وَرَجُلٌAnd a manفِيinالْكُلَّاءِ1the marketplace
And a man in the marketplace [1].
تَطْلُبُYou askمِنْfromهَذَاthis oneوِقْرَa loadجِصٍّ2of gypsum
You ask this one for a load of gypsum [2].
وَمِنْAnd fromهَذَاthis oneوِقْرُa loadآجُرٍّof brick
And from this one a load of brick.
وَمِنْAnd fromهَذَاthis oneقِطْعَةُa pieceسَاجٍ4of teak
And from this one a piece of teak [4].
وَمِنْAnd fromهَذَاthis oneهَكَذَاthus
And from this one in this manner.
مَاWhatهَذَاis thisالْحِرْصُ؟greed?
What is this greed?
وَمَاAnd whatهَذَاis thisالْكَدُّ؟toil?
And what is this toil?
وَمَاAnd whatهَذَاis thisالشُّغْلُ؟work?
And what is this work?
لَوْIfكُنْتَyou wereشَابًّاa young manبَعِيدَfarالْأَمَلِof hope
If you were a young man with far-reaching hope,
كَيْفَhowكُنْتَwould you beتَكُونُ؟?
how would you be?
وَلَوْAnd ifكُنْتَyou wereمَدِينًاa debtorكَثِيرَwith manyالْعِيَالِdependents
And if you were a debtor with many dependents,
كَيْفَhowكُنْتَwould you beتَكُونُ؟?
how would you be?
وَقَدْAnd indeedرَأَيْتُكَI saw youفِيمَاin whatحَدَثَhappenedتَلْبَسُwearingالْأَطْمَارَtattered clothes
And indeed I saw you recently wearing tattered clothes,
وَتَمْشِيand walkingحَافِيًاbarefootنِصْفَhalfالنَّهَارِof the day
and walking barefoot in the middle of the day.
قَالَHe saidكَمْhow muchأُجَمْجِمُ؛I hesitate;
He said, 'How I hesitate!'
بَلَغَنِيIt reached meأَنَّكَthat youفَقَدْتَlostقِطْعَةَa pieceبَطِّيخٍof watermelon
It reached me that you lost a piece of watermelon,
فَأَلْحَحْتَso you insistedفِيinالْمَسْأَلَةِthe questionعَنْهَاabout it
so you insisted on asking about it,
فَقِيلَand it was saidلَكَto youأَكَلَهَاit ate itالسِّنَّوْرُthe cat
and it was said to you, 'The cat ate it.'
فَرَمَيْتَso you threwبِبَاقِيthe restالْقِطْعَةِof the pieceقُدَّامَin front ofالسِّنَّوْرِthe cat
So you threw the rest of the piece in front of the cat,
لِتَمْتَحِنَto testصِدْقَهُمْtheir truthfulnessمِنْfromكَذِبِهِمْtheir lying
to test their truthfulness from their lying.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenلَمْnotيَأْكُلْهُhe ate it
And when it did not eat it,
غَرَّمْتَهُمْyou fined themثَمَنَthe priceالْبَطِّيخَةِof the watermelonكَمَاasهِيَit is
you fined them the full price of the watermelon.
قَالُواThey saidلَكَto youكَانَit wasاللَّيْلُnight
They said to you, 'It was night,
فَإِنْfor ifلَاnotتَكُنْbeالَّتِيthe one thatأَكَلَتْهُate itمِنْfromسَنَانِيرِcatsالْجِيرَانِof the neighbors
for if it was not one of the neighbors' cats that ate it,
وَكَانَand wasالَّذِيthe one thatأَكَلَهُate itسِنَّوْرُنَاour catهَذَاthis
and the one that ate it was our cat,
فَإِنَّكَthen indeed youرَمَيْتَthrewإِلَيْهِto itبِالْقِطْعَةِthe pieceوَهُوَwhile it wasشَبْعَانٌfullمِنْهُfrom it
then you threw the piece to it while it was already full from it.
فَأَنْظِرْنَا5So give us respite
So give us respite [5],
وَلَاand do notتُغَرِّمْنَاfine usنَمْتَحِنُهُwe test itفِيinحَالٍa situationغَيْرِother thanهَذِهِthis
and do not fine us; let us test it in a different situation.'
فَأَبَيْتَBut you refusedإِلَّاexceptإِغْرَامَهُمْfining them
But you refused except to fine them.
قَالَHe saidوَيْلَكَWoe to youإِنِّيindeed Iوَاللَّهِby GodمَاnotأَصِلُI reachإِلَىtoمَنْعِهِمْpreventing themمِنَfromالْفَسَادِcorruptionإِلَّاexceptبِبَعْضِwith someالْفَسَادِcorruption
He said, 'Woe to you! By God, I cannot reach preventing them from corruption except through some corruption.'
وَقَدْAnd indeedقَالَsaidزِيَادٌZiyadفِيinخُطْبَتِهِ6his sermon
And Ziyad said in his sermon [6]:
وَاللَّهِBy Godإِنِّيindeed IمَاnotأَصِلُI reachمِنْكُمْfrom youإِلَىtoأَخْذِtakingالْحَقِّthe rightحَتَّىuntilأَخُوضَI wadeالْبَاطِلَfalsehoodإِلَيْكُمْto youخَوْضًاwading
'By God, I cannot reach taking the right from you until I wade into falsehood to you, wading.'
وَأَمَّاAnd as forمَاwhatلُمْتَنِيyou blamed meعَلَيْهِfor itآنِفًاjust now
As for what you blamed me for just now,
فَإِنَّمَاit was onlyذَهَبْتُI wentإِلَىtoقَوْلِهِhis saying
I only meant his saying:
لَوْIfأَنَّthatفِيinيَدِيmy handفَسِيلَةًa saplingثُمَّthenقِيلَit was saidلِيto meإِنَّthatالْقِيَامَةَthe Hourتَقُومُwill riseالسَّاعَةَat this hour
'If there were in my hand a sapling, and then it was said to me that the Hour will rise at this very hour,
لَبَادَرْتُهَاI would hasten to itفَغَرَسْتُهَاand plant it
I would hasten to plant it.'
وَقَدْAnd indeedقَالَsaidأَبُوAbuالدَّرْدَاءِ7al-Darda
And Abu al-Darda [7] said in his illness which...