قَالَHe said::
He said:
فَنَثَرُواThen they scatteredعَلَيْهَاon itلُبْكَةًa lumpمِنْofدِبْسٍmolassesمِقْدَارَthe amount ofنِصْفِhalfأُسَيْكِرَةٍa small piece
Then they scattered on it a lump of molasses about half a small piece in size.
فَوَقَعَتْThen it fellلَيْلَتَئِذٍthat nightفِيintoفَمِيmy mouthقِطْعَةٌa pieceوَكُنْتُand I wasإِلَىnext toجَنْبِهِhis side
Then that night a piece fell into my mouth, and I was next to him.
فَسَمِعَAnd he heardصَوْتَهَاits soundحِينَwhenمَضَغْتُهَاI chewed it
And he heard its sound when I chewed it.
فَضَرَبَThen he struckيَدَهُhis handعَلَىonجَنْبِيmy sideثُمَّthenقَالَhe said
Then he struck his hand on my side and said:
«أَجْرِشْ1CrunchيَاOأَبَاfather ofكَعْبٍKa'bأَجْرِشْcrunch»
"Crunch, O Abu Ka'b, crunch!"
قُلْتُI said
I said:
«وَيْلَكَWoe to youأَمَاDo you notتَتَّقِيfearاللهَGod!!كَيْفَHowأُجَرْجِشُcan I crunchجُزْءًاa partلَاthat does notيَتَجَزَّأُdivide»
"Woe to you! Do you not fear God? How can I crunch an indivisible part?"
[[قِصَّةُStory ofابْنِIbnالْعَقَدِيِّal-'Aqadi]]
[The story of Ibn al-'Aqadi]
كَانَUsed toابْنُIbnالْعَقَدِيِّal-'Aqadiرُبَّمَاsometimesاسْتَزَارَinviteأَصْحَابَهُhis companionsإِلَىtoالْبُسْتَانِthe orchard
Ibn al-'Aqadi would sometimes invite his companions to the orchard.
وَكُنْتُAnd I wasلَاnotأَظُنُّهُthinking himمِمَّنْamong those whoيَحْتَمِلُcan bearقَلْبُهُhis heartذَلِكَthatعَلَىinحَالٍany case
And I did not think that his heart could bear that under any circumstances.
فَسَأَلْتُSo I askedذَاتَoneيَوْمٍdayبَعْضَsome ofزُوَّارِهِhis visitorsفَقُلْتُand I said
So one day I asked one of his visitors and said:
«احْكِTellلِيmeأَمْرَكُمْyour affair»
"Tell me about your affair."
قَالَHe said::«وَتَسْتُرُAnd will you concealعَلَيَّon me»
He said: "And will you keep it secret?"
قُلْتُI said
I said:
«نَعَمْYesمَاas long asدُمْتُI remainبِالْبَصْرَةِin Basra»
"Yes, as long as I remain in Basra."
قَالَHe said
He said:
«يَشْتَرِيHe buysلَنَاfor usأَرُزًّاriceبِقِشْرِهِwith its huskوَيَحْمِلُهُand carries itمَعَهُwith himلَيْسَnotمَعَهُwith himشَيْءٌanythingمِمَّاof whatخَلَقَcreatedاللهُGodإِلَّاexceptذَلِكَthatالْأَرُزَّrice
"He buys rice with its husk for us and carries it with him. He has nothing with him of what God created except that rice."
فَإِذَاSo whenصِرْنَاwe arrivedإِلَىatأَرْضِهِhis landكَلَّفَhe taskedأَكَّارَهُhis peasantأَنْtoيُجَشَّهُhull itفِيinمُجَشَّةٍ2a hulling millلَهُfor him
So when we arrived at his land, he tasked his peasant to hull it in a hulling mill of his.
ثُمَّthenذَرَّاهُhe winnowed itثُمَّthenغَرْبَلَهُhe sifted it
Then he winnowed it, then he sifted it.
ثُمَّThenجَشَّhe hulledالْوَاشَ4the bad grainsمِنْهُfrom it
Then he hulled the bad grains from it.
فَإِذَاSo whenفَرَغَhe finishedمِنَfromالشِّرَاءِthe buyingوَالْحَمْلِand the carryingثُمَّthenمِنَfromالْجَشِّthe hullingثُمَّthenمِنَfromالتَّذْرِيَةِthe winnowingثُمَّthenمِنَfromالْإِدَارَةِthe siftingوَالْغَرْبَلَةِand the sievingثُمَّthenمِنْfromجَشِّhullingالْوَاشِthe bad grainsثُمَّthenمِنْfromتَذْرِيَتِهِits winnowingثُمَّthenإِدَارَتِهِits siftingوَغَرْبَلَتِهِand its sieving
So when he finished the buying and carrying, then the hulling, then the winnowing, then the sifting and sieving, then the hulling of the bad grains, then its winnowing, then its sifting and sieving,
كَلَّفَhe taskedالْأَكَّارَthe peasantأَنْtoيَطْحَنَهُgrind itعَلَىwithثَوْرِهِhis oxوَفِيand inرَحَاهُ5his millstone
He tasked the peasant to grind it with his ox and in his millstone.
فَإِذَاSo whenطَحَنَهُhe ground itكَلَّفَهُhe tasked himأَنْtoيُغْلِيَboilلَهُfor himالْمَاءَthe waterوَأَنْand toيَحْتَطِبَgather firewoodلَهُfor him
So when he ground it, he tasked him to boil water for him and to gather firewood for him.
ثُمَّThenيُكَلِّفُهُhe tasks himالْعَجْنَthe kneadingلِأَنَّهُbecause heبِالْمَاءِwith the waterالْحَارِّhotأَكْثَرُmoreنُزُلًاdescent
Then he tasks him to knead, because with hot water the dough is more likely to settle.
ثُمَّThenكَلَّفَhe taskedالْأَكَّارَthe peasantأَنْtoيَخْبِزَهُbake it
Then he tasked the peasant to bake it.
وَقَبْلَAnd beforeذَلِكَthatمَاwhatقَدْalreadyكَلَّفَهُمْhe had tasked themأَنْtoيَنْصِبُواset upلَهُfor himالشُّصُوصَ6the fishing netsلِلسَّمَكِfor fish
And before that, he had already tasked them to set up fishing nets for fish.
وَيُسَكِّرُواand they damالدَّرْيَاجَةَ7the weirعَلَىonصِغَارِsmallالسَّمَكِfishلَاnot
And they dam the weir over the small fish, not...
Footnotes
- 1.أَجْرِشْ: أَيْ كُلْ بِصَوْتٍ، وَهُوَ مِنَ الْجَرْشِ بِمَعْنَى الطَّحْنِ الْخَشِنِ.
Crunch: i.e., eat with a crunching sound, from 'jarsh' meaning coarse grinding.
- 2.الْمُجَشَّةُ: آلَةٌ يُجَشُّ بِهَا الْحَبُّ أَيْ يُكْسَرُ.
The hulling mill: a tool with which grain is hulled, i.e., broken.
- 4.الْوَاشُ: مَا يَبْقَى مِنَ الْحَبِّ بَعْدَ التَّذْرِيَةِ وَالْغَرْبَلَةِ.
The bad grains: what remains of the grain after winnowing and sifting.
- 5.الرَّحَى: حَجَرُ الطَّحْنِ، وَهِيَ رَحَى الْيَدِ أَوِ الدَّابَّةِ.
The millstone: the grinding stone, either hand-operated or animal-driven.
- 6.الشُّصُوصُ: جَمْعُ شَصٍّ، وَهُوَ خَيْطٌ غَلِيظٌ يُنْصَبُ لِلصَّيْدِ.
Fishing nets: plural of 'shass', which is a thick thread or net set up for hunting.
- 7.الدَّرْيَاجَةُ: قَنَاةٌ أَوْ مَصَبٌّ صَغِيرٌ لِلْمَاءِ.
The weir: a channel or small water outlet.