أَنْthatيَكُونَbeأَحَدٌoneمِنْكُمْof youقَدْindeedأَخْطَأَmade a mistakeبِكَلِمَةٍwith a wordوَاحِدَةٍoneأَوْorيَكُونَbeهٰذَاthisالْبَلَاءُafflictionمِنْfromجَرَائِرِconsequencesالنِّسَاءِwomen
That one of you may have erred with a single word, or this affliction may be from the consequences of women.
فَلَمَّاand whenعَرَفَhe knewبَرَاءَةَinnocenceسَاحَةِcourtالْقَوْمِof the peopleتَمَشَّىhe walkedإِلَيْهِto himحَافِيًاbarefootرَاجِلًاon foot
And when he knew the innocence of the people's court, he walked to him barefoot and on foot.
فَقَالَand he saidمَاwhatيَدْعُوكَcalls youإِلَىtoالْقِسْمَةِdivisionوَالْتَّمْيِيزِand separation
And he said: 'What calls you to division and separation?'
اُدْعُcallصُلَحَاءَrighteous menأَهْلِpeople ofالْمَسْجِدِthe mosqueالسَّاعَةَnowحَتَّىso thatأُشْهِدَهُمْI make them witnessبِأَنِّيthat Iوَكِيلٌagentلَكَfor youفِيinهٰذِهِtheseالضِّيَاعِestates
Call the righteous men of the mosque now, so that I may make them witness that I am your agent in these estates.
وَحَوِّلْand transferكُلَّeverythingشَيْءٍthingفِيinمَنْزِلِيmy houseإِلَىtoمَنْزِلِكَyour house
And transfer everything in my house to your house.
وَجَرِّبْand testذٰلِكَthatمِنِّيfrom meالسَّاعَةَnow
And test that from me now.
فَإِنْfor ifوَجَدْتَنِيyou find meأَرُوغُevadingوَأَعْتَلُّand making excuses
For if you find me evading and making excuses...
فَدُونَكَthen here I am before you
Then here I am before you.
فَحَاجَتِيso my needالْآنَnowأَنْthatتُخْبِرَنِيyou tell meبِذَنْبِيmy sin
So my need now is that you tell me my sin.
قَالَhe saidمَالَكَwhat is wrong with youمِنْofذَنْبٍsinوَمَاand notمِنَfromالْقِسْمَةِdivisionمِنْanyبُدٍّescape
He said: 'You have no sin, and from division there is no escape.'
فَأَقَامَand he stayedعِنْدَهُwith himيُنَاشِدُهُimploring himإِلَىuntilنِصْفِhalfالنَّهَارِof the day
And he stayed with him imploring him until noon.
ثُمَّthenأَقَامَhe stayedيَوْمَهُhis dayذٰلِكَthatإِلَىuntilنِصْفِhalfاللَّيْلِof the night
Then he stayed that day until midnight.
يُنَاشِدُهُimploring himوَيَطْلُبُand requestingإِلَيْهِof him
Imploring him and requesting of him.
فَلَمَّاand whenطَالَbecame longعَلَيْهِupon himالْأَمْرُthe matter
And when the matter became long upon him...
وَبَلَغَand reachedمِنْهُfrom himالْجُهْدُexhaustion
And exhaustion reached from him...
قَالَhe saidلَهُto himحَدِّثْنِيtell meعَنْaboutوَضْعِكَyour placingأَطْبَاقِlayersالرُّطَبِof fresh dates
He said to him: 'Tell me about your placing layers of fresh dates...'
وَبَسْطِكَand your spreadingالْحُصُرِmatsفِيinالسِّكَكِthe streets
And your spreading mats in the streets...
وَإِحْضَارِكَand your bringingالْمَاءَwaterالْبَارِدَcold
And your bringing cold water...
وَجَمْعِكَand your gatheringالنَّاسَpeopleعَلَىatبَابِيmy doorفِيinكُلِّeveryجُمُعَةٍFriday
And your gathering people at my door every Friday...
كَأَنَّكَas if youظَنَنْتَthoughtأَنَّاthat weكُنَّاwereعَنْofهٰذِهِthisالْمَكْرُمَةِgenerosityعُمْيًاblind
As if you thought that we were blind to this generosity.
إِنَّكَindeed youإِذَاwhenأَطْعَمْتَهُمُyou fed themالْيَوْمَtodayالْبَرْنِيَّBarnī dates
Indeed, when you fed them today Barnī dates...
أَطْعَمْتَهُمْyou fed themغَدًاtomorrowالسُّكَّرَsugar
You will feed them tomorrow sugar.
وَبَعْدَand afterغَدٍtomorrowالْهِلْبَاثَاHilbāthā (a kind of food)
And after tomorrow Hilbāthā.
ثُمَّthenيَصِيرُbecomesذٰلِكَthatبَعْدَafterأَيَّامٍdaysالْجَمْعِof gatheringفِيinسَائِرِrestأَيَّامِof daysالْأُسْبُوعِof the week
Then that becomes after days of gathering in the rest of the days of the week.
ثُمَّthenيَتَحَوَّلُturnsالرُّطَبُfresh datesإِلَىintoالْغَدَاءِlunch
Then fresh dates turn into lunch.
ثُمَّthenيُؤَدِّيleadsالْغَدَاءُlunchإِلَىtoالْعَشَاءِdinner
Then lunch leads to dinner.
ثُمَّthenتَصِيرُbecomesإِلَىtoالْكِسَاءِclothing
Then it becomes to clothing.
ثُمَّthenالْأَجْدَاءِyoung goats
Then young goats.
ثُمَّthenالْحُمْلَانِlambs
Then lambs.
ثُمَّthenاصْطِنَاعِmakingالصَّنَائِعِfavors
Then making favors.
وَاللهِby Godإِنِّيindeed IلَأَرْثِيI pityلِبُيُوتِfor housesالْأَمْوَالِof wealth
By God, indeed I pity the treasuries of wealth.
وَلِخَرَاجِand for the taxالْمَمْلَكَةِof the kingdomمِنْfromهٰذَاthis
And for the tax of the kingdom from this.
فَكَيْفَso howبِمَالِwith the wealthتَاجِرٍof a merchantجَمَعَهُhe gathered itمِنَfromالْحَبَّاتِgrainsوَالْقَرَارِيطِand qiratsوَالدَّوَانِيقِand daniqsوَالْأَرْبَاعِand quartersوَالْأَنْصَافِand halves
So how about the wealth of a merchant that he gathered from grains, qirats, daniqs, quarters, and halves?
قَالَhe saidجُعِلْتُmay I be madeفِدَاكَyour ransom
He said: 'May I be made your ransom...'
تُرِيدُyou wantأَنْthatلَاnotآكُلَI eatرُطَبَةًa fresh dateأَبَدًاever
You want that I never eat a fresh date.
فَضْلًاlet aloneعَلَىonغَيْرِother thanذٰلِكَthat
Let alone other than that.
وَأُخْرَىand another thingفَلَاand notوَاللهِby GodلَاnotكَلَّمْتُهُمْI will speak to themأَبَدًاever
And another thing: by God, I will never speak to them ever.
قَالَhe saidإِيَّاكَbewareأَنْthatتُخْطِئَyou errمَرَّتَيْنِtwice
He said: 'Beware that you err twice...'
مَرَّةًonceفِيinإِطْمَاعِهِمْmaking them hopeفِيكَin you
Once in making them hope in you...
وَandمَرَّةًonceفِيinقَطْعِكَyour cuttingإِيَّاهُمْthem
And once in your cutting them off.
Footnotes
- 1.أَرْوَغُ: أَمِيلُ وَأَحْتَالُ
Arūghu: I evade and use tricks.
- 2.دُونَكَ: خُذْهُ وَتَصَرَّفْ فِيهِ كَمَا شِئْتَ
Dūnaka: take it and dispose of it as you wish.
- 3.الْبَرْنِيُّ: نَوْعٌ فَاخِرٌ مِنَ التَّمْرِ
Barnī: a fine type of dates.
- 4.الْهِلْبَاثَا: طَعَامٌ يُتَّخَذُ مِنَ الْحُلْبَةِ وَغَيْرِهَا
Hilbāthā: a dish made from fenugreek and other ingredients.
- 5.الْأَجْدَاءُ: جَمْعُ جَدْيٍ، وَهُوَ وَلَدُ الْمَعْزِ
Ajdi' : plural of jady, meaning a young goat.