قَالُواThey saidكَانَwasبِلَالُBilalبْنِibnأَبِيAbiبُرْدَةَBurdaقَدْindeedخَافَfearedالْجُذَامَleprosy
They said: Bilal ibn Abi Burda, who was the governor of Basra, had feared leprosy.
وَهُوَand heوَالِيgovernorالْبَصْرَةِof Basra
And he was the governor of Basra.
فَوَصَفُواSo they describedلَهُto himالْإِسْتِنْقَاعَthe soakingفِيinالسَّمْنِthe clarified butter
So they prescribed for him soaking in clarified butter.
فَكَانَAnd he used toإِذَاwhenفَرَغَhe finishedمِنْfromالْجُلُوسِthe sittingفِيهِin itأَمَرَhe orderedبِبَيْعِهِits sale
When he finished sitting in it, he would order it to be sold.
فَاجْتَنَبَSo avoidedالنَّاسُthe peopleفِيinتِلْكَthatالسَّنَةِyearأَكْلَeatingالسَّمْنِclarified butter
So people avoided eating clarified butter that year.
وَكَانَAnd he used toيُفْطِرُfeed the iftarالنَّاسَthe peopleفِيinشَهْرِmonthرَمَضَانَof Ramadan
And he used to provide the iftar meal for the people during Ramadan.
فَكَانُواSo they used toيَجْلِسُونَsitحِلَقًاin circles
They would sit in circles.
وَتُوضَعُAnd are placedلَهُمُfor themالْمَوَائِدُthe tables
And tables were set for them.
فَإِذَاSo whenأَقَامَstartedالْمُؤَذِّنُthe caller to prayerنَهَضَroseبِلَالٌBilalإِلَىtoالصَّلَاةِthe prayer
When the muezzin gave the call to prayer, Bilal would rise for prayer.
وَيَسْتَحِيand they are shyالْآخَرُونَthe others
And the others would feel shy (to continue eating).
فَإِذَاSo whenقَامُواthey stood upإِلَىforالصَّلَاةِthe prayerجَاءَcameالْخَبَّازُونَthe bakersفَرَفَعُواand they liftedالطَّعَامَthe food
When they stood up for prayer, the bakers came and removed the food.
قَالُواThey saidوَاحْتَقَنَand he gave himself an enemaعَمْرُوAmrبْنُibnيَزِيدَYazidالْأَسَدِيُّal-Asadi
They said: And Amr ibn Yazid al-Asadi gave himself an enema—
هُوَheأَحَدُone ofالزُّعَمَاءِthe leadersالْمَشْهُورِينَthe famousفِيinأَيَّامِthe daysالْأُمَوِيِّينَof the Umayyads
—he was one of the famous leaders during the Umayyad era—
بِحُقْنَةٍwith a syringeفِيهَاin itأَدْهَانٌoils
with a syringe containing oils.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenحَرَّكَتْهُit moved himبَطْنُهُhis stomachكَرِهَhe dislikedأَنْthatيَأْتِيَhe goالْخَلَاءَthe toiletفَتَذْهَبَso that go awayتِلْكَthoseالْأَدْهَانُoils
When his stomach churned (due to the oils), he hated to go to the toilet and lose those oils.
فَكَانَSo he used toيَجْلِسُsitفِيonالطَّسْتِthe basinوَيَقُولُand say
He would sit on a basin and say:
«صَفُّوا"Strainهَذَاthisفَإِنَّهُfor itيَصْلُحُis suitableلِلسِّرَاجِfor the lamp»"
"Strain this, for it is suitable for the lamp."
قَالُواThey saidوَخَبَّرَنَاand told usجَارٌa neighborلَهُof hisقَالَhe said
They said: And a neighbor of his told us, saying:
«رَأَيْتُهُ"I saw himيَتَخَلَّلُpicking his teethمِنَfromالطَّعَامِthe foodبِخِلَالٍwith a toothpickوَاحِدٍoneشَهْرًاfor a month
"I saw him picking his teeth after meals with one toothpick for a month.
كُلَّمَاwheneverتَغَدَّىhe lunchedحَذَفَhe trimmedمِنْfromرَأْسِهِits headشَيْئًاsomethingثُمَّthenتَخَلَّلَhe pickedبِهِwith itثُمَّthenوَضَعَهُhe placed itفِيinمَجْرَىthe channelدَوَاتِهِof his inkwell»"
Whenever he lunched, he would cut off a bit from its head, then pick his teeth with it, then put it in his inkwell's groove."
وَقَالُواAnd they saidكَانَwasذَرَّاعُthe arm-sellerالذَّرَّاعِthe arm-sellerمَعَwithخَالِدِKhalidبْنِibnصَفْوَانَSafwan
And they said: The arm-seller (butcher) was with Khalid ibn Safwan.
فَوَضَعُواAnd they placedبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْهِhis handsدَجَاجَةًa chickenوَبَيْنَand betweenيَدَيْهِhis handsشَيْءٌsomethingمِنْofزَيْتُونٍolives
And they placed before him a chicken, and before him a plate of olives.
فَجَعَلَAnd he beganيَلْحَظُto glance atالدَّجَاجَةَthe chickenفَقَالَso he said
He kept glancing at the chicken, so he (Khalid) said:
«كَأَنَّكَ"It seems youتَهِمُّintendبِهَاto have it»"
"It seems you have your eye on it."
قَالَHe said«وَمَنْ"And whoيَمْنَعُنِيprevents me»"قَالَHe said«إِذَا"IfأَصِيرُI becomeأَنَاIوَأَنْتَand youفِيinمَالِيmy wealthسَوَاءٌequal»"
He said: "And who prevents me?" He said: "Then I and you would become equal partners in my wealth."
قَالُواThey saidمَدَّstretchedيَدَهُhis handأَبُوAbuالْأَشْهَبِal-AshhabإِلَىtoشَيْءٍsomethingبَيْنَnearيَدَيْhandsنُمَيْلَةَNumaylaبْنِibnمُرَّةَMurraالسَّعْدِيِّal-Sa'di
They said: Abu al-Ashhab stretched his hand toward something in front of Numayla ibn Murra al-Sa'di.
فَقَالَSo he said«إِذَا"Whenأُفْرِدْتَyou are singled outبِشَيْءٍwith somethingفَلَاthen do notتَعْتَرِضْintrudeلِغَيْرِهِfor something else»"
So he said: "When you are offered something, do not reach out for something else."
Footnotes
- 1.الْإِسْتِنْقَاعُ فِي السَّمْنِ: الْجُلُوسُ فِيهِ لِلتَّدَاوِي.
Soaking in clarified butter: sitting in it for medicinal treatment.
- 2.الْحِلَقُ: جَمْعُ حَلْقَةٍ، وَهِيَ النَّاسُ يَجْلِسُونَ مُسْتَدِيرِينَ.
Circles: plural of circle, meaning people sitting in a round formation.
- 3.عَمْرُو بْنُ يَزِيدَ الْأَسَدِيُّ: رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي أَسَدٍ.
Amr ibn Yazid al-Asadi: a man from Banu Asad.
- 4.التَّخَلُّلُ: تَنْظِيفُ مَا بَيْنَ الْأَسْنَانِ بِعُودٍ أَوْ نَحْوِهِ.
Picking teeth: cleaning between the teeth with a stick or similar.