يُصْلِحُmakes goodعَلَيْهِon itالْمَالُwealth»دَلِيلٌevidenceعَلَىthatأَنَّthatالْمَاءَwaterيُمْرِئُis wholesome
The saying 'wealth improves it' is evidence that water is wholesome.
حَتَّىevenقَالُواthey said:«إِنَّindeedالْمَاءَthe waterالَّذِيwhichيَكُونُisعَلَيْهِon itالنَّفَّاطَاتُ1the naphtha sellersأَمْرَأُmore wholesomeمِنَthanالْمَاءِthe waterالَّذِيwhichيَكُونُisسِلْيَهُunder itالْقَيَّارَاتُ2the tar sellers
They even said: 'Water from naphtha sellers is more wholesome than water from tar sellers.'
فَعَلَيْكُمْso you mustبِشُرْبِdrinkالْمَاءِwaterعَلَىatالْغَدَاءِlunch،فَإِنَّfor indeedذَلِكَthatأَمْرَأُmore wholesome».
So drink water at lunch, for that is more wholesome.
وَكَانَAnd he used toيَقُولُsay:مَاwhatبَالُis the matter withالرَّجُلِthe manإِذَاwhenقَالَhe says:«يَاOغُلَامُboyاسْقِنِيgive me to drinkمَاءًwaterأَوِorاسْقِgive to drinkفُلَانًاso-and-soمَاءًwater
He used to say: What is the matter with a man who, when he says: 'O boy, give me water' or 'give so-and-so water' ...
،أَتَاهُhe brings himبِقُلَّةٍa jugعَلَىaccording toقَدْرِmeasure ofالرِّيِّquenching،فَإِذَاbut whenقَالَhe says:«أَطْعِمْنِيfeed meشَيْئًاsomething»،أَوْorقَالَhe says:«هَاتِbringلِفُلَانٍfor so-and-soطَعَامًاfood
...he brings him a jug just enough to quench thirst. But when he says: 'Feed me something' or 'Bring food for so-and-so'...
،أَتَاهُhe brings himمِنَfromالْخُبْزِthe breadبِمَاwith whatيَفْضُلُexceedsعَنِoverالْجَمَاعَةِthe group،وَالطَّعَامُAnd foodوَالشَّرَابُand drinkأَخَوَانِtwo brothersمُتَحَالِفَانِalliedوَمُتَوَازِرَانِand mutually supportive؟?
...he brings him bread more than enough for the group. Are food and drink not two allied and mutually supportive brothers?
وَكَانَAnd he used toيَقُولُsay:لَوْلَاif not forرُخْصُcheapness ofالْمَاءِwaterوَغَلَاءُand high price ofالْخُبْزِbread،لَمَاwould notكَلِبُواthey been eagerعَلَىforالْخُبْزِbreadوَزَهَدُوا3and they would not abstainفِيfromالْمَاءِwater
He used to say: Were it not for the cheapness of water and the high price of bread, they would not have been so eager for bread and would not have abstained from water.
.وَالنَّاسُAnd peopleأَشَدُّmoreتَعْظِيمًاvenerationلِلْمَأْكُولِfor the foodإِذَاwhenكَثُرَit is muchثَمَنُهُits price،أَوْorكَانَit isقَلِيلًاlittleفِيinأَصْلِorigin ofمَنْبَتِهِits growth placeوَمَوْضِعِand place ofعُنْصُرِهِits element
People venerate food more when its price is high or when it is scarce in its place of origin and habitat.
.هَذَاThisالْجَزَرُcarrotالصَّافِيclear/pure،وَهَذَاand thisالْبَاقِلِّيfava beanالْأَخْضَرُgreenالْعَبَّاسِيُّAbbasid،أَطْيَبُmore deliciousمِنْthanكُمَّثْرَىpearخُرَاسَانَKhurasan،وَمِنَand thanالْمُؤَزِّthe bananaالْبُسْتَانِيِّgarden
This clear carrot and this green Abbasid fava bean are more delicious than the pears of Khurasan and the garden bananas.
.وَلَكِنَّهُمْBut theyلِقِصَرِdue to shortness ofهِمَّتِهِمْtheir aspirationلَاnotيَتَشَهَّوْنَthey craveإِلَّاexceptعَلَىaccording toقَدْرِmeasure ofالثَّمَنِthe price،وَلَاand notيَحِنُّونَthey longإِلَّاexceptعَلَىaccording toقَدْرِmeasure ofالْقِلَّةِscarcity
But due to their low aspiration, they only crave according to price and only long according to scarcity.
.وَهَذِهِAnd theseالْعَوَامُّcommon peopleفِيinشَهَوَاتِdesires ofالْأَطْعِمَةِfoodsإِنَّمَاonlyتَذْهَبُthey goمَعَwithالتَّقْلِيدِimitation،أَوْorمَعَwithالْعَادَةِhabit،أَوْorعَلَىaccording toقَدْرِmeasure ofمَاwhatيَعْظُمُis greatعِنْدَهَاin their viewمِنْofشَأْنِimportance ofالطَّعَامِfood
These common people in their food desires only follow imitation, habit, or the degree of importance they assign to food.
.وَأَنَاAnd Iلَسْتُam notأُطْعِمُI eatالْجَزَرَcarrotالْمَسْلُوقَboiledبِالْخَلِّwith vinegarوَالزَّيْتِand oilوَالْمُرِّيِّand fish sauce،دُونَinstead ofالْكَمْأَةِ4truffleبِالزُّبْدِwith butterوَالْفِلْفِلِand pepper
I do not eat boiled carrot with vinegar, oil, and fish sauce instead of truffle with butter and pepper...
،لِمَكَانِdue toالرُّخْصِcheapness،أَوْorلِمَوْضِعِdue toالْإِسْتِفْضَالِseeking superiority،وَلَكِنْbutلِمَكَانِdue toطِيبِهِits deliciousnessفِيinالْحَقِيقَةِreality،وَلِأَنَّهُand because itصَالِحٌgoodلِلطَّبِيعَةِfor the constitution
...not because of cheapness or for show, but because it is truly delicious and good for the constitution.
.عَلِمَknowsذَلِكَthatمَنْwhoeverعَلِمَknows،وَجَهِلَand ignorant ofذَلِكَthatمَنْwhoeverجَهِلَis ignorant
Whoever knows, knows that; whoever is ignorant, is ignorant of that.
.وَكَانَAnd he used toإِذَاwhenكَانَwasفِيinمَنْزِلِهِhis house،فَرُبَّمَاperhapsدَخَلَenteredعَلَيْهِupon himالصَّدِيقُthe friendلَهُof his،وَقَدْand alreadyتَقَدَّمَهُhad preceded himالزَّائِرُthe visitorأَوِorالزَّائِرَانِthe two visitors
When he was at home, sometimes a friend of his would come in, preceded by one or two visitors.
؛وَكَانَand he used toيَسْتَعْمِلُemployعَلَىonخَوَانِهِhis dining tableمِنَofالْخُدَعِtricksوَالْمَكَايِدِand stratagemsوَالتَّدْبِيرِand managementمَاwhatلَمْnotيَبْلُغْreachبَعْضُهُsome of itقَيْسُQaysبْنُibnزُهَيْرٍ5Zuhayr،وَالْمُهَلَّبُand al-MuhallabبْنُibnأَبِيAbiصُفْرَةَSufra
He employed at his dining table tricks and stratagems and management that not even Qays ibn Zuhayr or al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra attained.
Footnotes
- 1.النَّفَّاطَاتُ: جَمْعُ نَفَّاطَةٍ، وَهِيَ مَنْ يَبِيعُ النَّفْطَ.
Al-Naffatat: plural of naffata, meaning those who sell naphtha.
- 2.الْقَيَّارَاتُ: جَمْعُ قَيَّارٍ، وَهُمُ الَّذِينَ يَبِيعُونَ الْقِيرَ وَهُوَ الْقَطِرَانُ.
Al-Qayyarat: plural of qayyar, meaning those who sell tar, which is qatiran.
- 3.زَهَدُوا: أَيْ أَعْرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَتَرَكُوهُ.
Zahadu: meaning they turned away from it and left it.
- 4.الْكَمْأَةُ: نَوْعٌ مِنَ الْفُطْرِ الَّذِي يَنْبُتُ فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ الْمَطَرِ.
Al-Kam'a: a type of fungus that grows in the ground after rain.
- 5.قَيْسُ بْنُ زُهَيْرٍ: فَارِسٌ جَاهِلِيٌّ مَعْرُوفٌ بِالْكَيْدِ وَالْحِيلَةِ.
Qays ibn Zuhayr: a pre-Islamic knight known for cunning and trickery.