Al-Balagha al-Wadiha by al-Jarim & Amin (البلاغة الواضحة) — Page 19

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

اَلْبَلَاغَةُ اَلْوَاضِحَةُ

Clear Rhetoric

وَمَدَحَ جَرِيرٌ عَبْدَ اَلْمَلِكِ بْنَ مَرْوَانَ بِقَصِيدَةٍ مَطْلَعُهَا:

Jarir praised Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan with a poem that begins:

(أَتَصْحُو أَمْ فُؤَادُكَ غَيْرُ صَاحٍ).

(Are you waking up, or is your heart not awake?).

فَاسْتَنْكَرَ عَبْدُ اَلْمَلِكِ هَذَا اَلِابْتِدَاءَ وَقَالَ لَهُ: بَلْ فُؤَادُكَ أَنْتَ.

Abd al-Malik disapproved of this opening and said to him: 'Rather, it is your heart.'

وَنَعَى عُلَمَاءُ اَلْأَدَبِ عَلَى اَلْبُحْتُرِيِّ (٢) أَنْ يَبْدَأَ قَصِيدَةً يُنْشِدُهَا أَمَامَ مَمْدُوحِهِ بِقَوْلِهِ:

Scholars of literature criticized al-Buhturi (2) for beginning a poem he recited before the person he was praising with his words:

(لَكَ اَلْوَيْلُ مِنْ لَيْلٍ تَقَاصَرَ آخِرُهْ).

(Woe to you from a night whose end has shortened).

وَعَابُوا عَلَى اَلْمُتَنَبِّي قَوْلَهُ فِي رِثَاءِ أُمِّ سَيْفِ اَلدَّوْلَةِ

They also faulted al-Mutanabbi for his words in the eulogy of the mother of Sayf al-Dawla (3):

صَلَاةُ اَللَّهِ خَالِقِنَا حَنُوطٌ (٤) عَلَى اَلْوَجْهِ اَلْمُكَفَّنِ بِالْجَمَالِ

The prayer of God, our Creator, is an embalming perfume (4) upon the face shrouded in beauty.

قَالَ اِبْنُ وَكِيعٍ: إِنَّ وَصْفَهُ أُمَّ اَلْمَلِكِ بِجَمَالِ اَلْوَجْهِ غَيْرُ مُخْتَارٍ.

Ibn Waki' said: 'His description of the mother of the king as having a beautiful face is not well-chosen.'

وَفِي اَلْحَقِّ أَنَّ اَلْمُتَنَبِّيَ كَانَ جَرِيئًا فِي مُخَاطَبَةِ اَلْمُلُوكِ، وَلَعَلَّ لِعِظَمِ نَفْسِهِ وَعَبْقَرِيَّتِهِ شَأْنًا فِي هَذَا اَلشُّذُوذِ،

In truth, al-Mutanabbi was bold in addressing kings, and perhaps his greatness of soul and genius had a role in this anomaly.

إِذَنْ لَا بُدَّ لِلْبَلِيغِ أَوَّلًا مِنَ اَلتَّفْكِيرِ فِي اَلْمَعَانِي اَلَّتِي تَجِيشُ فِي نَفْسِهِ،

Therefore, the eloquent person must first think about the meanings that well up within his soul,

وَهَذِهِ يَجِبُ أَنْ تَكُونَ صَادِقَةً ذَاتَ قِيمَةٍ وَقُوَّةٍ يَظْهَرُ فِيهَا أَثَرُ اَلِابْتِكَارِ وَسَلَامَةُ اَلنَّظَرِ وَدِقَّةُ اَلذَّوْقِ فِي تَنْسِيقِ اَلْمَعَانِي وَحُسْنِ تَرْتِيبِهَا،

and these must be sincere, valuable, and powerful, in which the effect of innovation, soundness of perspective, and precision of taste in coordinating meanings and arranging them well appear.

فَإِذَا تَمَّ لَهُ ذَلِكَ عَمَدَ إِلَى اَلْأَلْفَاظِ اَلْوَاضِحَةِ اَلْمُؤَثِّرَةِ اَلْمُلَائِمَةِ، فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَهَا تَأْلِيفًا يُكْسِبُهَا جَمَالًا وَقُوَّةً،

Once he has achieved that, he turns to clear, influential, and appropriate words, composing them in a way that grants them beauty and strength.

فَالْبَلَاغَةُ لَيْسَتْ فِي اَللَّفْظِ وَحْدَهُ، وَلَيْسَتْ فِي اَلْمَعْنَى وَحْدَهُ، وَلَكِنَّهَا أَثَرٌ لَازِمٌ لِسَلَامَةِ تَأَلُّفِ هَذَيْنِ وَحُسْنِ اِنْسِجَامِهِمَا.

Rhetoric is not in the word alone, nor in the meaning alone, but it is a necessary result of the soundness of the composition of these two and the excellence of their harmony.

بَعْدَ هَذَا يَحْسُنُ بِكَ أَنْ تَعْرِفَ شَيْئًا عَنِ اَلْأُسْلُوبِ اَلَّذِي هُوَ اَلْمَعْنَى اَلْمَصُوغُ فِي أَلْفَاظٍ مُؤَلَّفَةٍ عَلَى صُورَةٍ تَكُونُ أَقْرَبَ لِنَيْلِ اَلْغَرَضِ اَلْمَقْصُودِ مِنَ اَلْكَلَامِ، وَأَفْعَلَ فِي نُفُوسِ سَامِعِيهِ،

After this, it is good for you to know something about style, which is the meaning crafted into words composed in a form that is closer to achieving the intended purpose of the speech and more effective in the souls of its listeners.

وَأَنْوَاعُ اَلْأَسَالِيبِ ثَلَاثَةٌ:

The types of styles are three:

اَلْأُسْلُوبُ اَلْعِلْمِيُّ: هُوَ أَهْدَأُ اَلْأَسَالِيبِ، وَأَكْثَرُهَا اِحْتِيَاجًا إِلَى اَلْمَنْطِقِ اَلسَّلِيمِ وَالْفِكْرِ.

1. The Scientific Style: It is the calmest of styles and the one most in need of sound logic and thought.

جَرِيرٌ هُوَ اِبْنُ عَطِيَّةَ اَلتَّمِيمِيُّ، أَحَدُ اَلشُّعَرَاءِ اَلثَّلَاثَةِ اَلْمُقَدَّمِينَ فِي دَوْلَةِ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ، وَهُمْ: اَلْأَخْطَلُ وَجَرِيرٌ وَالْفَرَزْدَقُ، وَقَدْ فَاقَ صَاحِبَيْهِ فِي بَعْضِ فُنُونِ اَلشِّعْرِ، وَتُوُفِّيَ سَنَةَ ١١٠هـ.

(1) Jarir is Ibn Atiyyah al-Tamimi, one of the three leading poets in the Umayyad state, who are: al-Akhtal, Jarir, and al-Farazdaq. He surpassed his two companions in some arts of poetry, and he died in the year 110 AH.

اَلْبُحْتُرِيُّ شَاعِرٌ مَطْبُوعٌ مِنْ شُعَرَاءِ اَلدَّوْلَةِ اَلْعَبَّاسِيَّةِ، سُئِلَ أَبُو اَلْعَلَاءِ اَلْمَعَرِّيُّ: مَنْ أَشْعَرُ اَلثَّلَاثَةِ، أَبُو تَمَّامٍ أَمِ اَلْبُحْتُرِيُّ أَمِ اَلْمُتَنَبِّي؟ فَقَالَ: أَبُو تَمَّامٍ وَالْمُتَنَبِّي حَكِيمَانِ، وَإِنَّمَا اَلشَّاعِرُ اَلْبُحْتُرِيُّ.

(2) Al-Buhturi is a naturally gifted poet among the poets of the Abbasid state. Abu al-Ala al-Ma'arri was asked: 'Who is the most poetic of the three: Abu Tammam, al-Buhturi, or al-Mutanabbi?' He said: 'Abu Tammam and al-Mutanabbi are philosophers, but the true poet is al-Buhturi.'

وَكَانَتْ وِلَادَتُهُ بِمَنْبِجَ - وَهِيَ بَلْدَةٌ قَدِيمَةٌ بَيْنَ حَلَبَ وَالْفُرَاتِ - وَتُوُفِّيَ بِهَا سَنَةَ ٢٨٤هـ.

He was born in Manbij—an ancient town between Aleppo and the Euphrates—and died there in the year 284 AH.

سَيْفُ اَلدَّوْلَةِ: هُوَ أَبُو اَلْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ بْنِ حَمْدَانَ، كَانَ مَلِكًا عَلَى حَلَبَ، وَكَانَ أَدِيبًا شَاعِرًا مُجِيدًا مُحِبًّا لِجَيِّدِ اَلشِّعْرِ شَدِيدَ اَلِاهْتِزَازِ لَهُ،

(3) Sayf al-Dawla: He is Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Abd Allah ibn Hamdan. He was a king of Aleppo, and he was a man of letters, a skilled poet, a lover of good poetry, and deeply moved by it.

قِيلَ: لَمْ يَجْتَمِعْ بِبَابِ أَحَدٍ مِنَ اَلْمُلُوكِ بَعْدَ اَلْخُلَفَاءِ مَا اِجْتَمَعَ بِبَابِهِ مِنَ اَلشُّعَرَاءِ، وَقَدِ اِنْقَطَعَ اَلْمُتَنَبِّي إِلَيْهِ وَخَصَّهُ بِمَدَائِحِهِ وَكَانَتْ وِلَادَتُهُ سَنَةَ ٣٠٣هـ، وَهِيَ سَنَةُ وِلَادَةِ اَلْمُتَنَبِّي، وَوَفَاتُهُ سَنَةَ ٣٥٦هـ بَعْدَ مَقْتَلِ اَلْمُتَنَبِّي بِسَنَتَيْنِ.

It was said: 'There never gathered at the door of any king after the Caliphs what gathered at his door of poets.' Al-Mutanabbi devoted himself to him and singled him out for his praises. He was born in the year 303 AH, which is the year of al-Mutanabbi's birth, and he died in the year 356 AH, two years after the killing of al-Mutanabbi.

صَلَاةُ اَلصَّلَاةِ: اَلرَّحْمَةُ.

(4) Prayer: Mercy.

اَلْحَنُوطُ: طِيبٌ يُخْلَطُ لِلْمَيِّتِ. يَدْعُو لَهَا بِأَنْ تَكُونَ رَحْمَةُ اَللَّهِ لَهَا بِمَنْزِلَةِ اَلْحَنُوطِ لِلْمَيِّتِ.

(5) Hanut: A perfume mixed for the deceased. He prays for her that God's mercy upon her may be like the hanut for the deceased.

اِبْنُ وَكِيعٍ: شَاعِرٌ مُجِيدٌ، أَصْلُهُ مِنْ بَغْدَادَ، وُلِدَ فِي تِنِّيسَ بِمِصْرَ، وَتُوُفِّيَ بِهَا سَنَةَ ٣٩٣هـ، وَلَهُ دِيوَانُ شِعْرٍ.

(6) Ibn Waki': A skilled poet, originally from Baghdad. He was born in Tinnis in Egypt and died there in the year 393 AH, and he has a collection of poetry.

Vocabulary · المفردات (25 verbs · 71 nouns)

• مَدَحَ — to praise
• صَحَا — to wake up
• اسْتَنْكَرَ — to disapprove
• قَالَ — to say
• نَعَى — to criticize
• بَدَأَ — to begin
• أَنْشَدَ — to recite
• تَقَاصَرَ — to shorten
• عَابَ — to blame
• خَلَقَ — to create
• كَفَّنَ — to shroud
• وَصَفَ — to describe
• خَاطَبَ — to address
• جَاشَ — to surge
• وَجَبَ — to be necessary
• ظَهَرَ — to appear
• تَمَّ — to be completed
• عَمَدَ — to intend
• أَلَّفَ — to compose
• كَسَبَ — to earn
• حَسُنَ — to be good
• عَرَفَ — to know
• صَاغَ — to forge
• نَالَ — to obtain
• فَعَلَ — to do
• قَصِيدَةٌ — poem
• مَطْلَعٌ — beginning
• فُؤَادٌ — heart
• ابْتِدَاءٌ — beginning
• عَالِمٌ — scholar
• أَدَبٌ — literature
• مَمْدُوحٌ — praised
• قَوْلٌ — saying
• وَيْلٌ — woe
• لَيْلٌ — night
• آخِرٌ — end
• رِثَاءٌ — elegy
• أُمٌّ — mother
• صَلَاةٌ — prayer
• خَالِقٌ — creator
• حَنُوطٌ — embalming substance
• وَجْهٌ — face
• مُكَفَّنٌ — shrouded person
• جَمَالٌ — beauty
• وَصْفٌ — description
• مُخْتَارٌ — chosen
• حَقٌّ — truth
• جَرِيءٌ — bold
• مُخَاطَبَةٌ — addressing
• عِظَمٌ — greatness
• نَفْسٌ — self
• عَبْقَرِيَّةٌ — genius
• شَأْنٌ — matter
• شُذُوذٌ — anomaly
• بَلِيغٌ — eloquent person
• تَفْكِيرٌ — thinking
• مَعْنًى — meaning
• قِيمَةٌ — value
• قُوَّةٌ — strength
• أَثَرٌ — effect
• ابْتِكَارٌ — innovation
• سَلَامَةٌ — soundness
• نَظَرٌ — view
• دِقَّةٌ — precision
• ذَوْقٌ — taste
• تَنْسِيقٌ — coordination
• حُسْنٌ — goodness
• تَرْتِيبٌ — arrangement
• لَفْظٌ — word
• وَاضِحٌ — clear
• مُؤَثِّرٌ — influential
• مُلَائِمٌ — appropriate
• تَأْلِيفٌ — composition
• بَلَاغَةٌ — rhetoric
• لَازِمٌ — necessary
• تَأَلُّفٌ — harmony
• انْسِجَامٌ — coherence
• شَيْءٌ — thing
• أُسْلُوبٌ — style
• مَصُوغٌ — forged
• صُورَةٌ — form
• أَقْرَبُ — closer
• نَيْلٌ — attainment
• غَرَضٌ — purpose
• مَقْصُودٌ — intended
• كَلَامٌ — speech
• أَفْعَلُ — more effective
• سَامِعٌ — listener
• نَوْعٌ — type
• ثَلَاثَةٌ — three
• عِلْمِيٌّ — scientific
• هَادِئٌ — calm
• احْتِيَاجٌ — need
• مَنْطِقٌ — logic
• سَلِيمٌ — sound
• فِكْرٌ — thought