اصْطَبَغْتُI was dyedمِنْfromدِنِّa jarخَلٍّ1of vinegarحَتَّىuntilفَنِيَI perishedمِنْdue toحُسْنِexcellenceالْعَقْلِof intellect
I was dyed from a jar of vinegar until I perished due to the excellence of my intellect.
وَأَحْبَبْتُAnd I lovedالْغِنَىwealthبُغْضِيmy hatredلِلْفَقْرِfor povertyوَأَبْغَضْتُand I hatedالْفَقْرَpovertyبِفَضْلِdue toأَنْفَتِيmy prideمِنْfromاحْتِمَالِenduringالذُّلِّhumiliation
And I loved wealth out of my hatred for poverty, and I hated poverty due to my pride from enduring humiliation.
تَعَرَّضَHe addressedلِيmeلَاnoأُمَّmotherلَكَfor youبِأَنِّيthat Iأَرْغَبُdesireفِيinغَدَائِهِhis lunch؟?
He addressed me, saying, 'May you have no mother, do I desire his lunch?'
وَاللهِBy GodمَاnotأَكَلْتُI ateمَعَهُwith himإِلَّاexceptلِيَسْتَحْيِيَso that he might be ashamedمِنْofحُرْمَةِsanctityالْمُؤَاكَلَةِeating togetherوَلِيَصِيرَand so thatكَرَمُهُhis generosityسَبَبًاa causeلِتَعْجِيلِfor expeditingالْحَاجَةِ2the need
By God, I ate with him only so that he would be ashamed of violating the sanctity of sharing a meal, and so that his generosity would be a means to hasten the fulfillment of the need.
ثُمَّThenنَهَضَhe roseبِالصَّكِّ3with the checkوَعَلَيْهِand on itطِينَتُهُits sealفَاعْتَرَضَand he crossedبِهَاwith itالْحَائِطَthe wallحَتَّىuntilكَسَرَهَاhe broke it
Then he rose with the check, its seal still on it, and he struck it against the wall until he broke it.
ثُمَّThenتَفَلَhe spatفِيonالْكِتَابِthe documentوَحَكَّand he rubbedبَعْضَهُsome of itبِبَعْضٍagainst the otherثُمَّthenمَزَّقَهُhe tore itوَرَمَىand threwبِهِit away
Then he spat on the document and rubbed it against itself, then tore it up and threw it away.
ثُمَّThenقَالَhe saidلِكُلِّto allمَنْwhoشَهِدَwere presentالْمَجْلِسَthe gatheringهَذِهِThisأَلْفُthousandدِينَارٍdinarsكَانَتْwereلِيowed to meعَلَىbyأَبِيfather ofفُلَانٍso-and-soاشْهَدُواBear witnessجَمِيعًاallعَلَىthatأَنِّيIقَدْindeedقَبَضْتُhave receivedمِنْهُfrom himوَأَنَّهُand that heبَرِيءٌis freeمِنْfromكُلِّeverythingشَيْءٍthingأُطَالِبُهُI claimبِهِfrom himثُمَّthenنَهَضَhe rose
Then he said to all who were present in the gathering: 'This is a thousand dinars that were owed to me by the father of so-and-so. Bear witness all of you that I have received it from him and that he is free from every claim I have against him.' Then he left.
فَلَمَّاWhenصَنَعَhe didمَاwhatصَنَعَhe didأَقْبَلَturnedالْغَرِيمُthe debtorعَلَىtoصَاحِبِهِhis companionفَقَالَand saidمَاWhatدَعَاكَmade youإِلَىtoهَذَاthisالْكَلَامِstatementلِمَwhyتَقُولُهُdid you say itلِهَذَاto thisالرَّجُلِmanعَلَىatمَائِدَتِيmy tableوَتَقَدَّمَand you came forwardبِهَذَاwith thisالْكَلَامِstatementعَلَىagainstمَنْsomeoneلَاnotتَعْرِفُyou knowكَيْفَhowمَوْقِعُthe positionالْأُمُورِof mattersمِنْهُwith him؟?
When he did what he did, the debtor turned to his companion and said: 'What made you say this? Why did you say it to this man at my table, and come forward with this statement against someone you do not know how matters stand with him?'
وَبَعْدُAnd besidesفَقَدْindeedوَاللهِby GodأَرَدْتُI wantedمَطْلَهُto delay himإِلَىuntilأَنْthatأَبِيعَI sellالثَّمَرَthe fruitوَرَجَوْنَاand we hopedحَلَاوَتَهُits sweetnessفَقَدْindeedأَحْسَنْتَyou have done wellإِلَيْهِto himوَأَسَأْتَand you have done badlyإِلَيْنَاto usوَعَجَّلْتَand you have hastenedعَلَيْهِon himمَالَهُhis money
And besides, by God, I wanted to delay him until I could sell the fruit, and we hoped for its sweetness. You have done well by him, but you have done badly to us and hurried his money to him.
اذْهَبْGoيَاOغُلَامُboyفَاضْرِبْand sendبِذَلِكَwith thatالثَّمَرِfruitالسُّوقَ4to the marketفَبِعْهُand sell itبِمَاfor whateverبَلَغَit reachesفَيَأْخُذَso he may takeمَالَهُhis moneyكَمَلًا5in full
Go, boy, and take that fruit to the market, sell it for whatever it fetches, so he may take his money in full.
ثُمَّThenرَكِبَhe rodeإِلَيْهِto himفَأَبَىbut he refusedأَنْtoيَأْخُذَهُtake itفَلَمَّاand whenكَثُرَincreasedالْأَمْرُthe matterفِيinذَلِكَthatقَالَhe said
Then he rode to him, but he refused to take it. When the matter became too much, he said.
أَظُنُّI thinkالَّذِيthe one whoدَعَاmadeصَاحِبَكَyour companionإِلَىtoمَاwhatقَالَhe saidإِنَّهُis that heعَرَبِيٌّis an Arabوَأَنَاand Iمَوْلًى6a freed slave
I think what made your companion say what he said is that he is an Arab and I am a freed slave.
فَإِنْIfجَعَلْتَyou makeشُفَعَاءَكَyour intercessorsمِنَfromالْمَوَالِيthe freed slavesأَخَذْتُI will takeهَذَاthisالْمَالَmoneyوَإِنْand ifلَمْnotتَفْعَلْyou doفَإِنِّيthen Iلَاwill notآخُذُهُtake it
If you make your intercessors from the freed slaves, I will take this money; but if you do not, then I will not take it.
Footnotes
- 1.يُقَالُ: اصْطَبَغَ بِخَلٍّ: أَيْ تَلَطَّخَ بِهِ، وَالْمُرَادُ أَنَّهُ تَأَثَّرَ بِمَا يَحِيكُ فِي نَفْسِهِ مِنْ أَلَمٍ كَمَا يَتَأَثَّرُ الثَّوْبُ بِالصِّبْغِ، وَفِي هَذَا تَشْبِيهٌ بَلِيغٌ.
It is said: 'He was dyed with vinegar,' meaning he was stained by it, and the intended meaning is that he was affected by what was brewing in his soul of pain just as cloth is affected by dye, and in this there is an eloquent simile.
- 2.أَيْ لِيَتِمَّ قَضَاءُ حَاجَتِهِ بِسُرْعَةٍ بِسَبَبِ كَرَمِ الرَّجُلِ وَأَنَفَتِهِ مِنْ أَنْ يُرَدَّ سُؤَالُهُ إِذَا أَكَلَ مَعَهُ.
That is, so that his need would be fulfilled quickly due to the man's generosity and his pride from having his request refused if he ate with him.
- 3.الصَّكُّ: الْكِتَابَةُ الَّتِي تُثْبِتُ الدَّيْنَ أَوِ الْعَقْدَ، وَيُقَالُ لَهَا أَيْضًا رَقْعَةٌ أَوْ سِجِلٌّ.
The check: the document that proves a debt or a contract, also called a piece of paper or a record.
- 4.ضَرَبَ بِالثَّمَرِ السُّوقَ: أَيْ عَجَّلَ بِهِ إِلَى السُّوقِ لِبَيْعِهِ، وَالْمَعْنَى أَنَّهُ أَمَرَ بِبَيْعِ الثَّمَرِ قَبْلَ نُضْجِهِ وَبِأَيِّ ثَمَنٍ كَانَ.
He sent the fruit to the market, meaning he hurried it to the market to sell it, and the meaning is that he ordered the sale of the fruit before it ripened and at any price it would fetch.
- 5.كَمَلًا: تَامًّا عَاجِلًا غَيْرَ مُؤَجَّلٍ.
In full: completely and immediately, not deferred.
- 6.الْمَوْلَى: هُنَا يُرَادُ بِهِ الْعَتِيقُ وَالْمُعْتَقُ، وَكَانَ الْعَرَبُ يَسْتَكْثِرُونَ مِنْ أَنْ يُعَامِلَهُمُ الْمَوَالِي بِالتَّسَاهُلِ، فَلِذَلِكَ اشْتَرَطَ أَنْ يَتَوَسَّطَ الْمَوَالِي دُونَ الْعَرَبِ.
The freed slave: here it means the freed slave, and the Arabs used to find it too much for the freed slaves to deal with them with leniency, so he stipulated that the intercessors be the freed slaves, not the Arabs.
- 7.الشُّعُوبِيُّ: الَّذِي يَتَعَصَّبُ لِلْعَجَمِ عَلَى الْعَرَبِ، وَكَانُوا يَدْعُونَ إِلَى تَسَاوِي الْأَجْنَاسِ وَيَرْفُضُونَ فَضْلَ الْعَرَبِ عَلَى غَيْرِهِمْ.
The Shu'ubi: one who is biased toward non-Arabs against Arabs, and they called for the equality of races and rejected the superiority of Arabs over others.
- 8.طَلَبُوا إِلَيْهِ: سَأَلُوهُ وَالْتَمَسُوا مِنْهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ الْمَالَ، وَفِي هَذَا إِشَارَةٌ إِلَى أَنَّهُ قَبِلَ أَخْذَهُ بَعْدَ إِلْحَاحِهِمْ.
They asked him: they requested and pleaded with him to take the money, and in this is an indication that he accepted taking it after their insistence.