Abdülkahir

On the Second Matter The safety and refinement of speech and the moderation of temperament is to distribute attention according to the rights and capacities of each listener, and to assign and wear the appropriate style and manner. Also, if there is a narrative, the speaker must imagine himself in the position of the person being described. For example: If one is depicting the feelings and thoughts of another, one must enter into the person being described, dwell as a guest in their heart, and speak with their tongue. If one is dealing with one's own matters, then in the distribution of the signs of value—respect and attention—one must consider the rights, capacities, and ranks of each listener, and divide accordingly with justice, and in the styles, cut according to the measure of each capacity. Thus, each purpose can find a suitable style. For the principles of style are three: First: The simple style. Like the plain and straightforward speech of Seyyid Şerif and Nasiruddin Tusi. Second: The ornate style. Like the elegant and shining speech in the works of Abdulkahir, such as in "Delâilü’l-İ’câz ve Esrarü’l-Belâga." Third: The elevated style. Like some of the magnificent speeches of Sekkâkî, Zemahşerî, and Ibn Sina. Or like the Arabic expressions in the translation of this book, particularly the elaborate yet firm passages in the thirty-third chapter. For the lofty subject of this book has led to the adoption of the elevated style. Not because the effect of my art is limited.

Muhakemat ·Ikinci Makale On Ikinci Mesele ·machine translation (qwen3-32b-sre)

On the Second Matter The safety and refinement of speech and the moderation of temperament is to distribute attention and the style of address according to the rights and capacities of each listener, and to assign and wear the appropriate manner. Also, if there is a narrative, the speaker must imagine himself in the position of the person being described. For example: If one is depicting the feelings and thoughts of another, one must enter into the person being described, dwell as a guest in their heart, and speak with their tongue. If one is dealing with one's own matters, then in the distribution of the signs of value—respect and attention—one must consider the rights, capacities, and ranks of each listener, and divide accordingly with justice, and in the styles, cut according to the measure of the capacity of the style, so that each purpose can choose the appropriate style. For the principles of style are three: First: The simple style. Like the plain and straightforward speech of Seyyid Şerif and Nasiruddin Tusi. Second: The ornate style. Like the eloquent and brilliant speech in the works of Abdulkahir, such as in "Delâilü’l-İ’câz ve Esrarü’l-Belâga." Third: The elevated style. Like some of the magnificent speeches of Sekkâkî, Zemahşerî, and Ibn Sina. Or like the Arabic expressions in the translation of this book, particularly the elaborate yet firm passages in the thirty-third chapter. For the lofty subject of this book has led to the use of the elevated style. Otherwise, the effect of my art is limited.

Muhakemat ·Mektup 105 ·machine translation (qwen3-32b-sre)

On the Second Matter The safety and refinement of speech and the moderation of temperament is to distribute attention according to the rights and capacities of each listener, and to assign and wear the appropriate style and manner. Also, if there is a narrative, the speaker must imagine himself in the position of the person being described. For example: If one is depicting the feelings and thoughts of another, one must enter into the person being described, dwell as a guest in their heart, and speak with their tongue. If one is dealing with one's own subject, then in the distribution of the signs of value—respect and attention—one must consider the rights, capacities, and ranks of each listener, and divide accordingly with justice, and in the styles, cut according to the measure of each capacity, so that each purpose can choose the appropriate style. For the principles of style are three: First: The simple style (uslûb-u mücerret). Like the plain and straightforward expressions of Seyyid Şerif and Nasıruddîn-i Tûsî. Second: The ornate style (uslûb-u müzeyyen). Like the elaborate and shining expressions in the works of Abdülkahir, such as in Delâilü’l-İ’câz ve Esrarü’l-Belâga. Third: The elevated style (uslûb-u âlî). Like some of the magnificent expressions of Sekkâkî, Zemahşerî, and Ibn-i Sina. Or like the Arabic expressions in the translation of this book, particularly the complex yet firm passages in the thirty-third chapter. For the lofty subject of this book has led to the use of the elevated style. Not because the effect of my art is limited.

Muhakemat ·Muhakemat ·machine translation (qwen3-32b-sre)

By gradually giving the words the upper hand over meaning, the natural judgment that "words should serve meaning" was turned upside down, so from the nature of eloquence to the art of these word-worshipping writers, no, perhaps even to their intentions, there is a long distance. If you wish, enter the Makamat of a literary genius like Hariri and see. That literary genius, having been defeated by the love of words, has stained his precious literature with the desire for word-worship, and has become an example of imitation for the word-worshippers. Therefore, the great Abdulkahir filled a part of his Delail-i Icaz ve Esrar-ül Belagat with his remedies to cure this disease. Yes, word-worship is a disease; yet it is not known that it is a disease. Warning: Word-worship is a disease; similarly, form-worship and style-worship and metaphor-worship and imagination-worship and rhyme-worship, now in small doses, later with excess, will become a complete disease and a malady that will sacrifice meaning to itself. Indeed, they have already begun to do much for the sake of a single point of elegance or the sake of a rhyme, and to commit impropriety in literature. Yes, words should be adorned, but only if they serve the meaning. And the form of meaning should be elevated, but only with the permission of the meaning. And the style should be brilliant, but only if it is suitable for the intended purpose. And the metaphor should be vivid, but only if the relevance and approval of the intended meaning are considered. And imagination should be lively and vivid, but only if it does not wound truth, does not feel burdensome, serves as an example to truth, and seeks support from truth.

Muhakemat ·Mektup 85 ·machine translation (qwen3-32b-sre)

Sixth calamity: The defect of vision that obscures the eye and belittles eloquence is the superficiality of vision. Therefore, as much as truth is possible in the mind, they do not exceed metaphor. But if they go to metaphor, they still grasp the meaning. This is based on the secret: The interpretation or translation of verses and hadiths cannot show their beauty and eloquence. It is as if dozens of metaphorical arguments are the denial of truth in the mind. Whereas, the argument of impossibility, which is intellectual, can also be sensory, customary, and situational, and many other things. If you wish, enter the 221st chapter of Delâilü’l-İ’câz, which is like Paradise. You will see that the great Abdulkahir, in great anger, has drawn such mourners to himself and praises and glorifies them. Seventh calamity: One who denies the known and the evident, because of their longing for things like movement, which are inherent and actual, must deny the common attribute of "not being him," and thus the sun of truth has been removed from its course. Indeed, have these people never looked at the styles of the Arabs? How do they say: "The mountains came to us. Then they left us. Another mountain appeared. Then it went away, leaving us. Even the sea swallowed the sun, and so on..." As stated in Miftah-ı Sekkâkî, in many places, the imaginative heart, which is part of the art of expression, is used for the mysteries of expression. This is a rhetorical elegance based on the secret of the cycle and built upon imaginary stations. Now, I will mention two important examples as a model, so that you can follow this method. Here they are: 2 And He sends down from the sky mountains of hail. 1 And the sun runs to a resting place for itself. These two verses are very noticeable. Because the literal meaning is to deny the eloquence. Because the metaphor in the first verse is so intense that it melts the ice-like sentence and tears the veil of clouds like a curtain.

Muhakemat ·Mektup 76 ·machine translation (qwen3-32b-sre)