وَتَوَانَلَAnd tookرَجُلٌa manمِنْfromقُدَّامِin front ofأَمِيرٍan emirكَانَwasلَنَا1for usضَخْمٍhuge
And a man took an egg from in front of a huge emir who was ours,
بَيْضَةًan eggفَقَالَand he said
and said:
خُذْهَاTake itفَإِنَّهَاfor it isبَيْضَةُthe egg ofالْعُقْرِ2barrenness
Take it, for it is the egg of barrenness.
فَلَمْAnd notيَزَلْhe ceasedمَحْجُوبًاveiledحَتَّىuntilمَاتَhe died
He remained veiled until he died.
وَأَتَىAnd he came toضَيْعَةًan estateلَهُof hisيَتَنَزَّهُto strollإِلَيْهَاto it
And he came to one of his estates to stroll there,
وَمَعَهُand with himخَمْسَةُfiveرِجَالٍmenمِنْfromخَاصَّتِهِhis close associates
and with him were five of his close men.
وَقَدْand indeedحَمَلُواthey carriedمَعَهُwith himطَعَامَthe food ofخَمْسِمِائَةٍfive hundred
They had brought along with him food for five hundred persons.
وَثَقُلَAnd it was burdensomeعَلَيْهِupon himأَنْthatيَأْكُلُواthey eatمَعَهُwith him
It was burdensome for him that they eat with him,
وَاشْتَدَّand intensifiedجُوعُهُhis hunger
and his hunger intensified.
فَجَلَسَSo he satعَلَىonمَشَارَةِthe vegetable plotبَقْلٍ3of greens
So he sat at a vegetable plot,
فَأَقْبَلَand he beganيَنْتَزِعُpulling outالْفَجْلَةَthe radish
and began to pull out the radish,
فَيَطْوِيand foldsجُزَرَتَهَاits topبِعِرْقِهَاwith its root
folding its top with its root,
ثُمَّthenيَأْكُلُهَاeats itمِنْwithoutغَيْرِother thanأَنْthatتُغْسَلَit be washed
then eats it unwashed,
مِنْdue toكَلَبِthe vehemenceالْجُوعِ4of hunger
due to the raging hunger.
وَيَقُولُand he saysلِوَاحِدٍto oneمِنْهُمْof themكَانَwho wasأَقْرَبَnearestالْخَمْسَةِof the fiveإِلَيْهِto himمَجْلِسًاin sitting place
And he says to one of them who was the closest in seating among the five:
لَوْifقَدْindeedذَهَبَwent awayهَؤُلَاءِtheseالثُّقَلَاءُthe burdensome ones
If these burdensome ones had gone away,
لَقَدْcertainlyأَكَلْنَاwe would have eaten
we would have eaten indeed.
قَالُواThey saidوَأَكَلَand ateعَبْدُAbdulالرَّحْمَنِRahmanبْنُson ofأَبِيAbiبَكْرَةَ5Bakrah
They said: And Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Bakrah ate
عَلَىonخِوَانِthe table ofمُعَاوِيَةَMuawiyah
at Muawiyah's table,
فَرَأَىand he sawلُقَمَthe mouthfuls ofعَبْدِAbdulالرَّحْمَنِ6Rahman
and he saw the mouthfuls of Abdul Rahman.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenكَانَit wasبِالْعَشِيِّin the eveningوَرَاحَand wentإِلَيْهِto himأَبُوAbuبَكْرَةَBakrah
And when it was evening, Abu Bakrah went to him
قَالَhe said
he said:
مَاwhatفَعَلَdidابْنُكَyour sonالتُّلَقَّامَةُ7the big-mouthed
What did your son the big-mouthed do?
قَالَHe saidمِثْلُهُthe like of himلَاnotيَعْدَمُhe lacksالْعِلَّةَan excuse
He said: The like of him does not lack an excuse.
وَأَكَلَAnd ateأَعْرَابِيٌّa BedouinمَعَwithأَبِيAbiالْأَسْوَدِal-Aswadالدُّؤَلِيِّal-Du'ali
And a Bedouin ate with Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali,
فَرَأَىand he sawلَهُfor himلُقَمًاmouthfulsمُنْكَرًاugly
and he saw his ugly mouthfuls,
وَهَالَهُand it alarmed himمَاwhatيَصْنَعُhe does
and what he was doing alarmed him.
قَالَHe saidلَهُto him
He said to him:
مَاwhatاسْمُكَyour name
What is your name?
قَالَHe saidلُقْمَانُLuqman
He said: Luqman.
قَالَHe saidصَدَقَspoke the truthأَهْلُكَyour family
He said: Your family told the truth.
أَنْتَyou areلُقْمَانُ8Luqman
You are indeed Luqman.
Footnotes
- 1.كَانَ لَنَا أَمِيرٌ ضَخْمٌ
There was for us a huge emir
- 2.بَيْضَةُ الْعُقْرِ: يُضْرَبُ مَثَلًا لِلشَّيْءِ الَّذِي لَا يُرْجَى مِنْهُ الْخَيْرُ
The egg of barrenness: a proverb for something from which no good is hoped
- 3.الْمَشَارَةُ: الْأَرْضُ الْمُخْتَارَةُ لِلزَّرْعِ
Al-masharah: the chosen land for cultivation
- 4.كَلَبُ الْجُوعِ: شِدَّتُهُ وَأَذَاهُ
Kalab al-ju': its severity and harm
- 5.عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ: مِنْ رُوَاةِ الْحَدِيثِ
Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Bakrah: a narrator of hadith
- 6.اللُّقَمُ: جَمْعُ لُقْمَةٍ
Luqam: plural of luqma (mouthful)
- 7.التُّلَقَّامَةُ: كَثِيرُ الْأَكْلِ وَاللَّقْمِ
Al-tulaqqama: one who eats a lot and takes large mouthfuls
- 8.لُقْمَانُ: اسْمُ الْحَكِيمِ الْمَذْكُورِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ
Luqman: the name of the wise man mentioned in the Quran