كَثْرَةُexcessالْمَضْغِof chewingتُشَدُّstrengthensالْعُمُورَ1the gumsوَتُقَوِّيand strengthensالْأَسْنَانَthe teethوَتُدَبِّغُand tansاللِّثَةَthe gumsوَتَغْذُوand nourishesأُصُولَهَاtheir roots
Excessive chewing strengthens the gums and teeth, tans the gums, and nourishes their roots.
وَإِعْفَاءُand exemptingالْأَضْرَاسِthe molarsمِنَfromالْمَضْغِchewingيُرِيخُهَا2loosens them
And exempting the molars from chewing loosens them.
وَإِنَّمَاbutالْفَمُthe mouthجُزْءٌis a partمِنَofالْإِنْسَانِthe human
But the mouth is a part of the human.
وَكَمَاand just asأَنَّthatالْإِنْسَانَthe humanنَفْسَهُhimselfإِذَاifتَحَرَّكَmovesوَعَمِلَand worksقَوِيَbecomes strong
And just as a person, if he moves and works, becomes strong,
وَإِذَاand ifطَالَprolongedسُكُوتُهُhis stillnessتَفَتَّخَbecomes flabbyوَاسْتَرْخَىand relaxes
and if his stillness is prolonged, he becomes flabby and relaxed.
فَكَذَلِكَso likewiseالْأَضْرَاسُthe molars
So likewise are the molars.
وَلَكِنْbutرِفْقًاgentlyفَإِنَّfor indeedالْأَتْعَابَthe exertionsيَنْقُضُbreak downالْقُوَّةَstrength
But gently, for exertions break down strength.
وَلِكُلِّand for everythingشَيْءٍthingمِقْدَارٌa measureوَنِهَايَةٌand an end
And everything has a measure and an end.
فَهَذَاso thisضِرْسُكَyour molarلَاnotتَشْتَكِيهِyou complain of it
So this molar of yours, you do not complain of it,
وَبَطْنُكَand your stomachأَيْضًاalsoلَاnotتَشْتَكِيهِyou complain of it
and your stomach also you do not complain of it?
فَإِنْso ifقَالَhe saysوَاللهِby Godإِنِّيindeed Iأَرْوِي3drink to quenchمِنَfromالْمَاءِthe water
If he says, 'By God, I drink water to quench my thirst,
وَمَاand notأَظُنُّI thinkأَنَّthatفِيinالدُّنْيَاthe worldأَحَدًاanyoneأَشْرَبَmore drinkingمِنِّيthan meلِلْمَاءِof water
and I do not think there is anyone in the world who drinks more water than I do,'
قَالَhe saidلَاnoبُدَّinevitableلِلتُّرَابِfor the soilمِنْofمَاءٍwater
He said, 'Soil must have water,
وَلَاand noبُدَّinevitableلِلطِّينِfor clayمِنْofمَاءٍwaterيَبُلُّهُthat wets itوَيُرْوِيهِand quenches it
and clay must have water that wets it and quenches it.
أَوَلَيْسَتِis it notالْحَاجَةُthe needعَلَىaccording toقَدْرِthe amountكَثْرَتِهِits abundanceوَقِلَّتِهِand scarcity
Is the need not according to its abundance or scarcity?
وَاللهِby Godلَوْifشَرِبْتَyou drankمَاءَwater ofالْفُرَاتِthe EuphratesمَاnotاسْتَكْثَرْتُهُI would consider it muchلَكَfor you
By God, even if you drank the water of the Euphrates, I would not consider it too much for you,
مَعَwithمَاwhatأَرَىI seeمِنْofشِدَّةِseverityأَكْلِكَyour eatingوَعِظَمِand greatnessلُقَمِكَof your bites
given the severity of your eating and the size of your bites.
تَدْرِيdo you knowمَاwhatقَدْindeedتَصْنَعُyou do
Do you know what you are doing?
أَنْتَyouوَاللهِby Godتَلْعَبُare playing
You, by God, are playing.
أَنْتَyouلَسْتَnotتَرَىseeنَفْسَكَyourself
You do not see yourself.
فَسَلْso askعَنْكَabout youمِنْwhoeverيَصْدُقُكَtells you the truth
Ask about yourself someone who tells you the truth,
حَتَّىuntilتَعْلَمَyou knowأَنَّthatمَاءَwater ofدِجْلَةَTigrisيَقْصُرُfalls shortعَمَّاcompared to whatفِيis inجَوْفِكَyour belly
so that you know that the water of the Tigris falls short of what is in your belly.'
فَإِنْso ifقَالَhe saysمَاnotشَرِبْتُI drankالْيَوْمَtodayمَاءَwaterالْبَتَّةَat all
If he says, 'I did not drink any water today at all,
وَمَاand notشَرِبْتُI drankأَمْسِyesterdayبِمِقْدَارِin the amount ofنِصْفِhalfرِطْلٍa pound
and I did not drink yesterday even half a pound.
وَمَاand notفِيinالْأَرْضِthe earthإِنْسَانٌa personأَقَلُّlessشُرْبًاdrinkingمِنِّيthan meلِلْمَاءِof water
and there is no one on earth who drinks less water than I do,'
قَالَhe saidلِأَنَّكَbecause youلَاnotتَدَعُleaveلِشُرْبِfor drinkingالْمَاءِthe waterمَوْضِعًاa place
He said, 'Because you do not leave a place for drinking water,
وَلِأَنَّكَand because youتَكْنِزُhoardفِيinجَوْفِكَyour bellyكَنْزًاa treasureلَاnotيَجِدُfindsالْمَاءُthe waterمَعَهُwith itمَدْخَلًاan entrance
and because you hoard in your belly a treasure that water finds no entrance with it.'
وَالْعَجَبُand the wonderلَاnotتَتَخَّمُyou become bloated
The wonder is that you do not become bloated,
لِأَنَّbecauseمَنْwhoeverلَاnotيَشْرَبُdrinksالْمَاءَwaterعَلَىatالْخِوَانِthe dining tableلَاnotيَدْرِيknowsمِقْدَارَthe amountمَاwhatأَكَلَhe ate
because he who does not drink water at the table does not know how much he ate,
وَمَنْand whoeverجَاوَزَexceedsمِقْدَارَthe amountالْكِفَايَةِof sufficiencyكَانَisحَرِيًّاworthyبِالتُّخَمَةِof indigestion
and whoever exceeds the sufficient amount is liable to indigestion.'
فَإِنْso ifقَالَhe saysمَاnotأَنَامُI sleepاللَّيْلَthe nightكُلَّهُall of it
If he says, 'I do not sleep all night,
وَقَدْand indeedأَهْلَكَنِيhas destroyed meالْأَرَقُ4sleeplessness
and sleeplessness has destroyed me,'
قَالَhe saidوَتُدْعِكَand does it leave youالْكَظَّةُ5fullnessوَالنَّفْخَةُand bloatingوَالْقَرْقَرَةُand rumblingأَنْthatتَنَامَyou sleep
He said, 'Does fullness, bloating, and rumbling not leave you to sleep?
وَاللهِby Godلَوْifلَمْnotيَكُنْthere wereإِلَّاonlyالْعَطَشُthe thirstالَّذِيwhichيُنَبِّهُwakes upالنَّاسَpeopleلَمَاnotنِمْتَyou would have slept
By God, even if there were only the thirst that wakes people, you would not have slept.
وَمَنْand whoeverشَرِبَdrinksكَثِيرًاmuchبَالَurinatesكَثِيرًاmuch
And whoever drinks much, urinates much.
وَمَنْand whoeverكَانَisاللَّيْلُthe night
And whoever is at night...
Footnotes
- 1.الْعَمُورُ: جَمْعُ عُمْرٍ، وَهُوَ اللِّثَةُ، أَوْ مَا يُشْرِفُ عَلَى الْأَسْنَانِ مِنَ اللَّحْمِ.
Al-'umur: plural of 'umr, which is the gum, or the flesh that overhangs the teeth.
- 2.يُرِيخُهَا: يُرْخِيهَا وَيُضْعِفُهَا.
Yurīkhuhā: makes them loose and weak.
- 3.أَرْوِي: أَشْرَبُ حَتَّى أَرْتَوِي.
Arwī: I drink until I am quenched.
- 4.الْأَرَقُ: السَّهَرُ وَعَدَمُ النَّوْمِ.
Al-araq: insomnia and sleeplessness.
- 5.الْكَظَّةُ: الِامْتِلَاءُ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ وَالْغَصَصُ.
Al-kazzah: fullness from food and choking.