I could escape out of myself, that I may be free of the torments I suffer on account of them. The first is loyalty, true and unwavering, that makes no distinction between presence and absence, secret thoughts and outward appearances; it springs of a friendliness, which does not permit my soul to turn away from anything to which it has grown accustomed, nor allows me to contemplate the loss of those whose companionship I have enjoyed. The second is a fierce and noble pride, which cannot stomach injustice, and makes me sensitive to the least change in the attitude of my acquaintances, so that I would rather die than submit."
وفي ذلك أقول:  وَسَائِلٍ لِيَ عَمَّا لِي مِنَ العُمُر *** وَقَدْ رَأَى الشَّيبَ فِي الفَوْدَيْنِ وَالعُذُر أَجَبْتُهُ سَاعَةً لَا شَيْءَ أَحْسَبُه *** عُمْرًا سِوَاهَا بِحُكْمِ العَقْلِ وَالنَّظَر فَقَالَ لِي كَيْفَ ذَا بَيِّنْهُ لِي فَلَقَدْ *** أَخْبَرْتَنِي أَشْنَعَ الأَنْبَاءِ وَالخَبَرِ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ الَّتِي قَلْبِي بِهَا عَلِقٌ *** قَبَّلْتُهَا قُبْلَةً يَوْمًا عَلَى خَطَر فَمَا أَعُدُّ وَلَوْ طَالَتْ سِنِيَّ سِوَى *** تِلْكَ السُّوَيْعَةِ بِالتَّحْقِيقِ مِنْ عُمُرِي,"I have tried to express this in a poem.  Men sometimes come and question me How many years my age may be, Seeing my temples silver now And flecks of snow upon my brow.  This is the answer that I give “When I count up the life I live Applying all my reason’s power, I make the total just one hour.”  “And how”, my questioner replies In accents of amazed surprise, “Mak’st thou this sum, which seems to me Beyond all credibility?”  “One day”, I answer, she I love All other earthly things above Lay in my arms, and like a thought Her lips with mine I swiftly sought.  And though the years before I die Stretch out interminably, I Shall only count my life in truth As that brief hour of happy youth.”"
ولقد كان بلغ من تكافئهما في المودة أمرًا عظيمًا، إلى أن كان الفتى المحب ربما استطال عليها. وفي ذلك أقول:  وَمِنْ أَعَاجِيبِ الزَّمَانِ الَّتِي *** طَمَّتْ عَلَى السَّامِعِ وَالقَائِل رَغْبَةُ مَرْكُوبٍ إِلَى رَاكِبٍ *** وَذِلَّةُ المَسْئُولِ لِلسَّائِل وَطَوْلُ مَأْسُورٍ إِلَى آسِرٍ *** وَصَوْلَةُ المَقْتُولِ لِلقَاتِل مَا إِنْ سَمِعْنَا فِي الوَرَى قَبْلَهَا *** خُضُوعَ مَأْمُولٍ إِلَى آمِلِ هَلْ هَا هُنَا وَجْهٌ تَرَاهُ سِوَى *** تَوَاضُعِ المَفْعُولِ لِلْفَاعِلِ,"On this topic I have the following stanzas.  Time’s tale is full Of miracle, Surprising each To ear and speech  Mounts that prefer The boot and spur, And givers who Their askers woo.  The captive glowers, The captor cowers The slain assails, The slayer pales.  But ne’er till now I heard of how Fond hope may thrill To yearner’s will.  Methinks there is One rule in this Objects obey What agents say!"
فكل واحدة من هاتين السجيتين تدعو إلى نفسها، وإني لأجفى فأحتمل، وأستعمل الأناة الطويلة، والتلوُّم الذي لا يكاد يُطيقه أحد، فإذا أفرط الأمر وحَمِيت نفسي تصبَّرت وفي القلب ما فيه. وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، منها:  لِي خُلَّتَانِ أَذَاقَانِي الأَسَى جُرَعًا *** وَنَغَّصَا عِيشَتِي وَاسْتَهْلَكَا جَلَدِي كِلْتَاهُمَا تَطَّبيني نَحْوَ جِبلتِهَا *** كَالصَّيْدِ يَنْشبُ بَيْنَ الذِّئْبِ وَالأَسَدِ وَفَاءُ صِدْقٍ فَمَا فَارَقْتُ ذَا مِقَةٍ *** فَزَالَ حُزْنِي عَلَيْهِ آخِرَ الأَبَدِ وَعِزَّةٌ لَا يَحُلُّ الضَّيمُ سَاحَتَهَا *** صَرَامَةً فِيهِ بِالأَمْوَالِ وَالوَلَدِ,"Each of these contrary natures seeks to have the mastery of me. Let me be unjustly treated, and I will endure with exemplary forbearance a long while, holding myself in and hanging on in a way very few other men would be able to do. But when the injury passes all bounds, when my soul blazes with anger, then I practise my conscious fortitude, whatever my heart may be feeling. I have expressed all this in a brief poem.  There are two qualities in me That fill with bitterness my cup; They use my strength and patience up, And turn my joy to misery.  Each of these twain has ever sought To draw me after its own way, And I am like a helpless prey Betwixt a wolf and lion caught.  The first is loyalty sublime I never parted from a friend And found my sorrow after end, Not even to the last of time.  The second is a noble pride That will not stomach injury, But sooner wealth and family, If need dictate, would lay aside."
ومما يُشبه ما نحن فيه، وإن كان ليس منه، أن رجلًا من إخواني كنتُ أحللتُه من نفسي محلَّها، وأسقطت المئونة بيني وبينه، وأعددته ذخرًا وكنزًا، وكان كثير السمع من كل قائل، فدبَّ ذو النميمة بيني وبينه، فحاكوا له وأنجح سعيُهم عنده، فانقبض عما كنتُ أعهده، فتربَّصت عليه مدة في مثلها أوب الغائب، ورضى العاتب، فلم يزدد إلا انقباضًا؛ فتركته وحاله.,"Here is a personal anecdote, which has a general relevance to the topic under discussion, even though it does not strictly belong to this context. I had a friend whom I loved as dearly as life itself; I had dropped -all formalities in my relations with him, and counted him as my precious hoard and treasure. But he was apt to lend a ready ear to every man who had a tale to tell; and backbiters wormed their way in between us, and contrived to get under his skin. Their efforts were completely successful, and he held himself back from me, in a way I had never known him do before. I watched and waited for him a while, amply long enough for a wanderer to return and a chider to be reconciled. But he only showed himself more withdrawn from me than ever. I therefore left him to it."
باب الموت وربما تزايد الأمر ورقَّ الطبع وعظم الإشفاق فكان سببًا للموت ومفارقة الدنيا، وقد جاء في الآثار: من عشق فعفَّ فمات فهو شَهيد. وفي ذلك أقول قطعةً، منها:  فَإِنْ أَهْلِكْ هَوًى أَهْلِكْ شَهِيدًا *** وَإِنْ تَمْنُنْ بَقِيتُ قَرِيرَ عَيْنِ رَوَى هَذَا لَنَا قَوْمٌ ثِقَاتٌ *** ثَوَوا بِالصِّدْقِ عَنْ جرحٍ وَمَيْن,"OF DEATH SOMETIMES the affair becomes so aggravated, the lover’s nature is so sensitive, and his anxiety so extreme, that the combined circumstances result in his demise and departure out of this transient world. The well-known dictum of the Fathers declares that “He who loves, and controls himself, and so dies, the same is a martyr.” I have referred to this in the following verses.  If I perish of desire As a martyr I’ll expire, But if thou art kind to me I’ll survive rejoicingly.  Men most worth our confidence Have informed us in this sense, Fathers who were true and wise, Innocent of guile and lies."
ولقد حدَّثني أبو السريِّ عمار بن زياد صاحبُنا عمن يثق به، أن الكاتب ابن قزمان امتُحن بمحبة أسلم بن عبد العزيز، أخي الحاجب هاشم بن عبد العزيز، وكان أسلم غايةً في الجمال، حتى أضجره لما به، وأوقعه في أسباب المنية.,"My friend Abu ‘l-Sari ‘Ammar Ibn Ziyad has informed me, quoting a reliable source, that Chief Secretary Ibn Quzman was so sorely smitten with love for Aslam Ibn `Abd al-‘Aziz, the brother of Grand Chamberlain Hashim Ibn `Abd al-‘Aziz-and Aslam was an exceedingly handsome man-that he was laid prostrate by `his sufferings and affected with mortal sickness."
وكان أسلم كثيرَ الإلمام به، والزيارة له، ولا علم له بأنه أصل دائه، إلى أن تُوفِّي أسفًا ودنفًا.,"Aslam attended his sickbed a frequent visitor, having no knowledge that himself was the source of his malady; until at last Abu ‘l-Sari succumbed of grief and long wasting."
قال المُخبر: فأخبرتُ أسلم بعد وفاته بسبب علَّته وموته فتأسَّف وقال: هلَّا أعلمتني؟ فقلت: ولم؟ قال: كنتُ والله أزيد في صلته وما أكاد أفارقه، فما عليَّ في ذلك ضرر.,"The informant continued: Then I informed Aslam, after the tragic event had come to pass, of the true cause of Abu ‘l-Sari’s illness and death. He was very sorry, and said, “Why did you not let me know?” “Why should I?” I replied. “Because”, he said, “in that case I swear I would have kept myself even more closely in touch with him, and would scarcely have left his bedside; that could have done me no harm.”"
وكان أسلم هذا من أهل الأدب البارع والتفنُّن، مع حظٍّ من الفقه وافر، وذا بصارة في الشعر، وله شعر جيد، وله معرفة بالأغاني وتصرفها، وهو صاحب تآليف في طرائق غناء زِرياب وأخباره؛ وهو ديوان عجيب جدًّا.,"Now this Aslam was a most brilliant and cultured man; he was expert in many branches of knowledge, as well as being a considerable lawyer and a penetrating critic of poetry; he had himself written some excellent verses. He was besides well informed on songs and the art of singing, being the author of a book on the vocal technique and biography of Ziryab, which forms a most wonderful anthology of poetry."
وكان أحسن الناس خَلقًا وخُلقًا، وهو والد أبي الجعد الذي كان ساكنًا بالجانب الغربي من قرطبة.,"Of the finest physical and moral qualities, he was the father of Abu ‘l-Ja`d who used to live in the western quarter of Cordova."
وأنا أعلم جاريةً كانت لبعض الرؤساء فعزف عنها لشيء بلغه في جِهتها لم يكن يوجب السخط، فباعها، فجزعت لذلك جزعًا شديدًا وما فارقها النُّحول والأسف، ولا بان عن عينها الدمع إلى أن سلت — وكان ذلك سبب موتها — ولم تَعِش بعد خروجها عنه إلا أشهرًا ليست بالكثيرة.,"I know a slave-girl who was at one time the property of an exalted personage. He turned against her on hearing some story relating to her-and in truth it was no matter that should have so greatly enraged him and therefore he sold her. She was vastly desolated by this, and wasting and despair became her constant companions; her eyes were always swimming with tears; she fell into a decline, and so died, within not many months of leaving his household."
ولقد أخبرتني عنها امرأة أثق بها أنها لقيتها وهي قد صارت كالخيال نُحولًا ورقَّةً، فقالت لها: أحسب هذا الذي بك من محبَّتك لفلان؟ فتنفَّست الصُّعَداء، وقالت: والله لا نسيتُه أبدًا وإن كان جفاني بلا سبب. وما عاشت بعد هذا القول إلا يسيرًا.,"I was informed by a woman in whom I have every confidence, ‘that she met her and found she had become as thin and wasted as a ghost. She said to her,”I fancy that the cause of your present sufferings is your love for So-and-so.” On this she heaved a deep sigh and said, “By Allah, I shall never forget him, for all that he treated me so cruelly without cause.” She survived this remark but a very brief while."
وأنا أخبرك عن أبي بكر أخي — رحمه الله — وكان متزوجًا بعاتكة بنت قند، صاحب الثغر الأعلى أيام المنصور أبي عامر محمد بن عامر، وكانت التي لا مرمَى وراءها في جمالها وكريم خلالها، ولا تأتي الدنيا بمثلها في فضائلها، وكانا في حدِّ الصبا وتمكُّن سلطانه تُغضب كلَّ واحد منهما الكلمةُ التي لا قَدْرَ لها، فكانا لم يزالا في تغاضب وتعاتب مدة ثمانية أعوام، وكانت قد شفَّها حُبُّه وأضناها الوَجد فيه وأنحلها شدةُ كلَفِها به حتى صارت كالخيال المتوسم دنفًا، لا يُلهيها من الدنيا شيء، ولا تُسَرُّ من أموالها على عَرْضها وتكاثرها بقليل ولا كثير إذا فاتها اتفاقُه معها وسلامتُه لها، إلى أن تُوفِّي أخي — رحمه الله — في الطاعون الواقع بقُرطبة في شهر ذي القعدة سنة إحدى وأربعمائة، وهو ابن اثنتين وعشرين سنة، فما انفكت منذ بانَ عنها من السقم الدَّخيل والمرض والذبول إلى أن ماتت بعده بعام في اليوم الذي أكمل هو فيه تحت الأرض عامًا.,"I can inform you as to my brother Abu Bakr (God have mercy on his soul) that he was married to ‘Atika, the daughter of Qand who commanded the Upper Marches in the days of al-Mansur Abu `Amer Muhammad Ibn `Amin; she was a very aragon of beauty and nobility of character; the word does not produce her virtuous like every day. They were both in the prime of their youth, and under the complete domination of its foolish ardors; each of them would fly into a rage at the slightest provocation. So they continued to quarrel and nag at each other for eight long years; meanwhile she had become quite wasted by love and worn out with passion for him; her infatuation on his account was so extreme that it reduced her until she looked as pale and sick as a ghost. No mundane amusements would divert her; she found no pleasure whatsoever in her ample and abundant riches, having’ lost his absolute concord and the purity of his affections. Matters continued thus with her until my brother died of the plague which swept Cordova in June 1011, he being then but twenty-two years old, God rest his soul! So parted from him, she ceased not to waste away of the internal malady, sickness, and the decline, until she died precisely one year after him, on the very anniversary of his interment."
ولقد أخبرتني عنها أمها وجميع جواريها أنها كانت تقول بعده: ما يُقوِّي صبري ويُمسِك رمقي في الدنيا ساعة واحدة بعد وفاته إلا سُروري وتيقُّني أنه لا يَضُمُّه وامرأةً مضجعٌ أبدًا، فقد أمنتُ هذا الذي ما كنت أتخوَّف غيره، وأعظم آمالي اليومَ اللحاق به.,"Her mother, as well as all her slave-girls, informed me that she would often say after he was gone, “Since his death there is nothing to fortify my endurance and keep my last I breath in my body, except my joyous certainty that he will never share a bed with any other woman. Now my mind is at rest about the one and only thing I feared. My fondest hope to-day is to rejoin him”"
ولم يكن له قَبلَها ولا معها امرأة غيرها، وهي كذلك لم يكن لها غيره، فكان كما قدَّرت — غفر الله لها ورضي عنها.,"My brother had known no other woman before her or while he lived with her, and she too never knew another man: so it fell out as she had calculated, God forgive her and be well pleased with her!"
وأما خبر صاحبنا أبي عبد الله محمد بن يحيى بن محمد بن الحسين التميمي، المعروف بابن الطنبي، فإنه كان — رحمه الله — كأنه قد خُلق الحُسن على مثاله، أو خلق من نفس كل من رآه، لم أشاهد له مثلًا حُسنًا وجَمالًا وخُلقًا، وعِفَّةً وتصاوُنًا وأدبًا، وفَهمًا وحِلمًا ووفاءً، وسؤددًا وطهارةً وكرمًا، ودماثةً وحلاوةً ولَباقةً، وإغضاءً وعقلًا ومروءةً، ودينًا ودرايةً وحِفْظًا للقرآن والحديث والنحو واللغة، وشاعرًا مُفلقًا، حسن الخط، وبليغًا مُفَنِّنًا، مع حظ صالح من الكلام والجدل، وكان من غلمان أبي القاسم عبد الرحمن بن أبي يزيد الأزدي أستاذي في هذا الشأن.,"Here is the story of our friend Abu `Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Yahya Ibn Muhammad Ibn al-Husain al-Tamimi, better known as Ibn al-Tubni, God rest his soul! It might have been said that beauty itself was created in his likeness, or fashioned out of the sighs of those who looked upon him: I have never seen his equal in beauty, comeliness, physique, temperance, self-restraint, culture, understanding, magnanimity, loyalty, nobility, purity, generosity, tenderness, sweetness, dexterity, patience, forbearance, intelligence, chivalry, piety, learning, knowledge of the Koran and the Traditions, grammar and lexicography. He was a fine poet, a splendid calligrapher, and an eloquent and accomplished speaker; he had besides a very decent capacity in scholasticism and dialectic. He was a pensioner of Abu ‘l-Qasim `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Abi Yazid al-Azdi, my own preceptor in these subjects;"
وكان بينه وبين أبيه اثنا عشر عامًا في السن، وكنت أنا وهو متقاربين في الأسنان، وكنا أليفين لا نفترق، وخِدنين لا يجري الماء بيننا إلا صفاءً، إلى أن ألقت الفتنة جِرانَها، وأرخت عَزاليها، ووقع انتهاب جُند البربر منازلَنا في الجانب الغربي بقرطبة ونزولهم فيها — وكان مسكن أبي عبد الله في الجانب الشرقي ببلاط مُغيث — وتقلبت بي الأمور إلى الخروج عن قُرطبة وسُكنى مدينة المريَّة، فكنا نتهادى النظم والنثر كثيرًا، وآخرُ ما خاطبني به رسالةٌ في دَرْجها هذه الأبيات:  لَيْتَ شِعْرِي عَنْ حَبْلِ وُدِّكَ هَلْ يُمْـ *** ـسِي جَدِيدًا لَدَيَّ غَيْرَ رَثِيثِ وَأرَانِي أَرَى مُحَيَّاكَ يَوْمًا *** وَأُنَاجِيكَ فِي بَلَاط مُغِيثِ فَلَوَ انَّ الدِّيَارَ يُنْهِضُهَا الشَّوْ *** قُ أَتَاكَ البَلَاطُ كَالمُسْتَغِيثِ وَلَوَ انَّ القُلُوبَ تَسْطِيعُ سَيْرًا *** سَارَ قَلْبِي إِلَيْكَ سَيْرَ الحَثِيثِ كُنْ كَمَا شِئْتَ لِي فَإِنِّي مُحِبٌّ *** لَيْسَ لِي غَيْرُ ذِكْرِكُم مِنْ حَدِيث لَكَ عِنْدِي وَإِنْ تَنَاسَيْتَ عَهْدٌ *** فِي صَمِيمِ الفُؤَادِ غَيْرُ نَكِيث,"there was a difference of twelve years between his age and his brother’s, and he and I were almost exact contemporaries. We were inseparable companions and bosom friends, and our relations were marked by perfect understanding and concord, until the troubles broke over us, and let k loose their flood of misery. The Berber soldiery pillaged our dwellings in Balat Mughith on the western side of Cordova, and barracked themselves there. Abu `Abd Allah’s residence was on the eastern side. The vicissitudes of fortune obliged me to quit Cordova and take up my abode in Almeria; but we continued to exchange frequent missives, in verse as well as prose. The last communication I ever received from him was a letter containing the following lines.  Alas, I would I knew If thy affection’s bond Is still unfrayed and new, Thy love yet fresh and fond.  O shall I ever win Thy features to behold, And speak with thee, as in Balat Mughith of old?  If yearning had the power Whole buildings to uproot, Balat this very hour Would leap to thy pursuit.  If human hearts indeed Might ever travel free, My heart with eager speed Would hasten unto thee.  Be as thou wilt: by me Thou shalt be still adored, Since in my memory Thy love alone is stored.  Thy troth within my heart, What though thy mind forget, Is kept a thing apart, Deep down, unbroken yet."
فكُنَّا على ذلك إلى أن انقطعت دولةُ بني مروان وقُتل سليمان الظافر أمير المؤمنين، وظهرت دولة الطالبية، وبُويع علي بن حمود الحسني، المسمى بالناصر، بالخلافة، وتغلَّب على قرطبة وتملَّكها، واستمر في قتاله إياها بجيوش المتغلبين والثوار في أقطار الأندلس.,"So we continued, until the rule of the Banu Marwan came to an end, and the Caliph Sulaiman al-Zafir w slain. Then the dynasty of the Talibis seized power, and `Ali Ibn Hammud al-Hasani, styling himself al-Nasir, was proclaimed Caliph. He conquered and possessed himself of Cordova, and pursued his hostile operations against the city with the assistance of -the victorious armies and the rebel detachments scattered all over Andalusia."
وفي إثر ذلك نكبني خيرانُ صاحبُ المريَّة؛ إذ نقل إليه من لم يتقِّ الله عز وجل من الباغين — وقد انتقم الله منهم — عني وعن محمد بن إسحاق صاحبي أنَّا نسعَى في القيام بدعوة الدولة الأموية، فاعتقلنا عند نفسه أشهرًا ثم أخرجنا على جهة التَّغريب، فصِرْنا إلى حصن القصر، ولَقِيَنا صاحبه أبو القاسم عبد الله بن هُذيل التجيبي، المعروف بان المقفل، فأقمنا عنده شهورًا في خير دار إقامة، وبين خير أهلٍ وجيران، وعند أجلِّ الناس همة، وأكملهم معروفًا، وأتمِّهم سيادةً.,"Immediately after this I found myself in serious trouble with Khairan, the mayor of Almeria; wicked persons who feared not God in their hearts-and God has since avenged me and my friend, Muhammad Ibn Ishaq upon them-reported to him’` that we were conspiring to make propaganda in favour of the Umaiyad house. Khairan arrested us and kept us under his personal surveillance for some months, after which we were expelled and banished from Almeria. We proceeded to Aznalcazar, where we were received by the governor of that city, Abu ‘l-Qasim `Abd Allah Ibn Muhammad Ibn Hudhail al-Tujibi, better known as Ibn al-Mugaffal. We remained in his most hospitable home for several months, enjoying the friendship of his delightful family and admirable neighbours, all men of the most ardent spirit, the truest kindliness, and the most perfect noblesse."
ثم ركبنا البحر قاصدين بَلنْسية عند ظهور أمير المؤمنين المرتضي عبد الرحمن بن محمد، وساكنَّاه بها، فوجدت ببلنسية أبا شاكر عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن موهب العَنبري صديقنا، فنعى إليَّ أبا عبد الله بن الطنبي وأخبرني بموته — رحمه الله — ثم أخبرني بعد ذلك بمديدة القاضي أبو الوليد يونس بن محمد المُرادي وأبو عمرو أحمد بن محرز، أن أبا بكر المُصعب بن عبد الله الأزدي، المعروف بابن الفَرضي، حدَّثهما، وكان والد المصعب هذا قاضيَ بلنسية أيام أمير المؤمنين المهدي، وكان المُصعب لنا صديقًا وأخًا وأليفًا أيام طلبنا الحديث على والده وسائر شيوخ المحدِّثين بقرطبة،,"Then we took ship and sailed to Valencia, just when the Caliph al-Murtada ” `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Muhammad emerged on the scene and took up residence there. At Valencia I found our old friend Abu Shakir `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Muhammad Ibn Mauhib al-Qabri, who brought me the sad news that Abu `Abd Allah Ibn al-Tubni was dead, God rest his soul. Then a little while later judge Abu ‘l-Walid Yunus Ibn Muhammad al-Muradi and Abu `Amr Ahmad Ibn Mahriz informed me that Abu Bakr al-Mus’ab Ibn `Abd Allah al-Azdi, better known as Ibn al-Faradi, had told them-and al-Mus’ab’s father had been cadi of Valencia during the Caliphate of al-Mahdi, while al-Mus’ab himself had been a dear friend and brother to us in the days when we were studying Traditions at his father’s feet, and under the other leading Traditionists of Cordova."
قالا: قال لنا المصعب: سألت أبا عبد الله بن الطنبي عن سبب علَّته وهو قد نَحل وخفيت محاسن وجهه بالضنى، فلم يبقَ إلا عينٌ جوهرها المخبر عن صفاتها السالفة، وصار يكاد أن يُطيره النفس، وقَرُب من الانحناء، والشَّجَا بادٍ على وجهه، ونحن مُنفردان،,"These two men, I say, stated that they had been told by al-Mus’ab :that he had enquired of Abu `Abd’ Allah Ibn al-Tubni as to the cause of his illness. For he had indeed become terribly emaciated, and the wasting sickness had entirely destroyed his once handsome features, so that nothing remained but their very essence to bear testimony to their former beauty; he had so fallen away that a mere breath almost sufficed to send him flying; he was bent wellnigh to the ground, and anguish was evident in every line of his face. He explained that he was alone with Ibn al-Tubni at the time of their conversation."
فقال لي: نعم، أخبرك أني كنت في باب داري بقديد الشماس في حين دخول عليِّ بن حمود قرطبة، والجيوش واردة عليها من الجهات تتسارب، فرأيتُ في جملتهم فتًى لم أقدر أن للحُسن صورة قائمة حتى رأيته، فغلب عليَّ عقلي، وهام به لُبي، فسألتُ عنه فقيل لي هذا فلان بن فلان، من سكان جهة كذا، ناحية قاصية عن قُرطبة بعيدة المأخذ، فيئست من رؤيته بعد ذلك. ولعمري، يا أبا بكر، لا فارقَني حُبُّه أو يُوردَني رَمْسي.,"Ibn al-Tubni answered him, “Yes, I will tell you. I was standing at the door of my house in Ghadir Ibn al-Shammas at the time that `Ali Ibn Hammud entered Cordova, and his armies were pouring into the city from all directions. I saw among them a youth of such striking appearance, that I would never have believed until that moment that beauty could be so embodied in a living form. He mastered my reason, and my mind was wholly enraptured with him. I enquired after him, and was told that he was So-and-so, the son of So-and-so, and that he inhabited such-and-such district-a province far distant from Cordova, and virtually inaccessible. I despaired of ever seeing him again; and by my life, O Abu Bakr, I shall never give up loving him, until I am laid in the tomb.”"
فكان كذلك، وأنا أعرف ذلك الفتى وأدريه، وقد رأيته لكني أضربت عن اسمه لأنه قد مات والتقى كلاهما عند الله عز وجل — عفا الله عن الجميع.,"And so indeed it was. For my part, I knew the youth in question, and was personally ally acquainted with him, having seen him with my own eyes; but I have forborne to mention his name, because he is now dead, and the two have met at last in the presence of the Almighty: may Allah forgive us all!"
هذا على أن أبا عبد الله — أكرم الله نُزلَه — ممن لم يكُن له ولهٌ قط، ولا فارق الطريقة المثلى، ولا وطئ حَرامًا قط، ولا قارف مُنكرًا، ولا أتى منهيًّا عنه يحل بدينه ومُرُوءته، ولا قارض من جفا عليه، وما كان في طبقتنا مثله.,"Yet this same Abu `Abd Allah (may God accord him an honoured seat in Paradise!) was a man who never in his life went astray or wandered from the straight and narrow path; not once did he transgress against God’s holy laws, or commit any abominable act, or do any forbidden deed such as might have corrupted his faith and tainted his virtue; he never repaid evil with evil; there was none other his like, not in all our generation."
ثم دخلت أنا قُرطبة في خلافة القاسم بن حَمُّود المأمون، فلم أقدِّم شيئًا على قَصد أبي عمرو القاسم بن يحيى التميمي أخي عبد الله — رحمه الله — فسألته عن حاله وعزَّيتُه عن أخيه، وما كان أولى بالتعزية عنه مني، ثم سألتُه عن أشعاره ورسائله؛ إذ كان الذي عندي منه قد ذهب بالنَّهب في السبب الذي ذكرتُه في صدر هذه الحكاية، فأخبرني عنه أنه لما قَرُبت وفاته وأيقن بحضور المنيَّة ولم يشك في الموت، دعا بجميع شعره وبكُتبي التي كنتُ خاطبتُه أنا بها، فقطَّعها كلها ثم أمر بدفنها.,"Then I entered Cordova once more, al-Qasim Ibn Hammud al-Ma’mun having succeeded to the Caliphate, and my first care was to seek out Abu `Amr al-Qasiui Ibn Yahya al-Tamimi, Abu `Abd Allah’s brother. After enquiring concerning his own health, I offered him my, sympathies in his sad bereavement; though indeed I. was no less deserving condolence than he. Then I; questioned him about my friend’s poetry and epistles, for all that I had possessed of these had perished during the sack of Cordova, in circumstances which I have mentioned at the beginning of this story. He told me that when his brother was near his death, and convinced that his time was at hand and his end undoubtedly come, he called for all his poetry, and all the letters which I had written to him, to be brought to him; he tore every sheet into pieces, and gave instructions that the fragments should be buried."
قال أبو عمرو: فقلت له: يا أخي، دعها تبقى.,"Abu `Amr continued I said to him, “O my brother, let them remain!”"
فقال: إني أقطعها وأنا أدري أني أقطع فيها أدبًا كثيرًا، ولكن لو كان أبو محمد بعيني حاضرًا لدفعتُها إليه تكون عنده تذكرة لمودتي، ولكني لا أعلم أي البلاد أضمرته، ولا أحيٌّ هو أم ميت. وكانت نكبتي اتَّصلتْ به ولم يعلم مستقري ولا إلى ما آلَ إليه أمري.,"But he answered, “See, I am tearing them up; I know that in doing so I am destroying much fine literature. If Abu Muhammad “he meant myself, Ibn Hazm” had been present, I would have given them over to him as a souvenir of my love; but I do not know in what country he lies concealed, nor even whether he is alive or dead.”He had indeed heard news of my misfortunes, but was not aware of where I was then lodging, or of what had become of me."
فمن مَراثيَّ له قصيدة، منها:  لَئِنْ سَتَرَتْكَ بُطُونُ اللُّحُودِ *** فَوَجْدِيَ بَعْدَكَ لَا يَسْتَتِر قَصَدْتُ دِيَارَكَ قَصْدَ المَشُوقِ *** وَلِلدَّهْرِ فِينَا كرُورُ وَمر فَأَلْفَيْتُهَا مِنْكَ قَفَرًا خَلَاءً *** فَأَسْكَبْتُ عَيْنِي عَلَيْكَ العِبَر,"Among the elegies which I composed in his memory is a poem from which these three couplets are extracted.  Though the dark tomb thy broken body hides, Still true, still manifest my love abides.  I sought thy dwelling, passionate for thee, When Destiny had done its worst with me,  But it was desolate, and thou wast dead, And ah, the bitter tears for thee I shed!"
وحدثني أبو القاسم الهمذاني — رحمه الله — قال: كان معنا ببغداد أخ لعبد الله بن يحيى بن أحمد بن دحون الفقيه، الذي عليه مدارُ الفُتيا بقرطبة، وكان أعلمَ من أخيه وأجلَّ مقدارًا، ما كان في أصحابنا ببغداد مثله، وأنه اجتاز يومًا بدرب قُطنة في زقاق لا ينفذ، فدخل فيه فرأى في أقصاه جاريةً واقفةً مكشوفة الوجه، فقالت له: يا هذا، إنَّ الدرب لا ينفذ.,"Abu ‘l-Qasim al-Hamdani (God rest his soul) related to me the following story. There was with us (he said) in Baghdad a brother of `Abd Allah Ibn Yahya Ibn Ahmad Ibn Dahhun the famous jurist, Grand Mufti of Cordova; he was more learned and even more distinguished than his eminent kinsman, and none other of our companions in the great city was in any way his equal. One day he happened to be passing along a cul-de-sac in the district of Darb Qutna, when he saw at the farthest end of the street a slave-girl standing with her face uncovered. She called to him, “Hi, mister, this is a blind alley!”"
قال: فنظر إليها فهام بها. قال: وانصرف إلينا فتزايد عليه أمرها، وخشي الفتنة فخرج إلى البصرة فمات بها عشقًا — رحمه الله. وكان فيما ذكر من الصالحين.,"He looked at her, and at once fell in love with her. When he returned to us, his passion for the girl became ever more violent, so that he feared he might fall into temptation. He therefore departed to Basra, and there died of love, God have mercy on his soul! By all accounts’ he was a most saintly man."
حكاية لم أزل أسمعها عن بعض ملوك البرابر، أن رجلًا أندلسيًّا باع جاريةً، كان يَجِد بها وَجْدًا شديدًا، لفاقةٍ أصابته، من رجل من أهل ذلك البلد، ولم يظن بائعُها أن نفسه تتبعها ذلك التتبُّعَ، فلما حصلت عند المُشتري كادت نفس الأندلسي تخرج، فأتى إلى الذي ابتاعها منه وحكَّمه في ماله أجمع وفي نفسه، فأبى عليه، فتحمَّل عليه بأهل البلد فلم يُسعف منهم أحد، فكاد عقله أن يذهب، ورأى أن يتصدَّى إلى الملك، فتعرض له وصاح، فسمعه، فأمر بإدخاله، والملك قاعد في علِّيَّة له مُشرِفة عالية فوصل إليه، فلما مَثُل بين يديه أخبره بقصته واسترحمه وتضرَّع إليه، فرقَّ له الملكُ فأمر بإحضار الرجل المبتاع فحضَر، فقال له: هذا رجل غريب، وهو كما تراه، وأنا شفيعُه إليك.,"Here is a story, which I have often heard told concerning a certain Berber king. An Andalusian’ gentleman, finding himself in financial difficulties, had sold a female slave whom he loved passionately; she was bought by a man of the Berber country. The poor fellow who sold her never imagined that his heart would follow her in the way it did. When she reached her purchaser’s home, her former owner almost expired. So he searched out the man to whom he had sold her, and offered him all his possessions, and himself to boot, if he would restore her to him; but the Berber refused. The Andalusian then besought the inhabitants of the town to prevail upon him; but not one of them came to his assistance. Almost out of his mind, he bethought himself of appealing to the king; he therefore stood without the palace, and uttered a loud cry. The king, who was seated in a lofty upper chamber overlooking the courtyard, heard his shout and ordered him to be admitted. The Andalusian entered the royal presence, and standing before his Berber majesty he told his story, and implored and supplicated him to have compassion. The king, much touched by his plight, commanded that the man who had bought the girl should be summoned to court. He duly came; and the king said, This poor fellow is a stranger; you see what a state he is in intercede with you personally on his behalf.”"
فأبى المُبتاع وقال: أنا أشد حُبًّا لها منه، وأخشى إن صرفتها إليه أن أستغيث بك غدًا وأنا في أسوأ من حالته.,"But the purchaser refused, saying, “I am more deeply’ in love with her than he is, and I fear that if you return her to him I myself shall be standing here to-morrow imploring your aid, and in an even worse case.”"
فعرض له الملك وَمَن حواليه من أموالهم، فأبى ولجَّ واعتذر بمحبته لها، فلما طال المجلس ولم يَرَوْا منه البتة جُنوحًا إلى الإسعاف قال للأندلسي: يا هذا، ما لك بيدي أكثر مما ترى، وقد جهدتُ لك بأبلغ سَعي، وهو تراه يعتذر بأنه فيها أحب منك، وأنه يخشى على نفسه شرًّا مما أنت فيه، فاصبر لما قضى الله عليك.,"The king and all his courtiers offered him of their own riches to let her go; but he persisted in his refusal, pleading as his excuse the affection he bore her. The audience having by now dragged on a long time, and there being no sign whatsoever that the purchaser would give way and consent, the king said to the Andalusian, “My good sir, I can do nothing more for you than this. I have striven to the utmost of my powers on your behalf; and you see how he excuses himself on the grounds that he loves her more than you do, and fears he may come to even greater evil than yourself. You had best endure patiently what Allah has decreed for you.”"
فقال الأندلسي: فما لي بيدك حيلة؟,"The Andalusian thereupon exclaimed, “Have you no means at all then of helping me?”"
قال له: وهل ها هنا غير الرغبة والبذل، ما أستطيع لك أكثر.,"The king answered, “Can I do anything more for you than; entreat him, and offer him money?”"
فلما يَئِس الأندلسي منها جمع يديه ورجليه وانصب من أعلى العلية إلى الأرض، فارتاع الملك وصرخ، فابتدر الغلمان من أسفل، فقُضي أنه لم يتأذَّ في ذلك الوقوع كبيرَ أذًى، فصُعد به إلى الملك، فقال: ماذا أردت بهذا؟,"The Andalusian, being in despair, bent himself double, and with his hands clutching his feet he threw himself down from the topmost height of the audience-chamber to the earth. The king cried out in alarm, and his slaves below ran to where the man was lying. It was his fate not to be greatly injured by the fall, and he was brought up to the king again. The king said to him, “What did you intend by doing that?”"
فقال: أيها الملك، لا سبيل لي إلى الحياة بعدها.,"“O king”, the man replied, “I cannot live any longer, now that I have lost her.”"
ثم همَّ أن يرميَ نفسه ثانيةً، فمُنِع، فقال الملك: الله أكبر، قد ظهر وجه الحُكم في هذه المسألة.,"Then he would have thrown himself down a second time, but he was prevented. The king thereupon exclaimed, “Allah is great! I have hit upon the just arbitrament of this problem.”"
ثم التفت إلى المشتري فقال: يا هذا، إنك ذكرتَ أنك أودُّ لها منه، وتخاف أن تصير في مثل حاله.,"Turning to the purchaser he said, “Good sir, do you claim that your love for the girl is greater than his, and do you state that you fear to come to the same pass as he is in?”"
فقال: نعم.,"“Yes”, replied the Berber."
قال: فإن صاحبك هذا أبدى عنوان محبته وقذف بنفسه يريد الموت لولا أن الله عز وجل وقاه، فأنت قُم فصحِّح حبك وترامَ من أعلى هذه القصبة كما فعل صاحبك، فإن متَّ فبأجلك، وإن عشتَ كنت أولى بالجارية إذ هي في يدك، ويمضي صاحبك عنك، وإن أبَيْتَ نَزعتُ الجارية منك رغمًا ودفعتُها إليه.,"“Very well”, went on the king. “Your friend here has given us a clear indication of his love; he hurled himself down, and would have died, but that Almighty God preserved him. Now do you stand up and prove your love is true; cast yourself down from the topmost point of this pavilion, as your friend did. If you die, it will mean that your appointed time has come; if you live, you will have the better right to the girl, seeing that she is at present your property; and your companion in distress shall then go away. But if you refuse to jump, I will take the girl from you, whether you like it or not, and will hand her over-to him.”"
فتمنَّع ثم قال: أترامى.,"At first the Berber held back, but then he said, “I will cast myself down.”"
فلما قرب من الباب ونظر إلى الهويِّ تحته رجع القَهقَرى، فقال له الملك: هو والله ما قلت.,"But when he came near the opening, and looked into the yawning void below him, he drew himself back again. “By Allah”, cried the king, “it shall be as I have said.”"
فهمَّ ثم نَكل، فلما لم يقدم قال له الملك: لا تتلاعب بنا، يا غلمان، خذوا بيديه وارموا به إلى الأرض.,"The man tried again, but shrunk away once more. When he would not take the plunge, the king shouted to him, “Do not make sport of us! Ho, slaves, seize his hands and pitch him to the ground!”"
فلما رأى العزيمة قال: أيها الملك، قد طابت نفسي بالجارية.,"The Berber, seeing the king thus resolved, exclaimed, “O king, I am content: let him have the girl.”"
فقال له: جزاك الله خيرًا. فاشتراها منه ودفعها إلى بائعها، وانصرفا.,"The king replied, “Allah give thee a good recompense!” So saying, he bought the girl from him and gave her over to her former owner; and the two departed."
باب قبح المعصية قال المصنف — رحمه الله تعالى: وكثير من الناس يُطيعون أنفسهم ويعصون عقولهم، ويَتبعون أهواءهم، ويرفضون أديانهم، ويتجنَّبون ما حضَّ الله تعالى عليه ورتَّبه في الألباب السليمة من العِفَّة وترك المعاصي ومُقارعة الهوى، ويخالفون الله ربَّهم، ويوافقون إبليس فيما يُحبه من الشهوة المُعْطِبَة، فيواقعون المعصية في حبهم.,"OF THE VILENESS OF SINNING THUS spoke the author of this book, God have mercy upon him: Many men obey their carnal souls, and disobey their reasons; they follow after their random desires, rejecting the ordinances of religion, and scouting God’s commandments. For Allah has put it into all healthy minds to be decent and self-controlled, to abstain from sin and fight against temptation; but they oppose the Lord 1 their God, and take the Devil’s part, assisting him in his evil work by indulging in all deadly lusts; so they commit grievous sins in their amours.J"
وقد علمنا أن الله عز وجل ركَّب في الإنسان طبيعتين متضادتين؛ إحداهما لا تُشير إلا بخير، ولا تحُضُّ إلا على حسن، ولا يُتَصوَّر فيها إلا كل أمر مَرْضيٍّ، وهي العقل، وقائده العدل.,"We know that Allah has implanted in every man two opposed natures. The first of these counsels only good; and incites to what is fair and seemly, so that nothing that is not pleasing to God is conceived therein: this – is reason, which is guided and led by justice."
والثانية ضدٌّ لها، لا تشير إلا إلى الشهوات، ولا تقود إلا إلى الردى، وهي النفس، وقائدها الشهوة، والله تعالى يقول: {إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ}، وكنَّى بالقلب عن العقل فقال: {إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَذِكْرَى لِمَن كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ}، وقال تعالى: {حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ}. وخاطب أولي الألباب.,"The second is opposite to the first, in that it advises solely the gratification of the lusts, and leads the way to all, that is evil and vicious: this is the soul; whose guide and mentor is carnal passion. God says, “Verily the soul commands to evil” (Koran XII 53). Elsewhere Allah refers to reason, calling it the heart, and says, “Verily therein is a reminder to every man possessing a heart or lending an ear to hear, who beareth witness” (Koran L 36); He also says, “And He has made Faith a thing to be loved by you, and has made it comely in your hearts” (Koran XLIX 7); in another place He addresses “those that are possessed of minds” (Koran XXXIX 22)."
فهاتان الطبيعتان قُطبان في الإنسان، وهما قُوتان من قُوى الجسد الفعَّال بهما، ومطرحان من مَطارح شُعاعات هذين الجوهرين العجيبين الرفيعين العُلويين؛ ففي كل جسد منهما حظُّه على قدر مُقابلته لهما في تقدير الواحد الصمد، تقدَّست أسماؤه، حين خَلَقه وهيَّأه، فهما يتقابلان أبدًا ويتنازعان دأبًا، فإذا غلب العقلُ النفسَ ارتدع الإنسان، وقمَع عوارضه المَدخولة واستضاء بنور الله واتبع العدل، وإذا غلبت النفسُ العقلَ عميت البصيرة، ولم يصحَّ الفرقُ بين الحسن والقبيح، وعَظُم الالتباس، وتردَّى في هُوَّة الرَّدى ومَهواة الهَلكة، وبهذا حَسُن الأمر والنهي، ووجب الاكتمال، وصحَّ الثواب والعقاب، واستُحق الجزاء.,"These two contrary natures are the poles in a man; they are two of the body’s various faculties, by means of which the body acts; they are so to speak a pair of screens, upon which fall the rays emanating from those two wonderful, lofty, sublime substances. Every body has its share in these two natures, according to the degree to which it responds to them, its receptiveness being determined by the eternal will of the One Everlasting God (Holy be His Names), at the time that He created it and gave it shape. The two natures are forever and habitually in opposition and conflict one with the other. When the reason prevails over the soul, a man will refrain, and rein his corrupt impulses; he will seek to be illumined by the light of God, and will follow after justice. But when the soul dominates the reason, his inward eye is so blinded that he cannot truly discriminate between what is seemly and what is vile; great is his confusion, and he falls into the pit of ruin and the bottomless abyss of destruction. Therefore are God’s commands and prohibitions most excellent, and obedience to them man’s bounden duty, upon the fulfillment of which depends his fitting reward or punishment, his well-merited recompense."
والروح واصل بين هاتين الطبيعتين، ومُوصِّل ما بينهما، وحامل الالتقاء بهما.,"The spirit unites these contrary natures, and acts as a link and meeting-point between them."
وإن الوقوف عند حدِّ الطاعة لمعدوم إلا بطُول الرياضة، وصحة المعرفة، ونفاذ التمييز، ومع ذلك اجتناب التعرض للفِتَن ومُداخلة الناس جملة، والجلوس في البيوت، وبالحريِّ أن تقع السلامة المضمونة، أو يكون الرجل حَصورًا لا أرب له في النساء، ولا جارحة له تُعينه عليهن قديمًا.,"To stand always within the confines of obedience is a thing outside the bounds of actuality, except it be achieved by long self-discipline, right knowledge, and penetrating decimation; and only then may it be attained if a man deliberately avoids exposing himself to seduction, and abstains from human intercourse entirely, sitting not within the tents of temptation. Without doubt perfect and absolute purity can be secured, if a man were to be castrated and thus have no desire for woman, and no organ to assist him to traffic with them."
ووَرَد: من وُقي شرَّ لَقْلقه وقَبْقبه وَذبْذبه، فقد وُقي شَرَّ الدنيا بحذافيرها. واللقلق: اللسان، والقبقب: البطن، والذبذب: الفرج.,"It was said of old, “He who is preserved from the evil of his clacker, his rumbler and his dangler, is saved from the evil of the whole sublunary world.” The clacker is the tongue, the rumbler is the belly, an the dangler is the privy parts."
ولقد أخبرني أبو حفص الكاتب — هو من ولد رَوح بن زِنباع الجذامي — أنه سمع بعض المُتَّسمين باسم الفقه من أهل الرواية المشاهير وقد سُئل عن هذا الحديث فقال: القبقب: البطيخ.,"On the other hand I was told by Abu Hafs the civil secretary, a descendant of Rauh Ibn Zinba’ al udhami, that he asked a noted jurist, who was also an eminent Traditionist, to explain the foregoing saying to him; and he told him that the word which I have glossed as “belly” actually means “melon”."
وحدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن أحمد، حدثنا وهب بن مَسرة ومحمد بن أبي دليم، عن محمد بن وضَّاح، عن يحيى بن يحيى، عن مالك بن أنس، عن زيد بن أسلم، عن عطاء بن يسار، أن رسول الله ﷺ قال في حديث طويل: مَن وقاه الله شرَّ اثنتين دخل الجنة. فسُئل عن ذلك فقال: ما بين لِحْيَيه وما بين رِجْلَيه.,"Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ahmad informed me, transmitting from Wahb Ibn Masarra and Muhammad Ibn Abi Dulaim, from Muhammad Ibn Waddah, from Yahya Ibn Yahya, from Malik Ibn Anas, from Zaid Ibn Aslam, from ‘Ata’ Ibn Yasar, that the Prophet of Allah said (I extract this from a long Tradition), “He whore Allah preserves from the evil of two things shall surely enter Paradise.” When asked to explain this saying, he added, “That which lies between his moustache and beard, and that which lies between his two legs.”"
وإني لأسمع كثيرًا ممن يقول: الوفاء في قمع الشهوات في الرِّجال دون النساء. فأُطيلُ العجب من ذلك، وإنَّ لي قولًا لا أحول عنه: الرجال والنساء في الجنوح إلى هذين الشيئين سواء، وما رجل عرضت له امرأة جميلة بالحُبِّ وطال ذلك ولم يكن ثَمَّ من مانعٍ إلا وقع في شَرَك الشيطان، واستهوتْه المعاصي، واستفزَّه الحرص، وتَغوَّله الطمع، وما امرأة دعاها رجل بمثل هذه الحالة إلا وأمكنتْه، حتمًا مَقضيًّا، وحكمًا نافذًا لا محيد عنه البتة.,"I hear many people say, “Complete subjugation of the passions is found only among men, and not among women.” I never cease to wonder at this assertion. My own unwavering opinion is, that men and women are exactly equal in their inclination towards these two things. The man does not exist who, having been offered the love of a pretty woman a long time, and there being no obstacle to prevent him, will not fall into Satan’s net, will not be seduced by sin, and will not be excited by desire and led astray by concupiscence. Similarly there is no woman who, if invited by a man in the selfsame circumstances, will not surrender to him in the end; it is the absolute law and inescapable decree of destiny."
ولقد أخبرني ثقةٌ صدق من إخواني من أهل التَّمام في الفقه والكلام والمعرفة، وذو صلابة في دينه، أنه أحب جاريةً نبيلةً أديبةً ذات جمال بارع، قال: فعرضتُ لها فنفرتْ، ثم عرضتُ فأبتْ، فلم يزل الأمر يطول وحبُّها يزيد وهي لا تُطيع البتة، إلى أن حملني فرط حبي لها مع عَمَى الصِّبَى على أن نذرتُ أني متى نلتُ منها مرادي أن أتوب إلى الله توبةً صادقةً. قال: فما مَرَّت الأيام والليالي حتى أذعنت بعد شماس ونفار.,"I have been informed by a most truthful and trustworthy friend -I may add that he has a perfect acquaintance with jurisprudence, scholastic theology and science, and is firm in his observance of the faith- that he once loved a superior and cultured girl of dazzling beauty. “I made a proposal to her”, he told me, “and she refused in horror. I repeated my proposal, and she again declined. So matters went on for a long time, and all the while my love for her waxed stronger; but she was not one of the kind that submits to solicitations. Finally I was so carried away by my excessive passion for her, that being a blind and headstrong youth, I made a vow that if I succeeded in having my way with her, I would thereafter turn to Allah in true and contrite penitence. As the days and nights went by, after all her stubborn refusal and aversion she at last gave in to me.”"
فقلت له: أبا فلان، وفيتَ بعهدك؟ فقال: إي والله. فضحكتُ. وذكرتُ بهذه الفَعلة ما لم يزل يُتداول في أسماعنا من أن في بلاد البربر التي تجاوز أندلسنا يتعهد الفاسق على أنه إذا قضى وطره ممن أراد أنْ يتوب إلى الله، فلا يُمنع من ذلك، ويُنكرون على من تعرَّض له بكلمة ويقولون له: أتحرم رجلًا مسلمًا التوبة؟,"I said to my friend, “O father of one who shall be unnamed, did you fulfill your engagement?” “Yes, by Allah”, he replied. Thereupon I laughed, being reminded by his action of a report commonly noised among us, that in the Berber country adjacent to Andalusia fornicators repent of their sins on condition that they attain gratification of their immediate desires. Nothing is done to prevent this curious conduct; on the contrary, they disapprove strongly in that country if any man ventures to utter even one word of protest, saying, “What, would you make it impossible for a Mussulman to repent?”"
قال: ولعهدي بها تبكي وتقول: والله لقد بلَّغتني مبلغًا ما خَطَر قطُّ لي ببالٍ، ولا قدرتُ أن أجيب إليه أحدًا.,"My friend continued, “I well recall how she wept, saying, ‘By Allah, you have brought me to a pass I never in my life thought to come to, nor supposed that I would concede it to any man.'”"
ولست أُبعد أن يكون الصلاح في الرجال والنساء موجودًا، وأعوذ بالله أن أظن غير هذا، وإني رأيت الناس يَغلطون في معنى هذه الكلمة — أعني الصلاح — غلطًا بعيدًا.,"I do not consider it utterly remote from all possibility that righteousness should exist among men, and women too: God forbid, that I should have any such thoughts! But I have observed that many men err gravely as to the true meaning of the word “righteousness”."
والصحيح في حقيقة تفسيرها أن الصالحة من النساء هي التي إذا ضُبطت انضبطت، وإذا قُطعت عنها الذرائع أمسكت، والفاسدة هي التي إذا ضُبطت لم تَنضبط، وإذا حيل بينها وبين الأسباب التي تُسَهِّل الفواحش تحيَّلت في أن تتوصل إليها بضروب من الحيل، والصالح من الرجال من لا يُداخل أهل الفسوق، ولا يتعرَّض إلى المناظر الجالبة للأهواء، ولا يرفع طرفه إلى الصور البديعة التركيب، والفاسق من يعاشر أهل النقص، وينشُر بصره إلى الوجوه البديعة الصنعة، ويتصدى للمشاهد المؤذية، ويحب الخلوات المهلكات، والصالحانِ من الرجال والنساء كالنار الكامنة في الرماد لا تحرق من جاورها إلا بأن تُحَرَّك، والفاسقانِ كالنار المشتعلة تحرق كل شيء.,"Its correct interpretation is as follows. The “righteous” woman is one who, when duly restrained, restrains herself; when temptations are kept out of her way, she keeps herself under control. The “wicked” woman on the other hand is one who, when duly restrained, does not restrain herself, and when barred from all facilities for committing licence, nevertheless herself contrives by some ruse or other to discover the means of behaving badly. The “righteous” man is he who has no traffic with adulterers, and does not expose himself to sights exciting the passions; who does not raise his eyes to look upon ravishing shapes and forms. The “wicked” man however is he who consorts with depraved people, who allows his gaze to wander freely and stares avidly at beautiful faces, who seeks out harmful spectacles and delights in deadly privacies. The “righteous” man and the” righteous woman are like a fire that lies hidden within the ashes, and does not burn any who is within range of it unless it be stirred into flame. But “wicked” men and women are like a blazing, all-consuming conflagration."
وأما امرأة مهملة ورجل متعرض فقد هلكا وتلفا؛ ولهذا حُرِّم على المسلم الالتذاذ بسماع نغمة امرأة أجنبية، وقد جُعلت النظرة الأولى لك والأخرى عليك.,"As for the abandoned woman and the adventurous man, they are surely doomed to everlasting destruction. For this reason it is forbidden to a Moslem to take delight in listening to a foreign woman sing: “the first glance is for you, the second glance is against you”."
وقد قال رسول الله ﷺ: «من تأمل امرأة وهو صائم حتى يرى حَجم عظامها فقد أفطر».,"The Prophet of Allah said, “Whoever looks upon a woman when he is fasting, so as to see the bulk of her bones, the same has broken the fast.”"
وإن فيما ورد من النهي عن الهوى بنصِّ التنزيل لشيئًا مقنعًا، وفي إيقاع هذه الكلمة — أعني الهوى — اسمًا على معانٍ، واشتقاقها عند العرب، وذلك دليل على ميل النفوس وهويِّها إلى هذه المقامات، وإن المتمسك عنها مُقارع لنفسه، مُحارب لها.,"The clear texts set down in Holy Writ forbidding the indulgence of passion are surely amply convincing. The wide variety of meaning attaching to this word “passion”, and the derivation assigned to it by the Arabs, prove well enough the inclination and the aspiration of the carnal soul towards these situations; and the man who holds himself back from them must needs struggle and fight against his lower self."
وشيء أصفه لك تراه عِيانًا، وهو أني ما رأيت قط امرأة في مكانٍ تُحسُّ أن رجلًا يراها أو يسمع حسَّها إلا وأحدثت حركةً فاضلةً كانت عنها بمعزل، وأتت بكلام زائد كانت عنه في غُنية، مخالفَينِ لكلامها وحركتها قبل ذلك، ورأيت التهمُّم لمخارج لفظها وهيئة تقلُّبها لائحًا فيها ظاهرًا عليها لا خفاء به، والرجال كذلك إذا أحسوا بالنساء.,"I will describe something to you which you ma readily enough observe with your own eyes. I have never seen the woman who, happening to be in some place where she senses that a man is looking at her or listening to her voice, does not make some wholly superfluous gesture, remote from her usual habit, or offer some entirely gratuitous remark with which she would otherwise have dispensed, in either case quite at variance with have she was talking or behaving immediately before. I have noticed -and indeed the matter is only too apparent and obvious, and there is no concealing it- that she will take great pains how she articulates her words, and will pay elaborate attention to the manner in which she varies her postures. It is the same with men, as soon as they sense the presence of ladies."
وأما إظهار الزينة وترتيب المشي وإيقاع المزح عند خُطور المرأة بالرجل، واجتياز الرجل بالمرأة؛ فهذا أشهر من الشمس في كل مكان، والله عز وجل يقول: {قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ}، وقال تقدَّست أسماؤه: {وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ}.,"As for showing off one’s finery, and studying one’s deportment, and engaging in pleasantries when woman is approaching a man, or a man is passing by a woman, that is more evident than the sun in heaven, and happens everywhere. Allah the Almighty says, “Say unto the believers, that they lower their eyes and conceal their private parts” (Koran XXIV 30); He also says, “And let the women not tap with their feet, that their hidden ornaments may be made known” (Koran XXIV 3I)."
فلولا علم الله عز وجل برقة إغماضهن في السعي لإيصال حُبهن إلى القلوب، ولُطف كيدهن في التحيُّل لاستجلاب الهوى، لما كشف الله عن هذا المعنى البعيد الغامض الذي ليس وراءه مرمًى، وهذا حد التعرُّض فكيف بما دونه!,"Were it not that Allah is aware of the delicate way in which women droop their eyelids when striving to win the affection of men’s hearts, and the subtle ruses they employ in contriving to attract men’s desires, never would He have revealed a notion so infinitely remote and abstruse. This is the limit beyond which one may not prudently expose oneself to danger: how then shall it be with a man if he adventure further?"
ولقد اطلعت من سرِّ معتقد الرجال والنساء في هذا على أمر عظيم، وأصل ذلك أني لم أحسن قط بأحد ظنًّا في هذا الشأن، مع غَيرة شديدة رُكِّبت فيَّ.,"I tell you that I have penetrated most deeply into the secret thoughts of men and women in this matter, the fact is that I never had a very good opinion of anyone where these things are concerned; besides, I must confess that I am constitutionally a very jealous man."
وحدَّثنا أبو عمرو أحمد بن محمد بن أحمد، حدَّثنا أحمد، حدَّثنا محمد بن علي بن رفاعة، حدَّثنا علي بن عبد العزيز، حدَّثنا أبو عبيد القاسم بن سلام عن شيوخه، أن رسول الله ﷺ قال: الغَيْرة من الإيمان.,"Abu `Umar Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ahmad informed me, transmitting from Ahmad, from Muhammad Ibn `Ali Ibn Rafa` a from `Ali Ibn `Abd al-`Aziz, from Abu ‘Ubaid al-Qasim Ibn Sallam, from his teachers, that the Prophet of Allah said, “Jealousy is a part of faith.”"
فلم أزل باحثًا عن أخبارهن، كاشفًا عن أسرارهن، وكن قد أنسنَ منِّي بكتمان، فكنَّ يُطْلِعنني على غوامض أمورهن.,"That is why I have never ceased to pry into stories about women, and to lay bare their secrets. They have known well my discretion, and have therefore not hesitated to apprise me of their most hidden affairs."
ولولا أن أكون مُنبِّهًا على عوراتٍ يُستعاذ بالله منها لأوردتُ من تنبههن في السرِّ ومكرهن فيه عجائب تُذهل الألباب.,"But for the fear of exposing their shames from which may God preserve me! I would have set down such marvels illustrating their lively awareness of evil, and their cunning in contriving naughtiness, as would confound the most intelligent of men."
وإني لأعرف هذا وأتقنه، ومع هذا يعلم الله — وكفى به عليمًا — أني بريء الساحة، سليم الأديم، صحيح البشرة، نقي الحجزة، وإني أقسم بالله أجلَّ الأقسام أني ما حللت مِئزري على فرج حرام قط، ولا يحاسبني ربي بكبيرة الزنا مذ عقلتُ إلى يومي هذا، والله المحمود على ذلك، والمشكور فيما مضى، والمستعصَم فيما بقي.,"I know this well, and am perfectly informed of the true facts yet for all that Allah knows-and it is enough that He should know that I am a man of spotless innocence, pure, clean and undefiled. I swear most solemnly by Allah’s name that I have never loosed my girdle to commit unlawful acts; the Lord shall not call me to account on the Day of Reckoning touching the deadly sin of fornication, not since I became a man even unto the present day. I praise God, and give Him grateful thanks for His past mercies, and I pray that He may continue so to preserve me through all the days I yet shall live."
حدثنا القاضي أبو عبد الرحمن بن عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن بن جحاف المعافري — وإنه لأفضل قاضٍ رأيتُه — عن محمد ابن إبراهيم الطليطلي، عن القاضي بمصر بكر بن العلاء في قول الله عز وجل: {وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ} أن لبعض المتقدمين فيه قولًا؛ وهو أن المسلم يكون مخبرًا عن نفسه بما أنعم الله تعالى به عليه من طاعة ربه التي هي من أعظم النعم، ولا سيما في المفترض على المسلمين اجتنابه واتباعه.,"Judge Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman ‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman Ibn Jahhaf al-Ma’afiri informed me -and; he is the most excellent cadi I have ever met- that he was told by Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim al-Tulaitili that the Egyptian cadi Bakr Ibn al-`Ala’ interpreted Allah’s words “And as for the bounty of thy Lord, proclaim it abroad” (Koran XCIII II) as follows, reporting view held by an ancient authority: the Moslem ought to declare the personal blessings which Allah I t conferred on him in keeping him obedient to the commands of his Lord, which is indeed the greatest bounties, especially in regard to those matters the avoidance or pursuit of which is a prescription binding upon all Moslems."
وكان السبب فيما ذكرته أني كنت وقتَ تأجُّج نار الصبا وشِرَّة الحداثة وتمكُّنِ غَرارة الفُتوة مَقصورًا محظَّرًا عليَّ بين رُقباء ورقائب، فلما ملكتُ نفسي وعقلت صَحبتُ أبا علي الحسين بن علي الفاسي في مجلس أبي القاسم عبد الرحمن بن أبي يزيد الأزدي شيخنا وأستاذي — رضي الله عنه — وكان أبو علي المذكور عاقلًا عاملًا عالمًا ممن تقدَّم في الصلاح والنسك الصحيح في الزهد في الدنيا والاجتهاد للآخرة، وأحسبه كان حصورًا لأنه لم تكن له امرأة قط، وما رأيت مثله جُملة عِلمًا وعملًا ودينًا وورعًا، فنفعني الله به كثيرًا، وعلمتُ موقع الإساءة وقبح المعاصي.,"Now my reason for speaking of myself as I have is that while the fires of youth were blazing within me, while the ardour of puberty and the reckless folly of early manhood possessed my soul, I was cloistered and enclosed among watchful guardians of both sexes. As soon as I became my own master and could reason for myself I had the good fortune to make friends with Abu ‘Ali al-Husain Ibn `Ali al-Fasi, with whom I attended the classes of our teacher and my dear preceptor for Abu ‘l-Qasim `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Abi Yalid e al-Azdi, God be well pleased with him! Abu `Ali was most prudent, full of good works and pious learning; he was one who had reached the forefront in righteous ness, true devotion, strict abstinence from worldly things, and zealous labours for the heavenly reward. I fancy that he was naturally continent, for there had never been a woman in his life; and indeed I never saw his like altogether, whether in learning, practical charity; religious observance, or godliness of life. Allah gave me great profit of him, for he taught me to know the dire effects of evil conduct, and the beastliness of sin."
ومات أبو علي — رحمه الله — في طريق الحج.,"He died on the Mecca pilgrimage, God rest his soul."
ولقد ضمني المبيت ليلةً في بعض الأزمان عند امرأة من بعض معارفي مشهورة بالصلاح والخير والحزم، ومعها جارية من بعض قراباتها من اللاتي قد ضمتها معي النشأة في الصبا، ثم غبت عنها أعوامًا كثيرةً، وكنت تركتها حين أعصرت، ووجدتُها قد جرى على وجهها ماءُ الشباب ففاض وانساب، وتفجَّرت عليها ينابيع الملاحة فترددت وتحيرت، وطلعتْ في سماء وجهها نجوم الحُسن فأشرقت وتوقَّدت، وانبعث في خدَّيها أزاهير الجمال فتمَّت واعتمت، فأتت كما أقول:  خَرِيدَةٌ صَاغَهَا الرَّحْمَنُ مِنْ نُورِ *** جَلَّتْ مَلَاحَتُهَا عَنْ كُلِّ تَقْدِيرِ لَوْ جَاءَنِي عَمَلِي فِي حُسْنِ صُورَتِهَا *** يَوْمَ الحِسَابِ وَيَوْمَ النَّفْخِ فِي الصُّورِ لَكُنْتُ أَحْظَى عِبَادِ الله كُلِّهِمُ *** بِالجَنَّتَيْنِ وَقُرْبِ الخُرَّدِ الحُورِ,"Once I was passing the night in the house of a female acquaintance, a lady renowned for her righteousness her charity and her prudence. With her was a young girl of her own kindred we had all been brought up together, then I had lost sight of her for many years, having left her when she reached puberty. I found that the waters of youth had flowed like a rushing exuberant river over her countenance; the fountains of grace and charm gushed over her. I was confounded and amazed. Into the firmament of her face the stars of beauty had climbed, to shine and glitter there; in her cheeks the flowers of loveliness had budded, and were now in full bloom. How she appeared before me that memorable evening, I have striven to describe in these verses.  She was a pearl most pure and white, By Allah fashioned out of light; Her beauty was a wondrous thing Beyond all human reckoning.  If on the Day of Judgement, when The trumpets sound for sinful men, I find, before the Throne of Grace, My deeds as lovely as her face;  Of all the creatures Allah made I shall most fully be repaid, A double Eden to reside, And dark-eyed virgins by my side."
وكانت من أهل بيت صباحة، وقد ظهرت منها صورة تُعجز الوُصَّاف، وقد طَبَّق وصفُ شبابها قرطبة، فبتُّ عندها ثلاث ليالٍ متوالية، ولم تُحجب عنِّي على جاري العادة في التربية.,"She came of a family in which good looks were hereditary, and had now herself developed into a shape that beggared description; the tale of her youth loveliness ran through Cordova. I passed three successive nights under the same roof with her, and following the customs with persons who have been brought up together she was not veiled from my view."
فلعمري لقد كاد قلبي أن يصبوَ ويثوب إليه مَرفوض الهوى، ويعاوده منسيُّ الغزل. ولقد امتنعتُ بعد ذلك من دخول تلك الدار خوفًا على لُبي أن يزدهيه الاستحسان.,"Upon my life, my heart was well-nigh ravished, the passion which I had so rigorously banished almost repossessed my bosom, the forgotten dalliance of youth was within an ace of returning to seduce me. Thereafter I forbade myself to enter that house, for I feared that my mind might be too violently excited by the admiration of such beauty."
ولقد كانت هي وجميع أهلها ممن لا تتعدَّى الأطماعُ إليهن، ولكن الشيطان غير مأمون الغوائل، وفي ذلك أقول:  لَا تُتْبِعِ النَّفْسَ الهَوَى *** وَدَعِ التَّعَرُّضَ لِلْمِحَنْ إِبْلِيسُ حَيٌّ لَمْ يَمُتْ *** وَالعَيْنُ بَابٌ لِلْفِتَنْ  وأقول:  وَقَائِلٌ لِيَ هَذَا *** ظَنٌّ يَزِيدُكَ غَيًّا فَقُلْتُ دَعْ عَنْكَ لَوْمِي *** أَلَيْسَ إِبْلِيسُ حَيًّا,"Certainly, she and all the members of the household were ladies upon whose respectability amorous ambitions might not hope to trespass; but, as I have remarked in the little poem, which follows, no man is secure from the vexations of Satan.  Suffer not thy soul Passion to pursue, And, to keep it whole, No temptations woo.  Satan liveth yet, He will never die, And seduction’s net Is the human eye.  I also have these verses.  How many say “This thing is naught But a dark thought To make thee stray.”  “Blame me not, pray!” I answer. “What, Is Satan not Alive to day?”"
وما أورد الله تعالى علينا من قصة يوسف بن يعقوب وداود بن إيشي — رُسُل الله عليهم السلام — إلا ليُعلِّمنا نُقصاننا وفاقتَنا إلى عِصمته، وأن بِنْيتنا مدخولة ضعيفة، فإذا كانا — صلى الله عليهما — وهما نبيَّان رسولان أبناء أنبياءَ رُسُلٍ ومن أهل بيت نبوة ورسالة، متكررَين في الحفظ، مغموسَين في الولاية، محفوفَين بالكلاءة، مؤيدَين بالعصمةِ، لا يُجعل للشيطان عليهما سبيل، ولا فُتح لوسواسه نحوهما طريق، وبلغا حيث نَصَّ الله عزَّ وجلَّ علينا في قرآنه المنزَّل بالجبلة الموكلة، والطبع البشريِّ، والخِلقة الأصيلة، لا بتعمد الخطيئة ولا القصد إليها؛ إذ النبيُّون مُبرَّءون من كل ما خالف طاعة الله عزَّ وجلَّ، لكنه استحسان طبيعي في النفس للصور، فمن ذا الذي يَصف نفسه بِملْكها ويتعاطى ضَبطَها إلا بحول الله وقُوته!,"Allah has not set down for us the stories of Joseph the son of Jacob, and David the son of Jesse, all prophets of God, save to make us aware of our own shortcomings and the dire need we have of His protection, and to teach us how corrupt and frail is our human constitution. Those two were prophets and messengers of God, the sons of prophets and Divine messengers; they were of a household wherein prophecy and apostleship were hereditary; they were wrapped about in God’s safe keeping, immersed in the ocean of His love, encompassed by His tender care, fortified by His mighty protection, so that Satan had no way of coming unto them, and no road was open for his temptations to draw nigh them. Yet for all that Joseph and David came to the pass which Allah has described for us in His revealed Koran, by reason of that natural disposition within them, that human character and original constitution which were implanted in their souls, and by no means because of any deliberate will and intent on their part to sin; for the prophets are exempt from all that is at variance with obedience to the Divine Will. What passed in them was a natural admiration for lovely forms, common to every human soul; and who among us would be so bold as to claim the mastery of his soul, or who will engage to control its wayward impulses, save with Allah’s strength and power assisting him?"
وأول دم سُفك في الأرض فدمُ أحد ابنَي آدم على سبب المنافسة في النساء، ورسول الله ﷺ يقول: باعِدُوا بين أنفاس الرجال والنساء.,"The first blood shed upon the earth was the blood of one of Adam’s sons, all on account of rivalry for the possession of women. The Messenger of Allah himself says, “Keep a distance between the breaths of men and women.”"
وهذه امرأة من العرب تقول، وقد حبلت من ذي قرابة لها، حين سُئلت: ما ببطنك يا هند؟ فقالت: قُرب الوساد وطُول السواد.,"There was once a Bedouin woman who became pregnant of a kinsman. She was asked, “What is this inside of you, Hind?” She answered, “The fruit of pillows much too near, and of a night too long and drear!”"
وفي ذلك أقول شعرًا، منه:  لَا تَلُمْ مَنْ عَرَّضَ النَّفْسَ لِمَا *** لَيْسَ يُرْضِي غَيْرَهُ عِنْدَ المِحَنْ لَا تُقرِّبْ عَرْفَجًا مِنْ لَهَبٍ *** وَمَتَى قَرَّبْتَهُ قَامَتْ دَخَنْ لَا تُصَرِّفْ ثِقَةً فِي أَحَدٍ *** فَسَدَ النَّاسُ جَمِيعًا وَالزَّمَن,"I have a poem on this subject.  Reprove him not who courts afflictions such! As others, proving, like not overmuch.  Bring not the thorn bush overnear where lies The blaze, for if thou dost, the smoke will rise!  Trust not in any man, howe’er sublime For men are all depraved-and so is time."
خُلِقَ النِّسْوَانُ لِلْفَحْلِ كَمَا *** خُلِقَ الفَحْلُ بِلَا شَكٍّ لَهُن كُلُّ شَكْلٍ يَتَشَهَّى شَكْلَهُ *** لَا تَكُنْ عَنْ أَحَدٍ تَنْفِي الظِّنَن صِفَةُ الصَّالِحِ مَنْ إِنْ صُنْتَهُ *** عَنْ قَبِيحٍ أَظْهَرَ الطَّوْعَ الحَسَنْ وَسِوَاهُ مَنْ إذَا ثَقَّفْتَهُ *** أَعْمَلَ الحِيلَةَ فِي خَلْعِ الرَّسَنْ,"Women are made as surely for the male As man is made for women, without fail.  All things are passionate for their own kind Suppose not any otherwise designed.  The righteous man is he who, when a fence Rings him from wrong, shows fair obedience  The other, whom you discipline with pain, Tries every trick to rid him of the rein."
وإني لأعلم فتًى من أهل الصيانة قد أُولع بهوًى له، فاجتاز بعضُ إخوانه فوجده قاعدًا مع مَن كان يُحب، فاستجلبه إلى منزله، فأجابه إلى منزله بامتثال المسير بعده، فمضى داعيه إلى منزله وانتظره حتى طال عليه التربُّص فلم يأتِه، فلما كان بعد ذلك اجتمع به داعيه فعدَّد عليه وأطال لَومه على إخلافه موعده، فاعتذر وورَّى.,"I know a young man of the strictest morals who fell madly in love. One of his friends passed him by and, found him sitting with his beloved. He invited him to his home and the young man accepted, adding that he would be with him presently. His friend proceeded “home, and there waited for him a very long time, but he never came. Some while afterwards the two met, and the friend remonstrated with him and reproached him bitterly for breaking his promise. The young man excused himself, but concealed his real reason."
فقلت أنا للذي دعاه: أنا أكشف عُذره صحيحًا من كتاب الله عز وجل إذ يقول: {مَا أَخْلَفْنَا مَوْعِدَكَ بِمَلْكِنَا وَلَكِنَّا حُمِّلْنَا أَوْزَارًا مِّن زِينَةِ الْقَوْمِ}، فضحِك مَن حضَر. وكُلِّفت أن أقول في ذلك شيئًا، فقلت:  وَجَرْحُكَ لِي جَرْحٌ جُبَارٌ فَلَا تَلُمْ *** وَلَكِنَّ جَرْحَ الحُبِّ غَيْرُ جُبَارِ وَقَدْ صَارَت الخِيلَانُ وَسْطَ بَيَاضِهِ *** كَنَيْلُوفَرٍ حَفَّتْهُ رَوْضُ بَهَارِ وَكَمْ قَالَ لِي مَنْ مِتُّ وَجْدًا بِحُبِّهِ *** مَقَالَةَ مَحْلُولِ المَقَالَةِ زَارِي,"I said to his friend, “I will discover a perfectly valid excuse for him from the Book of God, where it is written, ‘We did not break our engagement with thee, of our own willing, but we were charged with heavy burdens, the ornament of the people.’ (Koran XX go)”. All who were present burst out laughing, and I was requested to make up a poem on the subject: this is what I composed.  The wound wherewith thou soundest me Is quickly healed: I blame not thee But ah! The sword thrust passion deals Inflicts a wound that nothing heals.  The moles adorning with such grace The tender whiteness of his face Are water lilies in a bower, Hedged round with snowy gillyflower.  How often he, whom I so love That I am lief to die thereof, Has spoken words so glib to me, So full of scorn and raillery!"
وَقَدْ كَثُرَتْ مِنِّي إِلَيْهِ مَطَالِبٌ *** أُلِحُّ عَلَيْهِ تَارَةً وَأُدَارِي أَمَا فِي التَّدَانِي مَا يُبرِّدُ غُلَّةً *** وَيُذْهِبُ شَوْقًا فِي ضُلُوعِكَ سَارِي فَقُلْتُ لَهُ لَوْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ لَمْ تَكُنْ *** عَدَاوَةُ جَارٍ فِي الأَنَامِ لِجَارِ وَقَدْ يَتَرَاءَى العَسْكَرَانِ لَدَى الوَغَى *** وَبَيْنَهُمَا لِلْمَوْتِ سَيْلُ بَوَار,"What urgent prayers I have addressed. To him, what fond petitions pressed, Now peremptory, and awhile A masterpiece of wheedling guile!  “Do not my turns and twistings, fool, Suffice thy ardent thirst to cool, To drive away the hot desire That burns thy bosom like a fire?”  He speaks. “Ah, no!” I make reply If that were practicable, why, Neighbours to neighbours the world o’er Would’ not be foemen any more.  “But see, the armies stand and stare Against each other; both prepare For battle; and a mortal tide Of ruin marks the great divide.”"
ولي كلمتان قلتُهما مُعرِّضًا بل مُصرِّحًا برجل من أصحابنا كنَّا نعرفه كلنا، من أهل الطلب والعناية والورع وقيام الليل واقتفاء آثار النُّسَّاك وسلوك مذاهب المتصوفين القدماء باحثًا مجتهدًا، وقد كنَّا نتجنَّب المزاح بحضرته، فلم يمضِ الزمنُ حتى مكَّن الشيطانَ من نفسه، وفتك بعد لباس النساك، وملك إبليس من خِطامه فسوَّل له الغرور، وزيَّن له الويل والثبور، وأجرَّه رَسَنه بعد إباء، وأعطاه ناصيته بعد شماس، فخَبَّ في طاعته وأوضع، واشتُهر بعد ما ذكرته في بعض المعاصي القبيحة الوضرة.,"I have two poems, which I composed, alluding gently, no indeed, but making specific reference to a man of our circle whom we formerly all knew for an earnest student, of great zeal and piety; he passed his nights in prayer, and in all things followed in the footsteps of the ascetics and trod in the paths of the ancient Sufis, searching and labouring ever after true learning and righteousness. We always abstained from jesting and pleasantries in his presence. But the time came when he gave Satan power over his soul; he who had worn the garb of the godly suddenly kicked over the traces, putting into the Devil’s hands the leading-rein of his spirit. Beelzebub duly deluded him, representing misery and perdition to him in the fairest colours; he who had so long refused yielded him his halter to drag; he who had been so stubborn gave him his forelock to pull; he jogged along amiably after him, completely submissive. After all that I have mentioned above, he became notorious for a certain foul and filthy vice."
ولقد أطلتُ ملامه، وتشدَّدت في عَذله؛ إذ أعلن بالمعصية بعد استتار، إلى أن أفسد ذلك ضميره عليَّ، وخبثتْ نيَّتُه لي، وتربص بي دوائر السوء.,"I reproached him long and rebuked him severely when, not content to hide his sin, he committed his abominations publicly. This had the effect of turning him against me; his intentions towards me became most malevolent, and he lay in wait to do me an evil turn."
وكان بعض أصحابنا يساعده بالكلام استجرارًا إليه، فيأنس به ويُظهر له عداوتي، إلى أن أظهر الله سريرته، فعلمها البادي والحاضر، وسقط من عيون الناس كلِّهم بعد أن كان مقصدًا للعلماء، ومُنتابًا للفضلاء، ورَذَل عند إخوانه جملةً. أعاذنا الله من البلاء، وسترنا في كفايته، ولا سلبنا ما بنا من نعمته.,"One of my friends aided and abetted him, speaking to him in such a way that he took him into his confidence and declared to him his hostility for me. Thus in His good time Allah revealed his secret, and it was known to all and sundry; so he fell in the estimation of all his fellows, after he had been eagerly sought by scholars and frequented by the learned; he was despised by every one of his former friends-may God deliver us from all evil, and cover us with His sure shield; may He not take away from us the blessings He has showered upon us."
فيا سَوأتاه لمن بدأ بالاستقامة ولم يعلم أن الخذلانَ يَحل به، وأن العصمة ستفارقه. لا إله إلا الله، ما أشنع هذا وأفظعه! لقد دهمته إحدى بنات الحرس، وألقت عصاها به أم طَبق؛ مَن كان لله أولًا ثم صار للشيطان آخرًا، ومن إحدى الكلمتين:  أَمَّا الغُلَامُ فَقَدْ حَانَتْ فَضِيحَتُهُ *** وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ مَسْتُورًا فَقَدْ هُتِكَا مَا زَالَ يَضْحَكُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الهَوَى عَجَبًا *** فَالآنَ كُلُّ جَهُولٍ مِنْهُ قَدْ ضَحِكَا إِلَيْكَ لَا تَلْحُ صَبًّا هَائِمًا كَلِفًا *** يَرَى التَّهَتُّكَ فِي دِينِ الهَوَى نُسُكا,"Woe and alas for him, who began by following the straight and narrow path, not knowing that Allah would presently abandon him, and that the Divine protection would be his no more: there is no God but Allah! How shocking and disgraceful, to be struck down thus by sudden calamity, and smitten by unforeseen disaster to belong at first to God, and finally to become a creature of Satan! Here then is one of my two effusions on his downfall.  The time has come our likely lad Must be exposed to shame; A decent covering he had, But now has lost his name.  He used to jeer and hugely mock At lovers; now, by God, He has become a laughing-stock For every stupid clod.  But stay, my friend; do not reprove Yon swain so wan and worn, Who thinks it piety, for love To be a thing of scorn."
ذُو مَخْبَرٍ وَكِتَابٍ لَا يُفَارِقُهُ *** نَحْوَ المُحَدِّثِ يَسْعَى حَيْثُمَا سَلَكَا فَاعْتَاضَ مِنْ سُمْرِ أَقْلَامٍ بَنَانَ فَتًى *** كَأَنَّهُ مِنْ لُجَيْنٍ صِيْغ أَوْ سُبِكَا يَا لَائِمِي سَفَهًا فِي ذَاكَ قِلَّ فَلَمْ *** تَشْهَدْ جَبِينَيْنِ يَوْمَ المُلْتَقَى اشْتَبَكَا دَعْنِي وَوِرْدِيَ فِي الآبَارِ أَطْلُبُهُ *** إِلَيْكَ عَنِّي كَذَا لَا أَبْتَغِي البِرَكَا,"He purposed long with labour vast For godliness to strive, Until in goodness he surpassed The holiest man alive.  Equipped with inkhorn, and with book In hand, he searched around For every cranny, every nook Where scholars might be found.  The tawny pens forgotten quite, Behold them now replaced By fingers of a youth, as white As silver cast and chased.  “Spare me they folly; do not bleat Reproaches, critic mine; Thou hast not seen, when lovers meet, How fondly they entwine."
إِذَا تَعَفَّفْتَ عَفَّ الحُبُّ عَنْكَ وَإِنْ *** تَرَكْتَ يَوْمًا فَإِنَّ الحُبَّ قَدْ تَرَكَا وَلَا تَحُلَّ مِنَ الهجْرَانِ مُنْعَقِدًا *** إِلَّا إِذَا مَا حَلَلْتَ الأُزْرَ وَالتِّكَكَا وَلَا تُصَحِّح لِلسُّلْطَانِ مَمْلَكَةً *** أَوْ تُدْخِل البَردَ عَنْ إِنْفَاذِهِ السِّكَكَا وَلَا بِغَيْرِ كَثِيرِ المَسْحِ يَذْهَبُ مَا *** يَعْلُو الحَدِيدَ مِنَ الأَصْدَاءِ إِنْ سُبِكَا,"“Leave me in my dark wells to lave, My fevered brow to cool; Begone from me; I do not crave For thy poor, shallow pool.”  “When thou art abstinent from love, Love will abstain from thee; They day thou nothing hast thereof, Thou shalt thereof be free.”  “Thou canst not break the knotted noose Of exile all too chaste, Until thy fingers boldly loose The band about thy waist!”  “The Sultan’s power proves not so Established in the land, Till couriers on the highways go Fulfilling his command.”  “To take away the ingrained rust From ingots cast of steel No other course avails; they must Be rubbed, until they peel.”"
وكان هذا المذكور من أصحابنا قد أحكم القراءات إحكامًا جيدًا، واختصر كتاب الأنباري في الوقف والابتداء اختصارًا حسنًا أُعجب به من رآه من المقرئين، وكان دائبًا على طلب الحديث وتقييده، والمتولي لقراءة ما يسمعه على الشيوخ المحدِّثين، مثابرًا على النسخ مجتهدًا به، فلما امتُحن بهذه البليَّة مع بعض الغِلمان رَفَض ما كان مُعتنيًا وباع أكثر كُتبه، واستحال استحالةً كليةً. نعوذ بالله من الخذلان.,"Our aforesaid companion had acquired a perfect mastery of the variant readings of the Koran. He had digested al-Anbari’s treatise “On Intoning the Scriptures”, and had made of it a fine epitome, which won the admiration of all cantors who looked into it. He was constant in the quest and registration of Traditions he applied the greater part of his splendid intellect to repeating the information he gathered from the lips of learned Traditionists, to transcribing which he devoted himself with assiduous zeal. But when he was smitten by this affliction I refer to his association with a boy he abandoned all that had been his constant care; he sold most of his books; he changed his habits completely. May Allah preserve us from a like abandonment!"
وقُلتُ فيه كلمةً، وهي التالية للكلمة التي ذكرت منها في أول خَبره ثم تركتها. وقد ذكر أبو الحُسين أحمد بن يحيى بن إسحاق الرويدي في كتاب اللفظ والإصلاح: أن إبراهيم بن سيَّار النظَّام رأس المعتزلة، مع علوِّ طبقته في الكلام وتمكُّنه وتحكُّمه في المعرفة، تسبَّب إلى ما حرم الله عليه من فتًى نصراني عشقه؛ بأن وضع له كتابًا في تفضيل التثليث على التوحيد. فيا غوثاه! عياذك يا رب من تولُّج الشيطان ووقوع الخذلان!,"I composed a second poem about him as a sequel to the one I have quoted above, but decided on second thoughts not to quote it here. Abu ‘l-Husain Ahmad Ibn Yahya Ibn Ishaq al-Rawandi in his book entitled “Pronunciation and Correction” mentions that Ibrahim Ibn Saiyar al-Nazzam, the head of the Mu’tazili sect, for all his eminence in scholastic theology and his supreme mastery of the higher knowledge, in order to enjoy forbidden relations with a certain Christian boy whom he loved to madness went so far as to compose a treatise extolling the merits of the Trinity over Monotheism. Good Lord, preserve us from the machinations of Satan, and suffer, us not to be abandoned by Thy loving protection!"
وقد يعظم البلاء وتَكلب الشهوة ويهون القبيح ويرقُّ الدين حتى يرضى الإنسان في جنب وصوله إلى مراده بالقبائح والفضائح، كمثل ما دهم عُبيد الله بن يحيى الأزدي المعروف بابن الحريري؛ فإنه رضي بإهمال داره وإباحة حريمه والتعريض بأهله طمعًا في الحصول على بغيته من فتًى كان عَلِقه — نعوذ بالله من الضلال، ونسأله الحياطة وتحسين آثارنا وإطابة أخبارنا — حتى لقد صار المسكين حديثًا تَعمرُ به المحافل، وتصاغ فيه الأشعار، وهو الذي تسميه العرب الدَّيوث، وهو مشتق من التدييث، وهو التسهيل، وما بعد تسهيل من تَسمح نفسه بهذا الشأن تسهيل، ومنه بعير مديَّث؛ أي مذلل.,"Sometimes it happens that the trial becomes so great, and the lusts are so voracious, that abomination seems a mere trifle, and religion proves a poor and feeble thing; in order to achieve his desires a man will then: consent to the filthiest and most outrageous acts. Such was the catastrophe which overwhelmed ‘Ubaid All Ibn Yahya al-Azdi, better known as Ibn al-Jaziri. He was content to abandon his household, to suffer his harem to be violated, and to expose his family to dishonour, all for the sake of gratifying his amorous whim for a boy. Allah preserve us from such error! We pray that He may ever encompass us in His safe keeping, so that we shall leave a fair record behind us, and deserve, a wholesome reputation. That wretched man became the talk of the town; the rumour of his escapade was the amusement of all gatherings; he was pilloried in popular songs. He was what the Arabs call a daayuth or cuckold; the term is derived from tadyith, a word meaning “to facilitate”; and indeed what further is there for a man to “facilitate”, when he has become complacent to such a degree? One speaks of a camel as mudaiyath, meaning that it has been rendered completely abject."
ولعمري إن الغيرة لتُوجَد في الحيوان بالخِلْقة، فكيف وقد أكَّدتها عندنا الشريعة، وما بعد هذا مصاب.,"By my life, jealousy is an innate instinct even in animals; how much the more should it be in men, seeing that it has the sanction of our religious law. There can be no greater misfortune than what befell Ibn al Jaziri."
ولقد كنت أعرف هذا المذكور مَستورًا إلى أن استهواه الشيطان. ونعوذ بالله من الخِذلان.,"I used to know him for a discreet man, until Satan seduced him: we take refuge with Allah, that He may never so abandon us."
وفيه يقول عيسى بن محمد بن محمل الحولاني:  يَا جَاعِلًا إِخْرَاجَ حُرِّ نِسَائِهِ *** شَرَكًا لِصَيْدِ جَآذِرِ الغزْلَانِ إِنِّي أَرَى شَرَكًا يُمَزَّقُ ثُمَّ لَا *** تَحْظَى بِغَيْرِ مَذَلَّةِ الحِرْمَانِ,"`Isa Ibn Muhammad’ Ibn Muhammad al-Khaulani composed these verses on, the subject.  O thou who makest of thy women’s shame A net, to snare young roebucks in the same,  I see thy net is torn to pieces, and Thou holdest but dishonour in thy hand."
وأقول أنا أيضًا:  أَبَاحَ أَبُو مَرْوَانَ حُرَّ نِسَائِهِ *** لِيَبْلُغَ مَا يَهْوَى مِنَ الرَّشَأ الفَرْدِ فَعَاتَبْتُهُ الدَّيُّوثَ فِي قُبْحِ فِعْلِهِ *** فَأَنْشَدَنِي إِنْشَادَ مُسْتَبْصِرٍ جَلْدِ لَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَدْرَكْتُ المُنَى غَيْرَ أَنَّنِي *** يُعَيِّرُنِي قَوْمِي بِإِدْرَاكِهَا وَحْدِي,"I also have a poem on this theme.  Abu Marwan let all make free With his good ladies’ chastity That he might gratify his whim; A buck was what attracted him.   I taxed him with indecency, And rated him for cuckoldry; These lines he quoted in reply To prove him impudent and sly  “I got, if I must answer true, Exactly what I wanted to What makes the other fellows rue so, I was the only one to do so!”"
ولقد سمعته في المسجد الجامع يستعيذ بالله من العصمة كما يُستعاذ به من الخذلان.,"I once heard Ibn al Jaziri praying in the Cathedral Mosque of Cordova to be delivered from God’s protection, as other men will pray to be delivered from God’s abandonment."
ومما يُشبه هذا أني أذكر أني كنت في مجلس فيه إخوان لنا عند بعض مياسير أهل بلدنا، فرأيت بين بعض مَن حَضر وبين مَن كان بالحضرة أيضًا من أهل صاحب المجلس أمرًا أنكرتُه، وغَمزًا استبشعتُه، وخلوات الحين بعد الحين، وصاحب المجلس كالغائب أو النائم، فنبَّهتُه بالتعريض فلم ينتبه، وحركته بالتصريح فلم يتحرك، فجعلت أكرر عليه بيتين قديمين لعله يَفطن، وهما هذان:  إِنَّ إِخْوَانَهُ المُقِيمِينَ بِالأَمـ *** ـسِ أَتَوْا لِلزِّنَاءِ لَا لِلْغِنَاءِ قَطَعُوا أَمْرَهُمْ وَأَنْتَ حِمَارٌ *** مُوقَرٌ مِنْ بَلَادَةٍ وَغَبَاءِ,"Here is another story of a similar kind. I remember that I was at a reception with some friends; the party was being given by one of our wealthiest burghers. I observed one of the guests, and a member of our host’s family who was also present, behaving in a manner of which I strongly disapproved; they were ogling each other quite disgustingly, and withdrawing into privacy time and time again. The host might just as well have been absent, or asleep. I sought to attract his attention to what was going on by discreet allusions, but he, was quite unmoved. I strove to arouse him with plain and unequivocal hints, but he remained impervious to my efforts. Then I addressed myself to quoting over and over again to him a couple of ancient jingles, in the hope that he might understand what I was trying to tell him.  His friends so fine and hearty Who graced his evening party Came not to hear the music But for what should make you sick!  They got what they were after, And you’re an ass, or dafter, You simpleton, you stupid, You clumsy-footed Cupid!"
وأكثرت من إنشادهن حتى قال لي صاحبُ المجلس: قد أمللتنا من سماعهما، فتفضل بتركهما أو إنشاد غيرهما. فأمسكت وأنا لا أدري أغافل هو أم متغافل.,"I kept on repeating these lines to him, until at least, my host said, “You have made me tired of listening to them. Do please stop repeating them, or quo something else!” So I held my peace, not knowing whether he really did not grasp my meaning, or whether he was only pretending to be stupid."
وما أذكر أني عدت إلى ذلك المجلس بعدها، فقلت فيه قطعةً، منها:  أَنْتَ لَا شَكَّ أَحْسَنُ النَّاسِ ظَنًّا *** وَيَقِينًا وَنِيَّةً وَضَمِيرًا فَانْتَبِهْ إِنَّ بَعْضَ مَنْ كَانَ بِالأَمْـ *** ـسِ جَلِيسًا لَنَا يُعَانِي كَبِيرًا لَيْسِ كُلُّ الرُّكُوعِ — فَاعْلَمْ — صَلَاةً *** لَا وَلَا كُلُّ ذِي لِحَاظٍ بَصِيرًا,"I do not remember ever going to his parties again. I composed the following little poem in his honour.  I have no doubt, of all mankind You have the least suspicious mind, Secure, as all good Moslems ought To be, in faith, intention, thought.  Wake from your daydreams! Don’t you know This very evening So-and-so, A guest whom you invited in, Committed a most grievous sin?  I think you ought to be aware Men bend for other things than prayer, And you have certainly taught me, Not every one with eyes can see!"
وحدَّثني ثعلب بن موسى الكلاذاني قال: حدثني سليمان بن أحمد الشاعر قال: حدثتني امرأة اسمها هند، كنت رأيتها في المشرق، وكانت قد حجَّت خمس حجات، وهي من المتعبِّدات المجتهدات.,"Tha’lab Ibn Musa al-Kaladhani told me the following’ anecdote which he heard from Sulaiman Ibn Ahmad the poet, who added that the woman who related it to him was named Hind, and that he had seen her in the East; she had performed the pilgrimage five times and was a most pious and zealous old lady."
قال سليمان: فقالت لي: يا ابن أخي، لا تُحسن الظن بامرأةٍ قط؛ فإني أخبرك عن نفسي بما يعلمه الله عز وجل: ركبتُ البحر مُنصرفةً من الحج وقد رفضت الدنيا وأنا خامسة خمس نِسوة، كلهن قد حَجَجْنَ، وصِرنا في مركب في بحر القلزم، وفي بعض مَلَّاحي السفينة رجل مضمر الخلق، مديد القامة، واسع الأكتاف، حسن التركيب، فرأيته أولَ ليلة قد أتى إلى إحدى صواحبي فوضع إحليله في يدها، وكان ضخمًا جدًّا، فأمكنتْه في الوقت من نفسها، ثم مرَّ عليهن كلهن في ليالٍ متواليات، فلم يبقَ له غيرها — تعني نفسها — قالت: فقلت في نفسي: لأنتقمن منك.,"“My dear nephew”, she told Sulaiman, “never have too good an opinion of any woman. I will tell you some about myself, which Allah knows is true. I took ship many years ago now, returning from the pilgrimage, for I had already renounced the world; with me on the same vessel were fourteen other women, all of whom had likewise been to Mecca. We were sailing through the Red Sea. Now one of the crew was a fine upstanding fellow, tall, slim, with broad shoulders and a splendid physique. On the first night out I saw him come up to one of my companions and show off his virility to her. She surrendered to his embraces on the spot. On the following nights each of the rest accepted his advances in turn, until only I was left. I said to myself, ‘I will punish you for this, you scoundrel.’"
فأخذتُ موسى وأمسكتها بيدي، فأتى في الليل على جاري عادته، فلما فعَل كفعله في سائر الليالي سقطت الموسى عليه، فارتاع وقام لينهض.,"With that I took a razor, and grasped it firmly in my hand. He came along as usual that evening, and behaved precisely as he had done on the preceding nights. When he approached me I brandished my razor, and he was so scared that he would have run off."
قالت: فأشفقتُ عليه وقلتُ له وقد أمسكتُه: لا زُلتَ أو آخذ نصيبي منك. قالت العجوز: فقضى وطره وأستغفرُ الله.,"I felt very sorry for him then, and grasping him with my hands I said, ‘You shall not go until I have had my share of you.’ “So”, the old lady concluded, “he got what he wanted, God forgive me!”"
وإن للشعراء من لطف التعريض عن الكناية لعجبًا، ومن بعض ذلك قولي حيث أقول:  أَتَانِي وَماءُ المُزْنِ فِي الجَوِّ يُسْفَكُ *** كَمَحْضِ لُجَينٍ إِذْ يُمَدُّ وَيُسْبكُ هِلَال الدَّيَاجِي انْحَطَّ مِنْ جَوِّ أُفقِهِ *** فَقُلْ فِي مُحِبٍّ نَالَ مَا لَيْسَ يُدْرَكُ وَكَانَ الَّذِي إِنْ كُنْتَ لِي عَنْهُ سَائِلًا *** فَمَا لِي جَوَابٌ غَيْرَ أَنِّيَ أَضْحَكُ لِفَرْطِ سُرُورِي خِلْتُنِي عَنْهُ نَائِمًا *** فَيَا عَجَبًا مِنْ مُوقِنٍ يَتَشَكَّكُ,"The poets have wonderful skill in inventing metaphorical allusions. Allow me to quote a stanza or two of mine in this vein.  The clouds were shooting from on high Their slender arrows through the sky; Like drawn and molten silver thread The rains were falling overhead.  A crescent moon in blackest night Stooped from his firmament of light; Proclaim the lover who attained The inconceivable he gained;  So inconceivable, that should You ask, “What have you there?” I could No words discover, and no wile Devise for answer, but a smile;  A smile so joyous, it might seem My happiness was but a dream, My joy so overwhelming, too, I doubted if it could be true."
وأقول أيضًا قطعةً، منها:  أَتَيْتَنِي وَهِلَالُ الجَوِّ مُطَّلِعٌ *** قُبَيْلَ قَرْعِ النَّصَارَى لِلنَّوَاقِيسِ كَحَاجِبِ الشَّيْخِ عَمَّ الشَّيْبُ أَكْثَرَهُ *** وَأَخْمَص الرِّجْلِ فِي لُطْفٍ وَتَقْوِيسِ وَلَاحَ فِي الأُفْقِ قَوْسُ الله مُكْتَسِيًا *** مِنْ كُلِّ لَوْنٍ كَأَذْنَابِ الطَّوَاوِيسِ,"This is another poem I wrote in the same mood.  You came to me, that witching time The crescent moon climbed up on high, Ere yet the sweet and clamorous chime Of Christian bells rang through the sky.  My crescent moon was like the brow Of some grave scholar, white as snow, The instep delicate, I trow, Of lovely maid its graceful bow.  And suddenly God’s rainbow drew Its arc across the heavens pale, Apparelled in each dazzling hue That glitters from the peacock’s tail."
وإن فيما يبدو إلينا من تعادي المُتواصلين في غير ذات الله تعالى بعد الألفة، وتدابرهم بعد الوصال، وتقاطعهم بعد المودة، وتباغضهم بعد المحبة، واستحكام الضغائن، وتأكد السخائم في صدورهم؛ لكاشفًا ناهيًا لو صادف عُقولًا سليمة، وآراءً نافذة، وعزائمَ صحيحة.,"It seems to me indeed that the enmity which divides those who have enjoyed illicit and godless union, following upon their brief intimacy, that turning of backs upon each other so soon after they have been joined in the closest of relations, their breaking with each other, so suddenly after they have been loving, the hatred between them that succeeds their fond affection, the bitter rancour and malevolence that now dominate and overmaster their hearts-all this seems to me a terrible revelation and an urgent warning to minds that are sane, to judgments that are penetrating, to purposes that are true."
فكيف بما أعد الله لمن عصاه من النَّكال الشديد يوم الحساب وفي دار الجزاء، ومن الكشف على رءوس الخلائق {يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَهَا تَذْهَلُ كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّا أَرْضَعَتْ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا وَتَرَى النَّاسَ سُكَارَى وَمَا هُم بِسُكَارَى وَلَكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللهِ شَدِيدٌ}. جعلنا الله ممَّن يفوز برضاه، ويستحقُّ رحمته.,"How much more should we then be moved by the contemplation of that dire punishment which Allah has prepared for those who disobey Him, upon the Day of Reckoning and in the world of retribution; that dreadful unveiling before the faces of all created beings, “upon the day when every suckling mother shall forget her suckled, and every pregnant mother shall cast down the fruit of her womb, and thou shalt see all men reeling as if they were drunk, yet not drunk are they, but the chastisement of God is very terrible” (Koran XXII 2). I pray that Allah may place us among those who attain His good pleasure, and merit His compassion."
ولقد رأيتُ امرأة كانت مودتها في غير ذات الله عزَّ وجلَّ، فعهِدتُها أصفى من الماء، وألطف من الهواء، وأثبت من الجبال، وأقوى من الحديد، وأشد امتزاجًا من اللون في الملون، وأنفذ استحكامًا من الأعراض في الأجسام، وأضوأ من الشمس، وأصح من العيان، وأثقب من النجم، وأصدق من كدر القطا، وأعجب من الدهر، وأحسن من البر، وأجمل من وجه أبي عامر، وألذ من العافية، وأحلى من المُنى، وأدنى من النفس، وأقرب من النسب، وأرسخ من النقش في الحجر، ثم لم ألبث أن رأيت تلك المودة قد استحالت عداوة أفظع من الموت، وأنفذ من السهم، وأمر من السقم، وأوحش من زوال النعم، وأقبح من حلول النقم، وأمضى من عقم الرياح، وأضر من الحمق، وأدهى من غلبة العدو، وأشد من الأسر، وأقسى من الصخر، وأبغض من كشف الأستار، وأنأى من الجوزاء، وأصعب من معاناة السماء، وأكبر من رؤية المصاب، وأشنع من خرق العادات، وأقطع من فجأة البلاء، وأبشع من السم الزعاف، وما لا يتولد مثله عن الذحول والترات، وقتل الآباء وسبي الأمهات.,"I once saw a woman who had bestowed her affections in ways not pleasing to Almighty God. I had known her before, when she was more limpid than running water, subtler than the ether, more solid than mountains, stronger than steel, more firmly compounded than colour in the object that is coloured, deeper established than accidents in their substances, more effulgent than the sun, truer than ocular vision, more glittering than the stars, sincerer than the love of the dusky sand-grouse, more amazing than fate, fairer than piety, lovelier than the countenance of Abu ‘Amir, more delightful than health, sweeter than fond hope, more intimate than the soul, closer than kinship, more constant than a carving in stone. But a little while, and I saw that love changed to enmity more trenchant than death, more penetrating than a bowshot, bitterer than sickness, more desolating than the loss of Divine favours, more frightful than the descent of God’s chastisement, sharper than desiccating winds, more noisome than mad rage, more calamitous than the triumph of one’s enemy, more oppressive than bondage, harder than rock, more hateful than the revelation of guilty secrets, more distant than the Gemini, more difficult of access than the heights of heaven, more terrible than the aspect of disaster, more horrible than the violation of cherished habits, more shocking than sudden catastrophe, more distasteful than deadly poison an enmity the like of which is not engendered either the carrying into captivity of a mother."
وتلك عادة الله في أهل الفسق القاصدين سواه، الآمِّين غيره، وذلك قوله عز وجل: {يَا وَيْلَتَى لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلًا * لَّقَدْ أَضَلَّنِي عَنِ الذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَاءَنِي}.,"Such Allah’s wont with all those who practice abomination, who seek after and direct their steps towards other than Him, for so He has spoken in His Holy Book: “Would that I had never taken such an one to be my friend, for he has led me astray from the Remembrance, after it had come unto me” (Koran XXV 30-31)."
فيجب على اللبيب الاستجارة بالله مما يُورط فيه الهوى؛ فهذا خلفٌ مولى يوسف بن قمقام القائد المشهور، كان أحد القائمين مع هشام بن سليمان بن الناصر، فلما أُسر هشام وقُتل وهرب الذين وازروه، فَرَّ خلفٌ في جُملتهم ونجا، فلما أتى القسطلات لم يُطق الصبر عن جارية كانت له بقرطبة فكرَّ راجعًا، فظفر به أمير المؤمنين المهدي، فأمر بصلبه. فلعهدي به مصلوبًا في المرج على النهر الأعظم وكأنه القُنفذ من النبل.,"It truly behoves every intelligent man to implore God’s protection, lest passion cause him to fall into the pit of ruin. Then there is the story of Khalaf, the freedman of the famous general Yusuf Ibn Qamqam, who participated in the revolt of Hisham Ibn Sulaiman Ibn al-Nasir. When Hisham was taken prisoner and killed, and his fellow-conspirators fled, Khalaf took to his heels with the rest and got away. On reaching Kastalat however he found himself unable to endure being parted from a slave-girl he possessed in Cordova; accordingly he returned to the capital, and was there captured by the Caliph al-Mahdi who ordered him to be crucified. I well remember seeing him hanging on the cross in the meadows fringing the Guadalquivir; he was so riddled with arrows that one would have said he was a hedgehog."
ولقد أخبرني أبو بكر محمد بن الوزير عبد الرحمن بن اللَّيث — رحمه الله — أن سبب هروبه إلى محلة البرابر أيام تحوُّلهم مع سليمان الظافر إنما كان لجارية يكلَف بها تصيَّرت عند بعض من كان في تلك الناحية، ولقد كاد أن يتلف في تلك السفرة.,"Moreover Abu Bakr Muhammad, the son of Minister `Abd al-Rahman Ibn al-Laith, informed me: that the reason he fled to the Berber camp, at the time when they transferred their allegiance to Sulaiman al-Zafir, was that a slave-girl with whom he was in love l’ had fallen into the possession of a man living in that province; he almost perished on the journey."
وهذان الفصلان وإن لم يكونا من جنس الباب فإنهما شاهدان على ما يقود إليه الهوى من الهلاك الحاضر الظاهر، الذي يستوي في فهمه العالم والجاهل، فكيف من العِصمة التي لا يفهمها من ضَعُفت بصيرته!,"The two foregoing instances, though not strictly relevant to the present discussion, furnish striking proof of the way in which passion will lead a man into imminent and obvious disaster, recognizable as such alike by the most sensible and the most stupid of beings. How, can anyone hope to enjoy in such circumstances that Divinely accorded immunity, which surpasses the understanding of the feeble vision?"
ولا يقولن امرؤ: خلوت؛ فهو وإن انفرد فبمرأًى ومسمعٍ من علَّام الغيوب؛ الذي {يَعْلَمُ خَائِنَةَ الْأَعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِي الصُّدُورُ}، و{يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى}، و{مَا يَكُونُ مِن نَّجْوَى ثَلَاثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ وَلَا خَمْسَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ سَادِسُهُمْ وَلَا أَدْنَى مِن ذَلِكَ وَلَا أَكْثَرَ إِلَّا هُوَ مَعَهُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كَانُوا}، {وَهُوَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ}، وهو {عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ}، و{يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلَا يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ اللهِ وَهُوَ مَعَهُمْ}،,"Let no man say, “I was in privacy.” Even if he be entirely alone, yet he is within the sight and hearing of “the Knower of all secrets” (Koran V 108), “Who knoweth the perfidious eye, and what the breasts conceal” (Koran XL 20), “and knoweth the secret and that which is even more hidden” (Koran XX 6), “so that there shall not be three whispering together but He is the fourth of them, nor five but He is the sixth of them, nor fewer than that nor more but that He is with them wherever they may be” (Koran LVIII 8). “He knoweth all that is in the breasts” (Koran LVII 6), “and he knoweth alike I the unseen and the visible” (Koran VI 73); “and I they conceal themselves from men, but they conceal not themselves from God, for He is with them” (Koran IV 107)."
وقال: {وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُ ۖ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ * إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى الْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌ * مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ}.,"Allah says,”And verily We have created man, and know all that his soul whispers within him, and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein; when two meet together, one sitting on the right and the other sitting on the left, neither uttereth a word, but beside him is a watcher waiting” (Koran L 15-17)."
وليعلم المُستخفُّ بالمعاصي، المُتَّكلُ على التسويف، المُعرِض عن طاعة ربه، أن إبليس كان في الجنة مع الملائكة المقرَّبين، فلمعصيةٍ واحدةٍ وقعتْ منه استحقَّ لعنة الأبد وعذاب الخلد، وصُيِّر شيطانًا رجيمًا، وأُبعد عن رفيع المكان.,"Whoso makes light of his sins, and relying upon a postponement of God’s reckoning turns away from obedience to his Lord, let him know that Beelzebub was once in Paradise with all the angels who are brought nigh to God, but on account of a single sin he committed, he richly deserved the everlasting curse and eternal chastisement; he became a devil stoned, and was far removed from the supernal habitation."
وهذا آدم ﷺ بذنبٍ واحدٍ أُخرج من الجنة إلى شقاء الدنيا ونَكدها، ولولا أنه تلقى من ربه كلماتٍ وتاب عليه لكان من الهالكين.,"Adam for a single wrongdoing was driven out of Eden into the trouble and misery of this lower world; and but that he received a message from his Lord, and turned unto, Him again, he would have been counted among the lost."
أفترى هذا المُغتر بالله رَبِّه وبإملائه ليزداد إثمًا يظُنُّ أنه أكرم على خالقه من أبيه آدم الذي خلقه بيده، ونَفخ فيه من روحه، وأسجد له ملائكته الذين هم أفضل خلقه عنده؟ أو عقابه أعز عليه من عقوبته إياه؟,"Think you that the man who is deluded by Allah and His longsuffering forbearance so that he sins even more grievously against Him, imagining that he is held in higher regard by his Creator than his father Adam, whom He created with His own hands, and breathed into him of His own spirit, and commanded the angels, the noblest of all creatures in the sight of God, to bow down before him-think you that it is a more arduous task for Allah to punish him than to chastise Adam?"
كلا، ولكن استعذاب التمني، واستيطاء مركب العجز، وسخف الرأي قائدةٌ أصحابَها إلى الوبال والخزي، ولو لم يكن عند ركوب المعصية زاجر من نهي الله تعالى، ولا حامٍ من غليظ عقابه؛ لكان في قَبيح الأحدوثة عن صاحبه، وعظيم الظلم الواقع في نفس فاعله، أعظم مانع، وأشد رادع لمن نظر بعين الحقيقة، واتَّبع سبيل الرشد، فكيف والله عز وجل يقول: {وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا * يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا}.,"No indeed; but the sweetness a man finds in hoping and the comfort he discovers in being borne along on the back of his own weak and feeble Judgement, these lead him on to ruin and disgrace. If, when he commits a sin, he were not checked already by the knowledge that God has forbidden it, nor held back by the thought of the severe punishment, which He will visit upon him. Yet the evil reputation his sins must bring upon him, and the great Injury his own soul suffers by reason of his committing them this is the greatest barrier and strongest restraint that a sinner might wish for, if only he saw with the eyes of truth and followed the path of guidance. How much the more should he hold back from evil-doing, seeing that Allah declares, “And they slay not the soul which God hath made sacrosanct, save for right cause, neither commit they adultery, and whoso doeth those things, the same shall incur a penalty; doubled shall be his chastisement on the Day of Resurrection, and he shall abide therein forever, cast forth and despised” (Koran XXV 68-69)."
حدثنا الهمداني في مسجد القمري بالجانب الغربي من قرطبة سنة إحدى وأربعمائة، حدثنا ابن سبويه وأبو إسحاق البلخي بخراسان سنة خمس وسبعين وثلاثمائة، قالا: ثنا محمد بن يوسف: ثنا محمد بن إسماعيل: ثنا قتيبة بن سعيد: ثنا جرير، عن الأعمش، عن أبي وائل، عن عمرو بن شرحبيل قال: قال عبد الله — وهو ابن مسعود: قال رجل: يا رسول الله، أي الذنب أكبر عند الله؟,"I was informed by al-Hamdani in the mosque called al-Qamari, that lies in the western quarter of Cordova, in the year 1010, he having received the same from Ibn Sibuya and Abu Ishaq al-Balkhi in Khorasan in 985, from Muhammad Ibn Yusuf, from Muhammad Ibn Ismail, from Qutaiba Ibn Sa’id, from Jarir, from al-A’mash, from Abu Wa’il, from `Amr Ibn Shurahbil, from `Abd Allah (that is to say Ibn Mas’ud), that a certain man said to the Apostle of Allah, “O Apostle of Allah, which is the greatest sin in the eyes of God?”"
قال: أن تَدْعُوَ لله ندًّا وهو خَلقك. قال: ثم أي؟ قال: أن تَقتل ولدك أن يُطعَم معك. قال: ثم أي؟ قال: أن تزانيَ حليلة جارك.,"The Prophet replied, “That thou shouldst invoke another as equal to Allah, Who alone created thee.” The man said, “And what next?” The Prophet answered, “That thou shouldst kill thy child for fear that he partake of thy food.” The man persisted, “And what after that?” The Prophet said, “That thou shouldst commit adultery with thy neighbor’s wife.”"
فأنزل الله تصديقها: {وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ}، وقال عز وجل: {الزَّانِيَةُ وَالزَّانِي فَاجْلِدُوا كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا مِائَةَ جَلْدَةٍ وَلَا تَأْخُذْكُم بِهِمَا رَأْفَةٌ فِي دِينِ اللهِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللهِ}.,"Allah revealed in confirmation of this, “And those who call not upon any other God beside Allah, and slay not the soul which God hath made sacrosanct, save for right cause, neither commit they adultery” (Koran XXV 68-69). Allah has also declared, “And the fornicating woman, and the fornicating man-flog each one of them with a hundred stripes; ye shall not be moved with compassion for them in the religion of Allah, if ye truly believe in Allah” (Koran XXIV 2)."
حدثنا الهمداني، عن أبي إسحاق البلخي وابن سبويه، عن محمد بن يوسف، عن محمد بن إسماعيل، عن الليث، عن عقيل، عن ابن شهاب الزهري، عن أبي بكر بن عبد الرحمن بن الحارث بن هشام وسعيد بن المسيب المخزوميين، وأبي سلمة بن عبد الرحمن بن عوف الزهري، أن رسول الله ﷺ قال: «لا يزني الزَّاني حين يزني وهو مؤمن.»,"The same al-Hamdani informed me on the authority of Abu Ishaq al-Balkhi and Ibn Sibuya, who received it from Muhammad Ibn Yusuf, from Muhammad Ibn Ismail, from al-Laith, from ‘Aqil, from Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, from Abu Bakr Ibn `Abd al-Rahman Ibn al-Harith Ibn Hisham al-Makhzumi, Sa’id Ibn al-Musaiyib al-Makhzumi, and Abu Salama Ibn `Abd al-Rahman Ibn `Auf al-Zuhri, that the Prophet of Allah said, “No man fornicates, when he fornicates, and in doing so remains a believer.”"
وبالسند المذكور إلى محمد بن إسماعيل، عن يحيى بن بُكير، عن الليث، عن عقيل، عن ابن شهاب، عن أبي سلمة وسعيد بن المُسيب، عن أبي هريرة قال: أتى رجل إلى رسول الله ﷺ وهو في المسجد فقال: يا رسول الله، إني زنيت.,"Al-Hamdani informed me by the same chain of authorities as far as Muhammad Ibn Ismail, who heard it from Yahya Ibn Bukair, from al-Laith, from ‘Aqil, from Ibn Shihab, from Abu Salama and Sa’id Ibn al-Musaiyib, from Abu Huraira, that a man came to the Apostle of Allah while he was in the mosque and said to him, “O Apostle of Allah, I have ‘committed adultery.”"
فأعرض عنه، ثم رد عليه أربع مرات، فلما شهد على نفسه أربع شهادات دعاه النبي ﷺ فقال: أَبِكَ جنون؟ قال: لا. قال: فهل أحصنت؟ قال: نعم. فقال النبي ﷺ: اذهبوا به فارجموه. قال ابنُ شهاب: فأخبرني من سمع جابر بن عبد الله قال: كنت فيمن رجمه، فرجمناه بالمصلى، فلما أذلقته الحجارة هرَب، فأدركناه بالحرَّة فرجمناه.,"The Prophet turned away from him, but the man returned to him four times; and when he had borne witness against himself four times the Prophet of Allah called to him and said, “Is there insanity in thee?” “No”, the man replied. “And art thou married by the rites of Islam?” “Yes.” Then the Prophet said, “Take him out and stone him.” Ibn Shihab added, “I was also informed by a man who heard Jabir Ibn `Abd Allah declare, ‘I was among those who stoned him. We stoned him in the Field of Prayer; when the stones struck him he fled, but we caught him in the rocky waste and stoned him there.'”"
حدثنا أبو سعيد مولى الحاجب جعفر في المسجد الجامع بقرطبة، عن أبي بكر المقرئ، عن أبي جعفر النحاس، عن سعيد بن بشر، عن عمرو بن رافع، عن منصور، عن الحسن، عن حطَّان بن عبد الله الرقاشي، عن عبادة بن الصامت، عن رسول الله ﷺ أنه قال: «خُذوا عني، خذوا عني، قد جعل الله لهن سبيلًا: البكر بالبكر جلد وتغريب سنة، والثيب بالثيب جلد مائة والرجم.»,"Abu Said, the freedman of Chief Chamberlain Jafar, told me in the Cathedral Mosque of Cordova that he heard Abu Bakr al-Muqri’ relate, on the authority of Abu Jafar Ibn al-Nahhas, transmitting from Said Ibn Bishr, from `Umar Ibn Rafi`, from Mansur, from al-Hasan, from Hattan Ibn `Abd Allah al-Raqashi, from `Ubada Ibn al-Samit, that the Messenger of Allah said, “Hear me, and hearken to what I say! God has appointed a way of dealing with women: for the virgin who fornicates with a virgin, flogging and banishment for a year, but for a woman not virgin who fornicates with a man not virgin, a hundred stripes and stoning.”"
فيا لشُنعة ذنبٍ أنزل الله وحيه مُبينًا بالتشهير بصاحبه، والعنف بفاعله، والتشديد لمقترفه! وتشدَّد في ألَّا يُرجم إلا بحضرة أوليائه عقوبةَ رجمه.,"How horrible is this offence, concerning which Allah has clearly declared in His revelation that the one guilty thereof shall be exposed to shame, and treated with severity and all rigour! He has made the punishment even more severe, in that the sentence of stoning shall only be carried out in the presence of the offender’s kinsmen."
وقد أجمع المسلمون إجماعًا لا يَنقضه إلا مُلحد أن الزانيَ المُحصن عليه الرجم حتى يموت. فيا لها قتلة ما أهولَها! وعقوبة ما أفظعها، وأشد عذابها وأبعدها من الإراحة وسرعة الموت!,"It is the unanimous opinion of all Moslems, which only a heretic would impugn, that the married fornicator shall be stoned until he expires. What a terrible manner of death, what a frightful penalty involving what dreadful torment, and how far removed from an easeful and swift death!"
وطوائف من أهل العلم منهم الحسن بن أبي الحسن، وابن راهويه، وداود وأصحابه يرَوْن عليه مع الرجم جلد مائة، ويحتجُّون عليه بنص القرآن وثبات السنة عن رسول الله ﷺ، وبفعل عليٍّ — رضي الله عنه — بأنه رَجم امرأة محصنة في الزنا بعد أن جلدها مائة، وقال: جلدتها بكتاب الله، ورجمتُها بسنة رسول الله.,"Certain schools of thought among the learned, including al-Hasan Ibn Abi’l-Hasan, Ibn Rahuya, and Dawud and his followers, take the view that in addition to stoning the adulterer shall also receive a hundred lashes, supporting their opinion by reference to the text of the Koran and the firm Sunna of the Prophet’s own practice; as well as the precedent established by `Ali when he stoned a married woman found in fornication after inflicting on her a hundred stripes, and said, “I whipped her in accordance with the Book of Allah, and stoned her following the Sunna of Allah’s Messenger.”"
والقول بذلك لازم لأصحاب الشافعي؛ لأن زيادة العدل في الحديث مَقبولة، وقد صح في إجماع الأمة المنقول بالكافة الذي يَصحبه العمل عند كل فرقة، وفي أهل كل نحلة من نحل أهل القبلة، حاشا طائفة يسيرة من الخوارج لا يُعتدُّ بهم، أنه لا يحل دم امرئ مسلم إلا بكفرٍ بعد إيمان، أو نفسٍ بنفس، أو بمحاربةٍ لله ورسوله يُشهر فيها سيفه، ويسعى في الأرض فسادًا مقبِلًا غير مدبِر، وبالزنا بعد الإحصان.,"This doctrine is binding upon the followers of al-Shafi’i, because with them any addition based upon a Tradition guaranteed by an indisputably truthful transmitter is to be accepted into the, sacred canon of the Law. According to the consensus of the whole community I of the faithful, transmitted by universal agreement, and accompanied by the practice of every rite and the followers of every sect of Islam with the solitary exception of a small and negligible group of Kharijis, it is not lawful to shed the blood of any Moslem save for the following causes, infidelity after belief, retaliation for murder, armed insurrection against Allah and His Messenger leading to grave and continuing disorder in, the earth, and fornication after honourable wedlock."
فإن حد ما جعل الله مع الكفر بالله عز وجل ومحاربته، وقَطع حُجته في الأرض ومُنابذته دينه لجُرم كبير ومَعصية شنعاء، والله تعالى يقول: {إِن تَجْتَنِبُوا كَبَائِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ}، و{الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَاسِعُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ}.,"The lawful penalty sanctioned by Allah, and equivalent to the punishment prescribed for infidelity, insurrection against God, the destruction of His proof on earth, and warring against His religion, corresponds to the enormity of the crime and the frightfulness of the sin. Allah says, “If ye avoid the deadly sins which ye have been forbidden, We shall remit to you your wicked deeds.” (Koran IV 35); “And those who avoid the deadly crimes and abominations, and commit only the venial sins-surely God’s forgiveness is wide” (Koran LIII 33)."
وإن كان أهلُ العلم اختلفوا في تسميتها، فكلهم مُجمعٌ — مهما اختلفوا فيه منها — أن الزنا يقدم فيها، لا اختلاف بينهم في ذلك، ولم يُوعد الله عز وجل في كتابه بالنار بعد الشرك إلا في سبع ذُنوب؛ وهي الكبائر: الزنا أحدها، وقذف المحصنات أيضًا منها، منصوصًا ذلك كله في كتاب الله عز وجل.,"While it is true that the learned authorities differ in their understanding of what the “deadly” sins are, they are unanimous that adultery is in the forefront of them; no difference exists between them on that score. Moreover Allah in His Book has only threatened hellfire as the punishment for seven crimes in addition to infidelity; these are the Deadly Sins, and fornication is one of them, as also the false imputation of adultery to respectable matrons; all this is supported by chapter and verse in the Book of Allah the Almighty."
وقد ذكرنا أنه لا يجب القتل على أحدٍ من ولد آدم إلا في الذنوب الأربعة التي تقدم ذكرها. فأما الكفر منها، فإنْ عاد صاحبه إلى الإسلام، أو بالذمَّة إن لم يكن مرتدًّا قُبل منه، ودُرئ عنه الموت.,"We have stated above that it is not right for any child of Adam to be put to death, save for the four crimes, which we have enumerated. In the case of infidelity, if the guilty party returns to the fold of Islam, or if he enters the status of a protected person without having apostatized, his position is regarded as acceptable and f the death penalty is not enforced."
وأما القتل، فإن قَبل الوليُّ الديةَ في قول بعض الفقهاء، أو عفا في قول جميعهم، سَقط عن القاتل القتل بالقصاص.,"With murder, if the next-of-kin is agreeable to the payment of a blood wit (according to some jurisprudents), or if he pardons the offence (according to the unanimous view of all), the k penalty of death by reprisal is no longer operative."
وأما الفساد في الأرض، فإن تاب صاحبه قبل أن يُقدر عليه هُدر عنه القتل، ولا سبيل في قول أحدٍ مُؤَالِف أو مُخالِف في ترك رَجم المُحصن، ولا وجه لرفع الموت عنه البتة.,"As for “committing disorder in the earth”, if the offender repents before being overpowered he is spared the penalty of execution. There are however no grounds y a whatsoever, in the view of any single authority whether he be conforming or nonconformist, for giving up the penalty of stoning when the fornicator is lawfully married, neither can any reason be found for lifting the death sentence."
ومما يدل على شُنعة الزنا ما حدَّثنا القاضي أبو عبد الرحمن: ثنا القاضي أبو عيسى، عن عبيد الله بن يحيى، عن أبيه يحيى بن يحيى، عن الليث، عن الزهري، عن القاسم بن محمد بن أبي بكر، عن عبيد بن عمير: أن عمر بن الخطاب — رضي الله عنه — أصاب في زمانه ناسًا من هُذيل، فخرجت جارية منهم فأتبعها رجل يُريدها عن نفسها، فرمتْه بحجر فقضت كبده، فقال عمر: هذا قتيل الله، والله لا يودى أبدًا.,"The frightful nature of fornication is further indicated by the following narrative which we received from judge Abu `Abd al-Rahman, transmitting from judge Abu `Isa, from `Abd Allah Ibn Yahya, from his father Yahya Ibn Yahya, from al-Laith, from al-Zuhri, from al-Qasim Ibn Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr, from ‘Ubaid Ibn ‘Umair. `Umar Ibn al-Khattab (God be well pleased with him!) in his time encountered some members of the Hudhail tribe. A young girl ran out from them, and she was followed by a man who desired her for his own purposes. She threw a stone pat him, which pierced his liver. `Umar said, “This man was slain by Allah, and Allah pays no blood wit.”"
وما جعل الله عز وجل فيه أربعةَ شهود، وفي كل حكم شاهدين إلا حياطةً منه ألَّا تَشيع الفاحشة في عباده، لعظمها وشُنعتها وقبحها، وكيف لا تكون شنيعةً ومن قذف بها أخاه المُسلم أو أخته المسلمة دون صحة عِلم أو تيقُّن معرفة، فقد أتى كبيرة من الكبائر استحق عليها النار غدًا، ووجب عليه بنص التنزيل أن تُضرب بشرته ثمانين سوطًا!,"Allah has prescribed the necessity of four eyewitnesses to charges of adultery, whereas in all other cases two y witnesses are sufficient: this is a precautionary measure, to prevent the abomination becoming widespread among, His servants, since it is an offence so serious, so shocking sand so horrible. How indeed should it be otherwise, seeing that anyone accusing his Moslem brother or sister of adultery without having certain knowledge absolutely sure information is held guilty of a Deadly Sin meriting hellfire hereafter? Holy Writ itself lays it down that such an offender is to receive on his body, eighty lashes of the whip."
ومالِك — رضي الله عنه — يرى ألَّا يُؤخذ في شيء من الأشياء حد بالتعريض دون التصريح إلا في قذف.,"Malik is of the opinion that no penalty is exacted in any other case but the imputation of adultery for an implied suggestion, as against a direct accusation."
وبالسند المذكور عن الليث بن سعد، عن يحيى بن سعيد، عن محمد بن عبد الرحمن، عن أمه عَمرة بنت عبد الرحمن، عن عمر بن الخطاب — رضي الله عنه — أنه أمر أن يُجلد الرجلُ قال لآخر: ما أبي بزانٍ ولا أمي بزانية.,"I have received by the same chain of authorities as that quoted just above, mounting to al-Laith-the narrative is of some length-he receiving”, from Sa’d, from Yahya Ibn Sa’id, from Muhammad Ibn `Abd al-Rahman, from his mother `Umara bint `Abd’ al-Rahman, that `Umar Ibn al-Khattab ordered the whipping of a man who said to another, “My father is not an adulterer and my mother is not an adulteress.”"
في حديث طويل، وبإجماعٍ من الأمة كلها دون خلاف من أحد نعلمه، أنه إذا قال رجل لآخر: يا كافر، أو يا قاتل النفس التي حرم الله، لما وجب عليه حد؛ احتياطًا من الله عز وجل إلا بثبت هذه العظيمة في مسلم ولا مسلمة.,"It is the consensus of the whole community, without any divergence of opinion whatsoever so far as I am aware, that if one man says to another, “O infidel!” or “O slayer of a soul made sacrosanct by Allah!” no penalty is to be exacted from him. This again is a measure of precaution on Allah’s part, in order that the heinous sin of fornication may be properly established in the case of any Moslem, man or woman, accused of it."
ومن قول مالك — رحمه الله — أيضًا أنه لا حد في الإسلام إلا والقتل يغني عنه وينسخه إلا حد القذف؛ فإنه إن وجب على مَن قد وجب عليه القتل حُدَّ ثم قتل، قال الله تعالى: {وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ فَاجْلِدُوهُمْ ثَمَانِينَ جَلْدَةً وَلَا تَقْبَلُوا لَهُمْ شَهَادَةً أَبَدًا ۚ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ * إِلَّا الَّذِينَ تَابُوا}، وقال تعالى: {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْغَافِلَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ لُعِنُوا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ}، ورُوي عن رسول الله ﷺ أنه قال: «الغَضب واللعنة المذكوران في اللِّعان، إنهما مُوجبتان.»,"Malik again declares that there is no penalty in Islam which is not rendered superfluous and annulled by the death sentence, with the exception of the penalty for false accusation of adultery; if a man who has earned the death penalty also has outstanding against him the penalty for this crime, that penalty is exacted before r the death sentence is carried out. Allah says, “And those who accuse respectable matrons and then bring`,’ not forward eye-witnesses-lash them with eighty lashes, and do not ever accept any testimony of theirs again; for they are profligates; except those who repent” (Koran XXIV 4). Allah also says, “And those who accuse respectably married women, negligent but believers, shall be cursed in this world and the next, and shall receive a severe chastisement” (Koran XXIV 23). It is reported of the Messenger of Allah that he declared that the wrath and curse mentioned in the formula of execration (cf. Koran XXIV 7-9) involve the legal penalty."
حدثنا الهمداني، عن أبي إسحاق، عن محمد بن يوسف، عن محمد بن إسماعيل، عن عبد العزيز بن عبد الله، قال: ثنا سليمان، عن ثور بن يزيد، عن أبي الغيث، عن أبي هُريرة، عن النبي ﷺ أنه قال: «اجتنبوا السَّبع المُوبقات.» قالوا: وما هن يا رسول الله؟ قال: «الشرك بالله، والسحر، وقتل النفس التي حرم الله إلا بالحق، وأكل الربا، وأكل مال اليتيم، والتولي يوم الزحف، وقذف المحصنات الغافلات المؤمنات.»,"I was informed by al-Hamdani, transmitting from Abu ‘ shag, from Muhammad Ibn Yusuf, from Muhammad Ibn Ismail, from `Abd al-‘Aziz Ibn `Abd Allah, from Sulaiman, from Thaur Ibn Yazid, from Abu ‘l-Ghaith, from Abu Huraira, that the Prophet of Allah said, ‘` Eschew the seven mortal sins.” He was asked, “And which are they, O Messenger of Allah?” He answered “Associating other Gods with Allah, sorcery, slaying the soul which Allah has made sacrosanct save for just cause usury, embezzling the property of orphans, turning the sack on the day of battle, and libelling married women who are negligent but believers.”"
وإن في الزنا من إباحة الحريم، وإفساد النسل، والتفريق بين الأزواج الذي عظَّم الله أمره، ما لا يهون على ذي عقل، أو من له أقل خَلاق، ولولا مكان هذا العُنصر من الإنسان، وأنه غير مأمون الغلبة لما خفَّف الله عن البِكْرين وشدد على المحصنين.,"Adultery violates the sanctity of the harem, confuses the lawful offspring of wedlock, and separates husband and wife; which last God has declared to be a most “grievous offence, and is not lightly regarded by any man of intelligence or with the least sense of morality. Were it not for this element in man, and the fact that he is never secure from the violent impulse of his sexual instinct, Allah would not have lightened the penalty in the case of virgins, or prescribed so severe a punishment for married offenders."
وهذا عندنا وفي جميع الشرائع القديمة النازلة من عند الله عز وجل حُكمًا باقيًا لم يُنسخ ولا أُزيل، فيترك الناظر لعباده الذي لم يَشغله عظيم ما في خَلقه، ولا يحيف قدرته كبير ما في عوالمه عن النظر لحقير ما فيها، فهو كما قال عز وجل: {الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ}، وقال: {يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَنزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا}، وقال: {عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْزُبُ عَنْهُ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ}.,"This is the law with us and the same prescription is to be found in all the ancient codes deriving from Divine revelation it remains in full force, and has not been abrogated, neither has it ever been abolished. Blessed be God, Who looks upon all His servants, and is not preoccupied by the mighty things in His creation, neither is His omnipotence limited by the great things in His universe, that He should be debarred from regarding the inconsiderable things therein. He is as He Himself has said, “The Living, the Self-subsistent, Whom neither slumber toucheth nor sleep” (Koran II 256) He knoweth all that goeth down into the earth, and all that cometh out of it, and what descendeth from heaven, and what mounteth up therein” (Koran XXXIV 2); “He knoweth all secrets”(Koran VI 73); “There escapeth from Him not so much as an atom’s weight in the earth or in the heaven” (Koran X 62)."
وإن أعظم ما يأتي به العبد هَتْك ستر الله عز وجل في عباده، وقد جاء في حكم أبي بكر الصديق — رضي الله عنه — في ضربه الرجلَ الذي ضَمَّ صبيًّا حتى أمنَى ضربًا كان سببًا للمنيَّة، ومن إعجاب مالك — رحمه الله — باجتهاد الأمير الذي ضرب صبيًّا مكَّن رجلًا من تَقبيله حتى أمنَى الرجل، ضربه إلى أن مات، ما يُنسي شدة دواعي هذا الشأن وأسبابه.,"The gravest offence that a servant of God can commit is to violate the veil, which God extends over His servants. The sentence of beating passed by Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (God be well pleased with him!) upon the man who embraced a youth indecently, so that he died of his chastisement, and the admiration expressed by Malik (God rest his soul!) for the zeal of the prince who bead ‘a youth that allowed a man to kiss him, until he died of the whipping-these two instances furnish a clear indication of the seriousness of the motives and cause leading up to this sort of action."
والتزيُّد في الاجتهاد، وإن كنا لا نراه، فهو قول كثيرٍ من العلماء يتبعه على ذلك عالَم من الناس.,"Though we do no ourselves approve of excessive zeal in the exercise of jurisdiction, nevertheless the doctrine is held by many learned authorities, and accepted by a vast number of people."
وأما الذي نذهب إليه فالذي حدَّثناه الهمداني، عن البلخي، عن البخاري، عن الفربري، عن البخاري قال: ثنا يحيى بن سليمان: ثنا ابن وهب قال: أخبرني عمرو أن بكيرًا حدثه عن سليمان بن يسار، عن عبد الرحمن بن جابر، عن أبيه، عن أبي بردة الأنصاري قال: سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: «لا يُجلد فوق عشرة أسواط إلا في حَدٍّ من حدود الله عز وجل.» وبه يقول أبو جعفر محمد بن علي النسائي الشافعي — رحمه الله.,"Our own view is based upon a Tradition which we received from al-Hamdani, transmitting from al-Balkhi, from al-Farabri, from al-Bukhari, from Yahya Ibn Sulaiman, from Ibn Wahb, from Amr, from Buknir, from Sulaiman Ibn Yasir, from `Abd al-Rahman Ibn Jabir, from his father, from Abu Burda al-Ansari, that the Messenger of Allah said, “No man shall be beaten, with more than ten lashes, save in the case of a penalty sanctioned by Allah.” This is the view also of Abu Jafar Muhammad Ibn `Ali al-Nasa’i al-Shafi’i, God have mercy on his soul."
وأما فعل قوم لوطٍ فشنيعٌ بشيع، قال الله تعالى: {أَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مَا سَبَقَكُم بِهَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّنَ الْعَالَمِينَ}، وقد قذَف الله فاعليه بحجارة من طين مسوَّمة، ومالك — رحمه الله — يَرى على الفاعل والمَفعول به الرَّجم، أحصنا أم لم يُحصنا، واحتج بعض المالكيين في ذلك بأن الله عز وجل يقول في رجمه فاعليه بالحجارة: {وَمَا هِيَ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ بِبَعِيدٍ}، فوجب بهذا أنه من ظَلم الآن بمثل فعلهم قربت منه. والخلاف في هذه المسألة ليس هذا موضعه.,"As for conduct like that of the people of Lot, that is horrible and disgusting. Allah says, “Will ye commit an abomination which no living creature ever committed before you? (Koran VII 78). Allah hurled at the offenders stones of clay stamped with a mark (cf. Koran XI 84). Malik is of the opinion that both parties of this offence are to be stoned, whether they are married or not. Some of his followers cite in support of this doctrine the words of God, touching the stoning of the Sodomites, “And stones are not far away from those who commit iniquity” (Koran VI 84): accordingly the stones are near to those who commit iniquity after a like manner to-day. This is not however the place to enter into a discussion of the divergence of opinions held concerning this question."
وقد ذكر أبو إسحاق إبراهيم بن السري، أن أبا بكر — رضي الله عنه — أحرق فيه بالنار، وذكر أبو عبيدة مَعْمَر بن المُثنَّى اسم المحرَق فقال: هو شجاع بن ورقاء الأسدي، أحرقه بالنار أبو بكر الصديق لأنه يُؤتَى في دُبره كما تؤتى المرأة.,Abu Ishaq Ibrahim Ibn al-Sari informs us that Abu Bakr burnt alive a man convicted of this offence; Abu ‘Ubaida Ma`mar Ibn Muthanna relates that the name of the man so burnt was Shuja’ Ibn Warqa’ al-Asadi; Abu Bakr burnt him alive because he allowed himself to be used in sodomy.
وإن عن المعاصي لمذاهب للعقل واسعة، فما حرَّم الله شيئًا إلا وقد عوض عباده من الحلال ما هو أحسن من المحرَّم وأفضل. لا إله إلا هو.,"The intelligent man has ample diversions to escape from the commission of sins. Allah has forbidden nothing, without having provided for His servants lawful substitutes, which are seemlier and more excellent than the thing prohibited. There is no God but He!"
وأقول في النهي عن اتباع الهوى على سبيل الوعظ:  أَقُولُ لِنَفْسِي مَا مُبِينٌ كَحَالِكٍ *** وَمَا النَّاسُ إِلَّا هَالِكٌ وَابْنُ هَالِكِ صُنِ النَّفْسَ عَمَّا عَابَهَا وَارْفُضِ الهَوَى *** فَإِنَّ الهَوَى مِفْتَاحُ بَابِ المَهَالِكِ رَأَيْتُ الهَوَى سَهْلَ المَبَادِي لَذِيذَهَا *** وَعُقْبَاهُ مُر الطَّعْمِ، ضَنْك المَسَالِكِ فَمَا لَذَّةُ الإِنْسَانِ وَالمَوْتُ بَعْدَهَا *** وَلَوْ عَاشَ ضِعْفَي عُمْر نُوح بنِ لَامَك فَلَا تَتَّبِعْ دَارًا قَلِيلًا لِبَاثُهَا *** فَقَدْ أَنْذَرَتْنَا بِالفَنَاءِ المُوَاشِكِ,"I have composed the following lines by way of solemn counsel against the indulging of the passion.  I tell my soul, “Thy case is clear Naught else doth half so plain appear, For every man is born to die As did his sires in days gone by.”  Preserve thy soul from all that may Disgrace it; passion cast away; For passion is the fatal key That opes the gate to misery.  Passion is easy at the start, And sweet enjoyment doth impart; Its end is bitter to the throat, Its exits narrow and remote.  Life holds no pleasure known to man But death is waiting in the van, Though he a double measure won Compared with Noah, Lamech’s son.  Seek, not a dwelling to secure That doth so little time endure, And giveth warning clear and strong That it shall pass away ere long;"
وَمَا تَرْكُهَا إِلَّا إِذَا هِيَ أَمْكَنَتْ *** وَكَمْ تَارِكٍ إِضْمَاره غَيْر تَارِكِ فَمَا تَارِكُ الآمَالِ عُجْبًا جُؤَاذِرًا *** كَتَارِكِهَا ذَات الضُّرُوعِ الحَوَاشِكِ وَمَا قَابَلَ الأَمْرَ الَّذِي كَانَ رَاغِبًا *** بِشَهْوَةِ مُشْتَاقٍ وَعَقْلٍ مُبَارَكِ لَأَجْدَى عِبَادِ اللهِ بِالفَوْزِ عِنْدَهُ *** لَدَى جَنَّةِ الفِرْدَوْسِ فَوْقَ الأَرَائِكِ,"Which none may leave, except he be Possessed thereof most solidly, And many yield, yet in their mind Wish ardently to stay behind.  Hopes are so easy to deny Whose paps are withered and run dry, So difficult to quit, whose breast Abounds with joys yet unexpressed.  That servant of the Lord, who turns Towards the thing for which he yearns With passion of a lover true And reason wisely to eschew,  Of all the creatures Allah made Is likeliest, at the Last Parade, To win to Paradise, to own A private and eternal throne."
وَمَنْ عَرَفَ الأَمْرَ الَّذِي هُوَ طَالِبٌ *** رَأَى سَبَبًا مَا فِي يَدَيْ كُلِّ مَالِكِ وَمَنْ عَرَفَ الرَّحْمَنَ لَمْ يَعْصِ أَمْرَهُ *** وَلَوْ أَنَّهُ يُعْطَى جَمِيعَ المَمَالِكِ سَبِيلُ التُّقَى وَالنُّسكِ خَيْرُ المَسَالِكِ *** وَسَالِكُهَا مُسْتَبْصِرٌ خَيْرُ سَالِكِ فَمَا فَقَدَ التَّنْغِيص منْ عَاج دُونَهَا *** وَلَا طَابَ عَيْشٌ لِامْرِئٍ غَيْرِ سَالِكِ وَطُوبَى لَأَقْوَامٍ يَؤُمُّونَ نَحْوَهَا *** بِخِفَّةِ أَرْوَاحٍ وَلِينِ عَرَائِكِ,"And he who fullest knows and best The proper object of his quest, Regards as trash the treasured things Prized jealously by worldly kings;  And he who knows the Merciful Would ne’er contend against His rule, Though his inheritance at birth Were all the kingdoms of the earth.  The best of ways in life for thee Is godly fear and piety, And whoso prudently prefers That road is best of wayfarers.  But he who from that pathway strays Will be in trouble all his days; Life holds no pleasure for the soul Unqualified in self-control.  Blessed are they, who truly seek With joyous hearts and spirits meek To win that heavenly reward, The holy presence of the Lord."
لَقَدْ فَقَدُوا غِلَّ النُّفُوسِ وفُضِّلُوا *** بِعِزِّ سَلَاطِين وَأَمْنِ صَعَالِكِ فَعَاشُوا كَمَا شَاءُوا وَمَاتُوا كَمَا اشْتَهَوْا *** وَفَازُوا بِدَارِ الخُلْدِ رَحب المَبارِكِ عَصوا طَاعَةَ الأَجْسَادِ فِي كُلِّ لَذَّةٍ *** بِنُورٍ محلٍّ ظُلْمَةَ الغَيِّ هَاتِكِ فَلَوْلَا اعْتِدَادُ الجِسْمِ أَيْقَنْتَ أَنَّهُمْ *** يَعِيشُونَ عَيْشًا مِثْلَ عَيْشِ المَلَائِكِ فَيَا رَبُّ قَدِّمْهُمْ وَزِدْ فِي صَلَاحِهِمْ *** وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِم حَيْثُ حَلُّوا وَبَارِكِ,"For they have lost that bitter spite Wherein ignoble souls delight, To gain, full measure and increase, The Sultan’s power, the beggar’s peace.  They live as they desire, until They die the manner that they will, To reach, in their eternal home, Green pastures they may freely roam.  They disobey the body’s call, Reject all pleasures physical, To walk forever in the light That rends the veil of error’s night.  But that the flesh requires its poor Replenishment, I am most sure They would deny what needs must give And live the life that angel’s life.  Grant these, O Lord, the foremost place And constant augment of Thy grace; Where’er they dwell, upon them pour Thy loving favour evermore."
وَيَا نَفْسُ جِدِّي لَا تَمَلِّي وَشَمِّرِي *** لِنَيْلِ سُرُورِ الدَّهْرِ فِيمَا هُنَالِكِ وَأَنْتِ مَتَى دَمَّرْتِ سَعْيَكِ فِي الهَوَى *** عَلِمْتِ بِأَنَّ الحَقَّ لَيْسَ كَذَلِكِ فَقَدْ بَيَّنَ الله الشَّرِيعَةَ لِلْوَرَى *** بِأَبْيَنَ مِنْ زُهْرِ النُّجُومِ الشَّوَابِكِ فَيَا نَفْسُ جِدِّي فِي خَلَاصِكِ وَانْفُذِي *** نَفَاذَ السُّيُوفِ المُرْهَفَاتِ البَوَاتِكِ فَلَوْ أَعْمَلَ النَّاسُ التَّفَكُّرَ فِي الَّذِي *** لَهُ خُلِقُوا مَا كَانَ حَيٌّ بِضَاحِكِ,"And, O my soul, strive earnestly; Allow no weariness in thee, But gird thyself, that joy to gain Which shall eternally remain.  When thou appraisest as is just Thy labours in the cause of lust, Thou knowest that it is not thus Truth shall be realized in us  For God reveals His holy plan Of Law before the sight of man, More evident to watchful eyes Than the stars’ network in the skies.  My soul, while yet thou art alive, Betimes for thy salvation strive Be resolute to serve thy Lord With zeal fine-tempered as a sword.  Did men reflect, as they should do, What noble purpose to pursue They were created, none on earth Would pass a single thought in mirth."
باب فضل التعفف ومن أفضل ما يأتيه الإنسان في حُبِّه التعفُّفُ وتركُ ركوب المعصية والفاحشة، وألَّا يرغب عن مُجازاة خالقه له بالنعيم في دار المقامة، وألَّا يعصيَ مولاه المتفضل عليه الذي جعله مكانًا وأهلًا لأمره ونهيه، وأرسل إليه رسله، وجعل كلامه ثابتًا لديه، عنايةً منه بنا وإحسانًا إلينا.,"OF THE VIRTUE OF CONTINENCE THE finest quality that a man can display in Love is continence: to abstain from sin and all indecency. For so he will prove himself to be not indifferent to the heavenly reward, that eternal bliss reserved by God for those who dwell in His everlasting kingdom, neither will he disobey his Master Who has been so gracious to him, in appointing him to be a creature worthy to receive His commandments and prohibitions, Who sent unto him His Messengers, and caused His Word to be immovably established with him-all this as a mark of His care for us, and His benevolence towards us."
وإن من هام قلبُه وشُغل باله واشتد شوقه وعظُم وَجْده، ثم ظفر فرام هواه أن يغلب عقله وشهوته، وأن يقهر دينه. ثم أقام العدل لنفسه حصنًا، وعلم أنها النفس الأمارة بالسوء،,"The man whose heart is distraught and his mind preoccupied, whose yearning waxes so violent that it overmasters him, whose passion desires to conquer his reason, and whose lust would vanquish his religion such a man, if he sets up self-reproach to be his strong tower of defence, is aware that the soul indeed “commands unto evil” (Koran XII 53)."
وذكَّرها بعقاب الله تعالى، وفكَّر في اجترائه على خالقه وهو يراه، وحذَّرها من يوم المعاد والوقوف بين يدي الملك العزيز الشديد العقاب الرحمن الرحيم الذي لا يحتاج إلى بينة، ونظر بعين ضميره إلى انفراده عن كل مُدافع بحضرة علَّام الغيوب {يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ * إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ}، {يَوْمَ تُبَدَّلُ الْأَرْضُ غَيْرَ الْأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَاوَاتُ}، {يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَرًا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِن سُوءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَدًا بَعِيدًا}، يوم {وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًا}، يوم {وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا حَاضِرًا وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا}، يوم الطامة الكبرى، {يَوْمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ الْإِنسَانُ مَا سَعَى * وَبُرِّزَتِ الْجَحِيمُ لِمَن يَرَى * فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَى * وَآثَرَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا * فَإِنَّ الْجَحِيمَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَى * وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ وَنَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الْهَوَى * فَإِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَى}، واليوم الذي قال الله تعالى فيه: {وَكُلَّ إِنسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَائِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ ۖ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا * اقْرَأْ كِتَابَكَ كَفَى بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا}.,"He therefore reminds his soul of the punishment of God, and meditates upon his boldness towards his Creator, Who sees all that he does; he warns his soul of the day when it must return to Allah, and stand before the mighty King terrible in vengeance, yet compassionate and merciful, Who requires no proof of His Being. He will consider with his inward eye that day when he stands alone, with none to defend him, in the presence of Him “Who knoweth all secrets” (Koran V io8), “the day when neither wealth nor offspring shall be of avail, except a man cometh unto God with a pure heart” (Koran XXVI 88-89); “the day when the earth shall be changed, and the heavens” (Koran XIV 49), “the day when every soul shall find the good that it has done summoned before him, and the evil it has done, and shall wish that there lay between itself and that thing a far distance” (Koran III 28) ; “the day when all faces shall be turned towards the Living, the Everlasting, and he shall fail who is laden with wickedness” (Koran XX I Io); “the day whereon they shall find all that they have done present before them, and thy Lord shall do no man wrong” (Koran XVIII 48); the day of “the greatest calamity, the day when a man shall remember all that he has laboured, and Hell shall come forth unto all that have eyes to see; as for him who has committed iniquity, and preferred the life of this world, Hell shall be his resort; but as for him who feared the Majesty of his Lord, and denied the soul’ its desires, Paradise shall be his resort” (Koran LXXIX 34-41); that day of which Allah says, “And to the neck of every man We shall attach his fate, and We shall bring forth unto him on the Day of Resurrection a book, which he shall find outspread Read thy book, to-day thou art a sufficient reckoner against thyself” (Koran XVII 14);"
عندها يقول العاصي: يا ويلَتى! {مَالِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّا أَحْصَاهَا}، فكيف بمن طُوي قلبه على أحرَّ مِن جَمر الغضى، وطُوي كشْحُه على أحدَّ مِن السيف، وتجرَّع غصصًا أمَرَّ من الحنظل، وصرف نفسه كرهًا عما طمعت فيه، وتيقَّنت ببلوغه وتهيَّأت له ولم يَحُلْ دونها حائل، لحريٌّ أن يُسرَّ غدًا يوم البعث، ويكون من المقربين في دار الجزاء وعالم الخلود، وأنْ يأمنَ رَوعات القيامة وهَول المَطلع، وأن يُعوِّضه الله من هذه القَرحة الأمنَ يوم الحشر.,"then shall the disobedient say, “Woe is me, what manner of thing is this book, that leaves aside neither small offence nor great but numbers all?” (Koran XVIII 47). How then shall it be with a man whose breast enfolds a passion hotter than blazing tamarisk, whose flanks convulse with a rage keener than the edge of a sword, who has swallowed the draughts of patience more bitter than colocynth, and converted his, soul by force from grasping at the things it desired and was sure it could reach, for which it was well prepared, and there was no obstacle preventing its attainment of them? Surely he is worthy to rejoice tomorrow on the Day of Resurrection, and to stand among those brought near to God’s throne in the abode of recompense and the world of everlasting life; surely he has right to be secure from the terrors of the Great Uprising, and the awful dread of the Last Judgement, and that Allah shall compensate him on the Day of Resurrection with peace, for the anguish he suffers here below!"
حدَّثني أبو موسى هارون بن موسى الطبيب قال: رأيت شابًّا حَسن الوجه من أهل قُرطبة قد تعبَّد ورَفض الدنيا، وكان له أخ في الله قد سقطت بينهما مَئونة التحفُّظ، فزاره ذات ليلة وعزم على المبيت عنده، فعرضت لصاحب المنزل حاجة إلى بعض معارفه بالبُعد عن منزله، فنهض لها على أن ينصرف مُسرعًا، ونزل الشاب في داره مع امرأته، وكانت غايةً في الحسن وتِربًا للضيف في الصِّبا، فأطال رب المنزل المقام إلى أن مشى العَسس ولم يُمكنه الانصراف إلى منزله، فلما علمت المرأة بَفوات الوقت، وأن زوجها لا يمكنه المجيء تلك الليلة، تاقت نفسها إلى ذلك الفتى، فبرزت إليه ودَعتْهُ إلى نفسها، ولا ثالث لهما إلا الله عز وجل، فهمَّ بها ثم ثاب إليه عقلُه وفكَّر في الله عز وجل، فوضع إصبعه على السراج فتفقَّع، ثم قال: يا نفس، ذوقي هذا، وأين هذا من نار جهنم؟,"I was informed of the following story by Abu Musa Harun Ibn Musa the Physician. “I saw a handsome youth, a Cordovan, who had lived a devout life, having rejected the world. He had a brother in God, and the two had dropped all formalities and reserve in their relations together. He visited him one evening, and was invited to pass the night with him. The master of the house chanced to require to betake himself to an acquaintance living at some distance, and he rose up and hastily departed thither. The youth remained to lodge in his house, together with his friend’s wife who was exceedingly beautiful, and of a like age with the young guest. The master of the household prolonged his sojourn with that acquaintance until the watch was on the streets, and he could not depart to his own dwelling. When the wife realized that the time was now past and that her husband could not return that night, her soul yearned after the youth; she came out to him, and summoned him to join her, where no third person should be with them, saving Almighty God. The youth was tempted to consort with her, but then his reason returned to him; thinking upon Almighty God, he laid his forefinger against the lamp until it was scorched, and said, O my soul, taste thou this: and what is this to compare with the fire of Hell?"
فهال المرأة ما رأت، ثم عاودَتْه فعاودَتْه الشهوة المركَّبة في الإنسان، فعاد إلى الفعلة الأولى، فانبلج الصباح وسبَّابته قد اصطلمتها النار.,"‘The woman was deeply moved by this spectacle; but she solicited him once more, and that lust which is innate in every man revisited him; but he acted again as on the first occasion. Then dawn broke; and lo! his finger was all maimed with the fire."
أفتظن بلغ هذا من نفسه هذا المبلغ إلا لفَرط شهوةٍ قد كلبت عليه؟ أو ترى أن الله تعالى يُضيِّع له المقام؟ كلا، إنه لأكرم من ذلك وأعلم.,"Now think you the youth would have come to this pass in his struggle, with his soul, but for the inordinate raging of lust within him? Or do you suppose that Allah will suffer him to lase the reward of a stand so firm? By no means; Allah is far too gracious and knowing.”"
ولقد حدَّثتني امرأة أثق بها أنها عَلِقها فتًى مثلها في الحُسن وعَلِقته، وشاع القولُ عليهما، فاجتمعا يومًا خاليَين، فقال: هلمي نحقق ما يقال فينا. فقالت: لا والله، لا كان هذا أبدًا. وأنا أقرأ قول الله: {الْأَخِلَّاءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَ}. قالت: فما مَضى قليل حتى اجتمعا في حلال.,"A woman in whom I have every confidence informed me that she was loved by a youth her equal in comeliness, and whose attachment she reciprocated. Their romance became the subject of malicious gossip everywhere. One day they were met together privily, and he said, “Come, let us prove what is being said concerning us.” But she answered, “No, by Allah! This can never be, so long as I read the words of God, `Upon that day friends shall be enemies one to another, except for the god fearing’ (Koran XLIII 67).” The woman added that not long after they were united in lawful wedlock."
ولقد حدَّثني ثقة من إخواني أنه خلا يومًا بجاريةٍ كانت له مفارِكة في الصِّبا، فتعرضت لبعض تلك المعاني، فقال لها: كلا، إن من شُكر نعمة الله فيما مَنحني من وصالك الذي كان أقصى آمالي أن أجتنب هواي لأمره. ولعَمْري، إن هذا لغريب فيما خلا من الأزمان، فكيف في مثل هذا الزمان الذي قد ذهب خيره وأتى شره!,"A trustworthy friend of mane informed me that one day he was alone with a maiden whose youth exactly matched his. She made a certain proposal to him,’ but he answered her, “No! I owe it to God in gratitude for His favour, which permitted me to be, united with you, that was my fondest and seemed my remotest hope, to abstain from desiring you, in obedience to His command.” By my life, such behaviour was sufficiently rare in the days gone by; how much’ more uncommon it is in times like these, when good is all departed, and evil is all triumphant."
وما أقدر في هذه الأخبار — وهي صحيحة — إلا أحد وجهين لا شك فيهما: إما طبع قد مال إلى غير هذا الشأن، واستحكمت معرفته بفضل سواه عليه؛ فهو لا يُجيب دواعيَ الغزل في كلمةٍ ولا كلمتين، ولا في يومٍ ولا يومين، ولو طال على هؤلاء الممتحنين ما امتحنوا به لجادت طباعُهم، وأجابوا هاتف الفِتنة، ولكن الله عصمهم بانقطاع السبب المُحرك؛ نظرًا لهم وعلمًا بما في ضمائرهم من الاستعاذة به من القبائح، واستدعاء الرشد. لا إله إلا هو.,"When I consider the foregoing stories, which are entirely authentic, I can find only two undoubted explanations of them. On the one hand we must be dealing with a character that has inclined after other occupations being possessed of a sure and certain knowledge that the things it seeks after are superior to those it rejects; therefore it will not respond to the solicitations of coquetry, be they expressed but in a single word or two words, and upon a single day or two days. If those so tried had been put long to the test, surely their instincts would have complied, and they would have obeyed the voice of temptation; but Allah granted them immunity by eliminating the motivating cause of sin, having regard for them and knowing how in their hearts they implored His protection from wickedness and prayed for right guidance; there is no God but Allah!"
وإما بصيرة حضرت في ذلك الوقت، وخاطر تجرد انقمعت به طوالع الشهوة في ذلك الحين، لخيرٍ أراد الله عز وجل لصاحبه. جعلنا الله ممن يخافه ويرجوه. آمين.,"This is the first explanation; the second is that in the very hour of temptation some inward eye was opened in the heart, some thought of renunciation filled the mind, so that the surge of lust was subdued, Allah desiring some better thing for His servant. May Allah set us likewise among those who fear Him, and place all their hopes in Him, Amen!"
وحدَّثني أبو عبد الله محمد بن عمرو بن مضاء، عن رجالٍ من بني مروان ثقات يَسندون الحديث إلى أبي العباس الوليد بن غانم، أنه ذكر أن الإمام عبد الرحمن بن الحكم غاب في بعض غزواته شهورًا، وثقَّف القصر بابنه محمد الذي ولي الخلافة بعده، ورتَّبه في السطح، وجعل مَبيته ليلًا وقعوده نهارًا فيه، ولم يأذن له في الخروج البتة، ورتَّب معه في كل ليلةٍ وزيرًا من الوزراء وفتًى من أكابر الفتيان يبيتان معه في السطح.,"I was told by Abu `Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn `Umar Ibn Mada’, who derived his information from certain trustworthy men, members of the House of Marwan, relying upon Abu l-Abbas al-Walid Ibn Ghanim, that Imam Abd al-Rahman Ibn al-Hakam, being absent for several months upon an expedition, entrusted his palace to his son and successor in the Caliphate, Muhammad. He appointed a place for him upon the roof, where he should sleep by night and be seated through the day, not permitting him to leave that post at all. He likewise appointed for him every night a vizier to keep him company, and one of the chief palace-guards, to pass the hours of darkness with him on the roof."
قال أبو العباس: فأقام على ذلك مدةً طويلة، وبعُد عهده بأهله وهو في سن العشرين أو نحوها، إلى أن وافق مَبيتي في ليلتي نوبةَ فتًى من أكابر الفتيان، وكان صغيرًا في سنه وغايةً في حسن وجهه. قال أبو العباس: فقلت في نفسي: إني أخشى الليلة على محمد بن عبد الرحمن الهلاك بمُواقعة المعصية، وتَزيين إبليس وأتباعه له.,"Abu l-Abbas continued that Muhammad remained thus a long while, during which he saw nothing of the other members of his family; he was at that time twenty or thereabouts. His own turn to act as watch-coincided with the posting of a young and particularly handsome guard; and he related that he said within himself, “I am afraid this ‘ night for Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Rahman, that he may perish before the onslaught of sin, and the blandishments of Beelzebub and his crew.”"
قال: ثم أخذت مضجعي في السطح الخارج ومحمد في السطح الداخل المُطل على حرم أمير المؤمنين، والفتى في الطرف الثاني القريب من المطلع، فظلِلْتُ أرقبه ولا أغفل، وهو يظن أني قد نِمْتُ ولا يشعر باطلاعي عليه.,"Abu ‘l-`Abbas went on, “Then I took my bed on the outer roof, while Muhammad was on the inner roof overlooking the Caliph’s harem; the young guard was on the other side, close to the stairway. I remained watching him, without relaxing my vigilance for a moment, while he for his part thought that I was asleep, and was unconscious that I was observing all his movements."
قال: فلما مضى هزيع من الليل رأيتُه قد قام واستوى قاعدًا ساعةً لطيفة، ثم تعوَّذ من الشيطان ورجع إلى منامه، ثم قام بعد حين ولَبِس قميصه واستوفز، ثم نَزعه عن نفسه وعاد إلى منامه، ثم قام الثالثة ولبس قميصه ودلَّى رجليه من السرير، وبقي كذلك ساعة، ثم نادى الفتى باسمه فأجابه، فقال له: انزل عن السطح وابقَ في الفصيل الذي تحته.,"When some portion of the night was gone by, I noticed that he had risen from his bed and was seated upright upon it for a brief space of time; then he took refuge, with Allah against the temptations of Satan, and fell asleep again. After a while he arose once more, slipped on his tunic, and made ready to leap from his bed; then he took off his tunic and returned to his slumbers. Presently he got up a third time, put on his tunic, dangled his feet over the side of the bed, and continued in this posture for some while; then he called the youth by his name, and the youth answered. He said to him, Descend from the roof, and remain in the enclosure below."
فقام الفتى مؤتمرًا له، فلما نزل قام محمد وأغلق الباب من داخله وعاد إلى سريره. قال أبو العباس: فعلمت من ذلك الوقت أن لله فيه مرادَ خير.,"The youth rose up as bidden; and when he had gone down Muhammad jumped out of bed and bolted the door from the inside; then he returned to his couch. I knew from that time”, Abu ‘I-Abbas concluded, “that Allah purposed his good.”"
حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن الجسور، عن أحمد بن مطرف، عن عبيد الله بن يحيى، عن أبيه، عن مالك، عن حبيب بن عبد الرحمن الأنصاري، عن حفص بن عاصم، عن أبي هريرة، عن رسول الله ﷺ أنه قال: «سبعة يُظلهم الله في ظله يوم لا ظلَّ إلا ظله: إمام عادل، وشاب نشأ في عبادة الله عز وجل، ورجل قلبُه معلَّق بالمسجد إذا خرج منه حتى يعود إليه، ورجلان تحابَّا في الله اجتمعا على ذلك وتفرَّقا، ورجل ذكر الله خاليًا ففاضت عيناه، ورجل دعته امرأة ذات حسب وجمال فقال إني أخاف الله، ورجل تصدق صدقة فأخفى حتى لا تعلم شماله ما تنفق يمينه.»,"Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn al-Jasur informed me on the authority of Ahmad Ibn Mutarrif, transmitting from ‘Ubaid Allah Ibn Yahya, from his father, from Malik Ibn Habib, from `Abd al-Rahman al-Ansari, from Hafs Ibn ‘Asim, from Abu Huraira that the Prophet of Allah said, “There are seven sorts of men whom Allah shall shelter in His shadow, on the day when there is no shadow but His shadow: a just imam, a youth who has been brought up in the service of God; a man whose heart is attached to the mosque, from the moment he goes out of it until he returns to it; two men who love each other in God, and who meet together and part in that spirit only a man who remembers God when he is alone, so that his eyes overflow with tears; a man who is solicited by a woman of rank and beauty, and replies, I fear Allah; and a man who bestows alms on the poor, and conceals his charity, so that his left hand knows not what his right hand is expending.”"
وإني أذكر أني دُعيت إلى مجلسٍ فيه بعض من تَستحسن الأبصارُ صورتَه، وتألف القلوب أخلاقه للحديث والمجالسة دون منكرٍ ولا مكروه، فسارعت إليه، وكان هذا سَحَرًا، فبعد أن صليت الصبح وأخذت زيِّي طَرقني فكرٌ فسَنَحتْ لي أبياتٌ، ومعي رجل من إخواني فقال لي: ما هذا الإطراق؟ فلم أُجِبْه حتى أكملتها، ثم كتبتها ودفعتها إليه، وأمسكت عن المسير حيث كنتُ نويتُ. ومن الأبيات:  أَرَاقَكَ حُسْنٌ غَيْبُهُ لَكَ تَأْرِيقُ *** وَتَبْرِيدُ وَصْلٍ سرُّهُ فِيكَ تَحْرِيقُ وَقُرْب مَزَارٍ يَقْتَضِي لَكَ فُرْقَةً *** وَشِيكًا وَلَوْلَا القُرْبُ لَمْ يَكُ تَفْرِيقُ وَلَذَّةُ طَعْمٍ مُعْقِبٍ لَكَ عَلْقَمًا *** وَصَابًا وَفَسْحٌ فِي تَضَاعِيفِهِ ضِيقُ,"I remember that I was once invited to a, party, at which there was to be present one whose form was a delight to look upon, and whose manners gladdened the heart; it was a joy to converse and consort with him, no unseemly or improper thought or act ever marring the proceedings. I hastened to accept the invitation.  It was morning; and after I had prayed the matutinal prayer and robed myself for the occasion a thought came into my mind, and I found myself inspired to poetry. I had with me a companion, who said to me, “Why this silence and lowered head?” I did not reply to him until I had finished my verses; then I wrote them down and passed them over to him, refraining thereafter from going whither I had intended. The following are some of the stanzas from that poem.  Say, does a beauty charm thee so Whose absence robs thee of thy sleep, The coolness in those arms to creep Whose secret sets thy heart aglow?  Is it such comfort to thy heart To dwell so nigh, so presently To sunder, which proximity Alone condemned thee so to part?  Delights it thee, such sweets to taste As bitter colocynth thereon Succeeds, such ease to lie upon By what distress to be displaced?"
ولو لم يكن جزاء ولا عقاب ولا ثواب لوجب علينا إفناء الأعمار، وإتعاب الأبدان، وإجهاد الطاقة، واستنفاد الوسع، واستفراغ القوة في شكر الخالق الذي ابتدأنا بالنعم قبل استئهالها، وامتنَّ علينا بالعقل الذي به عرَفناه، ووهبَنا الحواسَّ والعلم والمعرفة ودقائق الصناعات، وصرف لنا السموات جارية بمنافعها، ودبرنا التدبير الذي لو ملكنا خلقنا لم نَهتدِ إليه، ولا نظرنا لأنفسنا نظره لنا، وفضَّلَنا على أكثر المخلوقات، وجعلَنا مستودع كلامه ومستقر دينه، وخلق لنا الجنة دون أن نستحقها، ثم لم يرضَ لعباده أن يدخلوها إلا بأعمالهم لتكون واجبةً لهم، قال الله تعالى: {جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ}، ورشدَنا إلى سبيلها، وبَصَّرنا وجه ظِلِّها، وجعل غاية إحسانه إلينا وامتنانه علينا حقًّا من حقوقنا قبله، ودينًا لازمًا له، وشكرَنا على ما أعطانا من الطاعة التي رزقنا قواها، وأثابنا بفضله على تفضُّله.,"Even were there no reckoning hereafter, no punishment and no reward in the world to come, yet would it be incumbent upon us to use up all our lives, to weary our bodies, to put forth all our powers, to consume all our means, and to expend all our strength in grateful thanks to the Creator, Who from the beginning was gracious unto us before ever we deserved His favours; Who bestowed on us the great gift of reason whereby we have known Him, and imparted to us the perception of the senses, learning, knowledge, and skill in the subtle mysteries of the arts; Who ordained the heavens to flow upon us with all its benefactions, and disposed us in such fashion that had we ourselves the power to create ourselves, we had never discovered so wise and wonderful provision, neither would we have managed for ourselves as He has done with such loving care; Who promoted us above the most part of His creation, making us to be the repository of His Word and the abode of His religion; Who created for us Paradise, without that we deserved it, and then permitted His servants not to enter therein save in accordance with their works, that it might be a recompense due to them for their virtue, for Allah has said, “As a reward for that they did” (Koran XXXII 17); Who guided our steps into its path, and opened our eyes to behold the direction of its shadow, appointing Paradise to be the crown of His goodness and favour towards us, a right that we might claim of Him, and a debt binding upon Himself ; for that He is grateful to us for that obedience which He himself gave us, and bestowed on us the power to practise it, rewarding us of His bounty for that wherein He was bountiful."
هذا كرم لا تهتدي إليه العقول، ولا يمكن أن تُكيِّفَه الألباب. ومن عرف ربَّه ومقدار رضاه وسخطه هانت عنده اللذات الذاهبة والحطام الفاني، فكيف وقد أتى من وعيده ما تقشعرُّ لسماعه الأجساد، وتذوب له النفوس، وأورد علينا من عذابه ما لم يَنتهِ إليه أمل! فأين المذهب عن طاعة هذا المَلِك الكريم! وما الرغبة في لذة ذاهبة لا تذهب الندامة عنها، ولا تفنى التباعة منها، ولا يزول الخزي عن راكبها!,"This is a generosity, which indeed surpasses the reach of the intelligence; neither can the reason conceive of its magnitude. What man knoweth his Lord, and the full measure of His pleasure and His wrath, to him all transient joys and ephemeral vanities are of small account; how indeed should it be otherwise, seeing that Allah has threatened him with such torments the very hearing of which maketh the flesh to creep, and the soul to melt within him? For He hath revealed to us such dire descriptions of His chastisement as transcend the furthest range of the anxious imagination. Whither then should we depart from obedience to this generous King, or how shall we desire fleeting pleasures accompanied only by regret, and bringing in their train everlasting punishment, and eternal shame to him who indulges therein?"
وإلى كم هذا التمادي وقد أسمعنا المنادي، وكأن قد حدَا بنا الحادي إلى دار القرار، فإما إلى جنة وإما إلى نار! ألا إن التثبط في هذا المكان لهو الضلال المُبين. وفي ذلك أقول:  أَقْصَرَ عَنْ لَهْوِهِ وَعَنْ طَرَبِه *** وَعَفَّ فِي حُبِّهِ وَفِي عُرَبِه فَلَيْسَ شُرْبُ المُدَامِ هِمَّتَهُ *** وَلَا اقْتِنَاصُ الظِّبَاءِ مِنْ أَرَبِه قَدْ آنَ لِلْقَلْبِ أَنْ يُفِيقَ وَأَنْ *** يُزِيلَ مَا قَدْ عَلَاهُ مِنْ حُجبِه أَلْهَاهُ عَمَّا عَهِدْتُ يُعْجِبُه *** خِيفَةُ يَوْم تُبْلَى السَّرَائِرُ بِه,"How long shall we continue in our heedless folly, seeing that the warning voice has sounded in our ears, and we are being urged as it were by the chant of the cameleer unto that abode wherein we shall dwell hereafter, whether it be Paradise or Hell? Truly, to linger and tarry where we now are is manifest error. In this sense I have composed the following verses.  From pleasures and amusements he refrained, His appetite for love and liquor reined,  Devoted not his energies to wine, To hunt gazelles made not his only line.  For it was time the heart arose from sleep, Not evermore its shrouding veil to keep;  The fearful day that shall all secrets prove Diverted him from his accustomed love."
وما رغبتُ في الاستبدال إلى سبب من أسبابي مذ كنت، لا أقول في الأُلَّاف والإخوان وحدهم، لكن في كل ما يَستعمل الإنسان من ملبوس ومركوب ومطعوم وغير ذلك، وما انتفعتُ بعيش ولا فارقني الإطراق والانفلاق مذ ذقت طعم فراق الأحبة، وإنه لشَجًى يعتادني وولوع همٍّ ما ينفكُّ يَطْرُقني، ولقد نغَّصَ تذكري ما مَضى كلَّ عيشٍ أستأنفه، وإني لقَتيل الهموم في عداد الأحياء، ودفين الأسى بين أهل الدنيا. والله المحمود على كل حال لا إله إلا هو.,"Similarly I have never longed for a change for change’s sake, in any of the things that I have possessed; I am speaking here not only of friends and comrades, but’ also of all the other things a man uses-clothes, riding-beast, food, and so on. Life holds no joy for me, and I do nothing but hang my head and feel utterly cast down, ever since I first tasted the bitterness of being-separated from those I love. It is an anguish that constantly revisits me, an agony of grief that ceases not for a moment to assail me. My remembrance of past happiness has abated for me every joy that I may look for in the future. I am a dead man, though counted among the living, slain by sorrow and buried by sadness, entombed while yet a dweller on the face of this mortal earth. Allah be praised, whatever be the circumstances that befall us; there is indeed no other God but He!"
وليس هذا لشيء من الحواس مثل الذوق واللمس لا يُدركان إلا بالمجاورة، والسمع والشم لا يُدركان إلا من قريب، ودليل على ما ذكرناه من النظر أنك ترى المُصوِّت قبل سماع الصوت، وإن تعمَّدت إدراكهما معًا، وإن كان إدراكهما واحدًا لما تقدَّمت العينُ السمعَ.,"These properties belong to none of the other senses. The taste and the touch, for instance, perceive objects only when they are in, their neighborhood, and the hearing and the smell apprehend them solely if they are close by. As proof of that immediate perception of which we have spoken, consider how you see an object that produces a sound before you hear the sound itself, for all that you may try to see and hear that thing simultaneously. If ocular and aural perception were one and the same, the eye would not outstrip the ear."
أعرفه، لا تستأهل صفاته محبة مَن بيتُه خير وتقدُّم، وأموال عريضة، ووفر تالِد، وصح عندي أنه كَشف رأسه، وأبدى وجهه، ورَمَى رَسَنه، وحَسر مُحيَّاه، وشَمَّر عن ذراعيه، وصمَد صَمْد الشهوة، فصار حديثًا للسُّمار، ومُدافَعًا بين نقلة الأخبار، وتُهودي ذِكره في الأقطار، وجرت نقلته في الأرض راحلةً بالتعجب، ولم يحصل من ذلك إلا على كشف الغطاء، وإذاعة السر، وشنعة الحديث، وفَتْح الأحدوثة، وشُرُود محبوبه عنه جملة، والتَّحظير عليه من رؤيته البتة.,"I knew this young man, well enough to be aware that his qualities did not merit his being loved by a person of a good family, in a prominent position, and possessed of broad estates and an ample patrimony. Then I had it confirmed that my friend had uncovered his head, shown his face abroad, cast off his head-rope, bared his countenance, rolled up his sleeves-in a word, that he had given himself over to the lusts of the flesh. He had become the talk of the town; all tongues wagged of his adventure; his name was banded through’ the countryside, and the scandalmongers ran everywhere with tales of his amazing escapade. All that he had achieved was that the veil of his private feelings had been stripped off, his secret had been divulged, his name besmirched, his reputation blackened; the object of his passion had run away from him altogether, and forbidden him ever to see him again."
والمحبوب في كل ذلك ناظر إلى الأرض يُسارقه اللحظَ الخفي، وربما أدامه فيه، ثم يبسم مُخفيًا لتبسمه، وذلك علامة الرضى، ثم ينجلي مجلسهما عن قَبول العذر، ويقبل القول، وامتحت ذنوب النقل، وذهبت آثار السخط، ووقع الجواب بنعم وذنبك مغفور، ولو كان، فكيف ولا ذنب؟,"Meanwhile the beloved all the time fixes her eyes on the ground, occasionally stealing a furtive glance at the lover, or sometimes steadily regarding him for a long moment. At last, seeing him smile, she smiles surreptitiously; and that is the sign that she approves and is satisfied. So the atmosphere of the interview brightens up; the clouds of misunderstanding roll away; his excuses are accepted, his argument is admitted. The faults reported by the talebearers are expunged; the last traces of anger disappear. Now her answers are all “Yes”, and “Your fault would be forgiven, even if you really did act so; how much the more, seeing that you are guiltless.”"
وأنا أقول من غير أن أمثل شعري بأشعارهم — فلهم فضل التقدم والسابقة، وإنما نحن لاقطون وهم الحاصدون، ولكن اقتداءً بهم، وجريًا في ميدانهم، وتتبعًا لطريقتهم التي نهجوا وأوضحوا — أبياتًا بيَّنت فيها مزارَ الطيف مقطَّعةً:  أَغَارُ عَلَيْكِ مِنْ إِدْرَاكِ طَرْفِي *** وَأُشْفِقُ أَنْ يُذِيبَكِ لَمْسُ كَفِّي فَأَمْتَنِعُ اللِّقَاءَ حِذَارَ هَذَا *** وَأَعْتَمِدُ التَّلَاقِيَ حِينَ أُغْفِي فَرُوحِي إِنْ أَنَمْ بِكِ ذُو انْفِرَادٍ *** مِنَ الأَعْضَاءِ مُسْتَتِرٌ وَمَخْفِي وَوَصْلُ الرُّوحِ أَلْطَفُ فِيكِ وَقْعًا *** مِنَ الجِسْمِ المُوَاصِلِ أَلْفَ ضِعْف,"For my own part, without aspiring to compare my poetry with theirs-for they have the merit of preceding us and being our forerunners; they were the reapers, and we are but the gleaners-yet being ambitious to follow in their footsteps, to run in their arena, and to pursue the path which they pioneered and made plain, I have ventured to invent some tuneful verses in which I have set forth my understanding of this phantom visitation.  I am too jealous, love, to let My eyes alight upon thee yet, And fear to hold thee overmuch Lest thou be melted by my touch.  So by such caution moved, my sweet, I suffer not that we should meet, Intending rather that we keep, Our rendezvous, when I’m asleep.  For if I slumber, then my soul Shall have thee only, have thee whole; No body gross shall come between Our spirits, subtle and unseen.  This spiritual unity More sweet a thousand fold shall be, More fine, more tender, and more fresh Than the hot intercourse of flesh."
وظلالٍ مُظلَّة تُلاحظنا الشمس من بينها فتتصوَّر بين أيدينا كرقاع الشطرنج والثياب المدبَّجة، وماءٍ عَذْب يوجدك حقيقة طعم الحياة، وأنهارٍ متدفقة تَنساب كبُطون الحيات لها خرير يقوم ويَهدأ، ونَواوير مُونِقة مختلفة الألوان تُصفِّقُها الرياح الطيبة النسيم، وهواء سَجْسَج، وأخلاق جُلَّاسٍ تفوق كل هذا، في يومٍ ربيعيٍّ ذي شَمس ظليلة، تارة يُغطيها الغيمُ الرقيق والمُزن اللطيف، وتارةً تتجلَّى، فهي كالعذراء الخَفِرة، والخَريدة الخجلة تتراءى لعاشقها من بين الأستار ثم تغيب فيها، حَذَرَ عَينٍ مراقِبة.,"Between the grateful shades we glimpsed the sun, that looked like the squares of a chessboard or gowns of gay brocade; sweet flowed the water, imparting the veritable savour of life; swift gushed the rivulets, sliding like serpents’ bellies, their murmur now rising, now falling. Gay flowers of variegated hue swayed to the gentle fragrant zephyrs; the air was mild and cool; and my companions excelled all this loveliness in the beauty of their natural qualities. It was a spring day, and the submissive sun was now-‘ veiled in delicate vapors and light clouds, now stood revealed like a shy maiden, some modest virgin showing herself to her lover from behind the curtains, then, vanishing into them for fear of a watchful eye."
فرام بها كل مَن حواليها أن تُردَّ إليه، فأبتْ وكادتْ أن تموت، ففارقها ثم ندم، ورام أن يُراجعها فلم يُمكنه، واستعان بالأبهري وغيره فلم يقدر أحد منهم على حيلة في أمره، فاختلط عقله وأقام في المارستان يُعاني مدةً طويلةً حتى نَقِه وسَلَا وما كاد، ولقد كان إذا ذكرها يتنفَّس الصُّعَداء.,"All those about her besought her to return to her husband, but she refused, and almost died at the thought. He therefore put her away; then he repented, and sought to win her back, but that proved impossible. He consulted al-Abhari and other men of like eminence, but none of them could devise any solution of his problem. His mind became deranged, and, he remained under treatment in hospital for a long time, until at last he recovered, and forgot his troubles, though even then with great difficulty. Whenever he mentioned her, he would sigh most deeply."
لا توجه الأراجي نحوها، ولا تقف المطامِع عليها، ولا معرس للأمل لديها، فوجهها جالبٌ كل القلوب، وحالُها طارد مَن أمَّها، تزدان في المنع والبخل ما لا يزدان غيرها بالسماحة والبذل، موقوفة على الجد في أمرها، غير راغبة في اللهو، على أنها كانت تحسن العود إحسانًا جيدًا.,"No hopes of easy conquest were to be entertained so far as she was concerned; none could look to succeed in his ambitions if these were aimed in her direction; eager expectation found no resting-place in her. Her lovely face attracted all hearts, but her manner kept at arm’s length all who came seeking her; she was far more glamorous in her refusals and rejections than those other girls, who rely upon easy compliance and the ready lavishing of their favours to make them interesting to men. In short, she was dedicated to earnestness in all matters, and had no desire for amusement of any kind; for all that she played the lute most beautifully."
يَا نَفْسُ جِدِّي وَشَمِّرِي وَدَعِي *** عَنْكِ اتِّبَاعَ الهَوَى عَلَى لَغَبِه وَسَارِعِي فِي النَّجَاةِ وَاجْتَهِدِي *** سَاعِيَةً فِي الخَلَاصِ مِنْ كُرَبِه عَلِّيَ أَحْظَى بِالفَوْزِ فِيهِ وَأَنْ *** أَنْجُوَ مِنْ ضِيقِهِ وَمِنْ لَهَبِه يَا أَيُّهَا اللَّاعِبُ المُجد بِهِ الدَّ *** هْرُ أَمَا تَتَّقِي شَبَا نكبِه,"Be strong, my soul! Thy labours do not spend Pursuing passion to its bitter end.  Make haste to thy salvation; purpose still To win deliverance from passion’s ill.  Perchance, triumphant in my holiest aim, I shall escape the torment and the flame.  O trifler, Fate is grimly purposing Thy ruin: dread’st thou not misfortune’s sting?"
كَفَاكَ مِنْ كُلِّ مَا وُعِظْتَ بِه *** مَا قَدْ أَرَاكَ الزَّمَانُ مِنْ عَجَبِه دَعْ عَنْكَ دَارًا تَفْنَى غَضَارَتُهَا *** وَمَكْسبًا لَاعِبًا بِمُكْتَسبِه لَمْ يَضْطَرِبْ فِي مَحَلِّهَا أَحَدٌ *** إِلَّا نَبَا حَدُّهَا بِمُضْطَربِه مَنْ عَرَفَ الله حَقَّ مَعْرِفَةٍ *** لَوَى وَحَلَّ الفُؤَاد فِي رَهَبِه مَا مُنْقضِي المُلْكِ مِثْل خِالِدِهِ *** وَلَا صَحِيحُ التُّقَى كَمُؤْتَشِبِه,"It should suffice thee, for all counsel taught, To look upon the wonders Time has wrought.  Leave that abode whose splendour soon must fade, That task which ever with the toiler played,  That jousting-yard where never knight struck blow But that his sword rebounded to his woe;  What man knows Allah as He should be known Withdraws, and lives unto Himself alone.  Not one is watered piety with pure, The temporal realm with that which doth endure;"
وَلَا تَقِيُّ الوَرَى كَفَاسِقِهِمْ *** وَلَيْسَ صِدْقُ الكَلَامِ مِنْ كَذِبِه فَلَوْ أَمِنَّا مِنَ العِقَابِ وَلَمْ *** نَخْشَ مِنَ الله مُتَّقَى غَضَبِه وَلَمْ نَخَفْ نَارَهُ الَّتِي خُلِقَتْ *** لِكُلِّ جَانِي الكَلَامِ مُحْتَقبِه لَكَانَ فَرْضًا لُزُومُ طَاعَتِهِ *** وَرَدُّ وَفْدِ الهَوَى عَلَى عَقِبِه وَصِحَّةُ الزُّهْدِ فِي البَقَاءِ وَأَنْ *** يَلْحَقَ تَفْنِيدُنَا بِمُرْتَقبِه,"Not like the sinner and the godly wise, The word of truth and circumstantial lies.  For though we were secure from chastisement Nor feared the wrath of God may not relent,  Did we not dread that hell, prepared for each Who perpetrates the crime of lying speech,  Yet would it be our duty to obey His will, and send lust’s embassy away,  Sincerely to renounce this life below, Condemning all who yet delay to go."
فَقَدْ رَأَيْنَا فِعْلَ الزَّمَانِ بِأَهْـ *** ـلِهِ كَفِعْلِ الشُّوَاظِ فِي حَطَبِه كَمْ مُتْعِبٍ فِي الإِلَهِ مُهْجَتهُ *** رَاحَتُهُ فِي الكَرِيهِ مِنْ تَعَبِه وَطَالِبٍ بِاجْتِهَادِهِ زَهْرَ الدُّ *** نْيَا عَدَاهُ المَنُونُ عَنْ طَلَبِه ومُدْرِكٍ مَا ابْتَغَاهُ ذِي جَدَل *** حَلَّ بِهِ مَا يَخَافُ مِنْ سَبَبِه وَبَاحِثٍ جَاهِدٍ لِبُغْيَتِهِ *** فَإِنَّمَا بَحْثُهُ عَلَى عَطَبِه,"For we have witnessed how Time serves her own Like flaming sparks among the brushwood blown;  Some wearying their hearts to serve the Lord And find repose in what they most abhorred,  Some labouring to gather this world’s bloom And be diverted from their quest by doom.  And some have reached the hope they fondly nursed To fall into the pit they dreaded worst,  And some have diligently sought their goal And only gained destruction of the soul."
بَيْنَا تَرَى المَرْءَ سَامِيًا مَلِكًا *** صَارَ إِلَى السُّفْلِ مِنْ ذُرَى رُتَبِه كَالزَّرْعِ لِلرجلِ فَوْقَهُ عَمَلٌ *** أَنْ يَنم حُسْن النُّمُوِّ فِي قَصَبِه كَمْ قَاطَعٍ نَفْسَهُ أَسًى وَشَجًا *** فِي إِثْرِ جِدٍّ يَجِدُّ فِي هَرَبِه أَلَيْسَ فِي ذَاكَ زَاجِرٌ عَجبٌ *** يَزِيدُ ذَا اللُّبِّ فِي حُلَى أَدَبِه فَكَيْفَ وَالنَّارُ لِلْمُسِيءِ إِذَا *** عَاجَ عَنِ المُسْتَقِيمِ مِنْ عَقِبِه,"Anon some mighty monarch thou wilt see Flung down from triumph into misery,  As springing wheat is trampled into dust When from its stalk the swelling ears upthrust.  How many struggle to their souls’ despite In chase of luck that presses more its flight  Surely a lesson wonderful is there To school the wise to wisdom yet more fair!  Still more, with Hell the ultimate abode Of all who leave the straight and narrow road,"
وَيَوْمَ عَرْضِ الحِسَابِ يَفْضَحُهُ الله *** وَيُبْدِي الخَفِيَّ مِنْ رِيبِه مَنْ قَدْ حَبَاهُ الإِلَهُ رَحْمَتَه *** مَوْصُولَةً بِالمَزِيدِ منْ نَشَبِه فَصَارَ مِنْ جَهْلِهِ يُصَرِّفُهَا *** فِيمَا نَهَى الله عَنْهُ فِي كُتُبِه أَلَيْسَ هَذَا أَحْرَى العِبَادِ غَدًا *** بِالوَقْعِ فِي وَيْلِهِ وَفِي حَرَبِه؟ شُكْرًا لِرَبٍّ لَطِيفُ قُدْرَتِه *** فِينَا كَحَبْلِ الوَرِيدِ فِي كَثَبِه,"When Allah, on the day of reckoning, Their shameful secrets to the light shall bring.  What then of him, whom Allah has pursued With mercy, and augmenting grace renewed,  But in his folly turns the gifts conferred To purposes forbidden by God’s Word?  Deserves he not the most, of all men born, God’s chastisement on resurrection’s morn?  Then thank the Lord, Whose gracious potency Is nigh to us as our heart’s artery,"
رَازِقِ أَهْل الزَّمَانِ أَجْمَعِهِمْ *** مَنْ كَانَ مِنْ عُجْمِهِ وَمِنْ عَرَبِه وَالحَمْدُ لله فِي تَفَضُّلِهِ *** وَقِمْعِهِ لِلزَّمَانِ فِي نُوبِه أَخْدَمَنَا الأَرْضَ وَالسَّمَاءَ وَمَنْ *** فِي الجَوِّ مِنْ مَائِهِ وَمِنْ شُهُبِه فَاسْمَعْ وَدَعْ مَنْ عَصَاهُ نَاحِيَةً *** لَا يَحْملُ الحِمْلَ غَيْرُ مُحْتَطبِه,"Who feedeth all the peoples known to Time, Be Barbary or Arabia their clime  Praise be to God, Whose bounty is so great, Who overmasters all the tricks of Fate,  And to our service earth and heaven turns, All vapours of the air, each star that burns.  Give ear, and leave the sinner to his sin For none shall bear but what he gathers in."
وأقول أيضًا:  أَعَارَتْكَ دُنْيَا مُسْتَرَدٌّ مُعَارُهَا *** غَضَارَةَ عَيْشٍ سَوْفَ يَذْوِي اخْضِرَارُهَا وَهَلْ يَتَمَنَّى المُحْكمُ الرَّأْي عِيشَةً *** وَقَدْ حَانَ مِنْ دُهم المَنَايَا مَزَارُهَا وَكَيْفَ تَلذُّ العَيْنُ هَجْعَة سَاعَةٍ *** وَقَدْ طَالَ فِيمَا عَايَنَتْهُ اعْتِبَارُهَا وَكَيْفَ تَقَرُّ النَّفْسُ فِي دَارِ نُقْلَةٍ *** قَدِ اسْتَيْقَنَتْ أَنْ لَيْسَ فِيهَا قَرَارُهَا وَأَنَّى لَهَا فِي الأَرْضِ خَاطِرُ فِكْرَةٍ *** وَلَمْ تَدْرِ بَعْدَ المَوْتِ أَيْنَ مَحَارُهَا,"This mortal world, whose gifts to men Are loans demanded back again, A life of ease has lent to thee Whose green fades all too suddenly;  And shall the prudent man aspire To such brief comfort, or desire A life so quickly out of breath, So surely visited by death?  How can the contemplative eye, Long tutored to take warning by The passing show, one-hour delight To sleep, and shut it out of sight?  How can the soul be pleased so well In this so transient world to dwell, When it is sure and satisfied It shall not ever here abide?  Can it a moment’s thought bestow Upon this fleeting earth below, Not knowing, when it comes to die, In what last lodging it shall lie?"
أَلَيْسَ لَهَا فِي السَّعْيِ لِلْفَوْزِ شَاغِلٌ *** أَمَا فِي تَوَقِّيهَا العَذَابَ ازْدِجَارُهَا فَخَابَتْ نُفُوسٌ قَادَهَا لَهْوُ سَاعَةٍ *** إِلَى حَرِّ نَارٍ لَيْسَ يُطْفَى أُوَارُهَا لَهَا سَائِقٌ حَادٍ حَثِيثٌ مُبَادِرٌ *** إِلَى غَيْرِ مَا أَضْحَى إِلَيْهِ مَدَارُهَا تُرَادُ لِأَمْرٍ وَهْيَ تَطْلُبُ غَيْرَهُ *** وَتَقْصِدُ وَجْهًا فِي سِوَاهُ سِفَارُهَا أَمُسْرِعَة فِيمَا يَسُوءُ قِيَامُهَا *** وَقَدْ أَيْقَنَتْ أَنَّ العَذَابَ قُصَارُهَا,"What, is it not sufficient care To labour for salvation there, And to be anxiously intent To flee eternal chastisement?  For many spirits, led astray By a brief hour of trifling play, Have stumbled in that furnace dire Of unextinguishable fire  The cameleer with urgent song Sped them enticingly along To bring them home, at journeys end, Whither they never thought to wend.  There is a purpose for the soul, But it pursues another goal, A journey to a blest abode, But it prefers a different road.  What, hastens it along a way That on the resurrection day Shall bring it ruin, though it knows Its target is eternal woes?"
تُعَطِّلُ مَفْرُوضًا وَتُعْنَى بِفَضْلَةٍ *** لَقَدْ شَفَّهَا طُغْيَانُهَا وَاغْتِرَارُهَا إِلَى مَا لَهَا مِنْهُ البَلَاءُ سُكُونُهَا *** وَعَمَّا لَهَا مِنْهُ النَّجَاحُ نِفَارُهَا وَتُعْرِضُ عَنْ رَبٍّ دَعَاهَا لِرُشْدِهَا *** وَتَتْبَعُ دُنْيَا جَدَّ عَنْهَا فِرَارُهَا فَيَا أَيُّهَا المَغْرُورُ بَادِرْ بِرَجْعَةٍ *** فَلله دَارٌ لَيْسَ تَخْمدُ نَارُهَا وَلَا تَتَخَيَّرْ فَانِيًا دُونَ خَالِدٍ *** دَلِيلٌ عَلَى مَحْضِ العُقُولِ اخْتِيَارُهَا,"It spurns the feast to it assigned, Content its wretched scrap to find, Condemned to misery immense By pride and disobedience.  It is complacent to remain In what shall prove its direst pain, And flees in horror from the thing That would its sweetest triumph bring;  Turning its back upon the Lord, Who calls to virtue and reward, It takes this world to be its friend, To be deserted in the end.  Then, O deluded one, relent Thy folly! With all speed repent God has prepared a place of ire Whose awful flames shall ne’er expire.  Choose not the joy that mortal is In lieu of everlasting bliss The choice of pleasures men elect Proves well their power of intellect."
أَتَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الحَقَّ فِيمَا تَرَكْتَهُ *** وَتَسْلكُ سُبلًا لَيْسَ يَخْفَى عَوَارُهَا وَتَتْرُكُ بَيْضَاءَ المَنَاهِجِ ضلَّةً *** لِبَهْمَاءَ يُؤْذَي الرِّجْلَ فِيهَا عَثَارُهَا تُسَرُّ بِلَهْوٍ مُعْقِبٍ بِنَدَامَةٍ *** إِذَا مَا انْقَضَى لَا يَنْقَضِي مُسْتَثَارُهَا وَتُفْنَى اللَّيَالِي وَالمَسَرَّاتُ كُلُّهَا *** وَتَبْقَى تِبَاعَاتُ الذُّنُوبِ وَعَارُهَا فَهَلْ أَنْتَ يَا مَغْبُونُ مُسْتَيْقِظٌ فَقَدْ *** تَبَيَّنَ مِنْ سَرِّ الخُطُوبِ اسْتِتَارُهَا,"Knowest thou, truth is found the best In what thou most abandonest, And that the path that is thy aim Abounds in base and secret shame?  Leaving the white and shining way As if resolved to go astray, Thou stridest on that path of gloom Where stumbling brings to certain doom.  On foolish sports thy heart is set That have no issue but regret, Amusements over soon, for sure, Whose consequences aye endure.  For pleasures all are quickly done, Joys ended almost ere begun, But folly’s wages, sin’s disgrace Outreach the bounds of time and space.  But thou, poor silly dupe, art thou In truth awake? Already now The secrets of those dire events Stand forth revealed, God’s evidence."
فَعَجِّلْ إِلَى رِضْوَانِ رَبِّكَ وَاجْتَنِبْ *** نَوَاهِيَهِ إِذْ قَدْ تَجَلَّى مَنَارُهَا يَجِدُّ مُرُورُ الدَّهْرِ عَنْكِ بِلَاعِبٍ *** وَتُغْرَى بِدُنْيَا سَاءَ فِيكَ سِرَارُهَا فَكَمْ أُمَّةٍ قَدْ غَرَّهَا الدَّهْرُ قَبْلَنَا *** وَهَاتِيكَ مِنْهَا مُقْفِرَات دِيَارُهَا تَذَكَّرْ عَلَى مَا قَدْ مَضَى وَاعْتَبِرْ بِهِ *** فَإِنَّ المُذَكِّي لِلْعُقُولِ اعْتِبَارُهَا تَحَامَى ذرَاهَا كُل بَاغٍ وَطَالِبٍ *** وَكَانَ ضَمَانًا فِي الأَعَادِي انْتِصَارُهَا,"Rise up betimes, and hasten to The pleasure of thy Lord: eschew The things He has forbidden thee, Whose warning light shines brilliantly.  Thou art a counter in Time’s play That flings thee carelessly away; The world allures thee with her guile, But there is malice in her smile.  How many peoples, long ere we Were born to trouble, Destiny Deceived, for us in turn to stare Upon their dwellings empty, bare!  Remember them, and ponder o’er The things that were, and are no more; For pondering; as thou wilt find, Is a fine sharpener of the mind.  Adventurer and tyrant vied To scale those summits fortified Possessing which, as men suppose, Secures a monarch from his foes;"
تَوَافَتْ بِبَطْنِ الأَرْضِ وَانْشَتَّ شَمْلُهَا *** وَعَادَ إِلَى ذِي ملْكِهِ مُسْتَعَارُهَا وَكَمْ رَاقِدٍ فِي غَفْلَةٍ عَنْ مَنِيَّةٍ *** مُشَمِّرَةٍ فِي القَصْدِ وَهْوَ شِعَارُهَا وَمَظْلَمَةٍ قَدْ نَالَهَا مُتَسَلِّطٌ *** مُدِلٍّ بَأَيْدٍ عِنْدَ ذِي العَرْشِ ثَارُهَا أَرَاكَ إِذَا حَاوَلْتَ دُنْيَاكَ سَاعِيًا *** عَلَى أَنَّهَا بَادٍ إِلَيْكَ ازْوِرَارُهَا وَفِي طَاعَةِ الرَّحْمَنِ يُقْعِدُكَ الوَنَى *** وَتُبْدِي أَنَاةً لَا يَصِحُّ اعْتِذَارُهَا,"But now their heights are overthrown, Their battlements in ruin strewn, And that they had on loan at last Again to its true owner passed.  Many have slumbered all t heir days Unwary of the fate that slays, Unheeding Destiny, loin-girt And ready to their instant hurt.  And many, terrible and strong, Have lifted up their hands to wrong, Too arrogant to be aware God would avenge their victims’ prayer.  I see thee eager to pursue The would, that thou aspirest to Although thou seest clear as day  Too languid to obey His will Who would forgive thee all they ill, To dilatory to produce An even passable excuse;"
تُحَاذِر إِخْوَانًا سَتَفْنَى وَتَنْقَضِي *** وَتَنْسَى الَّتِي فَرْضٌ عَلَيْكَ حِذَارُهَا كَأَنِّي أَرَى مِنْكَ التَّبَرُّمَ ظَاهِرًا *** مُبِينًا إِذَا الأَقْدَارُ حَلَّ اضْطِرَارُهَا هُنَاكَ يَقُولُ المَرْءُ مَنْ لِي بِأَعْصُرٍ *** مَضَتْ كَانَ مِلْكًا فِي يَدَيَّ خَيَارُهَا تَنَبَّهْ لِيَوْمٍ قَدْ أَظَلَّكَ وِرْدُهُ *** عَصِيبٍ يُوَافِي النَّفْسَ فِيهِ احْتِضَارُهَا تَبَرَّأَ فِيهِ مِنْكَ كُلُّ مُخَالِطٍ *** وَإنَّ مِنَ الآمَالِ فِيهِ انْهِيَارهَا,"I see thee anxious and afraid Of sorrows that shall swiftly fade, Oblivious to that great care It is thy duty to beware.  Methinks I see thee, in the hour The fates in their majestic power Strike, as they must, thy heart imbued With impotent disquietude,  When men lament, “Ah, who will give Me back again those years to live, Those precious moments to dispose As once, precisely as I chose?”  Bethink thee of that day of fear Whose shadow draws already near, That dreadful day thy soul shall be Assailed by its last agony;  Deserted and disowned by those Whose friendship was thy heart’s repose, Thou watchest all thy edifice Of hopes crash down to the abyss;"
فَأُوْدِعتَ فِي ظَلْمَاءَ ضَنْكٌ مَقَرُّهَا *** يَلُوحُ عَلَيْهَا لِلْعُيُونِ اغْبِرَارُهَا تنادي فَلَا تَدْرِي المُنَاديَ مُفْرَدًا *** وَقَدْ حُطَّ عَنْ وَجْهِ الحَيَاةِ خِمَارُهَا تُنَادي إِلَى يَوْمٍ شَدِيدٍ مُفَزِّعٍ *** وَسَاعَة حَشْرٍ لَيْسَ يَخْفَى اشْتِهَارُهَا إِذَا حُشِرَتْ فِيهِ الوُحُوشُ وَجُمِّعَتْ *** صَحَائِفُنَا وَانْثَالَ فِينَا انْتِشَارُهَا وَزُيِّنَتِ الجَنَّاتُ فِيهِ وَأُزْلِفَتْ *** وَأُذْكِيَ مِنْ نَارِ الجَحِيمِ اسْتِعَارُهَا,"Thy bones shall be deposited In the dark quarters of the dead, A narrow and a dusty room To those who see thee to thy tomb.  Then thou shalt hear a voice proclaim, But wilt not know who calls thy name, And see in that deserted place The veil is lifted from life’s face;  Thou shalt be summoned to a day Of, awful terror and dismay, That famous hour of mustering When all shall rise to meet their King.  Then every beast from den and lair Shall spring, to be assembled there; And all the pages of our sin About our heads shall whirl and spin;  And Paradise shall be displayed In fair and intimate parade, The raging fires of Hell below Be stoked to an intenser glow."
وَكُوِّرَتِ الشَّمْسُ المُنِيرَةُ بِالضُّحَى *** وَأَسْرَعَ مَنْ زُهْرِ النُّجُومِ انْكِدَارُهَا لَقَدْ جَلَّ أَمْرٌ كَانَ مِنْهُ انْتِظَامُهَا *** وَقَدْ حَلَّ أَمْرٌ كَانَ مِنْهُ انْتِثَارُهَا وَسُيِّرَتِ الأَجْبَالُ وَالأَرْضُ بُدِّلَتْ *** وَقَدْ عُطِّلَتْ مِنْ مَالِكِيهَا عِشَارُهَا فَإِمَّا لِدَارٍ لَيْسَ يَفْنَى نَعِيمُهَا *** وَإِمَّا لِدَارٍ لَا يُفَكُّ إِسَارُهَا بِحَضْرَةِ جَبَّارٍ رَفِيقٍ مُعَاقبٍ *** فَتُحْصى المَعَاصِي كبْرُهَا وَصِغَارُهَا,"The sun, that fills the noon with light, Shall darken, as if wrapped in night; The stars, so radiant on high, Shall scatter swiftly from the sky,  And as by heavenly command Arrayed in order due they stand, So at the word celestial In wide dispersion they shall fall.  And then shall every mountain range Be shaken, and earth’s contours change; The dromedaries great with child Shall roam deserted through the wild.  Then every man shall be endued With infinite beatitude, Or to imprisonment assigned Whose chains are never to unbind.  Before a mighty, gracious Lord Just in reprisal and reward The trespasses of men shall all Be reckoned up, both great and small;"
وَيَنْدَمُ يَوْمَ البَعْثِ جَانِي صِغَارِهَا *** وَتُهْلِكُ أَهْلِيهَا هُنَاكَ كِبَارُهَا سَتُغْبَطُ أَجْسَادٌ وَتُحْيا نُفُوسُهَا *** إِذَا مَا اسْتَوَى إِسْرَارُهَا وَجِهَارُهَا إِذَا حَفَّهُمْ عَفْوُ الإِلَهِ وَفَضْلُهُ *** وَأَسْكَنَهُمْ دَارًا حَلَالًا عُقَارُهَا سَيَلْحَقُهُمْ أَهْلُ الفُسُوقِ إِذَا اسْتَوَى *** بِحَلْبَة سَبقٍ طَرْفُهَا وَحمارُهَا يَفِرُّ بَنُو الدُّنْيَا بِدُنْيَاهُمُ الَّتِي *** يُظَنُّ عَلَى أَهْلِ الحُظُوظِ اقْتِصَارُهَا,"And those who were of small offence Shall save themselves by penitence, And those whose sins were great shall be Condemned to all eternity.  What joy their bodies shall obtain Whose souls are brought to life again, When secret thought, put to the test, Proves one with action manifest!  Encompassed in that dreadful place By God’s forgiveness and His grace They shall be made at last to dwell Where wine is lawful, and all well;  Which happiness licentious men Shall win in equal measure, when The donkey and the noble horse Are judged joint winners in the course.  The world lings all shall flee away With their loved world in dire dismay, Whose transient pleasures seemed so true, Reserved to the so favoured few."
هِيَ الأُمُّ خَيْرُ البِرِّ فِيهَا عُقُوقُهَا *** وَلَيْسَ بِغَيْرِ البَذْلِ يُحْمَى ذِمَارُهَا فَمَا نَالَ مِنْهَا الحَظَّ إِلَّا مُهِينُهَا *** وَمَا الهُلْكُ إِلَّا قُرْبُهَا وَاعْتِمَارُهَا تَهَافَتَ فِيهَا طَامِعٌ بَعْدَ طَامِعٍ *** وَقَدْ بَانَ لِلُّبِّ الذَّكِيِّ اخْتِبَارُهَا تَطَامَنْ لِغَمْرِ الحَادِثَاتِ وَلَا تَكُنْ *** لَهَا ذَا اعْتِمَارٍ يَجْتَنِبْكَ غِمَارُهَا وِإِيَّاكَ أَنْ تَغْتَرَّ مِنْهَا بِمَا تَرَى *** فَقَدْ صَحَّ فِي العَقْلِ الجَلِيِّ عيَارُهَا,"The world’s a mother, whom her son Best honours, strickliest to shun, And whom to save from mortal hurt Is most devoutly to desert;  None wins abiding pleasure there Except that he despises her, And they who cultivate her charms Go down to ruin in her arms.  Suitor to suitor doth succeed Pursuing her with breathless greed, Though to the wise experiment Has proved long since her ill intent.  Live tranquil, and untroubled be By fortune’s fluctuating sea; Plunge not into the tumbling wave That waits to suck thee to thy grave.  Be not deceived or led astray By luck’s illusory display; The touchstone of unclouded wit Reveals the falsity of it."
رَأَيْتُ مُلُوكَ الأَرْضِ يَبْغُونَ عُدَّةً *** وَلَذَّةَ نَفْسٍ يُسْتَطَابُ اجْتِرَارُهَا وَخَلُّوا طَرِيقَ القَصْدِ فِي مُبْتَغَاهُمُ *** لِمُتْبِعِهِ الصفار جَمَّ صَغَارُهَا وَإِنَّ الَّتِي يَبْغُونَ نَهْجَ بَقِيَّةٍ *** مَكِين لِطُلَّابِ الخَلَاصِ اخْتِصَارُهَا هَلِ العِزُّ إِلَّا هِمَّةٌ صَحَّ صَوْنُهَا *** إِذَا صَانَ همَّاتِ الرِّجَالِ انْكِسَارُهَا وَهَلْ رَابِحٌ إِلَّا امْرُؤٌ مُتَوَكِّلٌ *** قَنُوعٌ غَنِيُّ النَّفْسِ بَادٍ وَقَارُهَا,"I have observed how worldly kings Desired the pomp that power brings, Those pleasures of the appetite Whose tasting is such sweet delight;  They wandered far from rectitude To grasp the glitter they pursued, As with her trail of lambs the ewe Will quest for pastures ever new;  Yet all their struggle and their strife Was to attain a span of life Which those who for salvation make Do find most easy to forsake.  For what is glory, but to keep The honour from ambition’s steep, And what is honour, but the will To stifle every thought of ill?  And who shall final profit find Except the man with heart resigned, Rich in contentment of the soul, Majestic in his self-control?"
وَيَلْقَى ولَاةَ الملكِ خَوْفًا وَفِكْرَة *** تَضِيقُ بِهَا ذَرْعًا وَيَفْنَى اصْطِبَارُهَا عِيَانًا نَرَى هَذَا وَلَكِنَّ سَكْرَةً *** أَحَاطَتْ بِنَا مَا إِنْ يُفِيق خُمَارُهَا تَدَبَّرْ مَنِ البَانِي عَلَى الأَرْضِ سَقْفَهَا *** وَفِي عِلْمِهِ مَعْمُورُهَا وَقِفَارُهَا وَمَنْ يُمْسِكُ الأَجْرَامَ وَالأَرْضَ أَمْرُهُ *** بِلَا عَمَدٍ يُبْنَى عَلَيْهِ قَرَارُهَا وَمَنْ قَدَّرَ التَّدْبِيرَ فِيهَا بِحِكْمَةٍ *** فَصَحَّ لَدَيْهَا لَيْلُهَا وَنَهَارُهَا,"But those promoted to great power In fear and trepidation cower, Unequal to support the cares That by high privilege are theirs.  All this we plainly see; and yet Are by such drunkenness beset That, with the fumes of folly blind, We cannot grasp the truth to mind.  Reflect on Him Who o’er the earth Raised up yon roof of massive girth, Within Whose knowledge are embraced The fertile field, the arid waste;  Who holds the stars in His wide hand, And earth, obeying His command, Without foundations keeps her place In the vast firmament of space.  He did determine and devise According to His purpose wise This ordered world, wherever new Night follows day in sequence due."
وَمَنْ فَتَقَ الأَمْوَاهَ فِي صُفْحِ وَجْهِهَا *** فَمِنْهَا يُغَذَّى حَبُّهَا وَثِمَارُهَا وَمَنْ صَيَّرَ الأَلْوَانَ فِي نَورِ نَبْتِهَا *** فَأَشْرَقَ فِيهَا وَرْدُهَا وَبهَارُهَا فَمِنْهُنَّ مُخْضَرٌّ يَرُوقُ بَصِيصهُ *** وَمِنْهُنَّ مَا يَغْشَى اللِّحَاظَ احْمِرَارُهَا وَمَنْ حَفَرَ الأَنْهَارَ دُونَ تَكَلُّفٍ *** فَثَارَ مِنَ الصُّمِّ الصِّلَابِ انْفِجَارُهَا وَمَنْ رَتَّبَ الشَّمْسَ المُنِيرَ ابْيِضَاضُهَا *** غُدُوًّا وَيَبْدُو بِالعشِيِّ اصْفِرَارُهَا,"He loosed the flooding waters, so That over all the land they flow, Providing nourishment to root Of swelling grain and shining fruit.  He fashioned all the hues revealed By all the lilies of the field, The gold that in the tulip glows, The crimson glory of the rose,  The ferns so delicately green That hold enchantment in their sheen, The jacarandas that amaze The vision with their fiery blaze.  He channeled out with utmost ease The rivers running to the seas, So that the fountains’ sudden shock Split through the hard and granite rock.  Who gave the sun its ball of light That in the morning shineth white, But when the day is nigh to close In golden emanation glows?"
وَمَنْ خَلَقَ الأَفْلَاكَ فَامْتَدَّ جَرْيُهَا *** وَأَحْكَمَهَا حَتَّى اسْتَقَامَ مَدَارُهَا وَمَنْ إِنْ أَلَمَّتْ بِالعُقُولِ رَزِيَّةٌ *** فَلَيْسَ إِلَى حَيٍّ سِوَاهُ افْتِقَارُهَا؟ تَجِدْ كُلَّ هَذَا رَاجِعًا نَحْوَ خَالِقٍ *** لَهُ مُلْكُهَا مُنْقَادَة وَائْتِمَارُهَا أَبَانَ لَنَا الآيَاتِ فِي أَنْبِيَائِهِ *** فَأَمْكَنَ بَعْدَ العَجْزِ فِيهَا اقْتِدَارُهَا فَأَنْطَقَ أَفْوَاهًا بِأَلْفَاظِ حِكْمَةٍ *** وَمَا حَلهَا إِثْغَارُهَا وَاتِّغَارُهَا,"Who made the spinning spheres to run On their far orbits, every one So firmly on its axis set That all rotate serenely yet?  And when calamities do vex And try the wisest intellects, What living thing but He is there To whom the needy may repair?  Each creature, as thou canst discern, To its Creator doth return, Whose sovereign, eternal sway All things submissively obey.  And through His prophets He has shown His wondrous signs, which they have known, Who formerly were powerless, To master in new blessedness.  He opened mouths that they might preach The wisdom He would have them teach, In toothless infancy as sage As uninhibited by age."
وَأَبْرَزَ مِنْ صُمِّ الحِجَارَةِ نَاقَةً *** وَأَسْمَعَهُمْ فِي الحِينِ مِنْهَا حُوَارُهَا لِيُوقِنَ أَقْوَامٌ وَتَكْفُرَ عُصْبَةٌ *** أَتَاهَا بِأَسْبَابِ الهَلَاكِ قِدَارُهَا وَشَقَّ لِمُوسَى البَحْرَ دُونَ تَكَلُّفٍ *** وَبَانَ مِنَ الأَمْوَاجِ فِيهِ انْحِسَارُهَا وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ نَارِ الأنوق خَلِيلَهُ *** فَلَمْ يُؤْذِهِ إِحْرَاقُهَا وَاعْتِرَارُهَا وَنَجَّى مِنَ الطُّوفَانِ نُوحًا وَقَدْ هَدَتْ *** بِهِ أُمَّةٌ أَبْدَى الفُسُوقَ شِرَارُهَا,"Out of the stony rock hewed He A camel, shaped so cunningly That with no instant of delay Its bellow echoed far away,  That many through that miracle Might win to faith; some, infidel, Led by the sin Qudar there wrought, Were unto dire perdition brought.  He likewise clove the mighty seas For Moses with amazing ease, So that the waves before his rod Rolled back, to prove the power of God,  And Abram, whom He called His friend, He rescued from the fiery end That Nimrod plotted, and the flame Was impotent his flesh to maim.  And He delivered from the Flood His servant Noah, of whose blood A righteous progeny was spared The ruin all those sinners shared."
وَمَكَّنَ دَاوُدًا بِأَيْدٍ وَإِبْنَهُ *** فَتَعْسِيرُهَا مُلْقًى لَهُ وَبدَارُهَا وَذَلَّلَ جَبَّارَ البِلَادِ لِأَمْرِهِ *** وَعُلِّمَ مِنْ طَيْرِ السَّمَاءِ حِوَارهَا وَفَضَّلَ بِالقُرْآنِ أُمَّةَ أَحْمَدٍ *** وَمَكَّنَ فِي أَقْصَى البِلَادِ مُغَارُهَا وَشَقَّ لَهُ بَدْرَ السَّمَاءِ وَخَصَّهُ *** بِآيَاتِ حَقٍّ لَا يُخل مُعَارُهَا وَأَنْقَذَنَا مِنْ كُفْرِ أَرْبَابِنَا بِهِ *** وَكَانَ عَلَى قُطْبِ الهَلَاكِ مَنَارُهَا فَمَا بَالُنَا لَا نَتْرُكُ الجَهْلَ وَيْحَنَا *** لِنَسْلَمَ مِنْ نَارٍ تَرَامَى شِرَارُهَا,"And David, and his son beside, With mighty gifts He fortified, According them, as He might please, In all their difficulties ease;  The mighty tyrant of the land Bowed to King Solomon’s command, And he was taught the airy speech Of birds, and how each calls to each.  But on Mohammed’s people He Bestowed, His greatest grace to be, The Holy Book, and power to ride Through all the countries far and wide;   He clove for him the shining moon In heaven, and for special boon Revealed to him those verses true Whose strength no shaking can undo;  Its sacred truth delivered us When unbelief most ruinous Possessed our minds, and every man Upon the pole of ruin span.  Alas for us! Then why do we Forsake not our stupidity, To save our souls from that dread fire Whose leaping sparks draw ever nigher?"
هنا — أعزك الله — انتهى ما تذكَّرته إيجابًا لك، وتقمنًا لمسرَّتك، ووقوفًا عند أمرك، ولم أمتنع أن أورد لك في هذه الرسالة أشياء يذكرها الشعراء ويُكثرون القول فيها، موفيات على وجوهها، ومفردات في أبوابها، ومنعمات التفسير، مثل الإفراط في صفة النحول، وتشبيه الدموع بالأمطار، وأنها تروي السفار، وعدم النوم البتة، وانقطاع الغذاء جملةً، إلا أنها أشياء لا حقيقة لها، وكذب لا وجه له، ولكل شيء حدٌّ، وقد جعل الله لكل شيء قدرًا.,"Here ends -may Allah exalt you!- all that I have brought to mind in answer to your request, in pursuit of your pleasure, and in obedience to your command. I have not refrained from setting down in this epistle things which the poets love to mention and constantly to repeat, all being exposed in full according to their various aspects, and detailed under their several headings; I have furnished them likewise with ample commentaries. Such themes these are as the poet’s exaggerated description of the lover’s wasting, his likening of tears to falling rains that slake thirsty eyelashes, the total loss of sleep, and the eschewing of all nourishment. These things are all without reality they are all unfounded lies. Every thing has its bound, and God has assigned a measure to all matters."
والنحول قد يَعظُم ولو صار حيث يصفونه لكان في قوام الذرة أو دونها، ولخرج عن حد المعقول، والسهر قد يتصل لياليَ، ولكن لو عدم الغذاء أسبوعين لهلك، وإنما قلنا: الصبر عن النوم أقل من الصبر عن الطعام؛ لأن النوم غذاء الروح، والطعام غذاء الجسد، وإن كانا يشتركان في كليهما، ولكنا حكينا على الأغلب.,"Wasting may sometimes become very serious; but if it proceeded to the point which poets allege, the lover would shrink to the stature of an ant or less, and the phenomenon would transcend the bounds of reason. Sleeplessness may sometimes continue for several nights on end; if a man were deprived of all nourishment for a fortnight he would surely perish. We have taken the view that loss of sleep is harder to endure than lack of food: this is because sleep is the nourishment of the soul, whereas food is the nourishment of the body, though it is true that soul and body share alike in both: what we have related however applies to the majority of cases."
وأما الماء فقد رأيت أن ميسورًا البنَّاء جارَنا بقُرطبة يصبر عن الماء أسبوعين في حمارَّة القيظ، ويكتفي بما في غذائه من رطوبة. وحدثني القاضي أبو عبد الرحمن بن جحاف أنه كان يعرف من كان لا يشرب الماء شهرًا.,"As for the question of drinking, I have myself seen Maisur the mason, our neighbour in Cordova; do without water for a fortnight in the very heat of midsummer, contenting himself with what moisture he could find in his ordinary nourishment. The cadi Abu Abd al-Rahman Ibn Jahhaf informed me that he knew of a man who drank no water for a month."
وإنما اقتصرت في رسالتي على الحقائق المعلومة التي لا يمكن وجود سواها أصلًا، وعلى أني قد أوردت من هذه الوجوه المذكورة أشياء كثيرة يُكتفى بها لئلا أخرج عن طريقة أهل الشعر ومذهبهم. وسيرى كثير من إخواننا أخبارًا لهم في هذه الرسالة مكنِّيًا فيها من أسمائهم على ما شرطنا في ابتدائها.,"But I have confined myself in this essay to known facts, beyond which it is absolutely impossible for anything to exist; apart, that is, from setting down a sufficient number of things belonging to the categories mentioned above, so as not to depart from the custom and usage of poets. Many of our friends will see in this treatise anecdotes relating to themselves. In every instance I have referred to them under pseudonyms, as we proposed at the beginning."
وأنا أستغفر الله تعالى مما يكتبه المَلَكان، ويُحصيه الرقيبان من هذا وشبهه، استغفار من يعلم أن كلامه من عمله، ولكنه إن لم يكن من اللغو الذي لا يؤاخذ به المرء، فهو — إن شاء الله — من اللَّمم المَعْفوِّ، وإلا فليس من السيئات والفواحش التي يتوقع عليها العذاب. وعلى كل حال فليس من الكبائر التي ورد النص فيها.,"I beg Allah’s forgiveness for whatever the recording angels may note down, and the guardian angels enumerate against me, of this and the like; and I entreat His pardon as one who knows that his words shall be reckoned even as his deeds. If what I have said is not mere idle talk, for which no man shall be taken to task, yet my observations, God willing, shall prove to be pardonable peccadilloes; in any case they are hardly likely to rank as grave offences and abominations incurring Divine chastisement, nor do they count among those deadly sins specified in Holy Writ."
وأنا أعلم أنه سيُنكر عليَّ بعضُ المُتعصبين عليَّ تأليفي لمثل هذا ويقول: إنه خالف طريقته، وتجافى عن وجهته، وما أُحِلُّ لأحد أن يَظنَّ فيَّ غير ما قصدته، قال الله عز وجل: {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ}.,"I am aware that certain of my fanatical enemies will be shocked by my having composed a book of this kind. They will say, “He has acted contrary to his professions, and deviated from his chosen path.” But I permit no man the privilege of ascribing to me motives, which were never mine. Allah has said, “O ye who believe, abstain from many suspicions, for some suspicions are a sin” (Koran XLIX 12)."
وحدثني أحمد بن محمد بن الجسوري: ثنا ابن أبي دليم، ثنا ابن وضاح، عن يحيى بن مالك بن أنس، عن أبي الزبير المكي، عن أبي شريح الكعبي، عن رسول الله ﷺ أنه قال: «إياكم والظن؛ فإنه أكذب الكذب.»,"Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn al Jasur informed me on the authority of Ibn Abi Dulaim, transmitting from Ibn Waddah, from Yahya, from Malik Ibn Anas, from Abu ‘I-Zubair al-Makki, from Abu Shuraih al-Ka’bi, that the Messenger of Allah declared, “Beware of suspicion, for it is the falsest of falsehoods.”"
وبه إلى مالك، عن سعيد بن أبي سعيد المَقبري، عن الأعرج، عن أبي هريرة، عن رسول الله ﷺ أنه قال: «من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فليقُل خيرًا أو ليصمت».,"I have also received a Tradition from the same chain of authorities as far as Malik, who transmitted from Sa’id Ibn Abi Sa’id al-Maqbari, from al-A’raj, from Abu Huraira, that the. Prophet of Allah said, “Whosoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good, or be silent.”"
وحدثني صاحبي أبو بكر محمد بن إسحاق، ثنا عبد الله بن يوسف الأزدي، ثنا يحيى بن عائذ، ثنا أبو عدي عبد العزيز بن علي بن محمد بن إسحاق بن الفرج الإمام بمصر، ثنا أبو علي الحسن بن قاسم بن دحيم المصري، ثنا محمد بن زكريا الغلابي، ثنا أبو العباس، ثنا أبو بكر، عن قتادة، عن سعيد بن المسيب أنه قال: وضع عمر بن الخطاب — رضي الله عنه — للناس ثماني عشرة كلمة من الحكمة، منها: «ضع أمر أخيك على أحسنه حتى يأتيك ما يغلبك عليه، ولا تَظنَّ بكلمةٍ خرجت من في امرئ مسلم شرًّا وأنت تجد لها في الخير محملًا.» فهذا — أعزك الله — أدب الله وأدب رسوله ﷺ وأدب أمير المؤمنين.,"My friend Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Ishaq related to me on the authority of `Abd Allah Ibn Yusuf al-Azdi, transmitting from Yahya Ibn ‘A’idh, from Abu ‘Adi `Abd al-‘Aziz Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ishaq Ibn al-Faraj the Imam in Egypt, from Abu `Ali al-Hasan Ibn Qasim Ibn Duhaim al-Misri, from Muhammad Ibn Zakariya’ al-‘Allani, from Abu ‘l-`Abbas, from Abu Bakr, from Qatada, from Sa’id Ibn al-Musaiyib, that `Umar Ibn al-Khattab (God be well pleased with him) invented eighteen wise maxims for the people, among them the following: “Put thy brother’s affairs in the best light, that he may not act towards thee in a manner obliging thee to take a contrary opinion. Think not evil of any word that has proceeded out of the mouth of a Moslem, if thou art able to find a good construction for it.” Such-may Allah exalt you-is the manner of conduct enjoined by Allah, the Messenger of Allah, and the Commander of the Faithful."
وبالجملة فإني لا أقول بالمراياة، ولا أنسك نسكًا أعجميًّا، ومن أدَّى الفرائض المأمور بها، واجتنب المحارم المنهي عنها، ولم ينسَ الفضل فيما بينه وبين الناس، فقد وقع عليه اسم الإحسان، ودعني مما سوى ذلك، وحسبي الله.,"In brief, I neither hold by hypocrisy, nor follow the Persian fashion of rigorous austerity. Whosoever performs the religious duties all are commanded to observe, and eschews those forbidden things prohibited by Allah, and forgets not to be noble and generous in his dealings with other men, to that man truly belongs the attribute of benevolence. As for the rest, I beg you to spare me God is my sufficiency."
والكلام في مثل هذا إنما هو مع خلاء الذرع وفراغ القلب، وإن حفظ شيء وبقاء رسم وتذكر فائت لمثل خاطري لعجبٌ على ما مضى ودهمني؛ فأنت تعلم أن ذهني متقلب، وبالي مهصر بما نحن فيه من نَبْوِ الديار، والخلاء عن الأوطان، وتغيُّر الزمان، ونكبات السلطان، وتغير الإخوان، وفساد الأحوال، وتبدُّل الأيام، وذهاب الوفر، والخروج عن الطارف والتالد، واقتطاع مكاسب الآباء والأجداد، والغربة في البلاد، وذهاب المال والجاه، والفكر في صيانة الأهل والولد، واليأس عن الرجوع إلى موضع الأهل، ومدافعة الدهر، وانتظار الأقدار. لا جعلنا الله من الشاكين إلا إليه، وأعادنا إلى أفضل ما عودنا.,"To speak on matters such as these requires a breast unencumbered by cares, and a heart free from anxieties. To remember anything at all, to preserve a faint trace of former joys, to recollect happy events long past, is indeed a miracle for a mind like mine, considering all that has happened, and the heavy calamities that have befallen me. You know how restless my brain is, and how broken my spirit, on account of the situation in which we now are: remote from our loved habitations, exiled far from our motherland, assailed by the treacheries of time and the cruel wrongs of authority, betrayed by the fickleness of friends, oppressed by malignant circumstances, by change of fortune and loss of plenty, by deprivation of patrimony and personal winnings, by confiscation of earnings of fathers and grandfathers, a stranger in a strange land, robbed alike of wealth and position, beset by anxious thoughts to protect my family and children, despairing ever to return to the bosom of my people, condemned to struggle against fate, and awaiting the further blows of destiny. Nevertheless I pray that Allah may so grant that we shall never complain, save only unto Him: may He restore us yet to the best that we have ever known."
وإن الذي أبقى لَأكثرُ مما أخذ، والذي ترك أعظم من الذي تحيَّف، ومواهبه المحيطة بنا ونعمه التي غمرتنا لا تُحد، ولا يُؤدَّى شُكرُها، والكلُّ مِنَحه وعطاياه، ولا حُكمَ لنا في أنفسنا ونحن منه، وإليه منقلبنا. وكل عارية فراجعة إلى مُعيرها.,"Verily, what He has spared to us is more than what He has taken away, and that which He has left to us is greater than that He has deprived us of. Infinite are the gifts of God that encompass us, unbounded the graces of God that overwhelm us words can never express, thanks equal to His benefactions. All these things spring from His abounding generosity. We have no authority over ourselves, for from Him we come and to Him we return: every loan must revert to the lender."
وله الحمد أولًا وآخرًا، وعودًا وبدءًا، وأنا أقول:  جَعَلْتُ اليَأْسَ لِي حِصْنًا وَدِرْعًا *** فَلَمْ أَلْبَسْ ثِيَابَ المُسْتَضَامِ وَأَكْثَرُ مِنْ جَمِيعِ النَّاسِ عِنْدِي *** يَسِيرٌ صَانَنِي دُونَ الأَنَامِ إِذَا مَا صَحَّ لِي دِينِي وَعِرْضِي *** فَلَسْتُ لِمَا تَوَلَّى ذَا اهْتِمَام تَوَلَّى الأَمْس، وَالغَدُ لَسْتُ أَدْرِي *** أَأُدْرِكُهُ فَفِيمَا ذَا اغْتِمَام,"Praise be to Him first and last, at the ending as at the beginning.  Lo, I have made despair My tower and shield to be I ever scorned to wear The garb of tyranny.  More than the rallying Of all men, to my mind, Is this so little thing That saved me from mankind.  If my belief is true And my repute is fair, For what is past and through I do not have a care.  Since yesterday is gone, Tomorrow naught I know If I shall look upon, Why should I trouble so?"
والرسول عليه السلام يقول: لا يدخل الجنة قَتَّات.,"The Prophet of Allah said, “No calumniator shall enter Paradise.”"
في هذا المسجد كان مقدم بن الأصفر مريضًا أيام حداثته لعشق بعجيب، فتى الوزير أبي عمرو المذكور، وكان يترك الصلاة في مسجد مسرور — وبها كان سكناه — ويقصد في الليل والنهار إلى هذا المسجد بسبب عجيب، حتى أخذه الحرس غير ما مرَّة في الليل في حين انصرافه عن صلاة العشاء الآخرة، وكان يقعد وينظر منه إلى أن كان الفتى يغضب ويضجر ويقوم إليه فيُوجعه ضربًا، ويلطم خدَّيه وعينيه، فيُسرُّ بذلك ويقول: هذا والله أقصى أمنيتي، والآن قَرَّت عيني. وكان على هذا زمانًا يماشيه.,"in this mosque Muqaddam Ibn al-Asfar was always to be seen hanging about during his salad days, because of a romantic attachment which he had formed for ‘Ajib, the page-boy of the afore-mentioned Abu `Umar. He gave up attending prayers at the Masrur mosque (near where he lived), and came to this mosque night and day on account of ‘Ajib. He was arrested more than once by the guard at night, when he was departing from the mosque after praying the second evening prayer; he had done nothing but’ sit and stare at the page-boy until the latter, angry and infuriated, went up to him and struck him some hard blows, slapping his cheeks and punching him in the eye. Yet the young man was delighted at this and exclaimed, “By Allah! This is what I have dreamed of; now I am happy.” Then he would walk alongside of ‘Ajib for some minutes."
فصار بعد الصيانة عَلَمًا، وبعد السكون مثلًا، وأحبُّ شيء إليه الفضيحة فيما لو مثل له قبل اليوم لاعتراه النافض عن ذكره، ولطالت استعاذته منه، فسَهُل ما كان وعرًا، وهان ما كان عزيزًا، ولانَ ما كان شديدًا.,"so that his respectability has been turned into notoriety, his quiet retirement changed so that he is a public laughing-stock! To be a scandal is then his fondest ambition; he will commit actions which, if they had been so much as pictured to him hitherto, he would have shivered all over at their very mention, and prayed long and earnestly to be delivered from them. What was formerly hard has now become smooth, what was once most grave now seems to him of no account, what was difficult suddenly proves easy."
ولو لم يكن من فضل العين إلا أنَّ جوهرها أرفع الجواهر وأعلاها مكانًا لأنها نورية لا تُدرَك الألوان بسواها، ولا شيء أبعد مرمًى ولا أنأى غايةً منها لأنها تُدرَك بها أجرام الكواكب التي في الأفلاك البعيدة، وتُرى بها السماء على شدَّة ارتفاعها وبُعدها، وليس ذلك إلا لاتصالها في طبع خِلقتها بهذه المرآة، فهي تدركها وتصل إليها بالنظر، لا على قطع الأماكن والحلول في المواضع وتنقُّل الحركات،,"Even if all this were not due to any superior virtue in the eye itself, yet the fact remains that the substance of the eye is the loftiest and most sublime of all substances. For the eye possesses the property of light, and by it alone may colours by perceived; no other organ surpasses it in range and extent, since by the eye the bodies of the stars themselves in their distant spheres may be observed, and the heavens seen for all their tremendous elevation and remoteness. This is simply because the eye is united in the nature of its constitution with the mirror of which we have been speaking. It perceives those things, and reaches then as in a single bound, needing not to traverse the intervening distance by stages, or to alight at halting-places en route. The eye does not travel through space by laboured movements."
ولكل واحد من هذه المعاني ضرب من هيئة اللحظ لا يُوقف على تحديده إلا بالرؤية، ولا يُمكن تصويرُه ولا وصفُه إلا بالأقل منه، وأنا واصف ما تيسر من هذه المعاني:,"each, one of these various moods and intentions has its own particular kind of glance, which cannot be precisely realized except by ocular demonstration. Only a small fraction of the entire repertory is capable of being sketched out and described, and I will therefore attempt to describe here no more than the most elementary of these forms of expression."
وذكر عن بعض القافة أنه أُتى بابن أسود لأبْيضَين، فنظر إلى أعلامه فرآه لهما غير شك، فرغب أن يُوقَف على الموضع الذي اجتمعا عليه، فأُدخل البيتَ الذي كان فيه مَضْجعهما، فرأى فيما يوازي نظر المرأة صورةَ أسود في الحائط، فقال لأبيه: مِن قِبل هذه الصورة أُتيتَ في ابنك.,"It is also related that a certain physiognomies had brought before him a black child, whose parents were both white. He examined his features, and saw that the infant undoubtedly belonged to the pair; then he desired to be acquainted with the place where the parents had lain down together. He was brought into the house where their marriage-bed was, and observed facing the woman’s field of vision the picture of a black man painted on the wall. He at once remarked to the father, “It is on account of this picture that you have had such a son born to you.”"
وفي دون هذا ما سلَّى المشتاق ونسَّى الذاكر إلا من تمسَّك بحبل الوفاء مثلك، ورعى سالف الأذمَّة، ووكيد المودات، وحق النَّشأة ومحبة الصبا، وكانت مودته لله تعالى.,"and there were besides other obstacles which might well have diverted the most eager heart, and distracted the most resolute remembrance, except a man, held firm like you to the cord of loyalty, respecting those ancient dues and strongly-rooted affections, the rights of childish fondness and the comradeship of youth, a true lover withal for God."
فيجب على مَن امتُحن بمخالطة مَن هذه صفته على أي وجهٍ كان ألَّا يستفرغ عامة جُهْده في محبَّته، وأن يُقيم اليأس من دوامه خَصمًا لنفسه؛ فإذا لاحت له مخايل الملل قاطعه أيامًا حتى ينشط بالُه، ويبعد به عنه، ثم يُعاوده، فربما دامت المودَّة مع هذا.,"It behoves any man who has the misfortune to be mixed up with someone of this description, not to expend all his energies in loving him; rather should he set up despair, which he might well entertain regarding the constancy of his companion’s affections, as an adversary to do battle against his heart’s inclinations. As soon as the first signs of weariness on his part exhibit themselves to him, he must avoid his company for several days, until his fickle friend’s mind livens up again and his ennui departs; then he may safely resume relations with him. In that way the friendship may well endure."
فهذا يخطئه العيان، وعِلَلُ الردِّ عليه بيِّنة ليس هذا موضعها، ثم بيَّنت أنه وإن كان في أقصى المعمور من المشرق وأنا في أقصى المَعمور من المغرب، وهذا طول السكنى، فليس بيني وبينه إلا مسافة يوم؛ إذ الشمس تبدو في أول النهار في أول المشارق، وتغرب في آخر النهار في آخر المغارب.,"but this pretension is proved erroneous by ocular observation; the reasons for refuting their view are quite clear, but ‘ is not the place to set them forth. In my poem I have also explained that my beloved is in the extreme East of the cultivated world, and that I am in the extreme West, thus specifying the furthest range of, human habitation; yet the distance dividing us is but the journey of a single day, since the sun appears at the beginning of the day in the furthest East, and sets at he end of the day in the furthest West."
جعلنا الله وإياك من الصابرين الشاكرين الحامدين الذاكرين. آمين، آمين، والحمد لله رب العالمين، وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد وآله وصحبه وسلم تسليمًا.,"May Allah count us and you among the steadfast, the thankful, those who praise Him and extol His Name, Amen, Amen. Thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and His peace rest upon our Master Mohammed, and upon his family and companions, forever and ever."
وسيأتي هذا مفسَّرًا في باب السلو إن شاء الله.,"This shall be expounded at length in the chapter on Forgetting, if Allah wills."
وهو فصل من فصول البَيْن يجب التكلُّم فيه، كالعتاب في باب الهجر.,"This is one of the aspects of separation requiring to be discussed, as we have spoken of reproach in the chapter on Breaking Off."
"الاعتبار
المؤلف: أبو المظفر مؤيد الدولة مجد الدين أسامة بن مرشد بن علي بن مقلد بن نصر بن منقذ الكناني الكلبي الشَّيزَري
(مذكرات أسامة بن منقذ في الحروب الصليبية)",AN ARAB-SYRIAN GENTLEMAN AND WARRIOR IN THE PERIOD OF THE CRUSADES MEMOIRS OF USAMAH IBN-MUNQIDH
ولم يكن القتل في ذلك المصافّ في المسلمين كثيرًا.,In the course of that combat the massacre was not great in the ranks of the Moslems.