al bukhala al jahiz

Page 187

وَأَنَاand Iأَخَافُfearأَنْthatتَكُونَbeعَيْنُكَyour eyeمَالِحَةًsalty

And I fear that your eye is salty (has the evil eye).

وَعَيْنُand an eyeمِثْلِكَlike yoursسَرِيعَةٌis quickفَاصْرِفْso turn awayعَنِّيfrom meوَجْهَكَyour face

And an eye like yours is quick, so turn your face away from me.

قَالَHe saidفَوَثَبْتُso I jumpedعَلَيْهِupon himفَقَبَضْتُand I grabbedعَلَىonلِحْيَتِهِhis beardالْيُسْرَىthe leftثُمَّthenتَنَاوَلْتُI tookالدَّجَاجَةَthe chickenبِيَدِيwith my handالْيُمْنَىthe right

He said: So I jumped upon him, grabbed his left beard, then took the chicken with my right hand.

فَمَاand notزِلْتُI ceasedأَضْرِبُstrikingبِهَاwith itرَأْسَهُhis headحَتَّىuntilتَقَطَّعَتْit tore apartفِيinيَدِيmy hand

I kept striking his head with it until it tore apart in my hand.

ثُمَّthenتَحَوَّلَhe movedإِلَىtoمَكَانِيmy placeفَمَسَحَand he wipedوَجْهَهُhis faceوَلِحْيَتَهُand his beard

Then he moved to my place, wiped his face and beard.

ثُمَّthenأَقْبَلَhe cameعَلَيَّto meفَقَالَand saidقَدْindeedأَخْبَرْتُكَI told youأَنَّthatعَيْنَكَyour eyeمَالِحَةٌis salty

Then he came to me and said: Indeed, I told you that your eye is salty.

وَأَنَّكَand that youسَتُصِيبُنِيwill afflict meبِعَيْنٍwith an eye

And that you will afflict me with the evil eye.

قُلْتُI saidوَمَاand whatشَبَهُresemblanceهَذَاthisمِنَofالْعَيْنِthe (evil) eye

I said: And what is this like from the evil eye?

قَالَHe saidإِنَّمَاonlyالْعَيْنُthe eyeمَكْرُوهٌan unpleasant thingيَحْدُثُit happens

He said: The eye is only an unpleasant thing that happens.

فَقَدْverilyأَنْزَلَتْhas brought downبِنَاupon usعَيْنُكَyour eyeأَعْظَمَthe greatestالْمَكْرُوهِof unpleasantness

Verily, your eye has brought down upon us the greatest unpleasantness.

فَضَحِكْتُso I laughedضَحِكًاa laughterمَاnotضَحِكْتُI laughedمِثْلَهُlike it

So I laughed a laughter I had never laughed like it.

وَتَكَالَمْنَاand we talkedحَتَّىuntilكَأَنَّهُas if heلَمْnotيَقُلْhe saidقَبِيحًاsomething ugly

And we talked until it was as if he had not said anything ugly.

وَحَتَّىand untilكَأَنِّيas if IلَمْnotأُفْرِطْI had overdoneعَلَيْهِagainst him

And until it was as if I had not overdone against him.

هَذِهِTheseمُلْتَقَطَاتُare gleaningsأَحَادِيثِof the hadithsأَصْحَابِنَاof our companionsوَأَحَادِيثِنَاand our hadithsوَمَاand whatرَأَيْنَاwe sawبِعُيُونِنَاwith our own eyes

These are gleanings of the hadiths of our companions and ours, and what we saw with our own eyes.

فَأَمَّاAs forأَحَادِيثُthe hadithsالْأَصْمَعِيِّof al-Asma'iوَأَبِيand AbuعُبَيْدَةَUbaydaوَأَبِيand Abuالْحَسَنِal-Hasan

As for the hadiths of al-Asma'i, Abu Ubayda, and Abu al-Hasan.

فَإِنِّيthen Iلَمْdid notأَجِدْfindفِيهَاin themمَاwhatيَصْلُحُis suitableلِهَذَاfor thisالْمَوْضِعِplaceإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatقَدْalreadyكَتَبْتُهُI have written itفِيinهَذَاthisالْكِتَابِbook

Then I did not find in them what is suitable for this place except what I have written in this book.

وَهِيَand they areبِضْعَةُseveralعَشَرَtenحَدِيثًاhadiths

And they are several ten hadiths (i.e., about ten or more).

قَالُواThey saidكَانَthere wasلِلْمُغِيرَةِfor al-MughiraبْنِibnعَبْدِAbdاللَّهِAllahبْنِibnأَبِيAbiعَقِيلٍAqilالثَّقَفِيِّal-Thaqafi

They said: There was for al-Mughira ibn Abd Allah ibn Abi Aqil al-Thaqafi.

وَهُوَwhile heعَلَىoverالْكُوفَةِal-Kufaجَدْيٌa young goatيُوضَعُwas placedعَلَىonمَائِدَتِهِhis tableبَعْدَafterالطَّعَامِthe food

While he was governor of al-Kufa, a young goat was placed on his table after the meal.

وَلَمْand notيَكُنْwasأَحَدٌanyoneيَمَسُّهُtouches itإِذْsinceكَانَhe wasهُوَheلَاnotيَمَسُّهُtouches it

And no one would touch it, since he himself would not touch it.

فَأَقْدَمَso cameعَلَيْهِto himأَعْرَابِيٌّa Bedouinيَوْمًاone dayوَلَمْand notيَعْرِفْhe knewسِيرَةَthe wayأَصْحَابِنَاof our companionsفِيهِin it

So a Bedouin came to him one day, not knowing the way of our companions regarding it.

فَلَمْand notيَرْضَhe was not satisfiedبِأَكْلِwith eatingلَحْمِهِits meatحَتَّىuntilتَعَرَّقَhe ate the meat offعَظْمَهُits bone

He was not satisfied with eating its meat until he had eaten the meat off its bone.

فَقَالَso saidلَهُto himالْمُغِيرَةُal-MughiraيَاOهَذَاthis manتُطَالِبُdo you seek retributionعِظَامَthe bonesهَذَاthisالْجَدْيِyoung goatبِذَحْلٍfor a blood revenge

So al-Mughira said to him: O this man, do you seek retribution for the bones of this young goat? Did its mother gore you?

هَلْdidنَطَحَتْكَgore youأُمَّةُits mother

Did its mother gore you?

وَكَانَand wasالْأَصْمَعِيُّal-Asma'iيَقُولُsayingإِنَّمَاonlyقَالَhe saidيَاOهَذَاthis manتُطَالِبُdo you seek retributionعِظَامَthe bonesهَذَاthisالْبَائِسِthe miserableبِذَحْلٍfor a blood revenge

And al-Asma'i used to say: He only said: O this man, do you seek retribution for the bones of this miserable one? Did its mother gore you?

هَلْdidنَطَحَتْكَgore youأُمُهُits mother

Did its mother gore you?

Footnotes

  1. 1.أَيْ: تُصِيبُ بِالْعَيْنِ

    Meaning: you afflict with the evil eye.

  2. 2.يَعْنِي: لَمْ أُسْرِفْ فِي الِانْتِقَامِ مِنْهُ

    Meaning: I did not go to extremes in taking revenge on him.

  3. 3.الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ أَبِي عَقِيلٍ الثَّقَفِيّ: مِنْ كِبَارِ التَّابِعِينَ، وَوَالِي الْكُوفَةِ لِمُعَاوِيَةَ

    Al-Mughira ibn Abd Allah ibn Abi Aqil al-Thaqafi: one of the great Successors, and governor of Kufa for Mu'awiya.

  4. 4.الذَّحْلُ: الثَّأْرُ وَالِانْتِقَامُ

    Adh-dahl: vengeance and retribution.