سُلَيْمَانُSulaymanالْكَثِيرِيُّal-Kathiri
Sulayman al-Kathiri
قَالَsaidالْمَكِّيُّ:al-Makki:
Al-Makki said:
كَانَwasلِأَبِيto my fatherعَمٌّa paternal uncleيُقَالُcalledلَهُto himسُلَيْمَانُSulaymanالْكَثِيرِيُّal-Kathiri
My father had a paternal uncle called Sulayman al-Kathiri.
سُمِّيَwas namedبِذَلِكَby thatلِكَثْرَةِfor abundanceمَالِهِof his wealth
He was named so because of the abundance of his wealth.
وَكَانَand he wasيُقَرِّبُنِيbringing me closeوَأَنَاwhile I wasصَبِيٌّa boyإِلَىuntilأَنْthatبَلَغْتُI reached maturity
He would bring me close to him when I was a boy until I reached maturity.
وَلَمْand notيَهَبْdid he giveلِيto meمَعَwithذَلِكَthatالتَّقْرِيبِthe closenessشَيْئًاanythingقَطُّever
Yet despite that closeness, he never gave me anything at all.
وَكَانَand he wasقَدْindeedجَاوَزَhad exceededفِيinذَلِكَthatحَدَّthe limitالْبُخَلَاءِof misers
In that, he had exceeded the limits of misers.
فَدَخَلْتُso I enteredعَلَيْهِupon himيَوْمًاone dayوَإِذَاand beholdقُدَّامَهُin front of himقِطَعُpiecesدَارِof a houseصِينِيٍّChineseلَاnotتَسْوَىworthقِيرَاطًاa qirat
So I entered upon him one day, and behold, in front of him were pieces of Chinese porcelain not worth a qirat.
فَلَمَّاand whenنَالَhe gotحَاجَتَهُhis needمِنْهَاfrom themمَدَدْتُI extendedيَدِيmy handلِآخُذَto takeقِطْعَةًa piece
When he had gotten his need from them, I stretched out my hand to take a piece.
فَلَمَّاand whenنَظَرَhe lookedإِلَيَّat meقَبَضْتُI withdrewيَدِيmy hand
When he looked at me, I withdrew my hand.
فَقَالَ:and he said:
He said:
«لَاDo notتَنْقَبِضْwithdrawوَانْبَسِطْand be at easeوَاسْتَرْسِلْand be freeوَلْيَحْسُنْand let be goodظَنُّكَyour opinion
"Do not withdraw, but be at ease and feel free, and think well of me.
فَإِنَّforحَالَكَyour situationعِنْدِيwith meعَلَىuponمَاwhatتُحِبُّyou love
For your situation with me is as you wish.
فَخُذْهُso take itكُلَّهُall of itفَهُوَfor it isلَكَyoursبِزُوبَرِهِ1with its hair
Take it all, it is yours entirely, with all its bits." "[1]"
وَبِحَذَافِيرِهِand with its edgesوَهُوَand it isلَكَyoursجَمِيعًاall together
With its every part, and it is all yours.
نَفْسِيmy soulبِذَلِكَwith thatسَخِيَّةٌgenerous
My soul is generous in that.
وَاللهُand Godيَعْلَمُknowsأَنِّيthat Iمَسْرُورٌam delightedبِمَاwith whatوَصَلَreachedإِلَيْكَto youمِنَofالْخَيْرِgood
God knows that I am pleased with the good that has come to you.
فَتَرَكْتُهُso I left itبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْهِhis handsوَقُمْتُand I stood upمِنْfromعِنْدِهِhis placeوَجَعَلْتُهُand I made itوَجْهِيmy face
So I left it before him, and got up and went away.
كَمَاasأَنَاIإِلَىtowardالْعِرَاقِIraq
I set off to Iraq as I was.
فَمَاand notرَأَيْتُهُI saw himوَمَاand notرَآنِيhe saw meحَتَّىuntilمَاتَhe died
I never saw him, nor did he see me, until he died.
وَقَالَand saidالْمَكِيُّ:al-Makki:
And al-Makki said:
سَمِعَنِيhe heard meسُلَيْمَانُSulaymanوَأَنَاwhile I wasأُنْشِدُrecitingشِعْرَthe poetryامْرِئِof Imru'الْقَيْسِ:2al-Qays:
Sulayman heard me while I was reciting the poetry of Imru' al-Qays:
لَنَاwe haveغَنَمٌsheepنَسُوقُهَاwe drive themغِزَارٌabundant
We have abundant sheep we drive.
كَأَنَّas ifقُرُونَthe hornsجِلَّتِهَاof their mature onesالْعِصِيُّ3the sticks
As if the horns of their mature ones were sticks." "[3]"
فَتَمْلَأُand they fillبَيْتَنَاour houseأَقِطًاwith dried yogurtوَسَمْنًاand clarified butter
And they fill our house with dried yogurt and clarified butter.
وَحَسْبُكَand sufficient for youمِنْofغِنًىwealthشِبَعٌsatisfactionوَرِيٌّ4and quenched thirst
And sufficient for you of wealth is fullness and quenched thirst." "[4]"
قَالَ:he said:
He said:
لَوْifذَكَرَhe had mentionedمَعَwithهَذَاthisشَيْئًاsomethingمِنَofالْكِسْوَةِclothing
He said: "If he had mentioned with this something of clothing, it would have been good."
لَكَانَit would have beenجَيِّدًاgood
It would have been good.
وَهُوَand he isالَّذِيthe one whoقَالَsaidلِيَحْيَىto YahyaبْنِibnخَالِدٍKhalid
And he is the one who said to Yahya ibn Khalid
حِينَwhenنَقَبَhe dug throughفِيinأَبِيAbuقُبَيْسٍQubaysوَزَادَand expandedفِيinدَارِهِhis house
when he dug through Abu Qubays and expanded his house:
عَمَدْتَyou intendedإِلَىtoشَيْخِthe elderالْجِبَالِof the mountainsفَزَعْزَعْتَهُand you shook itوَثَلَمْتَand you brokeفِيهِin it
"You aimed at the elder of the mountains and shook it and broke into it."
وَقَالَ:And he said:
And he said:
حِينَwhenعُوتِبَhe was rebukedفِيforقِلَّةِlackالضَّحِكِof laughterوَشِدَّةِand severityالْقُطُوبِof frowning
When he was rebuked for his lack of laughter and severe frowning, he said:
إِنَّindeedالَّذِيthe one thatيَمْنَعُنِيprevents meمِنَfromالضَّحِكِlaughter
"Indeed, what prevents me from laughing
أَنَّthatالْإِنْسَانَa personأَقْرَبُclosestمَاwhatيَكُونُhe isمِنَtoالْبَذْلِgivingإِذَاwhenضَحِكَhe laughsوَطَابَتْand is pleasedنَفْسُهُhis soul
is that a person is closest to being generous when he laughs and his soul is pleased."