طُفَيْلِيُّparasite (one who eats at others' expense)الشَّرَابِof the drinkأَهْوَنُeasierعَلَيَّfor meمِنْthanطُفَيْلِيِّparasite ofالطَّعَامِthe food
A parasite for drink is more tolerable to me than a parasite for food.
وَقَوْلُAnd the sayingالنَّاسِof people«"فُلَانٌSo-and-soطُفَيْلِيٌّis a parasite»"،,لَيْسَis notمِنْfromأُصُولِoriginsكَلَامِspeechالعَرَبِthe Arabs،,لَيْسَnotكَالرَّاشِنِlike the rāshin (one who frequents for food)اللَّعْمُوظِ1the laʿmūẓ (one who licks dishes)
And people's saying 'So-and-so is a ṭufaylī' is not from the original speech of the Arabs, it is not like 'rāshin' and 'laʿmūẓ'.
وَأَهْلُAnd the peopleمَكَّةَof Meccaيُسَمُّونَهُcall himالبَرْقِيَّal-barqī (lightning-like)
And the people of Mecca call him 'al-barqī'.
وَكَانَAnd there wasبِالْكُوفَةِin Kufaرَجُلٌa manمِنْfromبَنِيBanuعَبْدِAbdاللهِAllahبْنِibnغَطَفَانَGhatfan،,يُسَمَّىcalled«"طُفَيْلٌTufayl»2"
And there was in Kufa a man from Banu Abd Allah ibn Ghatfan, called 'Tufayl'.
كَانَHe wasأَبْعَدَthe farthestالنَّاسِof peopleنُجْعَةًin seekingفِيinطَلَبِseekingالْوَلَائِمِbanquetsوَالأَعْرَاسِand weddings،,فَقِيلَso it was saidلَهُto himلِذَلِكَfor that«"طُفَيْلُTufaylالعَرَائِسِof the brides (weddings)»"،,وَصَارَand it becameذَلِكَthatنَبَزًا3a nicknameلَهُfor him،,وَلَقَبًاand a surnameلَاnotيُعْرَفُhe is knownبِغَيْرِهِby other than it
He was the farthest of people in seeking banquets and weddings, so he was called 'Tufayl of the Weddings', and that became a nickname for him and a surname by which he was known by nothing else.
فَصَارَSo becameكُلُّeveryمَنْwhoكَانَتْwasتِلْكَthatطُعْمَتَهُhis practice (food-seeking)يُقَالُis saidلَهُto him«"طُفَيْلِيٌّṭufaylī»"..
So everyone whose habit was that was called 'ṭufaylī'.
هَذَاThisمِنْfromقَوْلِthe saying ofأَبِيAbuاليَقْظَانِ4al-Yaqzan
This is from the saying of Abu al-Yaqzan.
ثُمَّThenقَالَsaidالحَارِثِيُّal-Harithi::
Then al-Harithi said:
وَأَعْجَبُAnd more amazingمِنْthanكُلِّeveryعَجَبٍwonder،,وَأَطْرَفُand more novelمِنْthanكُلِّeveryطَرِيفٍnovel thing،,أَنَّكُمْthat youتُشِيرُونَsuggestعَلَيَّto meبِإِطْعَامِfeedingالأَكْلَةِthe eaters،,وَدَفْعِيand my givingإِلَىtoالنَّاسِpeopleمَالِيmy wealth..
And more amazing than every wonder, and more novel than every novel thing, is that you suggest to me feeding the eaters and giving my wealth to people.
وَأَنْتُمْWhile youأَتْرَكُare more abandoningلِهَذَاof thisمِنِّيthan me..
While you are more abandoning of this than I am.
فَإِنْFor ifزَعَمْتُمْyou claimأَنِّيthat Iأَكْثَرُhave moreمَالًاwealth،,وَأَعَدُّand more numerousعُدَّةًin equipment (provisions)،,فَلَيْسَthen notبَيْنَbetweenحَالِيmy conditionوَحَالِكُمْand your conditionفِيinالتَّقَارُبِcloseness،,أَنْthatأُطْعِمَI feedأَبَدًاforever،,وَأَنْتُمْand youتَأْكُلُونَeatأَبَدًاforever..
For if you claim that I have more wealth and more provisions, then there is no difference between my condition and yours in closeness, that I should feed forever while you eat forever.
فَإِذَاSo ifأَتَيْتُمْyou comeفِيinأَمْوَالِكُمْyour wealthمِنَofالبَذْلِspendingوَالإِطْعَامِand feeding،,عَلَىaccording toقَدْرِmeasureاحْتِمَالِكُمْyour capacity،,عَرَفْتُI would knowبِذَلِكَby thatأَنَّthatالْخَيْرَgoodnessأَرَدْتُمْyou intended،,وَإِلَىand towardتَزْيِينِيadorning meذَهَبْتُمْyou aimed..
So if you come with your wealth in spending and feeding according to your capacity, then I would know that you intended goodness and aimed at adorning me.
وَإِلَّاAnd if notفَإِنَّكُمْthen youإِنَّمَاonlyتَحْلُبُونَmilkحَلَبًاa milkingلَكُمْfor youشَطْرُهُits half..
And if not, then you are only milking a milking whose half is for you.
بَلْRatherأَنْتُمْyou areكَمَاasقَالَsaidالشَّاعِرُthe poet::
Rather, you are as the poet said:
يُحِبُّHe lovesالْخَمْرَwineمِنْfromمَالِthe wealth ofالنَّدَامَىthe drinking companions......وَيَكْرَهُand he dislikesأَنْthatتُفَارِقَهُleaves himالفُلُوسُthe money
He loves wine from the wealth of the drinking companions, and dislikes that the money departs from him.
ثُمَّThenقَالَhe said::وَاللهِBy Allahإِنِّيindeed IلَوْifلَمْnotأَتْرُكْI leaveمُؤَاكَلَةَeating withالنَّاسِpeopleوَإِطْعَامَهُمْand feeding them،,إِلَّاexceptلِسُوءِfor the badرَعْيَةٍpasture (behavior)عَلَيَّagainst meالأَسْوَارِيِّal-Aswari،,لَتَرَكْتُهُI would have left it..
Then he said: By Allah, if I had not left eating with people and feeding them, except because of the bad pasturing against me by al-Aswari, I would have left it.
وَمَاAnd whatظَنُّكُمْis your opinionبِرَجُلٍof a manنَهِشَbitبِضْعَةَa pieceلَحْمٍof meatتَعَرُّقًاchewing،,فَبَلِعَand swallowedضِرْسَهُhis molar،,وَهُوَwhile heلَاnotيَعْلَمُknowing..
And what is your opinion of a man who bit a piece of meat while chewing, and swallowed his molar without knowing it?
فَعَلَHe didذَلِكَthatعِنْدَat the place ofإِبْرَاهِيمَIbrahimبْنِibnالْخَطَّابِal-Khattab،,مَوْلَىclient (freed slave) of
He did that at the place of Ibrahim ibn al-Khattab, the client (freed slave) of...
Footnotes
- 1.الرَّاشِنُ: الَّذِي يَدْخُلُ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ فِي وَلِيمَتِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ دَعْوَةٍ. وَاللَّعْمُوظُ: الَّذِي يَلْعَقُ الصَّحْفَةَ.
Al-rāshin is the one who enters upon people in their banquet without an invitation. Al-laʿmūẓ is the one who licks the dish.
- 2.طُفَيْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ غَطَفَانَ، كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ نُجْعَةً فِي طَلَبِ الْوَلَائِمِ وَالْأَعْرَاسِ.
Tufayl ibn Abd Allah ibn Ghatfan was the farthest of people in seeking out banquets and weddings.
- 3.النَّبَزُ: اللَّقَبُ الَّذِي يُعَيَّرُ بِهِ الْإِنْسَانُ.
Al-nabaz is a nickname by which a person is taunted.
- 4.أَبُو الْيَقْظَانِ: عَامِرُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ، كَانَ أَخْبَارِيًّا أَدِيبًا.
Abu al-Yaqzan is Amir ibn Hafs, he was a narrator of historical accounts and a man of letters.