حَتَّىuntilأُرْدِفَهُI made him followبِالْكَلَإِwith pasture
Until I made him follow it with pasture.
وَعِبْتُمُونِيAnd you blamed meحِينَwhenخَتَمْتُI sealedعَلَىuponسُدٍّa large jarعَظِيمٍgreat
And you blamed me when I sealed a great large jar,
وَفِيهِand in itشَيْءٌsomethingثَمِينٌpreciousمِنْofفَاكِهَةٍfruitنَفِيسَةٍvaluable
containing something precious of valuable fruit
وَمِنْand fromرُطَبَةٍfresh datesغَرِيبَةٍrare
and rare fresh dates,
عَلَىforعَبْدٍa servantنَهِمٍgreedy
for a greedy servant,
وَصَبِيٍّand a boyجَشِعٍcovetous
and a covetous boy,
وَأَمَةٍand a maidservantلَكْعَاءَfoolish
and a foolish maidservant,
وَزَوْجَةٍand a wifeخَرْقَاءَclumsy
and a clumsy wife.
وَلَيْسَAnd it is notمِنْofأَصْلِthe principleالْأَدَبِgood manners
And it is not from the principles of good manners,
وَلَاnorفِيinتَرْتِيبِthe arrangementالْحُكْمِof wisdom
nor in the arrangement of wisdom,
وَلَاnorفِيinعَادَاتِthe customsالْقَادَةِof leaders
nor in the customs of leaders,
وَلَاnorفِيinتَدْبِيرِthe managementالسَّادَةِof masters
nor in the management of masters,
أَنْthatيَسْتَوِيَbe equalفِيinنَفِيسِpreciousالْمَأْكُولِfood
that be equal in precious food,
وَغَرِيبِand rareالْمَشْرُوبِdrink
and rare drink,
وَثَمِينِand valuableالْمَلْبُوسِclothing
and valuable clothing,
وَخَطِيرِand significantالْمَرْكُوبِmount
and significant mounts,
وَالنَّاعِمِand the softمِنْofكُلِّeveryفَنٍّkind
and the soft of every kind,
وَاللُّبَابِand the essenceمِنْofكُلِّeveryشَكْلٍform
and the essence of every form,
التَّابِعُthe followerوَالْمَتْبُوعُand the followed
the follower and the followed,
وَالسَّيِّدُand the masterوَالْمَسُودُand the enslaved
and the master and the enslaved,
كَمَاjust asلَاnotتَسْتَوِيare equalمَوَاضِعُهُمْtheir placesفِيinالْمَجْلِسِthe assembly
just as their places in the assembly are not equal,
وَمَوَاقِعُand the positionsأَسْمَائِهِمْof their namesفِيinالْعِنْوَانَاتِthe addresses
and the positions of their names in addresses,
وَمَاand whatيُسْتَقْبَلُونَthey are receivedبِهِwithمِنَofالتَّحِيَّاتِgreetings
and what they are received with of greetings.
وَكَيْفَAnd howوَهُمْwhile theyلَاnotيَفْقِدُونَloseمِنْfromذَلِكَthat
And how, while they do not lose from that,
وَمَاwhatيَفْقِدُlosesالْقَادِرُthe able one
what the able one loses,
وَلَاand notيَكْتَرِثُونَthey careلَهُfor itاكْتِرَاثَthe caringالْعَارِفِof the knowledgeable
and they do not care for it as the knowledgeable care.
مَنْWhoeverشَاءَwants
Whoever wants,
أَطْعَمَfedكَلْبَهُhis dogالدَّجَاجَthe chickensالْمُسَمَّنَfattened
fed his dog fattened chickens,
وَأَعْلَفَand fedحِمَارَهُhis donkeyالسِّمْسِمَthe sesameالْمُقَشَّرَpeeled
and fed his donkey peeled sesame.
فَعِبْتُمُونِيThus you blamed meبِالْخَتْمِfor the sealing
Thus you blamed me for the sealing,
وَقَدْwhen indeedخَتَمَsealedبَعْضُsomeالْأَئِمَّةِof the imamsعَلَىuponمِزْوَدِa bagسَوِيقٍof ground wheat
when indeed some of the imams sealed upon a bag of ground wheat,
وَخَتَمَand sealedعَلَىuponكِيسٍa pouchفَارِغٍempty
and sealed upon an empty pouch,
وَقَالَand said
and said:
طِينَةٌA clayخَيْرٌis betterمِنْthanطَنَّةٍa noise
A clay seal is better than a noise.
فَأَمْسَكْتُمْSo you refrainedعَمَّنْfrom the one whoخَتَمَsealedعَلَىuponلَاnothingشَيْءَthing
So you refrained from blaming the one who sealed upon nothing,
وَعِبْتُمْand you blamedمَنْthe one whoخَتَمَsealedعَلَىuponشَيْءٍsomething
and you blamed the one who sealed upon something.
وَعِبْتُمُونِيAnd you blamed meحِينَwhenقُلْتُI saidلِلْغُلَامِto the servant
And you blamed me when I said to the servant:
إِذَاwhenزِدْتَyou increaseفِيinالْمَرَقِthe broth
When you increase the broth,
فَزِدْthen increaseفِيinالْإِنْضَاجِthe cooking
then increase the cooking,
لِنَجْمَعَso that we combineبَيْنَbetweenالتَّأَدُّمِthe consumingبِاللَّحْمِof the meat
so that we combine the consuming of the meat
وَالْمَرَقِand the broth
and the broth,
وَلِنَجْمَعَand so that we combineمَعَwithالِارْتِفَاقِthe benefit
and so that we combine, with the benefit,
بِالْمَرَقِby the broth
by the broth.
Footnotes
- 1.سُدٌّ: إِنَاءٌ كَبِيرٌ يُخْزَنُ فِيهِ الطَّعَامُ.
Sudd: a large vessel in which food is stored.
- 2.لَكْعَاءُ: جَاهِلَةٌ بِالتَّدْبِيرِ، ضَعِيفَةُ الْعَقْلِ.
Lak'a: ignorant of management, weak-minded.
- 3.خَرْقَاءُ: لَا تُحْسِنُ التَّصَرُّفَ.
Kharqa': one who does not act skillfully.
- 4.طَنَّةٌ: صَوْتٌ وَضَجِيجٌ، وَالْمُرَادُ الكَلَامُ الَّذِي لَا فَائِدَةَ مِنْهُ.
Tanna: noise and clamor, meaning speech that is of no benefit.
- 5.التَّأَدُّمُ: أَكْلُ اللَّحْمِ وَالشَّرَابِ.
Ta'addum: eating meat and drinking.
- 6.الِارْتِفَاقُ: الِانْتِفَاعُ.
Irtifaq: benefiting.