لِلْقَنَادِيلِfor the lamps
for the lamps.
ثُمَّthenجَعَلْتُI madeمَاwhatدُونَbelowخَرْقِthe holeالْمُخَادِّof the pillowلِلْقَلَانِسِ1for the caps
Then I made what was below the hole of the pillow into caps.
ثُمَّthenعَمَدْتُI intendedإِلَىtoأَصَحِّthe most intactمِنْofأَصْحَابِthe ownersالصِّينِيَّاتِof the Chinese (plates)وَالصَّلَاحِيَّاتِand the earthenware
Then I turned to the most intact of the Chinese and earthenware vessels.
وَجَعَلْتُand I madeمَاwhatلَاnotرَقْعَةَpatchلَهُfor itمِمْحَاةًan eraserلِيfor meوَلِلْجَارِيَةِand for the servant girlإِذَاwhenنَحْنُweقَضَيْنَاfinishedحَاجَةَthe needالرِّجَالِof menوَالنِّسَاءِand women
And I made what had no patch into an eraser for me and the servant girl when we had finished the needs of men and women.
وَجَعَلْتُand I madeالسَّقَّاطَاتِthe torn piecesوَمَاand whatقَدْalreadyصَارَbecameكَالْخُيُوطِlike threadsوَكَالْقُطْنِand like cottonالْمَنْدُوفِcardedصَمَائِمَstoppersلِرُءُوسِfor the headsالْقَوَارِيرِ3of the bottles
And I made the torn pieces and what had become like threads and like carded cotton into stoppers for the mouths of bottles.
وَقَدْand indeedرَأَيْتُهُI saw himوَسَمِعْتُand I heardمِنْهُfrom himفِيaboutالْبُخْلِmiserlinessكَلَامًاspeechكَثِيرًاmuch
And indeed I saw him and heard from him much speech about miserliness.
وَكَانَand he wasمِنَfromالْبَصْرِيِّينَthe Basrans
And he was from the Basrans.
يَنْزِلُhe lodgesبِبَغْدَادَin Baghdadمَسْجِدَthe mosqueابْنِof Ibnرَغْبَانَ4Raghaban
He used to lodge in Baghdad at the mosque of Ibn Raghaban.
وَلَمْand notأَرَI sawشَيْخًاan elderذَاpossessor ofثَرْوَةٍwealthاجْتَمَعَgatheredعِنْدَهُwith himوَإِلَيْهِand to himمِنَofالْبُخَلَاءِthe misersمَاwhatاجْتَمَعَgatheredلَهُfor himمِنْهُمْfrom them
And I have not seen an elder of wealth with whom and to whom gathered as many misers as gathered to him from them.
إِسْمَاعِيلُIsmailبْنُson ofغَزْوَانَGhazwanوَجَعْفَرُand Ja'farبْنُson ofسَعِيدٍSa'idوَخَاقَانُand Khaqanبْنُson ofصَبِيحٍSabihوَأَبُوand AbuيَعْقُوبَYa'qubالْأَعْوَرُthe one-eyedوَعَبْدُand AbdاللَّهِAllahالْعَرُوضِيُّal-Arudiوَالْحَرَامِيُّand al-HaramiعَبْدُAbdاللَّهِAllahبْنُson ofكَاسِبٍKasib
They are: Ismail ibn Ghazwan, Ja'far ibn Sa'id, Khaqan ibn Sabih, Abu Ya'qub al-A'war, Abd Allah al-Arudi, and al-Harami Abd Allah ibn Kasib.
وَأَبُوand AbuعَبْدِAbdالرَّحْمَنِal-Rahmanهَذَاthisشَدِيدُsevereالْبُخْلِin miserlinessشَدِيدُsevereالْعَارِضَةِ5in argumentation
And this Abu Abd al-Rahman was extremely miserly, fierce in argument.
عَضْبُsharpاللِّسَانِ6of tongue
Sharp-tongued.
وَكَانَand he wasيَحْتَجُّarguingلِلْبُخْلِfor miserlinessوَيُوصِيand recommendingبِهِwith itوَيَدْعُوand callingإِلَيْهِto it
And he used to argue for miserliness, recommend it, and call to it.
وَمَاand notعَلِمْتُI knewأَنَّthatأَحَدًاanyoneجَرَّدَwroteفِيaboutذَلِكَthatكِتَابًاa bookإِلَّاexceptسَهْلَSahlبْنَson ofهَارُونَHarun
And I do not know that anyone wrote a book about that except Sahl ibn Harun.
وَهُوَand he
And he is it.
[وصية بخيل][Advice of a miser]
[Advice of a miser]
وَأَبُوand AbuعَبْدِAbdالرَّحْمَنِal-Rahmanهَذَاthisهُوَis heالَّذِيwhoقَالَsaidلِابْنِهِto his son
And this Abu Abd al-Rahman is the one who said to his son:
أَيْOبُنَيَّmy son
O my son!
إِنَّindeedإِنْفَاقَspendingالْقَرَارِيطِof small coinsيَفْتَحُopensعَلَيْكَupon youأَبْوَابَthe doorsالدَّوَانِيقِ7of dirhams
Indeed spending qirats opens upon you the doors of daniqs.
وَإِنْفَاقُand spendingالدَّوَانِيقِof daniqsيَفْتَحُopensعَلَيْكَupon youأَبْوَابَthe doorsالدَّرَاهِمِof dirhams
And spending daniqs opens upon you the doors of dirhams.
وَإِنْفَاقُand spendingالدَّرَاهِمِof dirhamsيَفْتَحُopensعَلَيْكَupon youأَبْوَابَthe doorsالدَّنَانِيرِof dinars
And spending dirhams opens upon you the doors of dinars.
وَالْعَشَرَاتُand the tensتَفْتَحُopenعَلَيْكَupon youأَبْوَابَthe doorsالْمِئِينَof hundredsوَالْمِئُونَand the hundredsتَفْتَحُopen
And the tens open upon you the doors of hundreds, and the hundreds open
Footnotes
- 1.القَلَنْسُوَةُ: مَا يُلْبَسُ عَلَى الرَّأْسِ.
Al-qalansuwah: what is worn on the head.
- 2.الصِّمَامُ: مَا يُسَدُّ بِهِ رَأْسُ القَارُورَةِ.
As-simam: that with which the mouth of a bottle is stopped.
- 3.القَوَارِيرُ: جَمْعُ قَارُورَةٍ، وَهِيَ الإِنَاءُ مِنَ الزُّجَاجِ.
Al-qawarir: plural of qarurah, which is a vessel made of glass.
- 4.مَسْجِدُ ابْنِ رَغْبَانَ: مَسْجِدٌ مَعْرُوفٌ بِبَغْدَادَ.
Mosque of Ibn Raghaban: a well-known mosque in Baghdad.
- 5.العَارِضَةُ: القُدْرَةُ عَلَى الكَلَامِ وَالحُجَّةِ.
Al-aridah: the ability to speak and argue.
- 6.عَضْبُ اللِّسَانِ: حَدِيدُ اللِّسَانِ، فَصِيحٌ.
Adb al-lisan: sharp-tongued, eloquent.
- 7.القِيرَاطُ وَالدَّانِقُ: أَجْزَاءٌ مِنَ الدِّرْهَمِ، وَالدَّانِقُ سُبْعُ الدِّرْهَمِ، وَالقِيرَاطُ جُزْءٌ مِنْهُ.
Qirat and daniq: fractions of a dirham; the daniq is one seventh of a dirham, and the qirat is a part of it.