بِلَاwithoutزَادٍprovision
Without provision.
فَلَوْfor ifقَالُواthey saidبَدَلَinstead ofقَوْلِهِمْtheir saying
For if they said, instead of their saying:
«فُلَانٌSo-and-soحَسَنُgoodالْأَكْلِ»eating
"So-and-so is good at eating,"
«فُلَانٌSo-and-soأَقْبَحُugliestالنَّاسِof peopleأَكْلًا»in eating
"So-and-so is the ugliest of people in eating,"
كَانَit would have beenذَلِكَthatصَلَاحًاa reformلِلْفَرِيقَيْنِfor both parties
that would have been a reform for both parties.
وَلَاand notيَزَالُceasesالْبَخِيلُthe miserعَلَىuponالطَّعَامِfood
And the miser never ceases, with regard to food,
قَدْindeedدَعَاhas calledالرَّغِيبَ1the voraciousالْبَطْنِof the belly
having called the voracious of belly (footnote 1),
وَاتَّخَذَand preparedلَهُfor himselfالطَّعَامَfoodالطَّيِّبَgood
and prepared for himself good food,
لِيَنْفِيَto repelعَنْfromنَفْسِهِhimselfالْمَقَالَةَthe saying
to repel from himself the saying,
وَلِيُكَذِّبَand to falsifyعَنْfromنَفْسِهِhimselfتِلْكَthoseالظُّنُونَsuspicions
and to falsify those suspicions about himself.
وَلَوْand ifكَانَwereشِدَّةُseverityالضِّرْسِof eating
And if severity of eating were
يُعَدُّcountedفِيamongالْمَنَاقِبِ2virtues
counted among virtues (footnote 2),
وَيُمْدَحُand praisedصَاحِبُهُits possessorبِهِfor itفِيinالْمَجَالِسِgatherings
and its possessor praised for it in gatherings,
لَكَانَتْthen would have beenالْأَنْبِيَاءُthe prophetsآكَلَmost eatingالْخَلْقِof creation
then the prophets would have been the most eating of creation,
وَلَخَصَّهُمُand would have favored themاللهُGodجَلَّgloriousذِكْرُهُis His mentionمِنَfromالرَّغَبِvoracity
and God, glorious is His mention, would have favored them with voracity
بِمَاwith whatلَمْnotيُعْطِهِHe gave itأَحَدًاanyoneمِنَfromالْعَالَمِينَthe worlds
with what He has not given to anyone in the worlds.
وَكَيْفَand howوَفِيand inمَأْثُورِthe transmittedالْحَدِيثِhadith
And how (is that) when in the transmitted hadith:
«إِنَّindeedالْمُؤْمِنَthe believerيَأْكُلُeatsفِيinمِعًىone intestineوَاحِدٍone
"Indeed the believer eats in one intestine,
وَأَنَّand thatالْمُنَافِقَthe hypocriteيَأْكُلُeatsفِيinسَبْعَةِsevenأَمْعَاءٍ»intestines
and that the hypocrite eats in seven intestines."
أَوَلَسْنَاare we notقَدْindeedنَرَاهُمْsee themيَشْتِمُونَinsultبِالنَّهَمِwith gluttony
Do we not see them insulting with gluttony
وَبِالرَّغَبِand with voracityوَبِكَثْرَةِand with muchnessالْأَكْلِof eating
and with voracity and with much eating,
وَيَمْدَحُونَand praiseبِالزَّهَادَةِwith asceticismوَبِقِلَّةِand with fewnessالطُّعْمِof eating
and praising with asceticism and with little eating?
أَوَلَيْسَdid notقَدْindeedقَالَsayالنَّبِيُّthe Prophetصَلَّىmay He blessاللهُGodعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant him peace
Did not the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, say:
«مَنْwhoeverأَدَلَّهُshowed himعَلَىtoالْحَسْنَاءِthe beautiful womanالْقَتِّينِ3the strong»
"Whoever shows him to the beautiful strong woman (footnote 3)?"
وَقَدْand indeedسَابَّ4insultedرَجُلٌa manأَيُّوبَAyyubبْنَson ofسُلَيْمَانَSulaimanبْنِson ofعَبْدِservant ofالْمَلِكِthe King
And indeed a man insulted Ayyub ibn Sulaiman ibn Abd al-Malik (footnote 4),
فَقَالَand he saidفِيinبَعْضِsomeمَاof whatيَسُبُّهُhe insulted him
and he said in some of his insulting him:
«مَاتَتْdiedأُمُّكَyour motherبِغَرًا5with a craving،وَأَبُوكَand your fatherبَشِمًا6with indigestion»
"Your mother died with a craving (footnote 5), and your father with indigestion (footnote 6)."
وَبَعْدُand after thatفَهَلْso didسَمِعْتُمْyou hearبِأَحَدٍof anyoneقَطُّeverفَخَرَboastبِشِدَّةِof severityأَكْلِof eatingأَبِيهِof his father
And after that, did you ever hear of anyone boasting of the severity of his father's eating,
فَقَالَand said«أَنَاI amابْنُson ofآكِلِeater ofالْعَرَبِ»the Arabs
and said, "I am the son of the eater of the Arabs"?
بَلْratherقَدْindeedرَأَيْنَاwe have seenأَصْحَابَcompanionsالنَّبِيذِof wineوَالْفِتْيَانِand young men
Rather, we have seen the companions of wine and young men
يَمْتَدِحُونَpraise themselvesبِكَثْرَةِwith muchnessالشُّرْبِof drinking
praising themselves with much drinking,
كَمَاjust asيَتَدَاحَوْنَthey jestلِقِلَّةِfor fewnessالرَّزْءِof eating
just as they jest for little eating.
وَكَذَلِكَand thusقَالَتْsaidالْعَرَبُthe Arabs
And thus said the Arabs.
قَالَsaidالشَّاعِرُthe poet
The poet said:
تَكْفِيهِsuffices himفِلْذَةُa pieceكَبِدٍof liverإِنْifلَمَّit alightsبِهَاwith it
A piece of liver suffices him, if it alights with him,
مِنَfromالشَّزْءِthe eatingوَيَكْفِيand sufficesشُرْبَهُhis drinkالْغُمَرُthe small cup
of the eating, and his drink suffices him, the small cup.
Footnotes
- 1.الرَّغِيبُ: الْكَثِيرُ الرَّغَبِ، وَهُوَ شِدَّةُ الْجُوعِ.
Ar-Raghib: one with much voracity, which is intense hunger.
- 2.الْمَنَاقِبُ: جَمْعُ مَنْقَبَةٍ، وَهِيَ الْفَضِيلَةُ وَالْخَصْلَةُ الْحَسَنَةُ.
Al-Manāqib: plural of manqabah, meaning virtue and good quality.
- 3.الْقَتِّينُ: الْقَوِيُّ الشَّدِيدُ، وَالْمُرَادُ بِهِ هُنَا الْأَكُولُ.
Al-Qattīn: strong and severe, meaning here the big eater.
- 4.سَابَّ: شَتَمَ.
Sābba: he insulted.
- 5.بِغَرًا: بِجُوعٍ شَدِيدٍ وَشَهْوَةٍ لِلطَّعَامِ.
Bigharan: with severe hunger and craving for food.
- 6.بَشِمًا: بِامْتِلَاءٍ مِنَ الْأَكْلِ وَعُسْرِ الْهَضْمِ.
Bashaman: with fullness from eating and difficulty in digestion.