عِشْقُloveالنَّاسِof peopleيَكُونُisفِيinالْقَلْبِthe heartوَفِيand inالْكَبِدِthe liverوَفِيand inالْأَحْشَاءِthe intestines،,
People's love is in the heart, in the liver, and in the intestines,
وَعِشْقُكَand your loveأَنْتَyouلَيْسَnotيُجَاوِزُit exceedsمَعِدَتَكَyour stomach..
But your love does not go beyond your stomach.
وَقَالَand saidأَبُوAbuالْأَصْبَغِal-Asbagh::
Abu al-Asbagh said:
أَلَحَّhe persistedأَبُوAbuالْقَمَاقِمِal-Qamaqimعَلَىonقَوْمٍpeopleعِنْدَatالْخِطْبَةِthe proposalإِلَيْهِمْto them،,
Abu al-Qamaqim pressed a group of people during his proposal to them,
يَسْأَلُhe asksعَنْaboutمَالِwealthالْمَرْأَةِthe womanوَيُحْصِيهِand counts it..
asking about the woman's wealth and counting it.
وَيَسْأَلُand he asksعَنْهُabout it..
And he asked about it.
فَقَالُواand they said::قَدْindeedأَخْبَرْنَاكَwe told youبِمَالِهَاof her wealth،,
They said: 'We have informed you of her wealth.'
فَأَنْتَso youأَيُّwhatشَيْءٍthingمَالُكَis your wealth؟?
So what is your wealth?
قَالَhe said::وَمَاand whatسُؤَالُكُمْis your questionعَنْaboutمَالِيmy wealth؟?
He said: 'And what is your question about my wealth?'
الَّذِيthat whichلَهَاfor herيَكْفِينِيsuffices meوَيَكْفِيهَاand suffices her..
What she has suffices me and suffices her.'
سَمِعْتُI heardشَيْخًاan elderمِنْfromمَشَايِخِelders ofالْأُبُلَّةِ1al-Ubulla
I heard a sheikh from the elders of al-Ubulla [1]
يَزْعُمُclaimingأَنَّthatفُقَرَاءَthe poorأَهْلِof the peopleالْبَصْرَةِof Basraأَفْضَلُbetterمِنْthanفُقَرَاءِthe poorأَهْلِof the peopleالْأُبُلَّةِof al-Ubulla..
claiming that the poor of Basra are better than the poor of al-Ubulla.
قُلْتُI said::بِأَيِّin whatشَيْءٍthingفَضَّلْتَهُمْdid you prefer them؟?
I said: 'In what way did you prefer them?'
قَالَHe said::هُمْtheyأَشَدُّmoreتَعْظِيمًاin glorificationلِلْأَغْنِيَاءِof the richوَأَعْرَفُand more knowingبِالْوَاجِبِof the duty..
He said: 'They are more respectful to the rich and more aware of what is obligatory.'
بَيْنَbetweenرَجُلَيْنِtwo menأُبُلِّيَّيْنِfrom al-Ubulla
Between two men from al-Ubulla
وَوَقَعَand occurredبَيْنَbetweenرَجُلَيْنِtwo menأُبُلِّيَّيْنِfrom al-Ubullaكَلَامٌspeech..
An argument occurred between two men from al-Ubulla.
فَأَسْمَعَand made hearأَحَدُهُمَاone of themصَاحِبَهُhis companionكَلَامًاspeechغَلِيظًاharsh،,
One of them addressed his companion with harsh words,
فَرَدَّand he repliedعَلَيْهِto himمِثْلَlikeكَلَامِهِhis speech..
and the other replied with similar words.
فَرَأَيْتُهُمْand I saw themقَدْindeedأَنْكَرُواthey disapprovedذَلِكَthatإِنْكَارًاdisapprovalشَدِيدًاstrong،,
I saw them strongly disapproving of that,
وَلَمْand notأَرَI sawلِذَلِكَfor thatسَبَبًاa reason..
and I saw no reason for that.
فَقُلْتُand I said::لِمَwhyأَنْكَرْتُمْdid you disapproveأَنْthatيَقُولَhe saysلَهُto himمِثْلَlikeمَاwhatقَالَhe said؟?
I said: 'Why did you disapprove that he said to him the like of what he said?'
قَالُواthey said::لِأَنَّهُbecause heأَكْثَرُmoreمِنْهُthan himمَالًاwealth..
They said: 'Because he has more wealth than him.'
وَإِذَاand ifجَوَّزْنَاwe allowهَذَاthisلَهُfor him،,
And if we allowed this for him,
جَوَّزْنَاwe allowلِفُقَرَائِنَاfor our poorأَنْthatيُكَافِئُواthey reciprocateأَغْنِيَاءَنَاour rich،,
then we allow our poor to reciprocate our rich,
فَفِيand inهَذَاthisالْفَسَادُthe corruptionكُلُّهُall of it..
and in this is all the corruption.'
وَقَالَand saidحَمْدَانُHamdanبْنُibnصَبَاحٍSabah::
And Hamdan ibn Sabah said:
كَيْفَhowصَارَbecameرِيَاحٌ2Riyah
How is it that Riyah [2]
يُسْمِعُنِيhe makes me hearوَلَاand notأَسْمَعُهُI make him hear؟?
can speak to me but I cannot speak back to him?
أَفَهُوَis heأَكْثَرُmoreمَالًاwealthمِنِّيthan me؟?
Does he have more wealth than me?
ثُمَّthenسَكَتَhe was silent..
Then he fell silent.
قَالَHe said::
He said:
وَيَكُونُand it happensالزَّائِرُthe visitorمِنْfromأَهْلِthe peopleالْبَصْرَةِof Basraعِنْدَatالْأُبُلِّيِّthe man of al-Ubullaمُقِيمًاstayingمُطْمَئِنًّاsecure،,
A visitor from Basra may stay with the man of al-Ubulla comfortably,
فَإِذَاand whenجَاءَcameالْمَدُّthe tideقَالُواthey said::
and when the tide comes, they say:
«مَا"Whatرَأَيْنَاwe have seenمَدًّاa tideقَطُّeverارْتَفَعَroseارْتِفَاعَهُits rising،,
'We have never seen a tide rise like its rising.
وَمَاand whatأَطْيَبَhow pleasantالسَّيْرَthe travelفِيinالْمَدِّthe tide،,
And how pleasant is travel during the tide!
وَالسَّيْرُand the travelفِيinالْمَدِّthe tideإِلَىtoالْبَصْرَةِBasraأَطْيَبُbetterمِنَthanالسَّيْرِthe travelفِيinالْجَزْرِthe ebbإِلَىtoالْأُبُلَّةِal-Ubulla»"
And traveling by tide to Basra is better than traveling by ebb to al-Ubulla.'
فَلَاand notيَزَالُونَthey ceaseبِهِwith himحَتَّىuntilيَرَىhe seesأَنَّthatمِنَfromالرَّأْيِthe opinionأَنْthatيَغْتَنِمَhe exploitsذَلِكَthatالْمَدَّthe tideبِعَيْنِهِitself..
They keep at him until he thinks it is wise to take advantage of that very tide.