فَاسْتَصْحَبَand he took as companionالرَّجُلَthe manشَاكِرًا1Shakir
So he took the man Shakir as a companion.
فَلَمَّاand whenرَآهُhe saw himعَبْدُAbdالْمَلِكِal-Malikضَاقَit became narrowبِهِwith himذَرْعًاpatience
And when Abd al-Malik saw him, he became impatient with him.
فَأَقْبَلَand he turnedعَلَيْهِto him
So he turned to him.
فَقَالَand he saidلَهُto himأَلْفُa thousandدِرْهَمٍdirhamsخَيْرٌbetterلَكَfor youمِنْthanاحْتِبَاسِكَyour detainingعَلَيْنَاwith us
He said to him: 'A thousand dirhams is better for you than your staying with us.'
فَاحْتَمَلَso he enduredغُرْمَthe lossأَلْفِa thousandدِرْهَمٍdirhamsوَلَمْand notيَحْتَمِلْhe endureأَكْلَeatingرَغِيفٍa loaf
He endured the loss of a thousand dirhams, but he could not endure eating a loaf.
وَتَنَاوَلَand tookأَعْرَابِيٌّa Bedouinمِنْfromبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْhands ofسُلَيْمَانَSulaymanبْنِibnعَبْدِAbdالْمَلِكِ2al-Malikدَجَاجَةًa chicken
And a Bedouin took a chicken from in front of Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik.
فَقَالَand he saidلَهُto himيَكْفِيكَit suffices youمَاwhatبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْكَyour handsوَمَاand whatيَلِيكَis near you
He said to him: 'What is in front of you and what is near you is enough for you.'
قَالَhe saidالْأَعْرَابِيُّthe Bedouinوَمِنْهَاand of itشَيْءٌsomethingحُمِيَ3was forbidden
The Bedouin said: 'Is there something of it that is forbidden?'
قَالَhe saidفَخُذْهَاthen take itلَاnotبُورِكَit is blessedلَكَfor youفِيهَاin it
He said: 'Then take it, may no blessing be in it for you.'
قَالُواthey saidوَكَانَand he wasمُعَاوِيَةُMu'awiyaتُعْجِبُهُit pleases himالْقُبَّةُ4the dome
They said: And Mu'awiya used to like the dome.
وَتَغَدَّىand he lunchedمَعَهُwith himذَاتَoneيَوْمٍdayصَعْصَعَةُSa'sa'aبْنُibnصُوحَانَ5Sawhan
And one day Sa'sa'a ibn Sawhan lunched with him.
فَتَنَاوَلَهَاand he took itصَعْصَعَةُSa'sa'aمِنْfromبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْhands ofمُعَاوِيَةَMu'awiya
So Sa'sa'a took it from in front of Mu'awiya.
قَالَhe saidمُعَاوِيَةُMu'awiyaإِنَّكَindeed you areلَبَعِيدُfarالنُّجْعَةِ6of the pasturage
Mu'awiya said: 'Indeed you are far from the pasturage.'
قَالَhe saidصَعْصَعَةُSa'sa'aمَنْwhoeverأَجْدَبَwas barrenانْتَجَعَ7he sought pasture
Sa'sa'a said: 'Whoever finds barrenness seeks pasture elsewhere.'
Footnotes
- 1.شَاكِرُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو السُّلَمِيُّ، مِنْ أَصْحَابِ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ مَرْوَانَ وَأَعْوَانِهِ.
Shakir ibn 'Amr al-Sulami, one of the companions and supporters of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan.
- 2.سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ مَرْوَانَ، الْخَلِيفَةُ الْأُمَوِيُّ.
Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, the Umayyad caliph.
- 3.حُمِيَ: مَنْعَ وَحَرَّمَ.
Hamiya: forbidden and prohibited.
- 4.الْقُبَّةُ: مَا يُرْفَعُ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ أَوْ نَحْوِهِ أَمَامَ الْأَمِيرِ، وَقِيلَ: هِيَ قُبَّةُ الْخُبْزِ الَّتِي تُوضَعُ عَلَى الْمَائِدَةِ.
The dome: what is raised of food or similar in front of the prince, and it is said: it is the dome of bread that is placed on the table.
- 5.صَعْصَعَةُ بْنُ صُوحَانَ الْعَبْدِيُّ: مِنْ خُطَبَاءِ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ وَفُصَحَائِهِمْ.
Sa'sa'a ibn Sawhan al-Abdi: one of the eloquent orators of the people of Kufa.
- 6.النُّجْعَةُ: طَلَبُ الْكَلَأِ فِي مَوَاضِعِهِ، وَالْمَعْنَى: أَنَّكَ تَتَنَاوَلُ الشَّيْءَ مِنْ مَكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ.
Al-Nuj'a: seeking pasture in its places, meaning: you are taking something from a distant place.
- 7.مَنْ أَجْدَبَ انْتَجَعَ: أَيْ مَنْ أَصَابَتْهُ جَدْبَةٌ طَلَبَ الْمَرْعَى فِي غَيْرِ مَكَانِهِ.
Whoever finds barrenness seeks pasture elsewhere: i.e., whoever is afflicted with drought seeks pasture in another place.