Mukhtasar al-Ma'ani by al-Taftazani, Vol. 2 (مختصر المعاني) — Page 13

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

الْفَنُّ الثَّانِي.

The second art.

الدَّلَالَةُ.

Signification.

وَبَعْدَ تَحَقُّقِ الْعِلْمِ بِالْوَضْعِ وَحُصُولِهِ بِالْفِعْلِ فَالْفَهْمُ ضَرُورِيٌّ، وَيَتَأَتَّى الْإِيرَادُ الْمَذْكُورُ بِالْعَقْلِيَّةِ مِنَ الدَّلَالَاتِ؛ لِجَوَازِ أَنْ تَخْتَلِفَ مَرَاتِبُ اللُّزُومِ فِي الْوُضُوحِ، أَيْ مَرَاتِبُ لُزُومِ الْأَجْزَاءِ لِلْكُلِّ فِي التَّضَمُّنِ، وَمَرَاتِبُ لُزُومِ اللَّوَازِمِ لِلْمَلْزُومِ فِي الِالْتِزَامِ.

Once knowledge of the linguistic convention is established and actually obtained, understanding is necessary, and the aforementioned objection regarding rational significations arises because the degrees of implication may vary in clarity—that is, the degrees of the implication of parts to the whole in inclusion (tadammun), and the degrees of the implication of concomitants to the concomitant in implication (iltizam).

وَهَذَا فِي الِالْتِزَامِ ظَاهِرٌ؛ فَإِنَّهُ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِلشَّيْءِ لَوَازِمُ مُتَعَدِّدَةٌ، بَعْضُهَا أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ بَعْضٍ وَأَسْرَعُ انْتِقَالًا مِنْهُ إِلَيْهِ؛ لِقِلَّةِ الْوَسَائِطِ، فَيُمْكِنُ تَأْدِيَةُ الْمَلْزُومِ بِالْأَلْفَاظِ الْمَوْضُوعَةِ لِهَذِهِ اللَّوَازِمِ الْمُخْتَلِفَةِ الدَّلَالَةِ عَلَيْهِ وُضُوحًا وَخَفَاءً، وَكَذَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِلَّازِمِ مَلْزُومَاتٌ.

This is evident in implication (iltizam), for it is possible for a thing to have multiple concomitants, some of which are closer to it than others and from which the transition to it is faster due to fewer intermediaries; thus, it is possible to express the concomitant using words designated for these various concomitants that differ in their clarity and obscurity of signification, and likewise, it is possible for a concomitant to have multiple concomitants.

وَبَعْدَ تَحَقُّقِ الْعِلْمِ إِلَخْ قِيلَ فِيهِ: إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ بِالْمَدْلُولِ الِالْتِزَامِيِّ لَازِمٌ بَعْدَ حُصُولِ الْعِلْمِ بِالْعَلَاقَةِ، فَالْأَوْلَى أَنْ يُقَالَ: الْمُرَادُ الِاخْتِلَافُ فِي الْوُضُوحِ بِالنَّظَرِ إِلَى نَفْسِ الدَّلَالَةِ بِأَنْ يَكُونَ بَعْضُ الْمَدْلُولَاتِ وَاضِحَ الْعَلَاقَةِ قَلِيلَ الْوَاسِطَةِ، وَالْبَعْضُ الْآخَرُ بِالْعَكْسِ.

Regarding 'Once knowledge is established, etc.', it has been said: Knowledge of the implied meaning is necessary once knowledge of the relationship is obtained, so it is better to say: What is meant is the difference in clarity with regard to the signification itself, such that some implied meanings have a clear relationship with few intermediaries, while others are the opposite.

بِالْعَقْلِيَّةِ إِلَخْ الْمُرَادُ بِهَا مَا تَقَدَّمَ وَهِيَ دَلَالَةُ التَّضَمُّنِ وَالِالْتِزَامِ، فَاللَّامُ عَهْدِيَّةٌ.

Regarding 'rational, etc.', what is meant by it is what has preceded, namely the signification of inclusion and implication, so the definite article (al-) refers to a previously mentioned entity.

مَرَاتِبُ اللُّزُومِ أَرَادَ بِاللُّزُومِ مَا يَشْمَلُ لُزُومَ الْجُزْءِ لِلْكُلِّ فِي التَّضَمُّنِ، وَلُزُومَ اللَّازِمِ لِلْمَلْزُومِ فِي الِالْتِزَامِ وَلِهَذَا لَمْ يَقُلْ مَرَاتِبَ اللَّازِمِ؛ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ قَاصِرًا عَلَى دَلَالَةِ الِالْتِزَامِ.

Regarding 'degrees of implication', by 'implication' he meant what includes the implication of the part to the whole in inclusion, and the implication of the concomitant to the concomitant in implication; for this reason, he did not say 'degrees of the concomitant', so that it would not be restricted to the signification of implication.

مَرَاتِبُ لُزُومٍ إِلَخْ كَالْحَيَوَانِ وَالْجِسْمِ وَالْجَوَاهِرِ، فَكُلُّهَا أَجْزَاءٌ لِلْإِنْسَانِ، لَكِنَّ بَعْضَهَا بِوَاسِطَةٍ وَبَعْضَهَا بِلَا وَاسِطَةٍ، فَاخْتَلَفَتْ فِي الْوُضُوحِ وَالْخَفَاءِ.

Regarding 'degrees of implication, etc.', such as animal, body, and substance; all of these are parts of a human, but some are through an intermediary and some are without an intermediary, so they differ in clarity and obscurity.

وَمَرَاتِبُ لُزُومِ اللَّوَازِمِ أَيْ الَّتِي هِيَ الْمَدْلُولُ الِالْتِزَامِيُّ مَثَلًا: الْوَصْفُ بِالْكَرَمِ لَهُ لَوَازِمُ كَالْوَصْفِ بِكَثْرَةِ الْأَضْيَافِ وَبِكَثْرَةِ الرَّمَادِ وَبِجُبْنِ الْكَلْبِ وَبِهُزَالِ الْفَصِيلِ وَبَعْضُ هَذِهِ اللَّوَازِمِ وَاضِحٌ وَبَعْضُهَا خَفِيٌّ.

And 'degrees of the implication of concomitants', meaning those which are the implied meaning, for example: the description of generosity has concomitants such as being described as having many guests, much ash, a cowardly dog, and a lean young camel; some of these concomitants are clear and some are hidden.

وَهَذَا اخْتِلَافُ مَرَاتِبِ اللُّزُومِ فِي الْوُضُوحِ.

This is the difference in the degrees of implication in terms of clarity.

لِقِلَّةِ الْوَسَائِطِ إِلَخْ كَالْكَرَمِ؛ فَإِنَّ لَهُ لَوَازِمَ كَكَثْرَةِ الرَّمَادِ وَهُزَالِ الْفَصِيلِ وَجُبْنِ الْكَلْبِ، فَيُمْكِنُ تَأْدِيَةُ الْكَرَمِ بِالْأَلْفَاظِ الْمَوْضُوعَةِ لِهَذِهِ اللَّوَازِمِ بِأَنْ يُقَالَ: زَيْدٌ كَثِيرُ الرَّمَادِ أَوْ هَزِيلُ الْفَصِيلِ أَوْ جَبَانُ الْكَلْبِ، وَلَا شَكَّ أَنَّ هَذِهِ اللَّوَازِمَ مُخْتَلِفَةٌ فِي الدَّلَالَةِ عَلَى الْكَرَمِ وُضُوحًا وَخَفَاءً؛ فَإِنَّ الِانْتِقَالَ مِنْ كَثْرَةِ الرَّمَادِ إِلَى الْكَرَمِ أَسْرَعُهَا لِكَثْرَةِ الِاسْتِعْمَالِ وَلَوْ كَثُرَتْ وَسَائِطُ؛ فَإِنَّ لِكَثْرَةِ الِاسْتِعْمَالِ وَظُهُورِ الْقَرِينَةِ مَدْخَلًا عَظِيمًا فِي سُرْعَةِ الِانْتِقَالِ مِنْهُ إِلَى الْمُرَادِ، فَالْمُرَادُ بِقَوْلِهِ: لِقِلَّةِ الْوَسَائِطِ قِلَّتُهَا مَعَ كَثْرَةِ الِاسْتِعْمَالِ وَظُهُورِ الْقَرِينَةِ.

Regarding 'due to few intermediaries, etc.', such as generosity; it has concomitants like much ash, a lean young camel, and a cowardly dog, so it is possible to express generosity using words designated for these concomitants by saying: Zayd has much ash, or a lean young camel, or a cowardly dog. There is no doubt that these concomitants differ in their signification of generosity in terms of clarity and obscurity; for the transition from 'much ash' to 'generosity' is the fastest of them due to frequent usage, even if the intermediaries are many; for frequent usage and the clarity of the context have a great influence on the speed of the transition from it to the intended meaning. Thus, what is meant by his saying 'due to few intermediaries' is their scarcity along with frequent usage and the clarity of the context.

فَيُمْكِنُ تَأْدِيَةُ الْمَلْزُومِ: أَيِ الْمَعْنَى الْمَلْزُومِ كَالْكَرَمِ بِالْأَلْفَاظِ الْمَوْضُوعَةِ لِلَّوَازِمِ الْمُخْتَلِفَةِ الدَّلَالَةِ بِأَنْ يُقَالَ: زَيْدٌ كَثِيرُ الضَّيْفَانِ أَوْ كَثِيرُ إِحْرَاقِ الْحَطَبِ أَوْ كَثِيرُ الرَّمَادِ، وَلَا شَكَّ أَنَّ انْتِقَالَ الذِّهْنِ مِنْ كَثْرَةِ الضَّيْفَانِ إِلَى الْكَرَمِ أَسْرَعُ مِنْ كَثْرَةِ إِحْرَاقِ الْحَطَبِ إِلَى الْكَرَمِ؛ لِعَدَمِ الْوَاسِطَةِ فِي الْأَوَّلِ، وَانْتِقَالُهُ مِنْ كَثْرَةِ إِحْرَاقِ الْحَطَبِ إِلَى الْكَرَمِ أَسْرَعُ مِنْ انْتِقَالِهِ مِنْ كَثْرَةِ الرَّمَادِ إِلَى الْكَرَمِ؛ لِأَنَّ بَيْنَ الْكَرَمِ وَكَثْرَةِ الْإِحْرَاقِ وَاسِطَةً وَبَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ كَثْرَةِ الرَّمَادِ وَاسِطَتَانِ.

Regarding 'it is possible to express the concomitant': meaning the implied meaning, such as generosity, using words designated for concomitants that differ in signification, by saying: Zayd has many guests, or burns much firewood, or has much ash. There is no doubt that the mind's transition from 'many guests' to 'generosity' is faster than from 'burning much firewood' to 'generosity' because there is no intermediary in the first, and its transition from 'burning much firewood' to 'generosity' is faster than its transition from 'much ash' to 'generosity' because between generosity and burning much firewood there is one intermediary, and between it and much ash there are two intermediaries.

لِلَّازِمِ مَلْزُومَاتٌ كَالشَّمْسِ وَالنَّارِ وَالْحَرَكَةِ هَذَا إِذَا اسْتُعْمِلَ لَفْظُ الْمَلْزُومِ لِيَنْتَقِلَ مِنْهُ إِلَى اللَّازِمِ كَمَا فِي الْمَجَازِ وَكَمَا فِي الْكِنَايَةِ عَلَى مَذْهَبِ الْمُصَنِّفِ.

Regarding 'the concomitant has concomitants', such as the sun, fire, and movement; this is if the word for the concomitant is used to transition from it to the implied meaning, as in metaphor (majaz) and as in metonymy (kinaya) according to the author's school of thought.

Vocabulary · المفردات (18 verbs · 50 nouns)

• تَحَقَّقَ — to be realized
• تَأَتَّى — to be possible
• ذَكَرَ — to mention
• اخْتَلَفَ — to differ
• جَازَ — to be permissible
• كَانَ — to be
• أَمْكَنَ — to be possible
• وَضَعَ — to place
• قَالَ — to say
• تَقَدَّمَ — to precede
• أَرَادَ — to intend
• شَمِلَ — to include
• وَصَفَ — to describe
• اسْتَعْمَلَ — to use
• كَثُرَ — to be numerous
• ظَهَرَ — to appear
• انْتَقَلَ — to move
• أَحْرَقَ — to burn
• فَنٌّ — art
• دَلَالَةٌ — indication
• عِلْمٌ — knowledge
• وَضْعٌ — conventional assignment
• فِعْلٌ — action
• فَهْمٌ — understanding
• إِيرَادٌ — presentation of argument
• عَقْلِيَّةٌ — rationality
• مَرْتَبَةٌ — rank
• لُزُومٌ — necessity
• وُضُوحٌ — clarity
• جُزْءٌ — part
• كُلٌّ — whole
• تَضَمُّنٌ — inclusion
• لَازِمٌ — consequent
• مَلْزُومٌ — antecedent
• الْتِزَامٌ — implication
• شَيْءٌ — thing
• انْتِقَالٌ — transition
• قِلَّةٌ — scarcity
• وَسِيطَةٌ — intermediary
• لَفْظٌ — word
• خَفَاءٌ — obscurity
• عَلَاقَةٌ — relation
• مَدْلُولٌ — signified
• اخْتِلَافٌ — difference
• نَظَرٌ — view
• حَيَوَانٌ — animal
• جِسْمٌ — body
• جَوْهَرٌ — substance
• إِنْسَانٌ — human
• وَصْفٌ — description
• كَرَمٌ — generosity
• كَثْرَةٌ — abundance
• ضَيْفٌ — guest
• رَمَادٌ — ash
• جُبْنٌ — cowardice
• كَلْبٌ — dog
• هُزَالٌ — leanness
• فَصِيلٌ — young camel
• ذِهْنٌ — mind
• إِحْرَاقٌ — burning
• حَطَبٌ — firewood
• شَمْسٌ — sun
• نَارٌ — fire
• حَرَكَةٌ — movement
• مَجَازٌ — metaphor
• كِنَايَةٌ — metonymy
• مَذْهَبٌ — school of thought
• مُصَنِّفٌ — author