اللَّوْزِينَجُ1the almond paste»؟قَالَhe said«لَاI do notأَقْضِيgive judgmentعَلَىagainstغَائِبٍ»an absent one..
The almond paste «1»? He said: "I do not give judgment against an absent one."
وَمِنْand amongذَلِكَthatقَوْلُsayingأَبِيof Abuالْحَارِثِal-HarithجُمَيِّنَJumayyinلِبَعْضِto someالْمُلُوكِkings::«جُعِلْتُmay I beفِدَاكَyour ransomأَيُّwhatشَيْءٍthingفِيinتِلْكَthatالسَّلَّةِ»basket؟?
And among that is the saying of Abu al-Harith Jumayyin to some kings: "May I be your ransom, what is in that basket?"
قَالَhe said::«بَظْرُthe clitorisأُمِّكَ»of your mother،,قَالَhe said::«فَأَعِضَّنِيthen give me (it) to biteبِهِ»it..
He said: "Your mother's clitoris." He said: "Then give me (it) to bite."
وَمِنْand amongذَلِكَthatكَلَامُspeechالْجَارُودِof al-JarudبْنِibnأَبِيAbiسَبْرَةَSabraلِبِلَالِto BilalبْنِibnأَبِيAbiبُرْدَةَBurda،,حِينَwhenقَالَhe saidلَهُto him::«صِفْdescribeعَبْدَAbdالْأَعْلَى2al-A'laوَطَعَامَهُ»and his food،,قَالَhe said::
And among that is the speech of al-Jarud ibn Abi Sabra to Bilal ibn Abi Burda, when he said to him: "Describe Abd al-A'la «2» and his food." He said:
«يَأْتِيهِcomes to himالْخَبَّازُthe bakerفَيَمْثُلُand standsبَيْنَbeforeيَدَيْهِhis handsفَيَقُولُand says::مَاwhatعِنْدَكَ؟do you haveفَيَقُولُand he says::
"The baker comes to him and stands before him and says: 'What do you have?' So he says:
عِنْدِيI haveجَدْيٌa kidكَذَاsuch،,وَعَنَاقٌ3and a goatكَذَاsuch،,وَبَطَّةٌand a duckكَذَاsuch،,حَتَّىuntilيَأْتِيَhe reachesعَلَىtoجَمِيعِallمَاwhatعِنْدَهُ»he has..
"I have such-and-such a kid, and such-and-such a goat «3», and such-and-such a duck, until he reaches all that he has."
قَالَhe said::«وَمَاand whatيَدْعُوهُcalls himإِلَىtoهَذَا»this،,قَالَhe said::«لِيَقْتَصِرَso that may limitكُلُّeveryامْرِئٍmanفِيinالْأَكْلِeating،,حَتَّىuntilإِذَاwhenأُتِيَwas broughtبِالَّذِيwith that whichيَشْتَهِيhe desiresبَلَغَhe reachesمِنْهُfrom itحَاجَتَهُ»his need..
He said: "And what calls him to this?" He said: "So that every man may limit [himself] in eating, until when he is brought what he desires, he reaches his need from it."
قَالَhe said::«ثُمَّthenمَاذَا»what؟?
He said: "Then what?"
قَالَhe said::«ثُمَّthenيُؤْتَىis broughtبِالْمَائِدَةِthe tableفَيَتَّسِعُونَand they spreadوَيَتَضَايَقُونَand they crowdوَيَجِدُّونَand they exertوَيُعَذِّرُونَ4and they apologize،,حَتَّىuntilإِذَاwhenفَتَرُواthey slackenedخَوَّىhe loweredتَخْوِيَةَlike the loweringالظَّلِيمِ5of the ostrich،,وَأَكَلَand he ateأَكْلَthe eatingالْجَائِعِof the hungryالْمَقْرُورِ6the chilled»..
He said: "Then the table is brought, and they spread out and crowd and exert themselves and apologize «4», until when they slackened, he lowered like the lowering of the ostrich «5», and ate the eating of the hungry, the chilled «6»."
وَقَالَand saidآخَرُanother::«أَشْتَهِيI desireثَرِيدَةًa tharidaدَكْنَاءَ7darkمِنَofالْفُلْفُلِpepper،,وَرَقْطَاءَ8and speckledمِنَofالْحِمِّصِchickpeas،,ذَاتَhavingحِفَافَيْنِ9two edgesمِنَofاللَّحْمِmeat،,لَهَاfor itجَنَاحَانِtwo wingsمِنَfromالْعِرَاقِIraq،,اضْرِبْstrikeفِيهَاin itضَرْبَlike the strikingالْيَتِيمِof the orphanعِنْدَatوَصِيِّthe guardianالسَّوْءِ»of evil..
And another said: "I desire a dark tharida «7» of pepper, and a speckled one «8» of chickpeas, having two edges «9» of meat, having two wings from Iraq, strike in it like the striking of the orphan at the evil guardian."
وَسُئِلَand was askedبَعْضُهُمْsome of themعَنْaboutحُظُوظِsharesالْبُلْدَانِof the countriesفِيinالطَّعَامِfood،,وَمَاand whatقُسِمَwas dividedلِكُلِّfor eachقَوْمٍpeopleمِنْهُof it،,فَقَالَand he said::«ذَهَبَتِwentالرُّومُthe Romansبِالْحَشْوِwith the fillingوَالْحَسْوِ10and the sipping،,وَذَهَبَتْand went
And some of them was asked about the shares of the countries in food, and what was divided for each people of it, so he said: "The Romans went with the filling and the sipping «10», and went
Footnotes
- 1.اللَّوْزِينَجُ: حَلْوَى مِنَ اللَّوْزِ وَالسُّكَّرِ.
Al-lauzinaj: a sweet made of almonds and sugar.
- 2.عَبْدُ الْأَعْلَى بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَامِرٍ، وَالِي الْبَصْرَةِ.
Abd al-A'la ibn Abdullah ibn Amir, governor of Basra.
- 3.عَنَاقٌ: وَلَدُ الْمَعْزِ.
Anaq: a young goat.
- 4.يُعَذِّرُونَ: يَعْتَذِرُونَ.
Yu'addhirun: they apologize.
- 5.خَوَّى تَخْوِيَةَ الظَّلِيمِ: خَفَضَ رَأْسَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا يَفْعَلُ الظَّلِيمُ.
Khawwa takhwiyat al-zalim: he lowered his head to the ground as the ostrich does.
- 6.الْمَقْرُورِ: الَّذِي أَصَابَهُ الْقُرُّ، أَيِ الْبَرْدُ.
Al-maqruur: the one whom cold has affected.
- 7.دَكْنَاءُ: سَوْدَاءُ.
Dakna: black.
- 8.رَقْطَاءُ: مُنَقَّطَةٌ.
Raqta: speckled.
- 9.حِفَافَانِ: جَانِبَانِ.
Hifafan: two sides.
- 10.الْحَشْوُ: مَا يُحْشَى بِهِ الدَّجَاجُ أَوِ الْخُبْزُ، وَالْحَسْوُ: الْمَرَقُ.
Al-hashw: what is stuffed in chicken or bread, and al-hasw: broth.