أُمَّهُhis mother،,وَمَعَهَاand with herكُوزٌ1a jugفَارِغٌempty،,فَقَالَتْand she said::
His mother, and with her an empty jug «١», she said:
«قَالَتْ"She saidأُمُّكَyour mother::بَلَغَنِيit reached meأَنَّthatعِنْدَكَwith youمَزَمَّلَةً2a container (water skin)،,وَيَوْمُنَاand our dayيَوْمٌdayحَارٌّhot،,فَابْعَثْso sendإِلَيَّto meبِشَرْبَةٍa drinkمِنْهَاfrom itفِيinهَذَاthisالْكُوزِthe jug»"
"She said: 'Your mother said: I heard that you have a water skin «٢», and our day is hot, so send me a drink from it in this jug.'"
قَالَhe said::
He said:
«كَذَبَتْ"You lied!!أُمِّيmy motherأَعْقَلُis wiserمِنْthanأَنْthatتَبْعَثَshe sendsبِكُوزٍwith a jugفَارِغٍemptyوَنَرُدُّهُand we return itمَلْآنَfull..اِذْهَبِيGoفَامْلَئِيهِand fill itمِنْfromمَاءِwater ofحَبِّكُمْyour grain storage،,وَفَرِّغِيهِand empty itفِيinحَبِّنَا3our grain storage،,ثُمَّthenاِمْلَئِيهِfill itمِنْfromمَاءِwater ofمَزَمَّلَتِنَاour water skin،,حَتَّىso thatيَكُونَit becomesشَيْءٌa thingبِشَيْءٍfor a thing»"
"You lied! My mother is too wise to send an empty jug and we return it full. Go, fill it from the water of your storage, and empty it into our storage «٣», then fill it from the water of our water skin, so that it is even for even."
وَقَالَand he saidالْمُكِّيُّal-Makki::فَإِذَاand thenهُوَheيُرِيدُwantsأَنْthatتَدْفَعَshe paysجَوْهَرًاa substanceبِجَوْهَرٍfor a substance،,وَعَرَضًاand an accidentبِعَرَضٍfor an accident،,حَتَّىso thatلَاnotتَرْبَحَshe gainsأُمُّهُhis motherإِلَّاexceptصَرْفَthe exchangeمَاwhatبَيْنَbetweenالْعَرَضَيْنِthe two accidentsالَّذِيwhichهُوَisالْبَرْدُcoldوَالْحَرُّand heat..فَأَمَّاas forعَدَدُnumber ofالْجَوَاهِرِthe substancesوَالْأَعْرَاضِand the accidents،,فَمِثْلٌso likeبِمِثْلٍfor like..
And al-Makki said: Then he wanted her to give a substance for a substance, and an accident for an accident, so that his mother gains only the exchange between the two accidents, which is cold and heat. As for the number of substances and accidents, it is equal.
وَقَالَand he saidالْمُكِّيُّal-Makki::دَخَلْتُI enteredعَلَيْهِupon himيَوْمًاone day،,وَإِذَاand suddenlyعِنْدَهُwith himجُلَّةٌa basketتَمْرٍ4of dates،,وَإِذَاand suddenlyظِئْرُهُ5his wet nurseجَالِسَةٌsittingقِبَالَتَهُopposite him،,فَكُلَّمَاand wheneverأَكَلَhe ateتَمْرَةًa dateرَمَىhe threwبِنَوَاتِهَاits pitإِلَيْهَاto her،,فَأَخَذَتْهَاand she took itفَمَصَّتْهَاand sucked itسَاعَةًfor a whileثُمَّthenعَزَلَتْهَاshe set it aside..
And al-Makki said: I entered upon him one day, and suddenly with him was a basket of dates «٤», and suddenly his wet nurse «٥» was sitting opposite him. Whenever he ate a date, he threw its pit to her, and she took it, sucked it for a while, then set it aside.
فَقُلْتُand I saidلِلْمُكِّيِّto al-Makki::أَكَانَwas it thatيَدَعُhe leavesعَلَىonالنَّوَاةِthe pitمِنْofجِسْمِbody ofالتَّمْرِthe dateشَيْئًاanything؟?
So I said to al-Makki: Did he leave on the pit any of the date's flesh?
قَالَhe said::وَاللَّهِby AllahلَقَدْindeedرَأَيْتُهَاI saw herلَاكَتْshe chewedنَوَاةًa pitمَرَّةًonceبَعْدَafterأَنْthatمَصَّتْهَاshe sucked it،,فَصَاحَand he screamedبِهَاat herصَيْحَةًa scream،,لَوْifكَانَتْit had beenقَتَلَتْshe killedقَتِيلًاa murdered personمَاnotكَانَwould have beenعِنْدَهُwith himأَكْثَرَmoreمِنْthanذَلِكَthat..
He said: By Allah, I saw her chewing a pit after sucking it, and he screamed at her a scream that if she had killed someone, he wouldn't have been more upset.
وَمَاand notكَانَتْwas sheإِلَّاexceptفِيinأَنْthatتُبَادِلَهُshe exchanges with himالْأَعْرَاضَthe accidentsوَتُسَلِّمَand she deliversإِلَيْهِto himالْجَوْهَرَthe substance..وَكَانَتْand she wasتَأْخُذُtakingحَلَاوَةَsweetness ofالنَّوَاةِthe pit،,وَتُودِعُهَاand she deposits itنَدْوَةَmoisture ofالرِّيقِsaliva..
She was only exchanging the accidents and delivering the substance to him. She would take the sweetness of the pit and deposit it in the moisture of saliva.
[[طَرَائِفُAnecdotesأَبِيof AbuقُطْبَةَQutba::]]
[Anecdotes of Abu Qutba:]
قَالَhe saidالْخَلِيلُal-Khalil::كَانَwasأَبُوAbuقُطْبَةَQutbaيَسْتَغِلُّearns as profitثَلَاثَةَthreeآلَافِthousandsدِينَارٍof dinars..وَكَانَand he wasمِنَofالْبُخْلِstinginessيُؤَخِّرُhe delaysتَنْقِيَةَcleaning ofبَالُوعَتِهِhis drainإِلَىuntilيَوْمِday ofالْمَطَرِthe rainالشَّدِيدِheavy،,وَسَيْلِand flood ofالْمُتَاعِبِthe hardships،,
Al-Khalil said: Abu Qutba used to earn a profit of three thousand dinars. And out of stinginess, he would delay the cleaning of his drain until the day of heavy rain and the flood of difficulties,
Footnotes
- 1.كُوزٌ: إِنَاءٌ صَغِيرٌ لِلشُّرْبِ.
Kuz: a small vessel for drinking.
- 2.مَزَمَّلَةٌ: وِعَاءٌ مِنْ جِلْدٍ يُوضَعُ فِيهِ الْمَاءُ.
Muzammala: a leather container in which water is placed.
- 3.حَبٌّ: مَخْزَنُ الْحَبِّ.
Habb: grain storage.
- 4.جُلَّةٌ: وِعَاءٌ كَبِيرٌ مِنْ خُوصٍ لِلتَّمْرِ.
Julla: a large container made of palm leaves for dates.
- 5.ظِئْرٌ: الْمُرْضِعَةُ الَّتِي تُرْضِعُ طِفْلًا.
Zir: a wet nurse who breastfeeds a child.