سَلِيمٌSalim (proper name)وَكَانَand he wasإِذَاwhenأَكَلَhe ateذَهَبَwent awayعَقْلُهُhis mindوَجَحَظَتْand bulgedعَيْنُهُ1his eye
Salim: when he ate, his mind went away, his eye bulged (1),
وَسَكِرَand he became intoxicatedوَسُدِرَ2and he became stupefiedوَانْبَهَرَ3and he was dazzledوَتَرَبَّدَand became cloudedوَجْهُهُ4his faceوَعَصِبَ5and he became furious
And he became intoxicated, stupefied (2), dazzled (3), his face became clouded (4), and he became furious (5),
وَلَمْand notيَسْمَعْhe heardوَلَمْand notيُبْصِرْhe sawفَلَمَّاand whenرَأَيْتُI sawمَاwhatيَعْتَرِيهِafflicts himوَمَاand whatيَعْتَرِيafflictsالطَّعَامَthe foodمِنْهُfrom him
And he did not hear, nor see. When I saw what afflicted him and what afflicted the food because of him,
صِرْتُI becameلَاnotآذَنُI permitلَهُto himإِلَّاexceptوَنَحْنُwhile weنَأْكُلُeatالتَّمْرَthe datesوَالْجَوْزَand the walnutsوَالْبَاقِلِّيand the broad beans
I would not let him join us except when we were eating dates, walnuts, and broad beans.
وَلَمْand notيُفَاجِئْنِيhe surprised meقَطُّeverوَأَنَاwhile Iآكُلُeatingتَمْرًاdatesإِلَّاexceptاسْتَفَّهُhe snatched itسَفًّاa snatchingوَحَسَاهُand swallowed itحَسْوًاa swallowingوَزَدَاand crammed itبِهِwith itزَدْوًا6a cramming
And he never caught me eating dates without snatching them up, swallowing them, and cramming them into his mouth (6).
وَلَاand notوَجَدَهُhe found itكَنِيزًاa treasureإِلَّاexceptتَنَاوَلَhe tookالْقِطْعَةَthe pieceكَجُمْجُمَةِlike the skullالثَّوْرِof the bullثُمَّthenيَأْخُذُhe takesبِحِضْنَيْهَاboth its sidesوَيُقِلُّهَاand lifts itمِنَfromالْأَرْضِthe ground
And whenever he found a nice morsel, he would take a piece as big as a bull's skull, then grasp it by its sides and lift it from the ground.
ثُمَّthenلَاnotيَزَالُhe continuesيَنْهَشُهَاgnawing itطُولًاlengthwiseوَعَرْضًاand breadthwiseوَرَفْعًاand raisingوَخَفْضًاand loweringحَتَّىuntilيَأْتِيَhe comesعَلَيْهَاupon itجَمِيعًاall
Then he would keep gnawing at it, lengthwise and crosswise, raising and lowering, until he had consumed it entirely.
ثُمَّthenلَاnotيَقَعُfallsغَضَبُهُhis angerإِلَّاexceptعَلَىonالْإِنْصَافِthe halvesوَالْأَثْلَاثِand the thirds
Then his anger would only fall upon halves and thirds.
وَلَمْand notيَفْصِلْhe separatedتَمْرَةًa dateقَطُّeverمِنْfromتَمْرَةٍa dateوَكَانَand he wasصَاحِبَa companionجَمَلٍof a camelوَلَمْand notيَكُنْhe wasيَرْضَىhe is satisfiedبِالتَّفَارِيقِwith the small portions
And he never separated one date from another. He was used to eating whole camel-loads and would not be satisfied with small portions.
وَلَاand notرَمَىhe threwبِنَوَاةٍa pitقَطُّeverوَلَاand notنَزَعَhe removedقِمْعًاa stemوَلَاand notنَفَىhe blew awayعَنْهُfrom itقِشْرًاa peelوَلَاand notفَتَّشَهُhe inspected itمَخَافَةَfor fearالسُّوسِof weevilsوَالدُّودِand worms
He never threw away a pit, nor removed a stem, nor blew off the peel, nor inspected it for fear of weevils or worms.
ثُمَّthenمَاnotرَأَيْتُهُI saw himقَطُّeverإِلَّاexceptوَكَأَنَّهُand as if heطَالِبُa seekerثَأْرٍof vengeanceوَشِحْشِحَانٌ7and a fierce oneصَاحِبُpossessorطَائِلَةٍ8of great power
Then I never saw him except as if he were a seeker of vengeance, and a fierce one (7), possessing great power (8).
وَكَأَنَّهُand as if heعَاشِقٌa loverمُغْتَلِمٌ9passionateأَوْorجَائِعٌhungryمَقْرُورٌ10cold
And as if he were a passionate lover (9), or a hungry, cold person (10).
وَاللهِBy GodيَاOإِخْوَتِيmy brothersلَوْifرَأَيْتُI sawرَجُلًاa manيُفْسِدُspoilingطِينَthe mudالرَّدْغَةِ11of the swampوَيُضَيِّعُand wastingمَاءَthe waterالْبَحْرِof the seaلَصَرَفْتُI would turn awayعَنْهُfrom himوَجْهِيmy face
By God, my brothers, if I saw a man spoiling the mud of a swamp (11) and wasting the water of the sea, I would turn my face away from him.
فَإِذَاand ifكَانَwereأَصْحَابُthe companionsالنَّظَرِof insightوَأَهْلُand the peopleالدِّيَانَةِof religionوَالْفَلْسَفَةِand philosophyهَذِهِthisسِيرَتُهُمْtheir conductوَهَكَذَاand thusأَدَبُهُمْtheir mannersفَمَاthen whatظَنُّكُمْis your opinionبِمَنْof those whoلَاnotيَعُدُّcountمَاwhatيَعُدُّونَthey countوَلَاand notيَبْلُغُreachمِنَofالْأَدَبِmannersحَيْثُwhereيَبْلُغُونَthey reach؟?
And if the people of insight, religion, and philosophy have such conduct and manners, then what do you think of those who do not reach their level, nor attain their degree of refinement?
Footnotes
- 1.أَيْ جَحَظَتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْأَكْلِ
Meaning his eyes bulged from eating.
- 2.سُدِرَ: أَيْ تَحَيَّرَ وَذَهَبَ عَقْلُهُ
Sudira: meaning he was bewildered and lost his mind.
- 3.انْبَهَرَ: أَيْ تَعَجَّبَ وَدُهِشَ
Inbahara: meaning he was amazed and astonished.
- 4.تَرَبَّدَ وَجْهُهُ: أَيْ تَغَيَّرَ وَاسْوَدَّ مِنَ الْغَضَبِ
Tarabbada wajhuhu: meaning his face changed and darkened from anger.
- 5.عَصِبَ: أَيْ غَضِبَ وَاشْتَدَّ غَضَبُهُ
Asiba: meaning he became angry and his anger intensified.
- 6.زَدَا بِهِ زَدْوًا: أَيْ دَفَعَهُ بِعُنْفٍ فِي فَمِهِ
Zada bihi zadwan: meaning he pushed it forcefully into his mouth.
- 7.شِحْشِحَانٌ: أَيْ شُجَاعٌ مُقَاتِلٌ
Shihshihan: meaning brave and combative.
- 8.ذُو طَائِلَةٍ: أَيْ ذُو قُوَّةٍ وَبَأْسٍ
Dhu taila: meaning having strength and might.
- 9.مُغْتَلِمٌ: أَيْ شَدِيدُ الشَّوْقِ وَالْحَرَصِ
Mughtalim: meaning very strong longing and eagerness.
- 10.مَقْرُورٌ: أَيْ شَدِيدُ الْإِصَابَةِ بِالْبَرْدِ
Maqruur: meaning severely affected by cold.
- 11.الرَّدْغَةُ: الْأَرْضُ الْمُشَبَّعَةُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالطِّينِ
Ar-Radghah: the ground saturated with water and mud.