وَمَاAnd notاخْتِيَارُchoosingشِرَاءِbuyingالرُّؤُوسِthe headsيَوْمَdayالسَّبْتِSaturday
And the choice of buying heads on Saturday,
فَإِنَّfor indeedالقَصَّابِينَthe butchersيَذْبَحُونَslaughterيَوْمَdayالْجُمُعَةِFridayأَكْثَرَmore
for the butchers slaughter more on Friday,
فَتَكْثُرُso many becomeالرُّؤُوسُthe headsيَوْمَdayالسَّبْتِSaturdayعَلَىaccording toقَدْرِamountالفَضْلِthe abundanceفِيمَاin whatيَذْبَحُونَthey slaughter
so heads are plentiful on Saturday according to the excess in what they slaughter,
وَلِأَنَّand becauseالعَوَامَّthe common peopleوَالتُّجَّارَand the merchantsوَالصُّنَّاعَand the artisansلَاnotيَقْرَمُونَ1craveإِلَىtoأَكْلِeatingالرُّؤُوسِthe headsيَوْمَdayالسَّبْتِSaturday
and because the common people, merchants, and artisans do not crave ⟦1⟧ eating heads on Saturday,
مَعَwithقُرْبِclosenessعَهْدِهِمْtheir timeبِأَكْلِwith eatingاللَّحْمِmeatيَوْمَdayالْجُمُعَةِFriday
given their recent eating of meat on Friday,
وَلِأَنَّand becauseعَامَّتَهُمْtheir common peopleقَدْalreadyبَقِيَتْremainedعِنْدَهُwith himفَضْلَةٌleftoverفَهِيَso itتَمْنَعُهُprevents himمِنَfromالشَّهْوَةِappetite
and because their common people still have leftover with them, so it prevents them from appetite.
وَلِأَنَّand becauseالنَّاسَpeopleلَاnotيَكَادُونَhardlyيَجْمَعُونَgatherعَلَىuponخَوَانٍa tableوَاحِدٍoneبَيْنَbetweenالرُّؤُوسِthe headsوَاللَّحْمِand the meat
And because people hardly gather around one table for both heads and meat.
وَأَمَّاAnd as forاخْتِلَاطُthe mixingالتَّدْبِيرِof managementعَلَيْهِupon himفِيinفَرْقِdistinguishingمَاwhatبَيْنَbetweenالشِّتَاءِwinterوَالصَّيْفِand summer
And as for the confusion in his management regarding the difference between winter and summer,
فَوَجْهُso the reasonذَلِكَof thatأَنَّthatالعِلَلَinclinationsكَانَتْwereتَتَصَوَّرُappearلَهُto himوَتَعْرِضُand occurلَهُto himالدَّوَاعِيmotivations
the reason is that cravings appeared to him and motivations arose
عَلَىaccording toقَدْرِamountقَرَمِهِof his cravingوَandحَرَكَةِmovementشَهْوَتِهِof his appetiteصَيْفًاsummerوَافَقَwhether agreedذَلِكَthatأَمْorشِتَاءًwinter
according to the degree of his craving and the movement of his appetite, whether that coincided with summer or winter.
فَإِنَّforاللَّحْمَthe meatفِيinالصَّيْفِsummerأَرْخَصُcheaperوَالرُّؤُوسُand the headsتَابِعَةٌare followersلِلَّحْمِof meat
For meat is cheaper in summer, and heads follow meat.
وَلِأَنَّand becauseالنَّاسَpeopleفِيinالشِّتَاءِwinterلَهَاfor itآكِلٌeatersوَهُمْand theyلَهَاfor itفِيinالقَيْظِ2the summer heatأَتْرَكُmore abandoning
and because people in winter eat it, while in the heat of summer ⟦2⟧ they abandon it more.
فَكَانَso he wasيَخْتَارُchoosingالرُّخْصَcheapnessعَلَىoverحُسْنِgoodnessالمَوْقِعِof position
So he would choose cheapness over favorable timing.
فَإِذَاand whenقَوِيَتْstrengthenedدَوَاعِيهَاits motivationsفِيinالشِّتَاءِwinterقَالَhe said
And when its motivations strengthened in winter, he said:
رَأْسٌa headوَاحِدٌoneشِتَوِيٌّwinterكَرَأْسَيْنِlike two headsصَيْفِيَّيْنِsummer
One winter head is like two summer heads,
لِأَنَّbecauseالمَعْلُوفَةَthe fodder-fedغَيْرُnotالرَّاعِيَةِthe pasture-grazingوَمَاand whatأَكَلَateالكَسْبَfodderفِيinالحَبْسِthe stableمُوثَقًاtethered
because the fodder-fed is not like the pasture-grazing, and what ate fodder in the stable, tethered,
غَيْرُnotمَاwhatأَكَلَateالحَشِيشَgrassفِيinالصَّحْرَاءِthe desertمُطْلَقًاfree
is not like what ate grass in the desert, free.
وَكَانَand he wasعَلَىinثِقَةٍconfidenceأَنَّهُthat heسَيَأْتِيwill comeعَلَيْهِupon himفِيinالشِّتَاءِwinterمَعَwithصِحَّتِهِhis healthوَبَدَنِهِand his body
And he was confident that he would survive the winter with his health and body,
وَفِيand inشَكٍّdoubtمِنَofاسْتِبْقَائِهِpreserving itفِيinالصَّيْفِsummerلِنُقْصَانِdue to lackشَهَوَاتِof appetitesالنَّاسِof peopleلِلرُّؤُوسِfor headsفِيinالصَّيْفِsummer
and in doubt about preserving it in summer, due to the lack of people's appetite for heads in summer,
فَكَانَso he wasيَخَافُfearingجَرِيرَةَthe consequenceتِلْكَthatالبَقِيَّةِleftoverوَجِنَايَةَand the harmتِلْكَthatالفَضْلَةِsurplus
so he feared the consequence of that leftover and the harm of that surplus.
وَكَانَand he wasيَقُولُsayingإِنْifأَكَلْتُهَاI ate itبَعْدَafterالشِّبَعِsatietyلَمْnotآمَنُI am safeالعَطَبَ3from destruction
And he would say: If I ate it after satiety, I would not be safe from destruction ⟦3⟧
وَإِنْand ifتَرَكْتُهَاI left itلَهُمْfor themفِيinالصَّيْفِsummerوَلَمْand notيَعْرِفُواthey knowالعِلَّةَthe reasonطَلَبُواthey askedذَلِكَthatمِنِّيfrom meفِيinالشِّتَاءِwinter
and if I left it for them in summer, and they did not know the reason, they would ask that of me in winter!
طَرَائِفُAnecdotesالعَنْبَرِيِّof al-Anbari[[طَرَائِفُAnecdotesالعَنْبَرِيِّof al-Anbari]]
Anecdotes of al-Anbari:
حَدَّثَنِيtold meالمَكِّيُّ4al-Makkiقَالَhe saidكُنْتُI wasيَوْمًاone dayعِنْدَatالعَنْبَرِيِّal-Anbari
Al-Makki ⟦4⟧ told me, he said: One day I was at al-Anbari's
إِذَاwhenجَاءَتْcameجَارِيَةٌa young woman
when a young woman came
Footnotes
- 1.يَقْرَمُونَ: يَمِيلُونَ إِلَى الشَّيْءِ وَيَشْتَهُونَهُ.
They crave: they incline toward something and desire it.
- 2.القَيْظُ: شِدَّةُ حَرِّ الصَّيْفِ.
Al-Qayz: the intense heat of summer.
- 3.العَطَبُ: الهَلَاكُ.
Al-Atab: destruction.
- 4.المَكِّيُّ: نِسْبَةً إِلَى مَكَّةَ، وَهُوَ رَاوٍ مِنْ رُوَاةِ الأَخْبَارِ.
Al-Makki: related to Mecca, and he is a narrator of accounts.