أَنَّthatلَهُfor himفِيinذَلِكَthatعِرْقًاveinمُتَقَدِّمًا1ancient
That he has an ancient lineage in that.
قَالَsaidأَبُوAbuزَيْدٍZaydهُوَhe isلَئِيمٌmeanمُلْأَمٌthe one whose mean actions are excused
Abu Zayd said: He is mean and excused for his meanness.
فَاللَّئِيمُso the meanمَاwhatفَسَّرْتُI explained
So the mean is what I have explained.
وَالْمُلْأَمُand the excusedالَّذِيwhoيَقُومُstands upبِعُذْرِwith the excuse ofاللَّئِيمِ2the mean
And the excused is the one who defends the mean person.
فَأَمَّاas forاللَّئِيمُthe meanالرَّاضِعُsucking
As for the mean sucker...
فَالَّذِيhe is the one whoلَاdoes notيَحْلُبُmilkفِيinالْإِنَاءِthe vessel
He is the one who does not milk into a vessel.
وَيَرْتَضِعُand sucklesمِنْfromالْخِلْفِ3the udder
And suckles directly from the udder.
مَخَافَةَfearingأَنْthatيَضِيعَbe lostمِنْfromاللَّبَنِthe milkشَيْءٌsomething
Fearing that some of the milk would be wasted.
قَالَsaidثَوْبٌThawbابْنُson ofشِحْمَةَShihmahالْعَنْبَرِيُّal-Anbari
Thawb ibn Shihmah al-Anbari said...
فِيaboutامْرَأَتِهِhis wifeالْهَمْدَانِيَّةِthe Hamdaniyyah
About his wife, the Hamdaniyyah.
وَحَدِيثُand the story ofمَالِجَةَ4Malijahالَّتِيwhoحَدَّثَتْنِيtold me
And the story of Malijah, who told me...
تَدَعُshe leavesالْإِنَاءَthe vesselتُشَرَّبًاfor drinkingلِلْقَادِمِfor the visitor
She leaves the vessel to be drunk from by the visitor.
الْقَادِمَانِthe two frontالْخِلْفَانِtwo uddersالْمُقَدَّمَانِthe front ones
(The two 'qadiman' are the two front udders.)
فَلَمَّاand whenبَلَغَهُreached himذَلِكَthatعَنْهَاabout her
And when that reached him about her...
طَلَّقَهَاhe divorced her
He divorced her.
فَلَمَّاand whenطَلَّقَهَاhe divorced her
And when he divorced her...
قِيلَit was saidلَهُto him
It was said to him:
إِنَّindeedالْبَخِيلَthe miserإِنَّمَاonlyيَعِيبُdefamesالرَّجُلَthe man
Indeed, the miser only defames the man.
وَمَتَىand whenسَمِعْتَdid you hearبِامْرَأَةٍof a womanهُجِيَتْsatirizedفِيforالْبُخْلِmiserliness
And when have you heard of a woman satirized for miserliness?
قَالَhe saidلَيْسَnotذَلِكَthatبِي5to me
He said: That is not about me.
أَخَافُI fearأَنْthatتَلِدَshe gives birthلِيto meمِثْلَهَاlike her
I fear that she may give birth to someone like her.
قَالَsaidرَافِعُRafi'ابْنُson ofهَرِيمٍ6Hurayim
Rafi' ibn Hurayim said:
تُحْلِبُshe milksقَاعِدًاsitting
She milks while sitting...
وَتَمْلَجُand she sucklesأَحْيَانًاsometimesوَقَعْبُكَand your cupحَاضِرُpresent
And she suckles sometimes while your cup is present.
يَدْعُوhe praysاللهُGodعَلَيْهِupon him
God prays upon him (i.e., curses him).
أَنْthatيَجْعَلَهُHe makes himصَاحِبَowner ofشَاءٍsheep
That He makes him an owner of sheep.
وَلَاand notيَجْعَلَهُmake himصَاحِبَowner ofإِبِلٍcamels
And not make him an owner of camels.
وَأَنْand thatيَرْتَضِعَhe sucklesمِنَfromالْخِلْفِthe udder
And that he suckles from the udder.
وَإِنْeven ifكَانَthere isمَعَهُwith himإِنَاءٌa vessel
Even if there is a vessel with him.
وَالْعَرَبِيُّand the Arabرُبَّمَاsometimesأَتْلَى7recitedعَلَىtoصَاحِبِهِhis companion
And the Arab would sometimes recite to his companion...
فَيَقُولُand sayإِنْifكُنْتَyou areكَاذِبًاlying
And say: If you are lying...
فَاحْتَلَبْتَthen you milkedقَاعِدًاsitting
Then you milked while sitting.
أَيْthat isأَبْدَلَكَmay He replace for youاللهُGodبِكَرَمِwith the generosity ofالْإِبِلِcamelsلُؤْمَthe meanness ofالْغَنَمِsheep
Meaning: May God replace for you the generosity of camels with the meanness of sheep.
فَكَيْفَso howنَتَعَجَّبُdo we wonderمِنْatلُؤْمِthe meanness ofالرَّاضِعِthe sucker
So how do we wonder at the meanness of the sucker?
وَقَدْand indeedصَنَعَdidأَبُوAbuسَعِيدٍSa'idالْمَدَائِنِيُّal-Mada'iniأَعْظَمَsomething greaterمِنْthanذَلِكَthat
And indeed Abu Sa'id al-Mada'ini did something greater than that.
اصْطَبَغَhe dippedمِنْfromدَنِّa jar ofخَلٍّvinegar
He dipped from a jar of vinegar.
وَهُوَwhile he wasقَائِمٌstandingحَتَّىuntilفَنِيَit finished
While standing until it was finished.
وَلَمْand notيَخْرُجْdid he take outمِنْهُfrom itقَلِيلًاa littleوَلَاand notكَثِيرًاa lot
And he did not take out of it a little or a lot.
Footnotes
- 1.أَيْ: لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ سَابِقَةٌ فِي اللُّؤْمِ.
i.e., he has a precedence in meanness.
- 2.الْمُلْأَمُ: الَّذِي يَقُومُ بِعُذْرِ اللَّئِيمِ وَيُظْهِرُ أَنَّهُ غَيْرُ لَئِيمٍ.
Al-mul'amm is the one who defends the mean person and shows that he is not mean.
- 3.الْخِلْفُ: خِلْفُ النَّاقَةِ، وَهُوَ طَبَقُهَا الَّذِي يُحْلَبُ مِنْهُ.
Al-khalf is the camel's udder, from which it is milked.
- 4.مَالِجَةُ: اسْمُ امْرَأَةٍ مِنَ الْهَمْدَانِيِّينَ.
Malijah is the name of a woman from the Hamdan tribe.
- 5.أَيْ: لَيْسَ ذَلِكَ بِعَيْبٍ لِي بَلْ هُوَ فَخْرٌ.
That is, that is not a defect for me, but rather a pride.
- 6.رَافِعُ بْنُ هَرِيمٍ: شَاعِرٌ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ.
Rafi' ibn Hurayim is a poet from the Arabs.
- 7.أَتْلَى: أَيْ تَلَا وَقَرَأَ.
Atla means he recited and read.