قِصَّةُThe storyتَمَّامِTammamبْنِson ofجَعْفَرٍJa'far
The story of Tammam ibn Ja'far:
كَانَWasتَمَّامُTammamبْنُson ofجَعْفَرٍJa'farبَخِيلًاmiserlyعَلَىoverالطَّعَامِfoodمُفْرِطَexcessiveالْبُخْلِstinginess
Tammam ibn Ja'far was miserly over food, excessively stingy.
وَكَانَAnd he wasيُقْبِلُattackingعَلَىuponكُلِّeveryمَنْone whoأَكَلَateخُبْزَهُhis breadبِكُلِّwith everyعِلَّةٍ1pretext
He would attack anyone who ate his bread with every pretext,
وَيُطَالِبُهُand demand from himبِكُلِّeveryطَائِلَةٍ2recompense
and demand from him every recompense.
وَحَتَّىAnd evenرُبَّمَاperhapsاسْتَخْرَجَhe would concludeعَلَيْهِagainst himأَنَّهُthat heكَانَwasحَلَالَpermissibleالدَّمِof blood
And even perhaps he would conclude that his blood was permissible to shed.
وَكَانَAnd ifإِنْifقَالَsaidلَهُto himنَدِيمٌa companion
And if a companion said to him:
«مَا"There is notفِيonالْأَرْضِthe earthأَحَدٌanyoneأَمْشَىmore walkingمِنِّيthan me،,
"There is no one on earth who walks more than me,
وَلَاand notعَلَىonظَهْرِهَاits surfaceأَحَدٌanyoneأَقْوَىmore capableعَلَىofالْحَضَرِ3long travelمِنِّيthan me
nor on its surface anyone more capable of long travel than me."
قَالَHe said::«وَمَا"And whatيَمْنَعُكَprevents youمِنْfromذَلِكَthatوَأَنْتَwhile youتَأْكُلُeatأَكْلَthe eating ofعَشَرَةٍten؟?
He said: "And what prevents you from that while you eat the eating of ten?
وَهَلْAnd doesيَحْمِلُcarryالرَّجُلَthe manإِلَّاexceptالْبَطْنُthe belly؟?
Does the belly not carry the man?
لَاNotحَمَّدَmay praiseاللَّهُGodمَنْone whoيَحْمَدُكَpraises you»"
May God not bless one who praises you."
فَإِنْThen ifقَالَhe said::«لَا"Noوَاللَّهِby GodإِنَّindeedأُقْدِرُI am ableأَنْtoأَمْشِيَwalkلِأَنِّيbecause Iأَضْعَفُam the weakestالْخَلْقِof creationعَنْهُregarding it..
Then if he said: "No, by God, I cannot walk because I am the weakest of creation regarding it.
وَإِنِّيAnd indeed Iلَأَنْبَهِرُam out of breathمِنْfromمَشْيِwalkingثَلَاثِينَthirtyخُطْوَةٍsteps»"
And indeed I become out of breath from walking thirty steps."
قَالَHe said::«وَكَيْفَ"And howتَمْشِيdo you walk،,وَقَدْwhile indeedجَعَلْتَyou have placedفِيinبَطْنِكَyour bellyمَاwhatيَحْمِلُهُcarries itعِشْرُونَtwentyحَمَّالٍporters؟?
He said: "And how do you walk when you have placed in your belly what twenty porters carry?
وَهَلْAnd doيَنْطَلِقُmoveالنَّاسُpeopleإِلَّاexceptمَعَwithخِفَّةِlightness ofالْأَكْلِeating؟?
And do people move except with lightness of eating?
وَأَيُّAnd whichبَطِينٍ4pot-belliedيَقْدِرُis ableعَلَىonالْحَرَكَةِmovement؟?
And which pot-bellied person is able to move?
وَإِنَّAnd indeedالْكَظِيظَthe bloatedلَيَعْجِزُis unableعَنْtoالرُّكُوعِbowingوَالسُّجُودِand prostration،,فَكَيْفَso howبِالْمَشْيِabout walkingالْكَثِيرِmuch؟?
And indeed the bloated is unable to bow and prostrate, so how about much walking?"
فَإِنْThen ifشَكَاhe complainedضِرْسَهُof his molar،,وَقَالَand said::«مَا"I did notنِمْتُsleepالْبَارِحَةَlast nightمَعَdue toوَجَعِهِits painوَضَرَبَانِهِ5and its throbbing»"
Then if he complained of his molar and said: "I did not sleep last night due to its pain and throbbing."
قَالَHe said::«عَجِبْتُ"I wonderكَيْفَhowاشْتَكَيْتَyou complainedوَاحِدًاof one،,وَكَيْفَand howلَمْdid notتَشْتَكِyou complainالْجَمِيعَof all؟?
He said: "I wonder how you complained of one, and how you did not complain of all?
وَكَيْفَAnd howبَقِيَتْhas remainedإِلَىuntilالْيَوْمِtodayفِيinفِيكَyour mouthحَاكَّةٌa grinder؟?
And how has a grinder remained in your mouth until today?
وَأَيُّAnd whichضِرْسٍmolarيَقْوَىis ableعَلَىonالضَّرْسِgrindingوَالطَّحْنِand milling؟?
And which molar is able to grind and mill?
وَاللَّهِBy Godإِنَّindeedالْأَرْحَاءَthe millstonesالسُّورِيَّةَSyrianلَتَكِلُّsurely tire،,وَإِنَّand indeedالْمُنْحَازَthe coarseالْغَلِيظَthe thickلَيَتْبَعُهُsurely follows itالدَّقُّthe fine..
By God, the Syrian millstones surely tire, and indeed the coarse thick is followed by the fine.
وَلَقَدِAnd indeedاسْتَبْطَأْتُI considered lateلَكَfor youهَذِهِthisالْعِلَّةَcomplaint..
And indeed I considered this complaint late for you.
أَرْفِقْBe gentleفَإِنَّfor indeedالرِّفْقَgentlenessيُمْنٌis auspicious،,وَلَاand do notتَخْرُقْact rudelyبِنَفْسِكَtowards yourselfفَإِنَّfor indeedالْخَرْقَrudenessشُؤْمٌis ominous»"
Be gentle, for gentleness is auspicious, and do not act rudely towards yourself, for rudeness is ominous."
وَإِنْAnd ifقَالَhe said::«لَا"Noوَاللَّهِby GodإِنْindeedاشْتَكَيْتُI complainedضِرْسًاof a molarلِيof mineقَطُّever،,وَلَاand notتَحَلْحَلَتْbecame looseلِيfor meسِنٌّa toothعَنْfromمَوْضِعِهَاits place،,مُنْذُsinceعَرَفْتُI knewنَفْسِيmyself»"
And if he said: "No, by God, I have never complained of a molar of mine, nor has a tooth become loose for me from its place since I knew myself."
قَالَHe said::«يَا"Oمَجْنُونُmadmanلِأَنَّbecause
He said: "O madman, because...
Footnotes
- 1.الْعِلَّةُ: بِمَعْنَى الْحُجَّةِ وَالسَّبَبِ.
Al-'illa: meaning argument and reason.
- 2.الطَّائِلَةُ: الْفَائِدَةُ وَالْغَنِيمَةُ.
At-ta'ila: benefit and gain.
- 3.الْحَضَرُ: بِفَتْحَتَيْنِ، السَّيْرُ الشَّدِيدُ.
Al-hadar: with two fathas, intense walking.
- 4.الْبَطِينُ: الْعَظِيمُ الْبَطْنِ.
Al-batin: one with a large belly.
- 5.الضَّرَبَانُ: خَفَقَانُ الْعِرْقِ.
Ad-daraban: throbbing of the vein.