قَالَsaidمَعْبَدٌMa'badنَزَلْنَاwe stayedدَارَthe houseالْكِنْدِيِّof al-Kindiأَكْثَرَmore thanمِنْforسَنَةٍa year
Ma'bad said: We stayed at al-Kindi's house for more than a year.
نُرَوِّجُwe promoteلَهُfor himالْكِرَاءَthe rentوَنَقْضِيand we fulfillلَهُfor himالْحَوَائِجَthe needsوَنَفِيand we fulfillلَهُfor himبِالشَّرْطِthe condition
We promote the rent for him, fulfill his needs, and fulfill the condition for him.
قُلْتُI saidقَدْindeedفَهِمْتُI understoodتَرْوِيجَpromotingالْكِرَاءِthe rentوَقَضَاءَand fulfillingالْحَوَائِجِthe needs
I said: I understood promoting the rent and fulfilling the needs.
فَمَاso whatمَعْنَىmeaningالْوَفَاءِthe fulfillmentبِالشَّرْطِof the condition
So what is the meaning of fulfilling the condition?
قَالَHe saidفِيinشَرْطِهِhis conditionعَلَىonالسُّكَّانِthe residents
He said: In his condition on the residents
أَنْthatيَكُونَbeلَهُfor himرَوْثُdungالدَّابَّةِ1of the animal
That the animal's dung is his, [footnote 1]
وَبَعْرُand droppingsالشَّاةِof the sheepوَنِشْوَارُ2and the crumbsالْعَلُوفَةِof the fodder
And the sheep's droppings and the fodder's crumbs [footnote 2]
وَأَلَّاand that notيُلْقُواthey throwعَظْمًاa boneوَلَاand notيُخْرِجُواthey take outكُسَاحَةً3sweepings
And that they do not throw a bone nor take out sweepings [footnote 3].
وَأَنْand thatيَكُونَbeلَهُfor himنَوَىpitsالتَّمْرِof datesوَقُشُورُand peelsالرُّمَّانِof pomegranate
And that the date pits and pomegranate peels are his.
وَالْغُرْفَةُand the ladleمِنْfromكُلِّeveryقِدْرٍpotتُطْبَخُcookedلِلْحُبْلَىfor the pregnantفِيinبَيْتِهِhis house
And a ladle from every pot cooked for a pregnant woman in his house.
وَكَانَand he wasفِيinذَلِكَthatيَتَنَزَّلُhe condescendsعَلَيْهِمْupon them
And in that he was condescending upon them.
فَكَانُواso they wereلِطِيبِهِfor his kindnessوَإِفْرَاطِand excessبُخْلِهِof his stinginessوَحُسْنِand goodnessحَدِيثِهِof his speechيَحْتَمِلُونَthey bearذَلِكَthat
So they, due to his kindness, excessive stinginess, and good speech, bore that.
قَالَHe saidمَعْبَدٌMa'badفَبَيْنَاwhileأَنَاIكَذَلِكَlike thatإِذْsuddenlyقَدِمَarrivedابْنُsonعَمٍّof my uncleلِيmy
He, Ma'bad, said: While I was like that, suddenly a son of my paternal uncle arrived.
وَمَعَهُand with himإِبْنٌa sonلَهُof his
And with him was a son of his.
وَإِذَاand beholdرُقْعَةٌa noteمِنْهُfrom himقَدْindeedجَاءَتْنِيcame to me
And behold a note from him had come to me:
«إِنْifكَانَbeمَقَامُthe stayهَذَيْنِof these twoالْقَادِمَيْنِarrivingلَيْلَةًa nightأَوْorلَيْلَتَيْنِtwo nightsاحْتَمَلْنَاwe bearذَلِكَthat
If the stay of these two arriving is a night or two nights, we bear that.
وَإِنْand ifكَانَbeإِطْمَاعُthe giving hopeالسُّكَّانِof the residentsفِيinاللَّيْلَةِthe nightالْوَاحِدَةِoneيَجُرُّdragsعَلَيْنَاupon usالطَّمَعَthe greedفِيinاللَّيَالِيthe nightsالْكَثِيرَةِmany
And if giving the residents hope for one night drags upon us greed in many nights.
فَكَتَبْتُso I wroteإِلَيْهِto him«لَيْسَnotمَقَامُهُمَاtheir stayعِنْدَنَاwith usإِلَّاexceptشَهْرًاa monthأَوْorنَحْوُهُsimilar
So I wrote to him: 'Their stay with us is not except a month or similar.'
فَكَتَبَso he wroteإِلَيَّto me«إِنَّindeedدَارَكَyour houseبِثَلَاثِينَfor thirtyدِرْهَمًاdirhamsوَأَنْتُمْand youسِتَّةٌsixلِكُلِّfor everyرَأْسٍheadخَمْسَةٌfive
So he wrote to me: 'Indeed your house is for thirty dirhams, and you are six, for every head five.'
فَإِذَاso ifقَدْindeedزِدْتَyou addedرَجُلَيْنِtwo menفَلَاso notبُدَّescapeمِنْfromزِيَادَةِincreaseخَمْسَتَيْنِtwo fives
So if you have added two men, then there is no escape from an increase of two fives.
فَالدَّارُso the houseعَلَيْكَon youمِنْfromيَوْمِكَyour dayهَذَاthisبِأَرْبَعِينَfor forty
So the house is on you from this your day for forty.
فَكَتَبْتُso I wroteإِلَيْهِto him«وَمَاand whatيَضُرُّكَharms youمِنْfromمَقَامِهِمَاtheir stayوَثِقَلِand weightأَبْدَانِهِمَاof their bodiesعَلَىonالْأَرْضِthe earthالَّتِيwhichتَحْمِلُbearsالْجِبَالَthe mountains
So I wrote to him: 'And what harms you from their stay and the weight of their bodies on the earth which bears the mountains?'
وَثِقَلِand weightمَئُونَتِهِمَاof their provisionعَلَيَّon meدُونَكَnot you
And the weight of their provision is on me, not you.
فَاكْتُبْso writeإِلَيَّto meبِعُذْرِكَwith your excuseلِأَعْرِفَهُso I know it
So write to me with your excuse so I know it.
وَلَمْand notأَدْرِI knewأَنِّيthat IأَهْجُمُrushعَلَىuponمَاwhatهَجَمْتُI rushedوَإِنِّيand that Iأَقَعُfallمِنْهُin itفِيمَاin whatوَقَعْتُI fell
And I did not know that I was rushing upon what I rushed, and that I would fall into what I fell.
فَكَتَبَso he wroteإِلَيَّto me
So he wrote to me:
«الْخِصَالُ4the qualitiesالَّتِيwhichتَدْعُوcallإِلَىtoذَلِكَthatكَثِيرَةٌmany
The qualities [footnote 4] that call to that are many.
وَهِيَand they areقَائِمَةٌstandingمَعْرُوفَةٌknown
And they are established and known.
مِنْofذَلِكَthatسُرْعَةُquicknessامْتِلَاءِfillingالْبَالُوعَةِthe drain
Of that is the quickness of the filling of the drain.
وَمَاand whatفِيinتَنْقِيَتِهَاcleaning itمِنْofشِدَّةِseverityالْمَئُونَةِthe burden
And what is in cleaning it of the severity of the burden.
وَمِنْand ofذَلِكَthatأَنَّthatالْأَقْدَامَthe feetإِذَاifكَثُرَتْbecame many
And of that is that the feet, if they become many,
كَثُرَbecomes muchالْمَشْيُthe walkingعَلَىonظُهُورِsurfacesالسُّطُوحِof roofsالْمُطَيَّنَةِmudded
much becomes the walking on the surfaces of mudded roofs.
وَعَلَىand onأَرْضِfloorالْبُيُوتِof housesالْمُجَصَّصَةِplastered
And on the floor of plastered houses.
وَالصُّعُودُand the ascendingعَلَىonالدَّرَجِthe stepsالْكَثِيرَةِmany
And the ascending on the many steps.
فَيَنْقَشِرُso flakes offلِذَلِكَdue to thatالطِّينُthe mud
So due to that the mud flakes off.
Footnotes
- 1.الدَّابَّةُ: مَا يُرْكَبُ أَوْ يُحْمَلُ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْحَيَوَانَاتِ.
The animal: what is ridden or carried upon from animals.
- 2.النِّشْوَارُ: مَا يَتَسَاقَطُ مِنَ الْعَلَفِ وَالْحَبِّ.
Nishwar: what falls from fodder and grain.
- 3.الْكُسَاحَةُ: مَا يُكْنَسُ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ مِنْ تُرَابٍ وَغَيْرِهِ.
Kusahah: what is swept from the ground of dust and other things.
- 4.الْخِصَالُ: جَمْعُ خَصْلَةٍ وَهِيَ الْخَصْلَةُ وَالصِّفَةُ.
Khial: plural of khaslah, meaning trait and quality.