وَأَنَّهُand that heقَالَsaid
And that he said:
أَوَّلُthe firstالْإِصْلَاحِof repairوَهُوَand it isالْوَاجِبُthe obligatoryخَصْفُpatchingالنَّعْلِ1the sandal
The first of repair, which is obligatory, is patching the sandal⟦1⟧.
وَاسْتِجَادَةُand making goodالطِّرَاقِ2the solesوَتَشْحِيمُهَا3and greasing themفِيinكُلِّeveryالْأَيَّامِthe days
And making the soles good⟦2⟧ and greasing them⟦3⟧ every day.
وَعَقْدُand tyingذُؤَابَةِthe endالشِّرَاكِ4of the strapمِنْfromزِيِّthe attireالنُّسَّاكِof the asceticsلِكَيْلَاso that notيَطَأَsteps onعَلَيْهِon itإِنْسَانٌa personفَيَقْطَعَهُand cuts it
And tying the end of the strap⟦4⟧ is part of the attire of the ascetics, so that no one steps on it and cuts it.
وَمِنَand fromالْإِصْلَاحِthe repairالْوَاجِبِobligatoryقَلْبُturning overخِرْقَةِthe clothالْقَلَنْسُوَةِof the capإِذَاwhenاتَّسَخَتْit becomes dirtyوَغَسْلُهَاand washing itمِنْfromاتِّسَاخِهَاits dirtبَعْدَafterالْقَلْبِthe turning
And from the obligatory repair is turning the cloth of the cap when it becomes dirty, and washing it from its dirt after turning.
وَاجْعَلْهَاand make itحِبَرَةًa striped garmentفَإِنَّهَاfor itمِمَّاof whatلَهُhasمَرْجُوعٌa return
And make it a striped garment, for it has a return.
وَمِنْand fromذَلِكَthatاتِّخَاذُtakingقَمِيصِshirtالصَّيْفِof summerجُبَّةًas a cloakفِيinالشِّتَاءِthe winterوَاتِّخَاذُand takingالشَّاةِthe sheepاللَّبُونِmilchإِذَاifكَانَthere isعِنْدَكَwith youحِمَارٌa donkey
And from that is taking a summer shirt as a cloak in winter, and taking a milch sheep if you have a donkey.
وَاتِّخَاذُand takingالْحِمَارِthe donkeyالْجَامِعِthe all-purposeخَيْرٌis betterمِنْthanغَلَّةِthe revenueأَلْفِof a thousandدِينَارٍdinarsلِأَنَّهُbecause itلِرَحْلِكَfor your saddleوَبِهِand with itتُدْرِكُyou reachالْبَعِيدَthe distantمِنْofحَوَائِجِكَyour needs
And taking the all-purpose donkey is better than the revenue of a thousand dinars, because it is for your saddle and with it you reach the distant of your needs.
وَعَلَيْهِand on itتَطْحَنُyou grindفَتَسْتَفْضِلُ5and you gain extraمَاwhatيُرْبِحُهُprofits youعَلَيْكَon youالطَّحَّانُthe millerوَتَنْقُلُand you transportعَلَيْهِon itحَوَائِجَهُhis needsوَحَوَائِجَكَand your needsحَتَّىevenالْحَطَبَthe firewoodوَتَسْتَقِيand you drawعَلَيْهِwith itالْمَاءَthe water
And on it you grind, and you gain extra⟦5⟧ what the miller profits from you, and you transport on it his needs and yours, even firewood, and you draw water with it.
وَهَذِهِand theseكُلُّهَاall of themمُؤَنٌexpensesإِذَاifاجْتَمَعَتْthey gatherكَانَتْthey areفِيinالسَّنَةِthe yearمَالًاwealthكَثِيرًاmuch
And all these expenses, if they gather, amount to much wealth in the year.
[[الْيُمْنُThe auspiciousnessوَالشُّؤْمُand the inauspiciousness]]
[The Auspicious and the Inauspicious]
ثُمَّthenقَالَhe saidأَشْهَدُI bear witnessأَنَّthatالرِّفْقَgentlenessيُمْنٌis auspiciousأَنَّthatالْخُرْقَ6clumsinessشُؤْمٌis inauspicious
Then he said: I bear witness that gentleness is auspicious, and that clumsiness⟦6⟧ is inauspicious.
اشْتَرَيْتُI boughtمَلَاءَةًa wrapمُذَارِيَّةً7of Mutharفَلَبِسْتُهَاand I wore itمَاas long asشَاءَwilledاللهُGodرِدَاءًas a cloakوَمِلْحَفَةًand as a wrap
I bought a Muthar wrap⟦7⟧ and wore it, as God willed, as a cloak and as a wrap.
ثُمَّthenاحْتَجْتُI neededإِلَىtoطَيْلَسَانٍ8a taylasanفَقَطَعْتُهَاand I cut itيَعْلَمُknowsاللهُGodفَلَبِسْتُهُand I wore itمَاas long asشَاءَwilledاللهُGod
Then I needed a taylasan⟦8⟧, so I cut it, God knows, and I wore it as long as God willed.
ثُمَّthenاحْتَجْتُI neededإِلَىtoجُبَّةٍa cloakفَجَعَلْتُهُand I made itيَعْلَمُknowsاللهُGodظِهَارَةَ9the outer layerجُبَّةٍof a cloakمَحْشُوَّةٍstuffedفَلَبِسْتُهَاand I wore itمَاas long asشَاءَwilledاللهُGod
Then I needed a cloak, so I made it, God knows, the outer layer⟦9⟧ of a stuffed cloak, and I wore it as long as God willed.
ثُمَّthenأَخْرَجْتُI took outمَاwhatكَانَwasفِيهَاin itمِنَofالصَّحِيحِthe soundفَجَعَلْتُهُand I made itمَخَادَّ10pillowsوَجَعَلْتُand I madeقُطْنَهَاits cotton
Then I took out what was sound in it, and I made it pillows⟦10⟧, and I made its cotton...
Footnotes
- 1.خَصْفُ النَّعْلِ: رَقْعُهُ وَتَرْقِيعُهُ.
Patching the sandal: repairing and mending it.
- 2.الطِّرَاقُ: جَمْعُ طَرَقَةٍ، وَهِيَ النَّعْلُ الَّتِي تُوضَعُ تَحْتَ الْقَدَمِ.
Tiraq: plural of taraqa, meaning the sole placed under the foot.
- 3.تَشْحِيمُهَا: دَهْنُهَا بِالشَّحْمِ أَوِ الزَّيْتِ لِلْمُحَافَظَةِ عَلَيْهَا.
Greasing them: oiling them with fat or oil for preservation.
- 4.ذُؤَابَةُ الشِّرَاكِ: طَرَفُ سَيْرِ النَّعْلِ الَّذِي يُرْبَطُ بِهِ.
The end of the strap: the tip of the sandal's lace that is tied.
- 5.فَتَسْتَفْضِلُ: فَتَكْسَبُ فَضْلًا وَزِيَادَةً.
So you gain extra: so you earn surplus and increase.
- 6.الْخُرْقُ: ضِدُّ الرِّفْقِ، وَهُوَ الْجَفَاءُ وَعَدَمُ الْحِكْمَةِ فِي الْأُمُورِ.
Khurq: the opposite of gentleness, meaning harshness and lack of wisdom in affairs.
- 7.مُذَارِيَّةٌ: مَنْسُوبَةٌ إِلَى مُذَارٍ، وَهِيَ قَرْيَةٌ بِالْيَمَنِ تُنْسَجُ فِيهَا الثِّيَابُ.
Muthariyya: attributed to Muthar, a village in Yemen where garments are woven.
- 8.طَيْلَسَانٌ: كِسَاءٌ يُلْبَسُ عَلَى الْكَتِفَيْنِ، وَهُوَ شِبْهُ الرِّدَاءِ.
Taylasan: a garment worn over the shoulders, similar to a cloak.
- 9.ظِهَارَةُ الْجُبَّةِ: الْجَانِبُ الْخَارِجِيُّ مِنَ الثَّوْبِ الْمُحَشَّوِّ.
The outer layer of the cloak: the outer side of the stuffed garment.
- 10.مَخَادُّ: جَمْعُ مِخَدَّةٍ، وَهِيَ الْوِسَادَةُ أَوِ الْمُتَّكَأُ.
Makhadd: plural of mikhadda, meaning pillow or cushion.